A handful of Banff’s budding young skiers conquered killer terrain in their first Big Mountain competition of the season.
Facing off against 200 of the best freestyle skiers in the west, Jemma Capel of Banff finished first in the female 7-11 category and Erin Harvie, also of Banff, finished fourth at the 2012 North Face Canadian Open Junior Free Ski Championship at Red Mountain, British Columbia.
Liah Harvie earned a bronze medal in the competition, as she is currently ranked third on the circuit. Garret Capel finished fourth in the 12-14-year-old male category, while Ryan Statham was 16th. Ben Evely finished 13th in the male 15-18-year-old category. Keegan Capel was 29th.
The event was particularly special for Liah, who was coached by Sarah Burke two years ago. Liah, who’s been competing for three years, idolized Burke, and was inspired to ski strong in her memory.
Teenagers in the competition were vying for International Freeski Association titles on some of the hill’s toughest terrain. The athletes were judged on several factors, including line choice, energy, style, execution and control as they challenged extremely difficult terrain. How they flow down the mountain is important, as the judges reward continuous movement through the chutes, cliff drops and rocky terrain.
There was a lack of snow on the course, so athletes had to contend with several rock features on the mountain. That increased the technical aspect of the run, which suited several of the Banff skiers.
“Overall, the event was an awesome celebration of freeskiing. The male 15-18-year-old category was mind blowing. Those runs would have placed well even in our senior competition. This is a strong indicator that younger athletes are really going to take skiing to the next level in future years.” said Jeff Holden, the Canadian Open’s head judge.
The men’s event was also won by Banff resident Andrew McCaw.
The next Canadian stop is in Lake Louise on March 2.
