The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Four skiers to slide into starting gate
by Than Acuff
Alpine ski racers from throughout the Rocky Mountain Division will roll into town this weekend for the Prater Cup February 21-23, a long-standing tradition among u14 alpine ski racers and the qualifier for the u14 championships in Steamboat Springs March 9-15.
This year, the Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team (CBMST) has four kids prepping for the big race weekend. Alex Weinberg, Ebbet Weinberg, Devin Lindenmeyr and Kenny Bullock have all been working hard since that first training day back on November 30 and have been progressing throughout their first year in the u14 age class.
“It’s definitely a big jump in competition,” says CBMST lead race coach Katie Davidson. “A lot more racing than when they were u12s and when they become second year u14s they go to even more races.”
The young ski racers spend three days on the snow each week getting a lot of time on Buckley under the Westwall lift as well as one early morning in Paradise Bowl and Davidson has focused their training all season on one major aspect of ski racing.
“The focus has been on technique,” says Davidson. “How they should be stacked on their skis, what the upper body and lower body look like to perfect that at a young age. Compared to the first day of training it’s incredible how much they have progressed.”
The kids have three race weekends under their belt competing in the super G, giant slalom, slalom and even the dual slalom.
“The dual slalom races started two or three years ago and it’s one of the coolest things to watch,” says Davidson.
Currently all four skiers are in a ski camp at Crested Butte Mountain to continue working on the super G discipline as the Prater Cup has two days of racing with one super G day on International and a slalom race day on Buckley.
“The face of International is definitely steeper than what they see at other races,” says Davison.
Davidson stays away from expectations and results at each race including the Prater Cup, even though it is a qualifier event.
“I try not to be results based,” says Davidson. “I really want to see them comfortable with speed, confident in their skiing and to have a lot of fun doing it.”
Whether or not they qualify for the u14 championships, the season doesn’t end with the Prater Cup as the kids have two more race weekends to finish out the season. You can catch the u14 race action as they slide into the starting gate on International for the super G on Saturday, February 22 and then compete in slalom on Buckley by the Westwall lift on Sunday, February 23.
