Something in the Water
Why the Whitewater Junior Freeride Team is the Best in the West
Much has been said about Whitewater’s Junior Freeride Team, but the proof is in the proverbial pudding when these tweens and teens descend on Lake Louise Ski Resort and completely dominate.
Such was the case the weekend of March 2 to 4th at the The North Face Big Mountain Challenge. With over a dozen competitors from the Whitewater Team skiing in boys 12-14, boys 15-18 and girls 15-18, the Nelson and area shredders would emerge with a very large statement that this team is the best in the West…maybe the world.
Which, all things considered, doesn’t make total sense. Surely there are bigger, gnarlier mountains out there, ones with much larger catchment areas when it comes to talent. Whistler, Lake Louise, and Fernie come to mind. But consistently, event after event, our kids continue to come out on top. Is it the never ending pow that makes their training ground a veritable trampoline? The good home vibe of a small mountain? Or the fact that all of these kids know and hang with each other away from the hill? That they’re on the same soccer teams, the same classes, have known each other since they were little? Yes, the head coaches Dano Slater and Pete Then are awesome and wholly dedicated, but there’s something more, something that differentiates them from the rest.
At Lake Louise five skiers would podium in two separate categories. In the boys 12-14, Brodie Jensen took first place (his third consecutive win at the event) with Mason Scott finishing 3rd. In the boys 15-18 category, Whitewater would take the three top stops, led by Jona Caney in 1st, Eli Lutz in 2nd and Jesse Thurston in 3rd. Indigo Bowick, who competed in the girls 15-18 had an amazingly technical run going in qualifications, but a slight dab eliminated her from finals.
To provide a little context, know that competitive big mountain skiing is not for the faint of heart—even if you’re a kid. But thanks to the incredible organization, structure and judging parameters developed and instituted by the International Freeski Association, today junior big mountain competitions are hugely popular all around the world. Nearly 200 kids competed at Lake Louise, with many of these events selling out the day they’re open for registration.
And they’re amazing events. Professionally run, with incredible safety protocols put in place for what, from the outside, would seem like a fairly dangerous event—kids charging down steep mountain slopes. In all actuality, however, it’s rare to see an injury, a reality that is playing a big role in their popularity. And while they are distinctly individual events, the comradery between competitors is very real.
And that might be the differentiator. The team vibe among the Whitewater Junior Freeride Team is next level. Every kid, from every age group, is there to watch, support, and encourage every other member of the team. You see, there’s heartbreak and there’s elation, and it can hit any skier at any time. Competitors are judged very strictly, one bum plant or loss of control and that skier is effectively out of contention. They run a qualification run and if they make the cut, usually the top 20, they move on to finals, with both their finals and qualification run score adding up to their final tally. Any mistake along the way and they’re effectively out of the running.
As a parent, it’s hard not to gush with pride about the program. One only need look at a skier like Trace Cooke, perhaps the best male skier to ever come out of Whitewater Ski Resort, and be wildly stoked about our home resort. Trace is currently the 13th ranked skier, and only one of two Canadians, on the Freeride World Tour. His recent 5th place finish at Kicking Horse a few weeks ago a testament to not only his skill but the world class system and epic mountain that has gotten him to where he is today. So congrats to all involved, the coaches, the skiers, the parents, the mountain, the community, for coming together to create and support something truly special.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axMPWbI45v4
All that being said…we need to get more girls in the mix!
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