Morse Code: Success at Whistler

This past week I returned from a trip of a lifetime to British Columbia, Canada. I qualified for the Whistler Cup back in March at the Eastern Regional Marriot Championships. The Whistler Cup is an international race with the best 11-14 year olds in the world. There were 18 American 13-14 (J3) competitors at this event, four of them were SRD Team members; Andrew Hancock, Breezy Johnson, Serina Kidd, and myself. Also on this trip was a fellow C.V.A. (Carrabassett Valley Academy) student Czari Cochrane who had won the GS at the Eastern Championships to qualify and had met her goals at the Whistler cup of a top 20 finish with a 20th in Super G, and a 16th in GS. It was a great US team at Whistler this year and I really look forward to getting to race with these athletes in the future.

My main goal for this season was to make it to Whistler; I was really surprised that I not only won one event at the Eastern Championships but that I won two, the GS and Super G. These two victories led me to Whistler. Having already met my goals I felt no pressure going into the Whistler Cup. The US team flew out to Whistler a couple of days earlier than everyone else so we could do our team time trials to see the seed order we would run in the race. Over these few days of time trials we saw every type of weather: rain, snow, sleet, and even a little sun at the end. I was third both days in SL, and GS which put me into the second place in team USA 1. The first day of racing began with the Super G, the American boys cleaned up by taking 7 out of the top 15 with 3 of the top 5 spots. I came in 5th that day and had surpassed my goals of a top ten finish at the Whistler Cup. The next day was the SL, first run was a really challenging course set in which you had to hold back the horsepower and take it easy in order to finish; I was in fourth after the first run. After the second run I stood in third on the podium at the Whistler Cup-it truly was an amazing experience. In the SL the US team took only five out of the top 15. The last day was the GS, this race was my last race as a J3, I finished 14th after first run and end up 12th overall after second run. Again the US took 5 out of the top 15 and even had two on the podium, Colby Lane taking third, and Ryan Mooney winning it! Congratulations to Ryan!; Also, on the women's side an American took the first position in the Super G-Dani Brownell-Patty!!! I also later figured out with world cup points that Ryan Mooney would have come in first overall and I would have come in 3rd for the whole Whistler Cup race series. At this race series the American Team took home the first place victory of being the best J3 (k2) nation at the Whistler Cup.

The trip was not over at this point though, my dad and I stayed two days after the event had ended and we got the experience of a lifetime to free ski Whistler Blackcomb with a foot and a half of powder-it was awesome!!! In conclusion, I would like to thank those who supported me and made this event possible: the terrific coaching staff that traveled with the US team to Whistler, the Sugarloaf Ski Club, and my awesome coach Chip Cochrane!

.)) Sam Morse