The Vernon Ski Club (VSC) hosted the Okanagan Zone Finals from April 6-7 at SilverStar Mountain Resort, much to the pleasure of all the participants.
A total of 97 racers from across the zone from U12-U16 competed in GS and SL races on the “backside” of the mountain. Athletes and coaches were treated to early gondola loads and warm up runs in the sunshine on the frontside, before moving to the back of the mountain for inspection and races.
VSC was excited at the opportunity to host the race “Gypsy Queen” all season. The run is a perfect pitch and terrain for both GS and slalom. Thanks to the hard work of coaches and volunteers, the surface held up well, despite warmer than normal temperatures.
Saturday’s GS had the U14/U16 field ripping down a long and steep course with the U12s starting lower down. There were many great local results for the GS, including a top 3 sweep by VSC U14 Men athletes. Congratulations team!
Sunday was all about slalom and the surface was solid leading to some fabulous results. Again, saw a top 3 sweep – this time in the U12 girl’s by SunPeaks Racers – well done! A yummy BBQ lunch was served to vollies and athletes at the top of the run by our hardworking volunteers.
A few special thanks you: To our sweet U8 & U10 forerunners who showed the U12s how it is done, and our VSC alumni FIS athletes who returned to forerun the U14/16 course both days – thank you! To our VSC and visiting parents who spent long days on the course slipping, shoveling, salting, photographing, and keeping everything on time – Great Job! And as always, to our Race Organizing Committee, Program Director and SSMR for the endless hours of planning, hauling gear and course prep – thank you!
And lastly – to those athletes, parents and coaches who stayed until the bitter end to tear down a big set up on this very last day of the season – amazing work! The tear down was done in record time allowing everyone to get back to the village for apres and awards. VSC looks forward to hosting events and seeing everyone again next season!
Please note the 2024 Mega Camp has been cancelled due to low registration numbers.
We plan to be back in 2025!
The MEGA camp is back. Considered some of the “best training, ever”, BC Alpine in partnership with Sun Peaks Resort, will once again host this exclusive training opportunity – the mountain will be closed to the public – from April 18-24th, 2024. Conditions are expected to be optimal for training and this opportunity will give clubs and racers a big jump on next season.
**Send in your request for dates and camp details using this link (requests MUST be sent in by club coach or leader, no individual requests will be accepted)
BC Alpine is saying goodbye to two members of its family in order for them to focus on their own families, closer to home. At the end of this season, Montana Molyneux, BC Ski Team women’s head coach, as well as Dustin Koepke, men’s coach, are moving on.
“I am very proud of the athletes that I have worked with on the BC men’s and women’s teams,” Montana said. “It has been wonderful to watch them develop into great athletes and even better people. Ski racing creates a unique experience where we work, travel and live with a small team of athletes putting their all into the sport, Every-Single-Day. I appreciate them for allowing me to be a part of their journeys.”
Coach “Monty” as she is known by her peers and pupils, has been with the BCST program for the past four seasons, where she has also played an integral part of the leadership behind the highly-successful Girls Fast Forward program. “I hope I’ve created more space for female coaches in BC and would love to see more equitable work done to ensure women have more opportunities to coach at the higher levels.”
Montana with former BCST skier Gerrit Van Soest in 2021, during the Lake Louise World Cup.
For Dustin Koepke, he will be closer to home to focus on his young family while he continues to coach in the Okanagan.
“I really enjoyed my time with the team, as a new Dad I want to spend a bit more time with my family,” he said. “I’m also excited to bring a lot of what I have been learning back to the club level.”
In the coming weeks BC Alpine will be posting more content about Montana and Dustin’s incredible journey with the provincial ski team. In the meantime, BC Alpine encourages interested coaches to consider applying for the vacancy. Details and application process can be found at the link below.
“We are going to miss Montana’s leadership, professionalism and incredible energy,” said Johnny Crichton, BC Alpine VP. “And Dustin played a big part in the successes and development of a strong men’s team. These are big shoes to fill!”
Smithers Ski & Snowboard Club (SSSC), along with Hudson Bay Mountain Resort, hosted the final North Zone Teck race of the season, March 9 – 10, replacing the traditional mid-series Purden Teck Race and wrapping up zone competitions early this year due to the low snow season and bigger provincial events coming up in April. With 64 athletes from SSSC, Prince George Ski Club, and Lightning Creek Ski Club, plus a contingent from Yukon Alpine, there was much energy for this multi-race weekend.
True to fashion, if you plan a ski race, it’s bound to finally snow, and the Saturday giant slalom brought fresh snow and soft conditions to contend with. Another ambitious northern schedule made for an action-packed day, with two races (4 runs) for U14-U19 athletes, and two races (2 runs) for U12 athletes on both days.
Day 2 was another busy slalom day, but the morning fog lifted, the schedule held firm and the difficult slalom hill made for plenty of action. North Zone trophies were presented to end the event and mark the top athletes across each age group for the season. Many of the annual trophies have over 40 years of successive names engraved; a testament to the strong ski racing culture in Northern BC.
The Revelstoke Ski Club and Revelstoke Mountain Resort were delighted to host the NGSL Okanagan Zone Finals on March 2 – 3, 2024. With over 100 cms of snowfall in the week leading up to the races, the storms cleared just in time for a fantastic weekend of racing. Although the constant low wind kept things cooler than expected for our volunteers and racers, enthusiasm remained high.
Over 100 athletes from Apex Ski Club, Big White Ski Club, Vernon Ski Club, and Sun Peaks Ski Club travelled to Revelstoke for the Zone finals.
Saturday saw the U6 and U8 athletes compete in the dual slalom races, while Sunday featured the U10 and U12 skiers. Sunday’s racing was slightly more challenging as 10 cms of fresh snow had fallen overnight, adding an extra element of excitement to the competition.
A huge thank you goes out to all the volunteers who made this event possible, as well as Revelstoke Mountain Resort for their unwavering support. We are also immensely grateful to all our sponsors who contributed to the success of the race.
The home team (RSC) showcased an impressive performance, with notable results in the U12 category, see the results below.
U12 Girls – March 3rd
1st: Indie Carson, Revelstoke Ski Club
2nd: Mavis Gokiert, Revelstoke Ski Club
3rd: Valen Skringer, Vernon Ski Club
4th: Bryn Eyben, Revelstoke Ski Club
5th: Harper Holland, Revelstoke Ski Club
6th: Bria Gauer, Revelstoke Ski Club
7th: Charlie Henshall, Revelstoke Ski Club
8th: India Shearing, Revelstoke Ski Club
9th: Lola Foster, Big White Ski Club
10th: Anna Lang, Sun Peaks Ski Club
U12 Boys – March 3rd
1st: Dawson Wilkey, Revelstoke Ski Club
2nd: Ryder Milaney, Revelstoke Ski Club
3rd: Sylas Bowlen, Revelstoke Ski Club
4th: Mateo Colvin, Revelstoke Ski Club
5th: Hugo Beruschi, Revlestoke Ski Club
6th: Willem Irving, Revelstoke Ski Club
7th: James Rorstsad, Revelstoke Ski Club
8th: Fionn Kelly, Revelstoke Ski Club
9th: Jayden Gauer, Revelstoke Ski Cub
10th: Ben Belsham, Revelstoke Ski Club
Special thanks to our Platinum Sponsors: Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Eagle Pass Heli Skiing, Regent Hotel and Cheers Liquor Store, Cabot Revelstoke, and Mackenzie Village. We also extend our gratitude to our sponsors for providing prizes, goodie bags, and snacks for the event, including Mackenzie Village, The Wax Bench, Skookum Ski and Bike, Free Spirit Sports, Save On Foods, Southside Market, Powder Rentals, Integrated Apparel, Somewon, and Stoke FM.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a memorable success!
~ Report submitted by Jennifer Ratelich, Revelstoke Ski Club
