Three of Jasper鈥檚 under-16 ski team members hit speeds of 97 km/h as they competed in their first super G race in Lake Louise, Feb. 3 and 4.
Geoelle Chalifoux, Michael Ralf and Abbey Palamarek聽braved -30C conditions and heavy snowfall as they raced down portions of the World Cup men鈥檚 downhill course and competed against many experienced U16 racers.
All three achieved top-20 and top-30 finishes out of a strong field trying to qualify for the Canada Winter Games, which will be held in Thunder Bay, Ont., later this month.聽
While the general public was enjoying the soft snow conditions, the racers helped sideslip and clear snow off the course so they could ski on hard, icy snow conditions.
The Jasper parents also volunteered at the race along with a core group of Lake Louise parents who hosted the race.
On Feb. 4, the racers finished the weekend with a two-run combined Giant Slalom (GS) race. Unfortunately, Ralf crashed on his GS run and is on the mend and the girls battled frostbite on their cheeks from the wind chill.聽
The season for now moves into a training phase for the rest of February before a busy March/April with upcoming races in Grande Prairie, Silver Star and Sunshine Village.
Mike Palamarek Special to the 51暗网
