The Whistler Mountain Ski Club welcomed FIS athletes from around BC, Alberta and south of the border, February 20-24, for a week of speed, GS and slalom racing. It was a great warmup for the upcoming Nor-Am Finals running on the same tracks in March.
Monday and Tuesday saw a super-G speed camp run by the FIS coaches, allowing the racers to get ‘up to speed’ before race day. On Wednesday, just in time for the 43rd running of the Bob Parsons Memorial speed race, temperatures dropped to -15 and the winds picked up, making for a chilly day for racers and volunteers. Two super-G races ran on Wednesday with the athletes starting at the top of Raven and finishing at the bottom of the Dave Murray National Training Center (DMNTC).
The Parsons trophy was awarded by Griffin Parsons to the top male and female racer across both super-G races. Congratulations to WMSC athlete Felix Shorter and Okanagan Ski Team athlete Jasmine Coubrough for taking the wins and being added to the prestigious Parsons trophy!
On Thursday, temperatures dipped even further, and the winds got stronger for the longest GS race on this year’s calendar. The athletes ran from the top of Club 21 to the bottom of the DMNTC, taking almost 1 minute, and 30 seconds to complete the course, compared to sub-1-minute runs at most venues. The long, steep, icy course took its toll on the field.
The sun came out Friday for a beautiful, cold and sunny Whistler day to run the slalom. The DMNTC offered up another challenging course down the sunset pitch to the bottom of the training center.
A big thank you to all the volunteers, especially those that put in 3 or more days mid-week to get this race off. Mid-week races are challenging for volunteer numbers, and those that came out really shouldered the load, executing the race with half the volunteers normally out for a weekend U12/U14/U16 event. Also, a big thank you to the Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club and Vancouver Ski Team parents who came out in numbers to help fill volunteer positions, including some of the ROC positions.
Race Recap submitted by Blanca de la Rosa, Whistler Mountain Ski Club