Kal Tire K1 Westerns - Silver Star Mountain Resort
Vernon Ski Club, February 18 - 20, 2011
Silver Star Mountain, BC (February 19, 2011) - Silver Star Mountain Resort was at its sunny best on day two of the Kal Tire K1 Westerns. Spectators were treated to an impressive display of slalom skills from the young competitors. Full-sized slalom gates were set for the morning races and the shorter, “stubbie” gates came out to challenge the racers in the afternoon.
The day began with the girls and Madison Martin of Alberta (Sunshine Alpine Racers) completed the tightly set slalom course in 37.17 seconds for the win. Friday’s first run GS winner, Laura Swaffield from BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) posted the second fastest time (38.04 seconds), ahead of Luci Bailey of Alberta (Banff Alpine Racers) who took third in 38.16 seconds. Bailey also earned a gold in Friday’s GS.
The first slalom race got the better of some of the boys who missed gates and were unable to complete the course. Simon Bernard of BC (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) held on for a decisive win in 33.70 seconds and BC’s Reece Howden (Apex Ski Club), who already had a bronze in the giant slalom, nabbed the silver with a time of 34.45. Rounding out the podium was Edward Morrish of Alberta (Banff Alpine Racers) in 34.93 seconds for third.
Local Vernon Ski Club racer Amelia Smart, who had two podium results in GS the day before, was able to secure the lead in the women’s afternoon slalom with a finish time of 39.85 seconds. Luci Bailey of Alberta (Banff Alpine Racers), also no stranger to the podium at Silver Star, came in second in 39.98 seconds. Third spot was earned by another Alberta athlete Annika Naciuk (Edmonton Ski Club) in 40.59 seconds.
Still under bright, sunny skies, the men took to the track for their final slalom contest. Simon Bernard of BC (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) was unbeatable, repeating his victory from earlier in the day with a finish time of 35.25 seconds. BC’s Callum Hicks (Revelstoke Ski Club) earned his first medal of the series, taking second spot in 35.95 and Kasper Woolley (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) made this an all-BC podium by completing the course in 36.28 seconds for third place.
QUOTES
Simon Bernard (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) –“ I came here to ski my best and see how I would do at this level of competition. I was disappointed yesterday, but I felt pretty lax in the start today. I didn’t really have expectations, I just wanted to do better than yesterday. I made one or two mistakes in the afternoon, unlike this morning, which was exceptional. I think slalom is proving to be my best discipline.”
Amelia Smart (Vernon Ski Club) – “My afternoon race was much better than the morning. I felt like I could win today if I just tried my best. I told myself ‘I can do it’. I’m glad I won this afternoon, because with stubbies sometimes it easy to straddle.”
Madison Martin (Sunshine Alpine Racers) – “Stubbies (short gates) are fun, but in slalom it’s satisfying to hear the clink of the gates when you cross-block them. What’s good about stubby gates though, is they force you to look ahead at the snow instead of just focusing on hitting each gate as you go through it. In my club we have a little group of girls and we call ourselves ‘the fab five’. It’s like we leap frog over each other, taking turns winning. We always help each other and teach each other. Of course we have great coaches too 
!”
The Kal Tire K1 Westerns wrap up Sunday with one Kombi race per gender.
Saturday, February 19 Slalom, Ladies, K1 1 run (COMPLETE RESULTS)
1 MARTIN, Madison (Sunshine Alpine Racers) 37.17
2 SWAFFIELD, Laura (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 38.04
3 BAILEY, Luci (Banff Alpine Racers) 38.16
4 BROWN, Caitlin (Banff Alpine Racers) 38.17
5 SCHULTZ, Zoe (Table Mtn Ski Club, Sask) 38.59
6 ALFONSO, Ella (Big White Racers/Kelowna Ski Club) 38.76
7 NACIUK, Annika (Edmonton Ski Club) 38.77
8 SMART, Amelia (Vernon Ski Club) 38.78
9 VARGO, Anna (Banff Alpine Racers) 38.83
10 CARRY, Britta (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) 40.49
Saturday, February 19 Slalom, Men, K1 1 run (COMPLETE RESULTS)
1 BERNARD, Simon (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) 33.70
2 HOWDEN, Reece (Apex Ski Club) 34.45
3 MORRISH, Edward (Banff Alpine Racers) 34.93
4 HICKS, Callum (Revelstoke Ski Club) 35.22
5 KIRSHENBLATT, Max (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 35.43
6 BOZINOVSKI, Luka (Paskapoo Ski Club) 35.63
7 MCEWEN, Callum (Sunshine Alpine Racers) 35.78
8 TERRY, Sean (Rabbit Hill Ski Club) 35.87
9 ILES, Finn (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 35.88
10 HOLM, Marcus (Banff Alpine Racers) 36.28
Saturday, February 19 Slalom, Ladies, K1 1 run (COMPLETE RESULTS)
1 SMART, Amelia (Vernon Ski Club) 39.85
2 BAILEY, Luci (Banff Alpine Racers) 39.98
3 NACIUK, Annika (Edmonton Ski Club) 40.59
4 SWAFFIELD, Laura (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 40.64
5 MARTIN, Madison (Sunshine Alpine Racers) 40.75
6 ALFONSO, Ella (Big White Racers/Kelowna Ski Club) 41.39
7 TIMMERMANN, Meaghan (Banff Alpine Racers) 41.45
8 TAFEL, Keely (Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club) 41.49
9 IRWIN, Nikki (Banff Alpine Racers) 42.26
10 CHORE, Zoe (Kimberley North Star Racers) 42.41
Saturday, February 19 Slalom, Men, K1 1 run (COMPLETE RESULTS)
1 BERNARD, Simon (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) 35.25
2 HICKS, Callum (Revelstoke Ski Club) 35.95
3 WOOLLEY, Kasper (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 36.28
4 MOFFAT, Ryan (Big White Racers/Kelowna Ski Club) 36.32
5 HOWDEN, Reece (Apex Ski Club) 36.39
6 TKALCIC, Adam (Snow Valley Ski Club) 36.68
7 ILES, Finn (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 36.77
8 MORRISH, Edward (Banff Alpine Racers) 36.80
9 MCEWEN, Callum (Sunshine Alpine Racers) 37.50
10 FINLEY, Ryan (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) 37.86
Parents, friends and family...beautiful, professional action shots of your racers are available for viewing and/or purchase at Don Weixl Photography