Dynamic duo Callum Hawker and Cody Monod had a pretty good rivalry going at the Alberta Winter Games.
Both are members of the Banff Alpine Racers, both began skiing at Mount Norquay before they were two years old and both proved to be unbeatable in their selected events at the Alberta Winter Games.
Hawker, 13, got to win the slalom medals, while Monod, 13, kept all of the giant slalom hardware.
The plan worked and led to double gold for both young athletes, helping Zone 2 athletes capture 18 medals at Norquay over the weekend.
“Me and my friend Callum, he wins at slalom and I win at GS. We’ve got some rivalry,” Monod said after winning his giant slalom gold medal on Sunday (Feb. 9).
“I like slalom a little bit more. I like the tempo,” Hawker said. “Just stand up tall and be aggressive.”
While Hawker likes to attack the course with expert precision, Monod is very Zen in his alpine philosophy, which has translated into strong GS results this year.
“I always think flow like a river. You need to be aggressive, but not too hard on your skis. Be calm and aggressive at the same time. It’s sort of a balance.”
Both had a blast at the Games and raved about the racing and the food, but state there is more to come in their career.
Hawker was a banner carrier in the opening ceremonies and wants to do the same at the Olympics.
“Hopefully. That would be really fun,” Hawker said, who models himself after Croatian skier Ivica Kostelic. “I want to win a world cup one day.”
“I’ll be cliché, but I want to go to the Olympics and race on the world cup circuit,” Monod said, who says his favourite skier is Canada’s Ben Thomsen.
Isla Hawkins, 13, won her first medal of the season at the Games in slalom. She was thrilled with her race, and hopes to one day reach the Olympics like her favourite skier, American Lindsey Vonn.
“I just enjoy the rush of going down the course. I like the noise it makes on the gates,” Hawkins said.
Banff Alpine Racers coach Kari Gordon said athletes on the top of the podium are highly skilled, which comes from excellent training and passion for the sport.
“The strength for them is skill. We have such an awesome home hill and that helps develop skills for the children,” Gordon said. “A lot of kids learned to walk and ski pretty much right here.”
She likens the event to a “mini-olympics” which keeps the athletes excited to ski.
“It comes down to motivation through the whole club. Everyone is enthusiastic to be here,” Gordon said.
Zone 2 gold medallists included Rose Binley-Ewing, Isabella Carver, Hawker, Desmond Lazar, Monod, Blane O’Brien, Mariana Tellez, Claire Timmermann and Matthew Topham.
Visit albertagames.com for complete results.
