Le News from LeBlanc: Crested Butte Prater Cup

Team LeBlanc at Crested Butte

Hello everyone, I just had one of the most important races of the season. Last weekend I went to Crested Butte Colorado for the Prater Cup (J4 Junior Championship Qualifier).

The Super-G was very slow and flat. We first came out of the gate directly on to a pretty steep pitch. After the first pitch, we had to carry our speed and go uphill. After the uphill section, it became flat for about three gates. Then it dropped over another face for about three gates. It continued on to more flats. Next, the course came on to a catwalk for five gates. I thought I was going one mile per hour. After the catwalk, a big sweeping delay came up around a bank. The course then dropped off on to an intermediate pitch for about ten gates to the finish. The GS was basically the same but with out the first pitch and the uphill section onto the flats. The slalom went down the last intermediate pitch.

Overall in this race, I didn't finish very well, mostly because of how small I am with all the flats. In the Super-G I got 13th. In the GS first run I got 16th. In the GS second run I got 9th. In the slalom first run I got 8th. And in the second run slalom I was having one of the best runs of my life until I got to the eighth gate from the bottom and a gate came quick and through me off guard sending me out of the course.

The race ended up taking my two best finishes, 8th and 9th. They then took those places and seeded me. I was in the 3rd seed. That means that at Junior Championships I will get to run between 16th and 24th. I guess it is a pretty good start. I also think I will do better at Junior Championships than I did at the qualifier because Steamboat Springs (the location of the Junior Championships), is a steeper and more challenging hill than Crested Butte.

Stay tuned. I will get back to you after the Junior Championships.

 .)) Gus LeBlanc

Snow King and Jackson Hole!

Corbet's Couloir at Jackson Hole

Talk about a season, wow. Here we are at the end of February, beginning of March and the season is basically almost done!

February was my time of the month to chill out a little, go to some local races and rest up before the championship season. However, I think I did more powder skiing than resting/racing combined! I attended a USSA GS race at Mission at the beginning of February, followed by a FIS Northwest Cup race at Mt Hood. Winning both of those races, i felt very confident for the J2 National Qualifier at Snow King, WY where i met up with fellow SRD teammate Breezy Johnson! Snow King was fun and a really well pulled off race, as usual. The day before the race i even got to spend a day at Jackson Hole Ski Resort where my teammate, Linnea Baysinger and I skied Corbet's Couloir with our coach! (Thats me in the entrance to Corbet's in the picture, about to drop in)!

I skied very well at Snow King -finishing 1st for my age group 2/4 days, and unfortunately not finishing the other two days. Snow King really put me in a good mood, and a confident, yet humble mind set for J2 Nationals. All in all, Jackson Hole was my favorite race this year because i also got to meet up with lot of good friends of mine including Hannah Young.

Alongside all this local(ish) racing, i have been attending a much school as possible, and powder skiing a lot. Our mountain, Alpental, is ranked 2nd in the nations (i believe) for having a snow base of 206 inches, right behind Mt. Baker in Bellingham, WA with 244 inches! My brother and i have been skiing the backcountry of Alpental as much as we can, and i am not complaining!

In the upcoming weeks i'll be on my way to Mammoth Mt, CA for J2 Nationals, and afterward going to the Tech races for NorAm Finals up in Quebec, Canada -where i can use my french again! As always, think snow!!

.)) Anna Mounsey

Just Breezin': Off to Mammoth!

Well here we are. Back around to the beginning of the end. It’s all out now to the finish line—literally.

March starts the cluster of races leading to the end of the season. J2 Nationals, Western Region Champs, U.S. Nationals, Junior Championships, Spring Series, Nor-Am finals, World Juniors. We all start to look towards the end of the season in nervous anticipation of “those races.” We have done the work but will it be enough? Do we have what it takes when the cards are down and the stakes are high? Those butterflies that start to show up about now begin to eat at you so often you might find yourself holding your stomach in Biology. Yes, I know the feeling. Ski racers have short seasons, miniscule compared to other sports, which means that these races are even more important. We don’t have biannual state finals; We get only one shot.

So I am off to J2 Nats next week and I feel those butterflies. Most are good but I can feel them slowly building. With a close-knit group of kids and 1 week devoted to racing it should be fun. That never stopped those butterflies though, and I anticipate almost everyone on the West team will have them. Competition will be good and everyone’s been getting ready all season. It’s time for Nationals. See you in Mammoth…

 .)) Breezy Johnson