The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“Vibes are high”
By Than Acuff
The timing of the recent snow couldn’t have been better for both everyone’s state of mind as well as the Junior Freeride competition circuit as the tour comes to Crested Butte for a 3* Junior National event Thursday through Saturday, February 20-22.
Local athletes, especially the Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team (CBMST) skiers and snowboarders, have been on a whirlwind competition tour this season with regional and national events throughout Colorado and into Wyoming. CBMST athletes themselves have been to seven Regional competitions and two National events already, all with conditions thin on the home training mountain.
“In these low snow years our technical skiing gets a ton of work, and a lot of park time,” says head freeride coach Mark Robbins. “Shout out to ski patrol. The last winter that we had like this we couldn’t get into a lot of terrain before the comps started. We feel very fortunate for the amount of training we got in.”
So far, the young guns from the u12 and u15 age groups appear to be leading the CBMST charge, specifically the young women, with several podium appearances at both National and Regional events during the hectic schedule.
“We’ve been cranking,” says Robbins. “Our whole team is firing but the female athletes are really coming into their own. A bunch of top 10 results and a couple podiums.”
The team and local independent athletes truly shined at the Regional comp in Crested Butte February 7-9. While conditions limited the event to Hawks Nest, with even some of that venue’s features off limits, the local contingent dominated including sweeping the podium in some cases. The local u15 athletes littered the podium, both boys and girls, while Brooks Miller and Owen White took first and second in the u19 class on Saturday, February 8 while Wyatt Cook, Sam Bullock and Dylan Boscaro swept the u19 podium on Sunday, February 9.
“We cleaned up,” says Robbins. “A couple of kids really stepped up and found the podium. We knew they had it in them and it was great to see it all come together.”
The big show now comes to Crested Butte though as the National 3* event brings in the heavy hitters from the u15 and u19 age groups.
“National events are seeded based on points from the previous season, it’s a higher level of competition and tougher venues,” says Robbins. “It should be a sick show.”
The CBMST will have 26 athletes competing in the qualifier days Thursday and Friday, February 20-21 on Hawks Nest. Once scores are tabulated, the field gets cut by half and then the finals for both age groups will be on Saturday, February 22 on the Headwall.
“We got a great refresh and the venues are in great shape so we’re able to open up more features,” says Robbins. “It should be a really great show. Vibes are high.”
