For the first time the two Harle brothers from Campbell River competed in the same event, slope style at Mount Washington. This is a freestyle skiing event where competitors go over jumps and do tricks off various rails.
This freestyle event is what Teal competes at and what he qualified to compete at in Québec at the Junior nationals. Kole is a racer who spends much of his time going around gates, and a lot of his free time going over jumps and rails. When these brothers free ski together during their time at Podium of Life Ski Academy, they spend a lot of their time in the park.
So when Mount Washington put on the slope style event Kole jumped at the chance to compete. He entered the 13 and younger category while Teal was in the 14 and older category. Kole earned a silver medal behind Tod Heard, from Duncan, one of the best slope style competitors for his age in the country. Brandon Playford won the bronze.
Close on their heals was Keaton Heisterman from Nanaimo, a nine-year-old Podium of Life member. Teal won a bronze medal behind two other Mount Washington Freestyle Club members: Drew Doberstein won the silver and Avery Rankin walked away with the gold.
On the female side Hannah Benischek from Victoria won the gold, Mei Pond from Nanaimo won the silver and Kristin Gage, Podium of Life member from Campbell River, won the bronze.
"It's good to see so many of our present and past students doing so well," says Shane Harle, one of the teachers at Podium of Life. "And it's really good to see my two boys getting along so well together and competing in the same event."
– Podium of Life Ski Academy