Two weeks after Simapalooza and a week after the Uphill Challenge snowmobile races, Mount Sima was the scene of one final event for the season over the weekend.
Snowboarders and skiers hit the “spring park” for Snowboard Yukon’s Slush Showdown Rail Jam on Saturday at Mount Sima.
About 30 participants took part in the first annual, end-of-season event on the resort’s bunny hill, now chock-a-block with rail features.
“Snowboard Yukon used to do Sandor’s Ice-Breaker event in December, but we kind of stopped doing it because of cold weather, injuries and stuff,” said Crystal Legoffe, Snowboard Yukon’s event coordinator. “So this year we decided to do something different and do it right at the end of the year in the spring park.
“As for athlete participation it went pretty well and we’re planning to keep doing it and get more spectators in the coming years.”
The event saw some of the territory’s biggest names in the two sports compete.
Adam Waddington, who competed at the Canada Winter Games and the snowboard nationals this season, placed first in open men’s snowboard. He beat the current Yukon slopestyle champ, Tim Schirmer, while Graydon Keenan rode to third.
Legoffe placed first for open women’s snowboard. The 19-year-old placed first in slopestyle at the Yukon championships and posted Yukon’s best-ever result in snowboarding at the Canada Games in February, with sixth in slopestyle.
Reanna Newsome took second on Saturday.
Sammy Mather snagged the top spot in the grom (youth) snowboard division, ahead of second place’s Ethan Davy.
Etienne Geoffroy-Gagnon, who won three gold at last year’s junior nationals, came first for freestyle skiers.
Kyran Allen rode the rails to a second place finish and Dylan Reed slid into third. Allen set a Yukon best finish at the Canada Games with fourth place finish in big air. Reed won a gold and silver at the junior nationals earlier this month.
Evyn Dinn topped the grom skier division with Milan Lapres close behind in second. (No female skiers took part in the event.)
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com