Whitewater Ski Resort's Smith Jr Freeride Open Recap
Whitewater Ski Resort was thrilled to host the 13th Annual Smith Jr Freeride Open last weekend. This premier competition brought together the next generation of skiers and snowboarders from British Columbia, Alberta, and the Pacific Northwest to showcase their big mountain freeride skills.
Photo by Stephan Malette
Building on the success of last year’s event, which introduced snowboarding, Whitewater rebranded this year’s competition as the Jr Freeride Open. The energy from both competitors and spectators was electric, and Whitewater is proud to have witnessed such skilled and passionate athletes from both disciplines throwing down impressive jumps and tricks with style, control, and flair. The weather on Sunday for the finals was perfect for spectating, and the crowd at the base of the Blast cheered each athlete on with unmatched enthusiasm, creating an atmosphere of pure stoke that could only be found in Nelson! With registration growing nearly 40% over the last two years, Whitewater is already looking forward to providing a platform for up-and-coming skiers and riders to compete at the 2026 event.
Photo by Stephan Malette
Freeride Discipline
The essence of freeriding is self-expression. The venues for the Qualifiers and Finals utilized Whitewater’s natural terrain, encouraging riders to choose technical lines and showcase their style and creativity. This IFSA-accredited event scored competitors based on five categories: line choice, control, technique, fluidity, and style & energy.
Photo by Stephan Malette
Sponsors
Whitewater Ski Resort would like to express its gratitude to the event’s sponsors for their continued support of the SMITH Jr Freeride Open and the athletes involved. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of: Smith Optics, Forecast Ski Magazine, Pepsi, Ambler Mountain Works, Beauties Pizza, Nelson’s Chocofellar, Tandoori Indian Grill & Lounge, Uptown Pizza & Sports Bar, and Castanet Media, along with our accommodation partners Alpine Inn & Suites, Stirling All Suites Hotel, and The Adventure Hotel.
Photo by Alex Balcer
Podium Results
Each athlete who podiumed displayed an immense amount of skill, making their coaches, teammates, parents, and supporters proud! Big congratulations to all of the athletes and those that made the podium…
Photo by Stephan Malette
U12 Ski Women
1) Amelia Weaver – RED Mountain Resort
2) Elsie Rogers – RED Mountain Resort
3) Monroe Crosland – Whitewater Ski Resort
U12 Ski Men
1) Trace Crowe – Whitewater Ski Resort
2) OscarMackenzie – Revelstoke Mountain Resort
3) Shiloh Senyk – Whitewater Ski Resort
U15 Ski Women
1) Bryn Eyben – Revelstoke Mountain Resort
2) Izzy Fischer – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
3) Maggie Hood Revelstoke Mountain Resort
U15 Ski Men
1) Egan Kelly – Revelstoke Mountain Resort
2) Henri Gallant Revelstoke Mountain Resort
3) Cruz Dechka – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
U15 Snowboard Men
1) Carter Holdsworth – SilverStar Mountain Resort
2) Jackson Sumner – Whitewater Ski Resort
3) River Slootweg – Whitewater Ski Resort
U19 Snowboard Men
1) Joshua Imada – Whitewater Ski Resort
2) Nicholas Bowen – Whitewater Ski Resort
3) Solomon Weinstein – Whitewater Ski Resort
U19 Ski Women
1) Freya Keyserlingk – Whitewater Ski Resort
2) Jaime Moynes – Whitewater Ski Resort
3) Cadence Schmidt – Whitewater Ski Resort
U19 Ski Men
1) Benson Hulbert – Whitewater Ski Resort
2) Toby Macintosh – Whitewater Ski Resort
3) Justin Birkett – Whitewater Ski Resort
Dano Slater Danimal Award
Elsie Rogers – RED Mountain Resort
For full results, visit skiwhitewater.com/events/jr-freeride-open.