Teck Seymour Enquist Slalom, Fleckenstein and Cotton Overall Champions

Racers tough it out in gale force winds on Mt. Seymour at 76th Annual Enquist Slalom 

January 23, 2012

Paul Cotton (Grouse Tyee) and Stefanie Fleckenstein (Whistler Mountain Ski Club), both residents of West Vancouver, BC, were the individual recipients of the prestigious Enquist Slalom Trophies at this weekend’s slalom races on Mt. Seymour.

Steeped in annual tradition since 1936, the two-day event was hosted by Mount Seymour Ski Club, and featured two slalom races (one on Saturday and one on Sunday) for young men and women aged 13-16.

In the weeks prior to the event, challenging snow conditions made it necessary to move the event from the traditional and extremely demanding “Unicorn” run, to the somewhat gentle “Seymour 16”.  Yet “gentle” is not an adjective that can be used to describe the weekend’s races.   The proverbial fire inherent in the belly of the North Shore ski racing community shone through as athletes, volunteers, race organizers and ski resort management overcame challenges of cold temperatures, copious amounts of new snow and blustering gale force winds.

Other winners of the individual categories included Antonia Wearmouth (Grouse Tyee), Mikayla Martin (Whistler Mountain Ski Club), Chantal Deane (Whistler Mountain Ski Club), and Sam Mulligan (Grouse Tyee).

Thank you to Eric Konigsmann from the Vancouver Office of Teck (event Sponsor) for presenting the awards at the post-race ceremonies!  

"One young racer girl was behind in the lunch line-up earlier in the day and asked me if there was going to be a second run!?  (She had heard a rumour that it was going to be cancelled because of the wind!)  I said: "You bet we will race!"... and she replied "Yes... I wanna do it again... that course is so much fun!"  I saw her later heading out into the howling blizzard.  I don't know who she was, other than that she was not a medal or ribbon winner... yet she was pumped to ski her heart out!  An old Whistler coach came up to me after the awards and said that we turned what was almost a non-event a week ago, to "a great event".   There was something in the air on Mt. Seymour on Sunday, and it wasn't wind and snow only!" ~ Hans Forssander (Media Liaison) Mount Seymour Ski Club