The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Mountain sports team continues traveling road show
By Than Acuff
The Cupid Crusher storm hit, the ski area was blanketed and everything was on track for 151 skiers and snowboarders ages 13-18 from throughout the mountain west to test their limits over three days of competing at the IFSA Junior 3* Freeride National qualifier Thursday through Saturday, February 20-22 at Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
“It was a great three days,” says Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team head freeride coach Mark Robbins.
It started with a qualifier day on Thursday for u15 athletes followed by a qualifier day on Friday for u19 athletes, both of which were held on Hawks Nest, before cuts were made and skiers and snowboarders from both age groups advanced to the finals day on the Headwall on Saturday, February 22.
The Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team (CBMST) had 26 athletes competing across all disciplines and in both age groups looking to defend their home hill with 14 making it through to the finals day.
“It’s super impressive considering just getting into a National event is dependent upon seeding and points from comps last season,” says Robbins. “And to have 14 athletes in the finals is great.”
While the boys typically steal the show with their speed and search for air, every year the line between what the boys do and what the girls do gets thinner and that was on full display over the three days of competition.
“The girls are the fastest growing pool of talented athletes,” says Robbins. “They are charging.”
Case in point, CBMST u19 skiers Ella Block, Alyssa Lodovico and Ayla Jane Donaldson placed 5th, 6th and 7th respectively, Teagan Turner won the u19 snowboard division and four CBMST athletes placed top 10 in the girls u15 ski division.
“All of them skied Angle Gully which is super impressive,” says Robbins.
Sam Bullock came in 8th place for the top result for the boys in the u19 ski division while two u15 CBMST boys finished top 10 in the ski division and two boys and one girl from the CBMST cracked top five in the snowboarding competition.
The CBMST now heads back on the road for Regional and National; qualifier competitions throughout Colorado, Utah and even into Canada as they look to punch their ticket to the Junior Freeride Championships at Kirkwood.
“We got a few that are locked in to qualify and a bunch still in the mix,” says Robbins.