Alpine Yukon added a new event to its calendar this season and apparently skiers took notice.
Over 40 downhill skiers hit the slopes for the Sima Cup over the weekend at the Mount Sima resort.
“Usually we have the Yukon Cup. To my knowledge that’s the first time we’ve done a Sima Cup,” said Alpine Yukon head coach Yves Titley. “So that was a very good turnout. Usually the Yukon Cup was a little bit less than that.”
The Yukon Cup — the territory’s alpine ski championships — has been held in Watson Lake the last two years. But the last time it was held at Sima, in 2014, fewer than 40 skiers took part each day.
This past weekend’s Sima Cup featured giant slalom on Feb. 18 and slalom Feb. 19.
Each day skiers did two runs and both counted towards their final ranking. So skiers couldn’t play it safe in one run and then really go for it the second run — it wasn’t advisable, at least.
“For a trials, like the Arctic Winter Games trials, we usually do three individual runs and take their best run. But for the Sima Cup we decided to have them do two runs and combine the runs,” said Titley.
No surprise here: the fastest skiers are both members of Alpine Yukon’s race team.
Charlie Hawes, racing in males under 16, was the fastest overall both days.
Teammate Greta Gladwin, racing in females under 14, was the fastest female both days.
“Sometimes for the first run they take it easy, but she didn’t,” said Titley. “She skied very, very well.”
Hawes won the Yukon Cup as fastest overall male skier the last three years in a row. He also won a gold at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games.
Hawes and Gladwin weren’t the only ones to top their division both days over the weekend. Also pulling off the feat were: Corbin Minifie in under-eight female, Thomas Vollmer in under-eight male, Atlin Potvin in under-10 female, Anna Potvin in under-12 female, Clayton Chapman in under-14 male, and Rosa Martens in under-16 female.
Alpine Yukon was intending to hold the Yukon Cup at Mount Maichen in Watson Lake a third year. Instead the Cup is returning to Sima March 11-12.
“One of the reasons is they still don’t have enough snow right now in Watson Lake,” said Titley.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com