Moguls skiers bump through fresh powder at Rocky Mountain Freestyle series in Vail
Mogul skiers throughout the region last week took to Vail Mountain’s Black Forest course as part of the Rocky Mountain Freestyle’s Rocky Development Series and Rocky Qualifier Series, hosted by Ski & Snowboard Club Vail.
More than 100 athletes competed over the two days of competition Feb. 3-4.
Ski & Snowboard Club Vail mogul skiers secured five of the Top 10 spots in the RQS events and seven Top 10 finishes in the various age classes of the Devo competion.
“Almost all of our skiers had some of their best ever performances this week,” said SSCV’s head mogul development coach Brad Kreuz. “We’ve really been utilizing our training time on the hill this season in slightly shorter, very focused sessions, and it has paid off in the improvements we’ve seen. All of that sport-specific training, plus the weather that made for some friendly landings this week, really allowed the kids to push their limits without fear.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 3, mid-level boys and girls battled it out in the RQS open moguls event. Leading the pack among the girls in style and speed was SSCV’s Ava Keenan — the only female U11 to participate in a field populated by U13s and U15s. Keenan demonstrated skill well beyond her 10 years when she hit a cossack in the top air followed by a 360 at the bottom to finish in first place overall. On the boys’ side, SSCV’s U13 Beckett Dickson took home third for the day, followed by U15 teammate River Schell in fifth, U13 Luca Dispense in eighth, and U15 Eli Bayer rounding out the Top 10 in tenth.
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The next day saw entry-level Devo athletes ages 12 and younger competing over the precarious terrain in their respective age groups. With a well-packed course and plenty of snow, the conditions were ideal for a day of freestyle mogul skiing. Beginning with the youngest athletes, SSCV’s Mica Torres didn’t hold back in his jumps and consequently landed in first for the U9s. SSCV’s Alexander Stewart had a standout performance, flying into second place for the U11 boys with teammates Casey Wannamaker sliding into sixth and Remy Trujillo taking 10th. Remy’s brother, Oscar Trujillo, also had a great day on the course, coming in first for the U13 boys. Among the U13 girls, Isabella Matteo secured third place and Tyler Minnick finished 10th.
For a full list of results from this week, go to http://www.rockymountainfreestyle.com/.
