It was a Bluebird weekend Feb. 2-3 on Mount Washington with the Mount Washington Ski Club and the Disabled Skiers Association of BC partnering to bring a high level of competition to their respective athletes. The snow on Whiskey Jack was that perfect blend of just tough enough to withstand the ruts that build up and yet soft enough for it to not resemble a sheet of ice.
Local Mount Washington disabled athlete Melissa Pemble swept the podium with two gold medal finishes in GS on Saturday. Melissa has been attending the Podium of Life School on Mount Washington this winter and spending her training time with the Mount Washington Ski Club. This U12 athlete shows incredible promise as a successful racer pushing to compete with the able bodied athletes and she is a force to be reckoned with given that she is very new to downhill skiing.
Also on the podium for the weekend in the able bodied category was a double gold medal sweep in GS and Slalom for Comox’s Kieran Nilsen (U12), Campbell River athlete Kole Harle (U16) and Cumberland’s Keegan McCooey (U16).
Comox’s Ava Langevin secured a place on the podium with gold in GS and silver in Slalom while Comox’s Emilie Johnston came away with gold in Slalom and silver in GS. Hailey Nelson of Courtenay won a bronze medal in GS on Saturday.
Kieran Harley of Victoria won silver in GS and bronze in Slalom. Liam Gilchrist of Nanaimo showed his expertise with his silver GS win and his bronze Slalom win. In the U14 category, Zarija Djurickovic of Victoria pulled off a masterful Slalom run for a gold medal with a silver medal to add to the gold in GS from the previous day while Campbell River’s Jared Perras left nothing to chance, winning gold in GS.
The DSABC, the MWSC, the Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports (VISAS) and their many volunteers made the two-day event a success from start to finish as the two athlete groups had the opportunity to race together and learn from each other.
The MWSC focuses on building youth one turn at a time. The club provides a family oriented environment in which members make friends, develop a passion for alpine skiing and alpine ski racing, and achieve excellence in a sportsmanlike culture.
– Mount Washington Ski Club