By Andrew Mitchell
Close to 30 centimetres of snow and a gusting cross-wind played
havoc in Sunday’s slopestyle event, the second Whistler-Blackcomb Park Rider
Session contest of the season.
Not only did the snow keep the numbers down to around 40 riders
and skiers, the combination of snow and wind resulted in icy patches, deep
drifts, and sometimes limited visibility. Athletes were blown sideways while
airing over the tables, and stayed low to avoid being knocked off the rails by
the winds. Still, the riding was nothing short of impressive.
In the Snowboard Open 13 and Under category, Brin Alexander
took his second win of the season with a run that included the rainbow, a
corked 720, a boardslide of the up-box, and a spinning slide on the new
up-down-up box. Max Ripper was a close second, battling some of the strongest
gusts of the day, while Zach Astle took third.
In the Ski Open 13 and Under group Jaewoo Choi took the win,
followed by Max Horner and Daniel Marantz. Yuki Tsubota was the only skier in
the Under 13 group, but took a few risks with her run anyway.
In Snowboard Girls 16 and under, Samatha Baron placed first
followed by Ali Tracey.
Brennan Kurchak won Boys 14 to 16, followed by Brian Bowles and
Jess Ballhousen.
Simon D’Artois won Ski Boys 14 to 16, followed by Jaques
Mortimore and Connor Warnock.
Jon Gocer finished on top of Male Snowboard 17 and Over
category, with Jimmy Takemura placing second and Renji Veno in third.
Christie Cunningworth won Female Snowboard 17 and Over
uncontested.
Reed Lewis finished on top of the Male Ski 17 and Over
category, which was probably the hardest to judge with riders taking off and
landing switch, spinning on boxes, and generally putting on a show. Patrick
Duvale and Leigh Rowis were second and third.
The next event on the calendar is the recreational Atomic Ski
and Snowboardcross, scheduled for Jan. 20-21. The first day is a mandatory
training and qualification day, with heats taking place the next day according
to seeding. Helmets, mouthguards and armor are recommended, and skiers and
snowboarders of all ages can take part.
The cost is $30 to register in advance at Whistler-Blackcomb Guest Relations, and day of race registration is $35 at the Rendezvous Lodge from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Advance registration is recommended, as there are a limited number of entries for each age group.