Under stunning bluebird skies with early-morning firm snow conditions, Revelstoke Mountain Resort (open until April 21st!) and the Revelstoke Ski Club hosted the Okanagan zone for one last red-blue-red-blue show down.
A total of 152 athletes aged 12-19 from ski clubs in Sun Peaks, Big White, Apex and Vernon arrived, ready to show the skills and speed they have developed all season. The skill, progression and confidence shown in the final race series of the season in the zone but awesome.
“The energy was high as they took to the GS course on Saturday and the SL course on Sunday,” a club representative said. “The U12s even tested their new skills, cross blocking on a three-quarter slalom gate course for the first time in competition!”
A huge thank you goes out to all volunteers, coaches, and parents who dedicated their time to making this event possible. A massive thank you to Revelstoke Mountain Resort and all our sponsors.
This past weekend, the slopes of Mount Washington Alpine Resort played host to the highly anticipated Teck Coast Zone Finals, bringing together over 210 athletes from across the Coast zone for a vibrant celebration of alpine ski racing. Hosted by the Mt. Washington Ski Club (MWSC), the event welcomed racers from U12 to U19, with the youngest forerunners—U10 athletes from MWSC—leading the charge and reminding us all that alpine racing is truly a sport for all ages.
Saturday slalom: Sunny skies and strong performances
Under clear skies and warm spring sun, Saturday featured a full day of racing with three exciting events: A U12 stubby course for the youngest racers, a U12 full-gate course to test agility and edge control, and a U14+ 2-run slalom, which tested precision, endurance, and tactical execution.
With five slalom sets, the course crew worked tirelessly throughout the day to keep conditions safe and fair. Thanks to their dedication—and some well-timed salt—the tracks held up remarkably well in the spring warmth, allowing athletes to push hard and deliver top-notch performances.
Sunday’s Team Dual: Team spirit shines in challenging conditions
Sunday brought rain and fog to the mountain, adding an extra layer of challenge to the much-anticipated Dual Panel Slalom. Despite the tough weather, the energy remained high as athletes from mixed-gender, mixed-club, and mixed-age teams battled it out in head-to-head races. The challenging conditions only added to the excitement, with racers showing grit, determination, and great sportsmanship all the way to the finish. The cheers from teammates and spectators echoed through the mist, capping off the weekend with heart and resilience.
A Community Effort
The Coast Zone Finals exemplified what makes youth alpine racing so special—athletes of all ages pushing themselves, supporting one another, and finding joy in the sport.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the team at Mount Washington Alpine Resort—especially Mike Manara, whose leadership of his team was instrumental in delivering great spring racing conditions on Whiskey Jack, our premier race run.
All photos courtesy of: Independent Sports News (ISN), photographer Paul M. Williams
Thank you to the Mount Washington Ski Club sponsors:
Teck
Colonial Countertops
Rick Gibson Group | Royal LePage in the Comox Valley
Splashes Bath & Kitchen
Mattenley Group / Scotia Wealth Management
Quality Foods
The Province of British Columbia
A heartfelt thank you to our MWSC coaching team, led by Head Coach John Trimmer, who recently announced his planned retirement at the end of the 2026 season after an incredible career dedicated to the sport.
Special appreciation goes to the Race Organizing Committee—Eric Findlay, Stuart Aldred, Graham Millicheap, Adam Goehner, Stephen Childs, Kim Gerrow, Michael Dingle, Josh Good, and Sonja Childs—for their outstanding efforts behind the scenes. We’re also especially grateful to BC Alpine Technical Delegate Paul Francisty, who brought his expertise and steady guidance to the event. Although Mount Washington is his home mountain, it had been many years since Paul last worked an event here, making his return all the more special. His presence and support were instrumental in ensuring a smooth and successful weekend.
To the volunteers, more than 100 strong, and to the visiting clubs, thank you for your incredible energy and support. These events don’t happen without you, and your enthusiasm fuels our community.
The Vernon Ski Club proudly hosted the U16 Western Championships presented by Sporting Life, March 24-28, 2025 at SilverStar Mountain Resort.
“This was one of those events where nothing went as planned! Despite months of meticulous work, Mother Nature dealt the mountain a challenging blow and the ROC (Race Organizing Committee) was left scrambling to adapt each race event for the 237 athletes from across Western Canada,” said Brooke McLardy, alpine director of the Vernon Ski Club.
With the solid determination of race enthusiasts, a committed and experienced ROC, an army of volunteers, and incredible on-hill support from BC Alpine, Alpine Canada and SilverStar Resort staff, the event was a great success.
The original plan had slalom, GS and super-G races as well as a skills combined, but the conditions forced some events to be cancelled and the scheduled to be adjusted multiple times. By the end of the event, two slalom races for both men and women, as well as a “skiing skills combine” as well as a team dual event were successfully run, all on Vernon Ski Club‘s Cloud 9 Race Centre. Despite the challenging conditions, the competition was fierce the athletes showed up ready to race. All are commended for their perseverance and commitment to the series.
Festival Atmosphere
A highlight of the week was the impressive array of off-snow activities hosted by the resort and club. Monday night featured a parade through the SilverStar village and a welcome by the resort’s General Manager Herwig Demschar, who shared his personal ski racing history and commitment to alpine sports. Cam Alexander from the Canadian men’s alpine team joined by Zoom to speak to the assembled athletes about perseverance and a growth mindset.
On Wednesday night athletes enjoyed a party at Tube Town with a bonfire and s’mores. Thursday there was a BBQ lunch and the athlete banquet, coach and volunteer appreciation, a village carnival and awards where podium athletes were treated to bottles of bubbly to spray at the crowd, in World Cup style.
There are many great results to celebrate from the series, however it was the Skiing Skills Combine that saw a BC sweep for women’s and men’s podiums. The 2025 women’s U16 podium saw Maggie Cormack of Whistler Mountain Ski Club in 1st place, followed by Elena Deda of Windermere Valley Ski Club in 2nd and Valerie Chan of Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club in 3rd. The 2025 men’s U16 Podium saw 1st place go to Quin Clark of Red Mountain Racers, 2nd place to Declan Kirker of Whistler Mountain Ski Club and 3rd place to Eric Krastev of Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club.
The 2025 U16 podium for women’s overall went to Elena Deda from Windermere Valley Ski Club and the men’s overall was a tie between Andrew Cross from Calgary Alpine Race Club and Eric Berthiaum from Banff Alpine Racers.
Huge Pat on Back for the Volunteers
While the athletes were enjoying all SSMR had to offer, the ROC, coaches and volunteers were working steadily in the background to make and keep the race centre a viable venue, adjust volunteer rosters, reschedule events and programs, and much, much more. It is truly the efforts of this group that made Western Championships the success that it was. And incredibly, everyone showed up each day with a huge smile, words of encouragement for each other and a drive to put on a great event for these U16s.
Thank you to everyone who put in long hours, stayed nimble and kept smiling. Thanks to the athletes and vollies who tore down the two original venues, including 300 B-Net on the backside of the mountain. Thank you to Sporting Life, BC Alpine, Alpine Canada, local sponsors, SilverStar Mountain Resort and each and every person who pitched in to make this an incredible U16 Western Championships.
A total of 72 International Ski Federation racers from 11 ski clubs in the province – as well as others from Spain, Iran, Germany, Japan and Eritrea – arrived at Apex Mountain Resort ready to showcase their best stuff as the competitive season starts to wind down.
“We had an amazing volunteer crew, starting with Martin Parilak who made sure the course was perfect. Chief of Race David Warriner helped make everything run smoothly and the TD, Julie Klotz, was so knowledgeable and helped make the race a great success,” the club said in a statement after the race series.
A few U16 racers from the Apex Ski Club had the opportunity to forerun the races, to set the track and to gain experience, an added bonus for the club.
A big thank you to Apex Mountain Resort to helping make the race possible on the Adrian’s Alley trail.
The Big White Ski Club hosted 130 athletes from across the province, ranging from U12 to U19 categories at the Teck Provincial Ski Cross Championships on Mar. 21–23, 2025, on the impressive Telus Park Snow Cross track at Big White Resort. The event welcomed 130 athletes .
The first day kicked off with a full day of training, giving athletes the opportunity to get comfortable with the course ahead of a big weekend of racing. Saturday delivered a great day of racing.
Little Rippers Put on a Show
The U12 category ran a 3-round points race format, with the top 8 athletes advancing to the semifinals. In the U12 Women’s Big Final, Revelstoke’s Indie Carson took the win, followed by Maddison Kreuger (Vernon Ski Club) in second. Big White Ski Club’s own Marlowe Dessaulles and Amelia Thomas placed third and fourth respectively.
The U12 Men’s Big Final saw Big White athletes dominate the podium, with Isaac Ramsay claiming first place. Cole Trent (Whistler) finished second, with Big White teammates Niko Yamamoto and Sebastian Weber taking third and fourth.
In the U14 Women’s race, Soneva Lott (Sun Peaks) took the top spot. Olivia Cook (Kimberley Alpine Team) finished second, with Big White’s Marin Oberlander in third and Evelyn Duffy (Grouse) in fourth. The U14 Men’s category was won by Corvin Lott (Sun Peaks). Parker Johnson (Grouse) came in second, Brodie Trent (Whistler) took third, and Mateo Colvin (Revelstoke) rounded out the top four.
U16 Big White Racers Lead the Way
Big White Racers athletes dominated the U16 Women’s category, with Mikalah Taylor taking first and Alexandra Walker finishing second. Grace Allaway (Yukon) took third place. For the U16 Men, Trayle Porter (Sun Peaks) claimed the win, followed by Eames Kim (Grouse Tyee) in second, Alberto Booker (Lake Louise) in third, and Ziggy Suchy (Whistler) in fourth.
In the U19 Women’s race, Kael Oberlander (Okanagan Ski Team athlete and Big White Ski Club alumni) finished first. Ellyann Dinn and Annie McNeill, both representing Yukon, took second and third. For the U19 Men, top results went to Harrison Duess (Whistler), Wyatt Kindred (Skykomish), and Matthew Nann (Mt. Seymour).
Race Crew to the Rescue
Sunday brought a major weather shift, with heavy snowfall beginning early in the morning. Despite significant effort from the race crew to clear the course, the snow continued to fall so quickly that conditions became unsafe to continue racing. While disappointing, athletes, coaches, and families made the best of it and enjoyed a classic Big White powder day.
Despite Sunday’s cancellation, the weekend was a big success. Thank you to all the volunteers, coaches, and Big White Telus Park staff for making the event possible and delivering a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Saturday evening wrapped up with a banquet for athletes, coaches, and families at Happy Valley Lodge.
