By Mary Clayton, Revelstoke Ski Club
The ski race season has started strong for the Revelstoke Ski Club. An early-season FIS race at Mt Norquay, Alberta saw Revelstoke’s own Dominic Unterberger on top of the podium for the slalom competition. Domenic is in his third season with the BC Team and continues to be an inspiration for the younger athletes of the Revelstoke Ski Club.
Another proud moment at that same slalom race saw Revelstoke’s Mitch Smith coming in second among the U18 skiers and 12th overall. This was a significant result for Mitch, as he was racing against athletes from four provincial teams – B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec – as well as skiers from the U.S. and New Zealand.
Due to the strength and success of the FIS team under Coach Gregor Druzina, three athletes from the Vernon Ski Club have joined the Revelstoke team for the season.
“It’s a strong testament to what we’ve been building here in Revelstoke,” said Coach Druzina. “We’ve got some momentum and I hope we can continue to build a strong and successful team.”
For the younger skiers, the weekend of Dec 13–14 was the inaugural race of the new Teck Open series, held at Sun Peaks. This series will bring together U16–U21 athletes from across the province, rather than just their particular zones.
For Revelstoke’s two U16 racers, Alexis Welch and Bergen Schmidt, the weekend provided an opportunity to race against a very competitive field. Head Coach Ned Lazarevic was very pleased with how the two girls skied, noting they gained confidence and improved with each race.
As always, our club is grateful for the support from Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Looking at the season ahead, the Revelstoke club is hosting two races that will be a special focus for our athletes. March 6 – 7 will be the Okanagan Zone final for skiers under 12.
March 19–22, Revelstoke will host the Can-Ams for U14 skiers, which means the best 12- and 13-year-old skiers from four western provinces and the western states will converge on RMR for four days of amazing ski racing.