By Heather Welch, Revelstoke Ski Club
The Revelstoke Ski Club wrapped up its competitive season on the weekend with races in Whistler and Panorama.
The U14 racers travelled to the coast on the weekend to partake in the 24th annual Whistler Cup, a prestigious international event with more than 400 participants. Racers, age 12- 15, from across Canada and around the world took part in the three-day event.
The event has an Olympic-type feel to it, with opening and closing ceremonies and an athletes’ parade with more than 20 countries represented.
In the U14 category there were more than 130 racers in each of the men’s and women’s events. Racing against the best skiers in their age group from Canada and beyond, the five-member Revelstoke team put in a solid effort and gained valuable experience in the slalom and giant slalom disciplines.
In the U14 Men’s Division, John Sidjak placed 21st in slalom and Nolan Gale took 40th in giant slalom. Both Nolan and John cracked the top 50 in the dual slalom, with a 43rd place and 44th place respectively. Lowell Schmidt captured a 67th in dual slalom.
On the women’s side, Sophia Humphreys raced to 61st in GS and 71st in slalom. First year U14 Devyn Gale placed 94th in slalom.
Across the province at Panorama, near Invermere, the U16 athletes competed in the U14/U16 Westerns. Despite sunny skies, the team experienced spring weather that made for some challenging race conditions with icy slopes in the morning and rut-filled snow in the afternoon.
Top results from Revelstoke went to Alex Jay (U14), who finished 9th in GS, Colm Molder, also 9th in GS, and Jenna Knight, who raced to 18th place in GS and 19th in slalom.
All members of the Revelstoke Ski Club – the Revy Carvers, the Revy Mountaineers and the Revy Racers – would like to thank Revelstoke Mountain Resort and our sponsors for a great season. We would also like to thank Head Coach Ben Griffin for a job well done!