Local skiers perform well at freestyle event in Vail
Special to the Daily |
VAIL — Olivia Giaccio saved the best for last to win the Rocky Mountain Freestyle Spring Cool Down on Saturday at Vail.
Conditions were challenging for the season-end event. The moguls were firm from overnight freeze, making the season-end event a rough ride. The field of more than 80 men and women featured top-ranking skiers from the Eastern and Rocky divisions, including Nor-Am winners and Junior National champions.
Giaccio came out hard in the first run with fast, technical skiing and the best air scores of the day, throwing back tuck to backflip with iron cross. Ski & Snowboard Club Vail teammate Lindsey Eckhoff stepped onto the podium in third place behind Winter Park’s Kelly Lawson in second place. Giaccio’s win capped a strong push to the end, which included the U15 win at Junior Nationals and a finals appearance at the U.S. National Championships.
On the men’s side, Winter Park’s Joel Hedrick was technical and precise and skied to the win. Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s Alex DeBonville, by contrast, skied it fast and a little loose, blazing down Cookshack’s 217 meters 2 and then 3 seconds faster than any other competitor. Turns and line, though, made the difference for Hedrick. Team Summit’s Jason Tilley bumped his way into third.
In Sunday’s dual mogul event, Trevor Wahl broke through for a career first overall win over Alex DeBonville in an all-Ski & Snowboard Club Vail final. Wahl skied smooth and clean to edge out the speedy DeBonville. In the women’s brackets, Tess Johnson won the final with Lindsey Eckhoff taking second and Morgan Harty in third for a Ski & Snowboard Club Vail sweep.
