IFSA North American Junior Freeride Championships Go Off At WSSF
The World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) in Whistler, B.C. got the fire started this weekend by doing it for the kids, as the IFSA North American Junior Freeride Championships took over Blackcomb Mountain. The event took place in the rough and tumble Diamond Bowl in the Spanky's Ladder area, and as evidenced by the press release from WSSF below, the young bucks and fawns did not disappoint...
WHISTLER, BC – April 10, 2016 – The IFSA North American Junior Freeride Championships continued yesterday at the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Diamond Bowl at Whistler Blackcomb. Olivia McNeil of the Whistler Freeride Club and Cole Richardson of Lake Louise All Mountain took the wins in the 12-14 Ski Female and Male categories. McNeil was also crowned the Overall IFSA Champion for 2016.
Other winners crowned at the IFSA North American Junior Freeride Championships include, Mia Winans of SquawFree and Sam Kuch of the Whitewater Freeride Team for the 15-18 Ski Female and Male categories. While on the snowboard side, Jenna Paller of the Team Utah Snowboard Team and Holden Samuels of Big Sky Freeride nabbed first place in the 15-18 Snowboard Female and Male categories. Haley Houston of Stevens Pass Freeride Team and Nathan Bromely of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows landed in first for the 12-14 Snowboard Female and Male categories.
The location of the IFSA North American Junior Freeride Championships within Diamond Bowl on Blackcomb Mountain, perfectly showcases the diverse and complex alpine terrain available at Whistler Blackcomb. The sun was shining and the level of competition was at an all-time high during Finals on Saturday, April 9, as athletes battled it out for the podium. With natural terrain feature nicknames including, Chocolate Chip, Oreo Cookie and Cupcake, the Oreo Cookie Blizzard Zone provided ample opportunity for athletes to get creative with line choice. Crowds were stoked to witness some athletes getting big air off the North Shore feature, while some athletes threw in a few spread eagles of the Lone Tree feature, which served as a great reminder to spectators just how much fun a Big Mountain event is to watch.
The esteemed judging panel included Head Judge Jeff Holden, Brant Moles, Jonny Manwaring, and Leif Zapf Gilje as the Assistant Technical Delegate.
Complete results for the IFSA North American Junior Freeride Championships can be found at www.wssf.com/North-American-Freeride-Championships-.
To connect with the World Ski & Snowboard Festival online, Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, or download the mobile app called WSSF Live which is available for FREE in the App Store and Google Play Store for Apple and Android phones.