Max Kirshenblatt (BCST/WMSC) – "When I woke up this morning the weather wasn't looking too great for a race, but the coaches and volunteers worked hard to prepare the best surface possible. I managed to lay down two solid runs and ended the day with a result I'm happy with."
PL Dumoulin (Men's BCST Head Coach) – "Great day for young blood! He has been battling hard over the past couple of weeks with the big boys and it's good to see him getting a reward. He has been skiing well and just needed to put a run together, witch he did today. Looking forward for him to build on this result for the next couple of days in slalom, and at the U18 Nationals in Collingwood next week."
Nick Cooper (BC Alpine Head Coach) – "It was another day of tough racing conditions here out east. We set ourselves up well the first run, but left something out there the second. Kirsh stepped up and put two together for a solid result. He has worked hard all year and has been healthy for a month, so it is nice to see him perform well today. I'm looking forward to seeing what the group can do over the next two days."
Reece Howden captured gold at the Youth Olympic Games on Monday in Lillehammer, Norway! The Ski Cross racer from Chilliwack, BC and the Apex Ski Club swept his way into the big final, dominating as one of the favourites in the competition. Howden was second out of the gate, but quickly made up ground and lead the majority of the heat.
Howden, 17, won the gold medal in the men's big final, beating out Belgium's Xander Vercammen (silver) and Aussie Louis Muhlen (bronze).
"Today was an awesome day," said Howden. "In the big final I was able to get out in front and was hold my line. I got bumped coming into the second last turn and but managed to get back on it and finish in first. It feels amazing to be the winner here! I'm actually a bit speechless right now. Today was the perfect day!"
Kimberley Alpine Team's Zoe Chore finished 2nd in the small SX final, for a 6th place finish overall!
Great video coverage – open the video linked below and then hit "Watch on YouTube" 🙂
Hafjell Olympic Slope in Norway is home to the alpine competitions at the 2016 Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games. With Opening Ceremonies celebrating 1,100 athletes from 40 countries behind them, it was the globe's top U18 racers in the super-G speed event that lead the way on the first day of competition.
With 55 men to start the day, in the end for Canada it was Ontario’s Justin Alkier taking 19th and Kelowna’s Ryan Moffat clocking in just over 2 seconds off the pace for a 21st finish.
“I was running out of gas towards the bottom, but hung on”, said Moffat, the Okanagan Ski Team member.
For the ladies Ontario’s Ali Nullmeyer placed a very impressive 7th behind Austria (1 and 2), Switzerland (3 and 4), Germany (5) and host Norway 6th while BC racer Amelia Smart from Invermere (formerly Vernon) finished 19th.
National development team member Brodie Seger went from bib 41 to 3rd overall in the Feb 9th giant slalom. Teammate Jack Crawford stood beside him on the junior podium.
Nor-Am racers headed south to New York, specifically to the 1980 Olympic venue of Whiteface. Both men and women contested giant slalom, super-G and alpine combined in three days of racing.
The BC Team left Whiteface, NY with some very respectable results. Antonia Wearmouth and Stefanie Fleckenstein finished 4th and 5th respectively in Friday's Nor-Am super-G. In the men's SG Riley Seger started 33rd to finish 10th; Cameron Alexander started 51st and moved way up to an impressive 12th place finish; Sam Mulligan grabbed 18th spot overall; Dominic Unterberger wore bib 54 and came in 17th; Max Peiffer started 58th and came 23rd; Pat Carry started 60th and finished 28th; and rookie Max Kirshenblatt started 67th and closed the day in 38th place.
FLASH QUOTES:
PL Dumoulin (Head Coach Men’s BC Ski Team) – "I am happy with the results over the past couple of days in Whiteface. It's been tough so far this trip with a very competitive and deep field of international racers for these Nor-Am stops. The boys have been skiing well and battling hard, and it's good to see that it's starting to pay off in the last super-G and alpine combine today. Looking forward to bringing this momentum to our next stop in Bromont"
Ryan Jazic (Head Coach Women's BC Ski Team) – "It was a very good couple of days for the women's team! We've done a lot of speed trading in the off season and at Sun Peaks which has helped us prepare very well for the speed disciplines. We consider SG to be one of our strengths. Antonia has been battling some injuries lately but was able to put together her best performances so far this season with a fourth and fifth place, and Stef was able to finish with a very strong combined race (4th) and great 5th in the SG today. Hopefully we can keep building on these performances heading into a very busy race schedule coming up".
Cameron Alexander (BCST/WMSC) – "It was a bit of a tough Nor-Am race series, but it feels good to finish it off with a good result in the SG and the alpine combined."
Antonia Wearmouth (BCST/Grouse Tyee) – "These last few races were a big step in the right direction for me. For the first half of the season, I had been struggling to find the finish line with the speed I know I have in the tank. The super-G track in Whiteface is really sweet and the snow was perfect, so I'm really happy to have taken advantage of it. Having two strong finishes in a row is awesome and gets me excited for the next ones!”
Nick Cooper (Head Coach BC Alpine) – "This eastern Nor-Am swing has provided very strong competition on both the men's and women's side. The girls have proven they are some of the best young racers in North America, and the boys have battled hard against fields full of World Cup athletes. I'm very proud of the work this group has put in so far and look to continue to build from these series for the rest of the season."
Kole Harle, Mt. Washington – Whistler Mountain Ski Club
Team BC U18 Nationals
Ladies
Club
1
Fleckenstein, Katie
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
2
Smith, Gabby
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
3
Swaffield, Laura
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
4
Natalenko, Kristina
Vancouver Ski Team
5
Mah, Nicole
Vancouver Ski Team
6
MacDonald, Frances
Vancouver Ski Team
7
Van Soest, Katrina
Vancouver Ski Team
8
Vliet, Ravi
Kootenay Zone Team
9
Jones, Maddison
VST / USA
10
Lane, Margo
WMSC / USA
11
Patterson, Soleil
Red Mountain Racers
12
Bouwmeester, Caroline
Kootenay Zone Team
Men
Club
1
Valentin, Alexander
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
2
Harle, Kole
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
3
Alexander, Kyle
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
4
Jordan, Asher
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
5
Woolley, Kasper
Kootenay Zone Team
6
Donald, Gavin
Kootenay Zone Team
7
Munroe, Evan
Okanagan Zone Team
8
Kirshenblatt, Max
BC Ski Team
9
Hashimoto, Yoshi (injured)
WMSC / JPN
10
Tsutsumi, Masashi
WMSC / JPN
11
Keinenen, William
WMSC / FIN
Team BC Coaches
Head Coach – Leslie Firstbrook
Coach – Martin Tichy
Coach – Derek Trussler
Here's what a few of the racers have to say heading into the U18 Nationals:
Max Kirshenblatt 1998 – WMSC
"I made the BC Team this year and have been training hard all season. My schedule has been pretty full-on and balancing school and racing takes a lot of work. I have learned so much from my older teammates on how to be a good team member in an individual sport, from supporting each other on and off the hill, to cooking, cleaning and always doing my part to make the system run smoothly. Something that I will pass on when I become one of the older athletes on a team. My best result would probably be my 24th in the Nor-Am super-G in Whiteface NY on Feb 11th. I am really looking forward to racing in Ontario and throwing down as hard as I can."
Kole Harle 1998 – Mt Washington / WMSC
"My name is Kole Harle (pronounced Cole Harley) and I am from Whistler BC. I grew up on Vancouver Island skiing on a small mountain called Mt Washington, known for its snowfall. In my free time I like to ski in the Terrain Park and surf. My highlight of the season is a 1st place (U18) in Norquay. Hopefully I can replicate that in Ontario, but I’d be happy with a top 5."
Katie Fleckenstein 1999 – WMSC
"I am from North Vancouver and I race for the Whistler Mtn Ski Club. This my first year skiing FIS. I have had some success so far this season, especially with 3 wins in speed. My older sister races for the BC Team and is doing very well and I hope to follow in her footsteps and then make my own path. I am heading to Ontario to throw down as hard as I can."
Soleil Patterson 1998 – Red Mountain Racers
"I live in Rossland B.C. and Red Mountain is my home hill. Growing up as a ski racer in this small town has taught me everything I know, from cooperation with peers to self discipline and drive in all aspects of my life. Ski racing has brought me so many new opportunities that in other circumstances I would have never been able to obtain. I am currently in my second year of FIS which has been both rewarding and challenging while balancing my grade 12 school work with ski racing. This summer I was fortunate enough to train with the B.C. ski team, I learned what hard work really looks and feels like. Highlights from this season so far would include my two Super G wins in Nakiska and in Kimberly, and my various top three finishes in GS. My long term goal is to one day race the Cortina Downhill, in order to get myself there will require me to work hard and make myself the strongest and most dedicated version of myself. After seeing all the competition around the country I have come to the realization that I really do need to train even harder to achieve my goals. I would like to thank everyone from my family to my community for the enormous support I have received over the past few years."
Team BC is very excited to compete in Ontario. This is going to be a great series. Good luck to all.
