It was the Yukon Freestyle Ski Championships, but the freestyle segment took a backseat to the skicross races at Mt. Sima over the weekend.
The two-day championships saw 13 skiers out for the freestyle events on Saturday and 28 out for the skicross races on Sunday.
“I think, from seeing the first day’s events, there was a lot of interest on the second day,” said Yukon freestyle ski head coach Stu Robinson. “Skiercross is such an easy event for everyone to compete in, so it was a lot of fun ... It’s fun for everyone to do and they don’t get to do it very much.
“Some of the alpine guys came out as well and that’s a sport they’re excelling at.
“It was a great event. It was the best Yukon champs I’ve been to.”
The skicross races used the snowboardcross course installed at Sima for the Arctic Winter Games. It was the first time in a number of years that skicross was part of the Yukon championships.
Another noteworthy change was the increase in female participation. In years past, there have been as little as two female competitors. Sunday saw three female divisions, never mind competitors.
“There were a lot more girls this year so I was really excited about that,” said competitor Anna Smith. “Even if they were younger (than me) it was awesome to see so many more girls.”
Smith finished second in the skicross open female division and was first in the freestyle competition, which was split between slopestyle and halfpipe. (It was also the first time halfpipe was included in the championships since 2007, the previous winter Sima had their halfpipe in working condition.)
Alone in her division for the freestyle, Smith completed a 360, a double spread eagle, and landed switch off the rail in the slopestyle.
“It wasn’t the best halfpipe, so I kind of just rode it for fun,” said Smith. “I didn’t do that many tricks - just some grabs and stuff.”
Winning the open male division in freestyle was James Boyle.
“It’s my first time winning at the Yukon championships and it feels pretty awesome,” said Boyle, who finished second last year. “I think I was the only skier (in slopestyle) to hit the first jump switch - coming in backwards - and I was pretty stoked about that.”
To win the freestyle Boyle hit a switch 540 off the first jump and a right-side 720 on the second jump. He then completed a backside switch-up on box rail and a front-side 270 on the final rail.
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On the halfpipe, he did some straight airs, ending with an alley-oop 180 to an alley-oop 360.
“On both days it was really well organized, everyone was really stoked and it was just an awesome Yukon champs to be a part of,” said Boyle.
Both Smith and Boyle represented the Yukon at the 2010 Arctic Winter Games and the 2011 Canada Winter Games.
At the 2010 Games, Smith won gold in the big air event, as well as two silvers and a bronze.
The Yukon Freestyle Ski Association recently reached a milestone. The previous weekend at the Canadian Junior Freestyle Ski Championships in Quebec, Yukoner Sebastien Berthiaume landed a flat 720 in the big air competition to place fifth. It is the best ever result for a Yukon freestyle skier at the national level.
RESULTS
Slopestyle/halfpipe
Juvenile male (U-12)
1st Brodie Ferland
2nd Milan Lapres
3rd Anthony Barteaux
Junior female (U-16)
1st Dawn Bohmer
2nd Hannah Milner
3rd Lindsay Boorse
Junior male (U-16)
1st Etienne Geoffroy
2nd Aidan Allen
3rd Sebastien Lapres
Open female
1st Anna Smith
Open male
1st James Boyle
2nd Steven Harlow
3rd Colin Kabanak
Skicross
Juvenile female (U-12)
1st Micah Hildes
2nd Luanda Pronovost
Juvenile male (U-12)
1st Hunter Organ-Wood
2nd Mael Provonost
3rd Brody Ferland
4th Victor-Emile Thibeault
5th Anthony Barteaux
6th Cole Beaman
7th Bjorn Boone
Junior female (U-16)
1st Hannah Milner
2nd Shayla Hamilton
3rd Dawn Bohmer
Junior male (U-16)
1st Emile St. Pierre
2nd Etienne Geoffroy
3rd Aidan Allen
4th Sam Schirmer
5th Kyran Allen
6th Sebastien Lapres
7th Ian Hanson
Open female
1st Sara Burke-Forsythe
2nd Anna Smith
Open male
1st Steven Harlow
2nd Colin Kabanak
3rd James Boyle
Masters male
1st Sam Reimer
2nd Marc Pronovost
3rd Dave Hildes
4th Jarrod Davy
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com