After a busy couple weeks of competing, the Yukon Freestyle Ski Team’s older crew of athletes decided to sit out the B.C. Freestyle Ski Championships over the weekend at Mount Washington on Vancouver Island.
Instead, it was time for the team’s younger bunch of juniors to shine at the slopestyle competition.
“They did really well. We took all the younger team,” said Yukon team head coach Stu Robinson. “For all of them, except for Lyndsey (Boorse), it was their first competition. So they did really well.
“It’s a good event to have new kids go to, that’s why we chose that one.”
Jacob Finton led the charge for Yukon’s five male skiers at the championship. Finton, who was competing up an age division, placed 13th out of 30 skiers in the M4 division (males 12-13).
“He had a really good competition,” said Robinson. “The three older boys were all doing similar runs, but (Finton’s) came together the best for him.”
Lyndsey Boorse, the team’s only female skier at the event, placed 10th out 10 skiers in the F3 division (females 14-15). Boorse won gold at last year’s B.C. championship in the same division.
“I’d say she would have been close to the podium, but unfortunately in her two runs she made two separate mistakes,” said Robinson. “Her training run was probably the best I’ve seen. She was doing 360s on some of the medium-size jumps and that was really good.”
Finton was joined by four teammates in the M4 division. Yukon’s Milan Lapres placed 18th, Evyn Dinn - another competing up a division - came 20th and Isaac Pumphrey 28th.
They were hitting 360s and 540s “spinning in both directions, which is a great thing to be able to do,” said Robinson. “It’s something we start teaching at a very young age and it makes a big difference when they get older.”
Yukon’s Keegan Hopkins slipped to last in 30th after taking a bad fall.
“Keegan got a concussion, so he had to go to the hospital, unfortunately, but he’s doing really well, recovering, and will be back to activities in a week or so,” said Robinson.
“We were focused on the process of learning how to go to a first event, and not on the results,” he added. “I was really happy with everyone’s attitude towards competing.
“They did have some pretty good placings.”
The Yukon Freestyle Ski Team has had another fantastic season. Members of the team captured six medals at the Canadian Junior Freestyle Skiing Championships last month in Quebec.
Yukon’s Etienne Geoffroy won his team’s first-ever gold medal at the championships and went on to win two more gold, including an overall medal in the M2 division (16-17). Teammates Josh Harlow won silver and Dylan Reed won two bronze in the same division.
With great results all season, the same three decided to enter the senior national championships a couple weeks ago in Penticton, B.C. and Geoffroy landed 11th in slopestyle.
Geoffroy then took first place at the Showdown Throwdown Hoedown at Silver Star outside of Vernon while Harlow took seventh in the pro category.
It’s no wonder the older Yukon skiers needed a break.
“We sent our rookies because this is a great entry to competition and it is so much fun at Mt. Washington,” said Yukon association president Lynda Harlow. “Also, since it’s a one-day event, there isn’t a ton of stress for them but still gives them the introduction to competition, which can make some kids pretty nervous. From what I have heard though, these guys had a blast and not a lot of nerves so I can’t wait for them to hit the circuit next year.
“I am excited about the new group of kids coming up through the development group.”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com