STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK
PHOTOS BY JOHN BOYDSTON
The start got pushed back three hours to give the race crew time to take care of 14 inches of snow that fell on Bald Mountain in the previous 24 hours.
But, finally, the 2023 Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships in Sun Valley got underway on a picture perfect day with plenty of sunshine—a welcome salve for those who have had enough grey snowy days this winter.
Thirty-seven women and 54 men tested themselves on the steep Warm Springs face and Upper and Lower Greyhawk as they contested in the Super G.
As with the last alpine championships at Sun Valley it proved a tough course with 19 male skiers failing to finish and two failing to start—most of them having problems on the top part of the course. Ten of the women failed to finish And one young woman wiped out at the finish line.
When the snow had settled U.S. Ski Team member Kyle Negomir of Littleton, Colo., topped the men’s podium at 1:09.82. Erik Arvidsson and Isaiah Nelson were just under a second behind at 1:10:56 and 1:10:61.
Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation products Jack Smith and Finnigan Donley finished fourth and fifth-- just under two seconds behind at 1:10.90 and 1:11.58. Donley won the U21 National Championship.
Two-time Olympian Tricia Mangan of Buffalo, N.Y., topped the women’s podium with a time of 1:14.18. Keely Cashman took second at 1:14.37 and Liv Moritz third at 1:14.63.
Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation products Haley Cutler finished fifth with a time of 1:15.26 and Dasha Romanov tenth with a time of 1:17.48. Paige DeHart finished 13th with a time of 1:18.50 and Maya Lightner 25th with a time of 1:25.03. Jessica Blackburn did not finish.
Men and women compete in slalom races on Greyhawk on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain today.
The first Women’s Slalom Race starts at 9 a.m. with the second at noon. The first Men’s Slalom race starts at 10:30 a.m. with the second at 1:30 p.m.
The awards ceremony will start at 2:15 p.m. on the Warm Springs Plaza, and live music by the David Henry Band will play from 1 to 5 p.m.
The events are free to the public. Spectators should catch a shuttle bus at the River Run parking lot.