While most skiers and riders were enjoying fresh powder on the Dec. 15- 16 weekend, volunteers and events crews were doing everything they could to push the powder off the Upper Dave Murray to host the opening event of the season of the Vancouver Sun Coast Zone series and Nancy Greene Festival.
Saturday’s giant slalom race was called off at 11 a.m. after the snow continued to fall, and organizers couldn’t guarantee safe or consistent conditions for racers. The event was pushed to Sunday in place of the Kombi that was supposed to take place, and only the K1 racers took part.
The Whistler Mountain Ski Club had a solid opening weekend, with Daniel Kwong placing first for the boys, followed by teammate Mackenzie Thompson and Austin Lierwellyn of the Tyee Ski Club in the first race, and by Hayden Sidney-Phillips of Cypress and Whistler’s Max Horner in the second race.
Kaylie Higgs won gold in both runs for the girls. In the first race she was followed by teammates Elyse Timoshenko and Lindsey Jones, and in the second by Lindsey Jones and Marielle Thompson.
While Saturday’s race didn’t happen, the Nancy Greene Festival still took place with skiers aged 11 to 16 heading to six skill testing stations around Whistler Mountain that tested their abilities in slalom gates, skate starts and other elements of the sport. The event was organized by Will Raine, Nancy Greene’s son, and former World Cup racer Kathy Kreiner was on hand to talk to the younger athletes.
-Results submitted by Cheryl Green
