The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Three hit podium, including coach
The Crested Butte Mountain Sports telemark team headed to Grand Targhee Thursday through Saturday, February 23-25 for the first big mountain competition of the season and came back with an armload of hardware.
Athletes faced tricky conditions at the Grand Targhee venue as recent snows, winds and control work by the ski patrol left a mixed bag of snow surfaces.
“There was avy debris in the landings, crowns and bomb holes,” says coach Mark Robbins. “Visibility was tricky and the snow was really punchy.”
As a result, while some skiers remained oblivious to the conditions and ended up exploding, the Mountain Sports Team, including their coach, stayed on their skis, for the most part.
“We all were going for control and fluidity,” says Robbins.
Robbins led by example for his athletes, laying down two smooth runs and staying on his feet to ski away with the men’s title amidst a strong field from throughout the west.
“A lot of the big names from the tour last year were there,” says Robbins.
It was a momentous occasion for team skier Klara Wohlers. Grand Targhee was the first time Wohlers would step up to the women’s field after dominating the junior field the past two years. While one would suspect some nerves, Robbins says Wohlers was completely relaxed.
“She was super-excited and relaxed,” says Robbins. “She felt no pressure.”
Wohlers did what she’s always done—kept it greasy with terrific form to take second place.
“She made flawless tele turns through the tricky snow and made it look easy,” says Robbins. “She’s really at the top of her game and now just looking to get more confident in the air.”
Grant Johnson and Conrad Truettner were in the mix of the stout junior field of competitors.
“It was the biggest junior field we’ve ever seen,” says Robbins.
Johnson had a bobble in his first run, getting caught up in some avy debris and crashing but recovered to post the highest score on his second run. Johnson found a straight-line through the trees to rocket to the bottom of the venue and move all the way to second place in the end among the juniors.
“He made up for what he thought was a lost opportunity on his first run,” says Robbins.
Truettner closed the competition with a couple solid runs to finish in fifth place among the juniors.
The team will have three weeks to prepare for the next big mountain telemark event here in Crested Butte March 22-24.
“We’re looking forward to some great competition,” says Robbins. “Everyone’s really excited.”
