BY LIZ CHAMBERLAIN
PHOTOS by SUN VALLEY SKI EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The USASA Big Mountain West Series rolled into Sun Valley this past weekend with a symphony of rain, sleet, slush, and snow to set the stage for an action-packed weekend at the Baldy Boardercross and Dollar Slopestyle.
The weekend included another standout success for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Snowboard Breaker Girls who swept the podium at three of the eight events, taking full advantage of the home hills.
More than 30 athletes from the SVSEF Snowboard, AlpineX, and Freestyle teams showed up at Warm Springs on a drippy Thursday and Friday to compete in the first-ever boardercross competition on Baldy. The coaches and mountain staff played a huge role in making sure the course was rideable for all athletes.
“This was a major effort by all the parties involved to get this track up and running with the conditions that we've had,” said SVSEF Snowboard Director Andy Gilbert. “I can't say enough about our partnership with Sun Valley Company and with the Big Mountain West Snowboard and Freeski Series.This took all the disciplines at SVSEF (Alpine, Freeski and Snowboard) all working in concert; a true team effort!”
While portions of the race inevitably became a fog-laden crash course, the athletes took this as an opportunity to have fun and get out of their comfort zones.
“This weekend is very important to riders and skiers in the Series as it is the only cross event that can qualify kids to the national championships,” said Gilbert.
Come Saturday, the skies cleared to grace the Dollar slopestyle with moments of clarity. The course sequence included two rail sections sandwiching two jumps in the middle and an s-rail to polish off the bottom half.
Athletes from all age brackets brought their A-game. The SVSEF teams leaned into their hometown advantage and laid down massive tricks with no shortage of style and technicality woven into big airs and rail lines.
This weekend marked a huge success for the SVSEF Snowboard Breaker Girls & Freeski Breaker Boys, sweeping podiums on Day 1 and Day 2 for their respective age categories. For the snowboard girls, Naomi Gorringe took the top spot; Vivian Smith, second, and Camille Armeen, third. The podium repeated on Day 2.
Emmett Crist placed first; Barret Beyer, second, and Leo Hayes, third, for the Freeski boys on Day 1.
While the entire team put on impressive performances, Callie Allen brought her quintessential seamless style and fluidity to the table, landing first on the podium on both competition days, and Rylan Olson stood out against stiff competition from Jackso, Wyo., in the Breaker category.
“On Saturday Rylan threw a Cab 540 and a back 360 as well as rail tricks that forced everyone to take notice! Rylan finished just off the top spot in second in what we would call a Breakout result,” said Gilbert. “He’s a great kid and works super hard. This has been building for him and he deserves to enjoy it!
Day 2 set the stage for another exciting show, with bigger airs and consistent flow throughout course sequences. Five of the Freeski athletes took Top 3 spots on both comp days: Zeppelin Pilaro took first and Kai Van Bueren took second in the Youth Men’s category; Finn Wolfrom, first, and George Corkery, second, for Junior Men, and Anton Holter, first for Open Class Men. Crist and Beyer made their way to the podium for the second day for the Breaker Boys category, with Crist landing first and Beyer taking third.
Coach Gui Brown expressed his pride for the team: “I saw some superb runs and some serious progression! Our athletes are pushing themselves and folks are taking notice. Needless to say, the coaches are extremely proud of this squad and the direction they are headed.”
To wrap up the weekend, the Beverly Hay Snowboard Cup was awarded to two top athletes for best overall performance - Naomi Gorringe of SVSEF for the women and Ace Emery of JHSC for the men.
“This is the 25th year the Beverly Hay Cup has been awarded and it's always a special moment for the snowboard community,” said Gilbert. “Beverly was on hand this year to help award the trophy, which went to Ace Emery from Jackson Hole and repeating cup winner, Naomi Gorringe from SVSEF!”
Past winners of the cup include Olympic gold medalist Kaitlyn Farrington and two-time Olympian Graham Watanabe, along with a host of riders who have gone on to notable careers in snowboarding. The cup is named for Beverly (Hay) DeChevrieux, a former SVSEF board member and constant supporter of the Snowboard Program at SVSEF.
COMPETITION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND:
SVSEF athletes are taking part this weekend in the Roundhouse Rumble and the Laura Flood Memorial Race.
The Roundhouse Rumble features Singles Mogul competition from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today on Roundhouse Slope. It concludes from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday with Dual Moguls.
The 33rd annual Laura Flood Memorial Race, an IMC U16 qualifier, takes place from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. today—Saturday, Feb. 10--on Hemingway and Greyhawk. It concludes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
Baldy Boardercross Snowboard Results:
Race 1:
Menehune Girls 11-12
3rd - Scout Bilbro
Breaker Girls 13-14
2nd - Vivian Smith
4th - Naomi Gorringe
5th - Camille Armeen
Breaker Boys 13-14
4th - Rylan Olson
8th - Bixby Swanger
Menehune Boys 11-12
2nd - Liam Romero
Youth Men 15-16
3rd- Uzzi Almaras
Race 2:
Menehune Girls 11-12
3rd - Scout Bilbro
Breaker Girls 13-14
1st - Naomi Gorringe
2nd - Camille Armeen
4th - Vivian Smith
Breaker Boys 13-14
5th - Rylan Olson
Youth Men 15-16
2nd - Uzzi Almaras
Race 3:
Menehune Girls 11-12
4th - Scout Bilbro
Breaker Girls 13-14
1st - Naomi Gorringe
3rd - Vivian Smith
5th - Camille Armeen
Breaker Boys 13-14
4th - Bixby Swanger
8th - Rylan Olson
Menehune Boys 11-12
2nd - Liam Romero
3rd - Bolden Enoch
4th - Quin Enoch
Youth Men 15-16
2nd - Uzzi Almaras
Race 4:
Menehune Girls 11-12
3rd - Scout Bilbro
Breaker Girls 13-14
1st- Naomi Gorringe
2nd - Vivian Smith
3rd- Camille Armeen
Breaker Boys 13-14
4th - Rylan Olson 4th
9th - Charlie Theobald
Menehune Boys 11-12
1st - Quin Enoch
2nd - Bolden Enoch
Youth Men 15-16
3rd - Uzzi Almaras
Dollar Mountain Slopestyle Results
Freeski Day 1:
Breaker Boys
1st - Emmett Crist
2nd - Barrett Beyer
3rd - Leo Hayes
Breaker Girls
2nd - Blue Allen
Junior Men
1st - Finn Wolfrom
2nd - George Corkery
Youth Men
1st - Zeppelin Pilaro
2nd - Kai Van Bueren
Open Class Men
1st - Anton Holter
Freeski Day 2:
Breaker Boys
1st - Emmett Crist
3rd - Leo Hayes
Youth Men
1st - Zeppelin Pilaro
2nd - Kai Van Bueren
Junior Men
1st - Finn Wolfrom
2nd - George Corkery
Open Class Men
1st - Anton Holter
Snowboard Day 1:
Menehune Boys 11-12
3rd - Liam Romero
4th - Bolden Enoch
Breaker Girls 13-14
1st - Naomi Gorringe
2nd - Vivian Smith
3rd - Camille Armeen
Breaker Boys 13-14
2nd - Rylan Olson
7th - Charlie Theobald
9th - Miles Hatzenbuehler
10th - Bixby Swanger
Youth Women 15-16
1st - Callie Allen
Youth Men 15-16
9th - Karsen Miller
Snowboard Day 2:
Menehune Boys 11-12
4th - Liam Romero
5th - Bolden Enoch
Breaker Girls 13-14
1st - Naomi Gorringe
2nd - Vivian Smith
3rd - Camille Armeen
Breaker Boys 13-14
4th - Rylan Olson
7th - Bixby Swanger
8th - Miles Hatzenbuehler
9th - Charlie Theobald
Youth Women 15-16
1st- Callie Allen
Youth Men 15-16
7th - Karsen Miller