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April 12, 2007

Still a national-class skier at 76

Mark Behan

Alphonse Sevigny's favorite mantra reflects his philosophy: You are never too old for sports.

And at 76 years of age, Sevigny, the national-class skier known as "Al," is living proof of that.

At the recent 2007 Masters National Championships in Big Sky, Mont., Sevigny, competing in the 75 to 79 age group, earned a gold medal in the slalom and bronze medals in the downhill, giant slalom and super giant slalom. He also snagged bronze in the combined events.

Not bad for a guy who did not start skiing until he was 50.

"It's pretty amazing what Al has done, seeing how late in life he started the sport," said Derek Griggs, a top masters and former college skier. "Skiing, especially events like the slalom, is a technical sport. If the gross motor skills needed to ski are not ingrained before someone reaches puberty, then it's very difficult to learn, never mind ski at a high level.

"If Al had started skiing earlier in life, like most top skiers who learn as kids, then he probably would have been on the U.S. Ski Team."

After driving back from the nationals in Montana with his wife, Jacqueline, Sevigny had one day to rest before competing in the Eastern Masters Championships at Sunday River in Maine. There, Sevigny placed first in three events.

"It's a lot of fun," said Sevigny, who graduated from Haverhill Trade School in 1950, was nicknamed "Choo-choo" (like a train) when he played halfback for the Hillies football team from 1947 to 1949, and earned the Colonial Theater's "Most Valuable Player" award.

"As you get older you obviously slow down, but so are the other guys, too. Each year, fewer guys are doing it, and the races are thinning out. But I enjoy competing and I enjoy training. It's a year-round thing."

Sevigny, who retired from Western Electric in 1998, is humble and does not like to talk about his skiing prowess, said Griggs.

"Al does not like to blow his own horn. Skiing with someone 10 weekends a year, you get to know each other really well," Griggs said. "New England masters skiing is a fun sport. We are always trying to help each other out, coaching each other and giving each other tips.

"Al's best race is the slalom, which is the most technical event and also the toughest event to get a rhythm in. You need to be strong and fearless to get around the gates, and that's Al. I hope to be doing what Al is doing when I am his age. It's beyond comprehension. He is a great role model."

When he was 50, Sevigny, a father of three and grandfather of six, said one of his daughters "talked him into trying skiing."

"No, I did not think I'd be doing this 25 years later," said Sevigny who races about 20 times per season and skis four or five days a week during the winter. "But it's become a big part of my life. I think because I started later than most people I am not slowing down as much as people who have been doing it for a long time."

During his Hillie playing days, Sevigny weighed only 145 pounds. "Back then we (running backs) were known as the "pony backfield" because we were so small," Sevigny recalled.

As for the future, Sevigny, the late starter to skiing, said he plans to continue skiing later into life.

"I hope to be doing it for many more years. One of the guys (he skis with) is 83 and he's still going strong," Sevigny said.

"As long as I am still going good and am in good health, and still have the guts to go down the mountain (at a speed of close to 50 miles per hour in the downhill), I'll keep doing it. You are never too old for sports."

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