About Our Club
Our club is really fortunate to have some exceptionally talented athletes as coaches, who just happen to be former Olympians. We also have coaches who have been around the sport for decades that are willing to lend their expertise, and everyone is always willing to help out and share their knowledge and skills about skating, equipment, and the sport in general.
Becky Sundstrom – Long Track, 1998 and 2002
Becky competed in Short Track through 1993 (World Championships) and Long Track through 2003–1998 Olympics (Nagano) and 2002 (Salt Lake City). She is passionate about speedskating, because it is as rewarding as it is challenging. She enjoys helping skaters of all abilities gain the skill to safely go fast and have fun! Becky coaches many of our Sunday practice sessions, combining technical drills, intervals, endurance laps and relays.
Shana Sundstrom – Short Track, 1994
Shana competed in Lillehamar (Short Track 1994) and then raced longtrack for the duration of her career. She loves the sheer joy of going fast, something that any skater at any level can also experience. She thinks speedskating is a great sport, as fun as it is hard, and maybe so fun because it is so hard!
Tama SundstromTama started speedskating at age 12, made the Jr. World Team and Sr. National Team by age 16, and made the World Team by age 20. She went on to represent the U.S. in numerous World Championships and World Cups, primarily in the 1500m and 1000m, though at one time or another she qualified for nearly every event, including the short-track World Championships. Her best performances came before the advent of the clapskate, when she was National Champ and finished top-10 in the World Cup in the 1500m. She coached Juniors during one of her rest years and retired at the end of 1998 after 19-some years of turning left! Now she is thrilled to see a whole new group of people discover that speedskating is absolutely the most fun sport around (one of the hardest too, but so worth it!) She enjoys helping skaters learn effective technique so that no matter how young, old, weak, strong, raw, or experienced they are, they can get the most out of their efforts. She wants all the new skaters out there to know that contrary to popular belief, you are never too old to learn to skate fast and well–in fact, there are some advantages to not starting a technical sport like skating when you’re a youngster, because the older you are, the more capable you are of being able to understand the complexities and apply what you’ve learned.
Dave Besteman -Short track, 1988, Long Track 1992 & 1994, West Allis Club Coach, US Regional Coach, US National Long Track Team Coach, 1999
Nick Thometz – Long track, 1984, 1988, 1992, Asst. Coach 1993, Olympic Team Coach LT in 1994
Sterling Sobczak
World Cup level in Canada in Long Track, Coach in 2006-2007
Chris Sundstrom – 20 years coaching experience
Lisa Sundstrom – 30 years coaching experience
Lisa began as a skating mom but quickly decided doing was more fun than watching. She competed as a Masters skater during the 80′s and 90′s, and particularly relates to learning this difficult (but fun!) sport as an adult. Her coaching focus is on the basics for beginners of all ages.
Max Diener
Max has been skating with us for several years and seems to become consistently faster each time he steps onto the ice. He went to college in Colorado and was fortunate enough to continue training while there. Since returning to the Portland area, he’s taken trips to Salt Lake City, Vancouver B.C., and the Netherlands to skate on the long track. Max is very helpful and welcoming to all skaters, and it’s fun to watch him skate!
Linda Jellison – Level 1 coach
MVSC Mission Statement
The mission of the Mountain View Speedskating Club is to provide education about speedskating in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area and to promote and encourage competitive speedskating regionally and nationally.
Non-Profit Statement of Authentication
The Mountain View Speedskating Club is a non-profit corporation organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Subject to the limitations stated in the Articles of Incorporation, the purposes of this corporation shall be to engage lawful activities, none of which are for profit, for which corporations may be organized under Chapter 65 of the Oregon Revised Statues (or its corresponding future provisions) and §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or its corresponding future provisions).
Tax Deductible Contributions
The MVSC welcomes tax deductible contributions made throughout the year on behalf of individuals, families, corporations, organizations, foundations, charities, and trusts. Contributions are used to purchase skating and protective equipment for the Club, subsidize ice time fees for needy skaters, and cover expenses associated with our various programs and events.
To make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Linda Jellison, Communications Director of the Mountain View Speedskating Club at linda@mountainviewspeedskating.org.
Corporate Benefactors
Each year the MVSC invites proposals from area businesses and corporations interested in sponsoring the Club as Corporate Benefactors. By participating as a Corporate Benefactor, your company will be recognized for its commitment to supporting speedskating education and competition in our community.
For more information about becoming a Corporate Benefactor and to get a full list of benefits, please contact Linda Jellison, Communications Director of the Mountain View Speedskating Club at linda@mountainviewspeedskating.org.
Non-profit Status Verification
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To see a copy of the IRS determination letter, please click on the link below:
