By Karl Klassen, Revelstoke Ski Club
Revelstoke Ski Club hosted its biggest race in years this past week from March 19 – 22. The U14 Fidelity Western Can-Ams brought together the best 12 and 13 year old ski racers from Alberta and British Columbia with a contingent from the Pacific Northwest.
Despite terrible weather for the first three days and challenging snow conditions, a full slate of racing was completed including two days of GS and two days of slalom. The event culminated with blue skies and perfect racing conditions on Sunday, which showed off Revelstoke Mountain Resort in its full glory.
Visiting skiers had to qualify to enter the race but as host club, Revelstoke was allowed to enter a full team, which exposed first year U14 racers Sophia Humphreys, John Sidjak, and Nolan Gale to the challenge of a higher level of competition than they had previously experienced. Lowell Schmidt was the only Revelstoke first-year U14 to qualify. “All the first-years skied well and moved up the ranks in tough conditions,” said head coach Ned Lazarevic. “I’m very proud of them.”
Second-year skiers Jenna Knight and Colm Molder came up with a number of performances that placed them in the top half of the field, with Molder in the top 30 on day three. Aleks Klassen was in the top 15 on days one and two, top 30 on day three, and hit his stride on day four’s slalom with a 7th place finish. These results earned him a 10th in the overall standings for the event.
The Okanagan U12/U14/U16/U18 zone finals will be held at Big White March 28 – 29. The following weekend Revelstoke skiers head for the Whistler Cup, North America’s premier international event for U14 and U16 alpine racers.