Whitehorse’s Charlie Hawes and Katie Vowk are the fastest downhill skiers in the territory. That really can’t be disputed at this point.
The two defended their titles at the Yukon Cup, the territory’s alpine ski championships, at Mount Sima resort, March 11-12.
Hawes was the fastest male skier for a fourth year in a row and Vowk the fastest female for a third year in a row at the championship hosted by Alpine Yukon.
“The thing is Katie hasn’t trained at all. She’s at school down south,” said Alpine Yukon head coach Yves Titley. “She’s going to school down on (Vancouver) Island, but she plays lots of volleyball, plays rugby, and rows at some points, so she’s fit.
“She has managed to ski here and down south, but hasn’t practiced running courses at all and she hasn’t been on slalom skis all year.”
The Yukon Cup, which was held in Watson Lake the previous two years, consisted of giant slalom Saturday and slalom Sunday. Skiers did two runs each day and both counted towards the final standings.
“It’s a game of chance too. They go full-out and if they don’t come off the course they’re OK, if they come of the course it’s a big difference,” said Titley. “If you fall in one run, you can’t win the title, but you could still win one of the trophies. Winterlong (Brewing Co.) had given trophies and Icycle Sports had given prizes.”
Both Hawes and Vowk were the fastest both days. Hawes, who was racing under-16 male, finished the two days (four runs) with a 14.08-second lead over Clayton Chapman in second. Manas Toews placed third overall in the two-day standings.
Vowk, who was in U18 female, placed fourth overall including the male skiers. She finished with over 11 seconds to spare ahead of second place female Greta Gladwin. Mollie Fraser placed third for females after the two days of racing.
Hawes, Chapman, Toews, Gladwin and Fraser are all members of the Yukon Alpine Ski Team.
Vowk, who is a former member of the team, won two gold and three silver at the last two Arctic Winter Games. She also skied for Yukon at the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
Hawes, who also won the overall title at the Sima Cup last month, has raced for Yukon at three Arctic Games, winning gold in slalom at the Games last year.
There were more titles than the overall male and female handed out last weekend. Corbin Minifie was the top U8 female; Thomas Vollmer the top U8 male; Atlin Potvin the top U10 female; Sam Potvin the top U10 male; Anna Potvin the top U12 female; Mackenzie Jenner the top U12 male; Gladwin the top U14 female; Chapman the top U14 male; Tanya Ordish the top masters female; and John Wright was top masters male.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com