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Young athletes flew through the skies at Marmot Basin last weekend, vying for a chance to compete at the Alberta Winter Games.
More than 50 freestylers from across the province hit the hill to join Jasper Freeride Ski Team for their club competition and the qualifiers in moguls and slopestyle.
It was a tough day on Saturday as the power was out at Marmot Basin, but Rich Hiron, president of the Jasper Freeride Ski Team, said that just spurred the kids on.
He said: “We started facing adversity but some kids were seven, eight, nine years old and more than willing to hike up the slopes for a chance to compete.
“The fact they were willing to do that allowed us to run the event and it's really cool to see kids that are so excited to compete and really push themselves.”
In the Winter Games qualifiers, two Jasper skiers made the podium.
In the men’s moguls Everett Begon came in third place with a score of 54.6.
And Citrine Boychuk won first place in the women’s moguls with a score of 71.66 - and took fourth in the slopestyle competition.
“That really is an impressive thing,” said Hiron.
“She did amazing. She is 11 and competing in the Under 14 category competing against 13 and 14-year-old girls with more experience.
“I am consistently impressed by that kid, she’s a phenomenal skier.”
Hiron said Boychuk, who is from Edmonton but skis for Jasper, is one to “keep in mind”.
The Club Competition saw wins from Jasper skiers, too.
In the men’s moguls under ten age group, Naim Tremblay took the top spot and in the slopestyle under tens Alexandre Vriend came second.
Ella Coupland came in second place in the under ten category for moguls and third for slopestyle.
In the women’s slopestyle under 12s, Aida Laidlaw and Isla Shore came in second and third place, respectively, and the two just missed the podium in the moguls, coming in fourth and fifth.
Hiron said he was impressed by Jasper’s slopestyle scoring as traditionally the club has been stronger in mogul skiing.
This year’s Alberta Winter Games take place from February 14 to 17 in Airdrie. It is a fun competition designed to expose younger athletes to stiffer competition on a larger scale and includes 20 different sports from freestyle skiing to synchronized swimming.
