Leah Evans and Lars Chickering-Ayers emerged triumphant following a week of competition at the Canadian Freeskiing Championship in Revelstoke.
The two skiers emerged at the top of the women’s and men’s fields respectively after successfully tackling the imposing Mac Face Monday afternoon.
“It feels great,” said Chickering-Ayers, of Mad River Glen, Vermont. “It’s a pretty gnarly venue.”
Chickering-Ayers won after coming into the final in second place behind Drew Tabke. He skied a highly exposed, technical line through some steep rock bands to earn the highest score on the day.
Tabke, skiing last, laid down several big cliff drops but he back-slapped the landing on two of them, dropping him into second place.
On the women’s side, Evans had a much easier task on her final run after the first six women all fell. She skied a clean, simple line to the bottom to take the victory.
“It’s a double-edged sword because you want to ski a good line but you also want to make sure you make it down without falling,” she said.
Tatum Monod, who recently moved to Revelstoke from Banff, finished second amongst the women. She successfully skied through a technical tree section but was unable to control her speed upon emerging out in the open and fell.
The final day was held after delays due to avalanche control conducted by the Revelstoke Mountain Resort ski patrol. The let go several explosives to release loose, avalanche-prone snow. Their work left the conditions less than ideal.
“It’s way worse than any of us thought,” said local skier Nicole Derksen, who finished third in her first freeskiing competition ever.
Sean Cochrane was the top placing local male, coming in 14th place after falling on his final run. He made it down a steep face, landed a big cliff drop, but fell coming out into some avalanche debris.
“I hit a ridge of snow that was really hard right where the avalanche went through,” he said. “Everything else was great.”
Gord Spurgeon, also of Revelstoke, placed 18th after skiing a fast and furious line that saw him straight-line all the way down an avalanche path, only to tomahawk out of his skis when he hit the soft snow at the bottom. His effort got some big cheers.
The competition was hampered by delays, but for all the right reasons. While the skiers waited to compete, they enjoyed the copious amounts of snow Mother Nature left for them to play in – about 80 cm over the course of the week.
“It’s been really good. I skied way too much,” said Chickering-Ayers.
Added Angel Collinson of Snowbird, Utah: “So sick. Everyone’s been loving it. It’s been great.”
Of course, what was amazing for skiing wasn’t so amazing for the competition as the men’s qualifier was delayed until Friday and day one of the competition was delayed until Sunday and the finals pushed back to Monday.
“It was a full chess game,” said race director Bryan Barlow. “We had to battle the conditions all week.”
The women’s qualifier did start on time, with three Revelstoke skiers competing for a spot in the main competition. Monod and Nicole Derksen made it but Lindsay Craig was cut after crashing on her run.
The men’s qualifier was held Friday in flat-light conditions that hampered some skiers. Amongst the locals, Cochrane, Gord Spurgeon and 18-year-old Rylan Kappler made the cut, while Richard Wrangel and Brett Dawley were sent home.
On Saturday, a thick cloud and more snow forced the first day of the competition to be postponed as the judges were unable to see the venue in North Bowl. When things did get going on Sunday, the competitors lit it up. Collinson, last year’s tour champion, kicked things off but somersaulted on landing of her first big air and leaving her in 11th place. Monod and Derksen both impressed, finishing third and fifth respectively.
On the men’s side, Tabke set the tone, skiing first and recording the highest score. He was followed by Chickering-Ayers and Mat Jackson of Squaw Valley, California.
Competitors played it up for the new judging criteria, which includes a tricks and style category, performing 360s and back-flips to try and boost their score.
For some, like Collin Collins, who pulled a 720, it paid off with a trip to the finals. For others, like Johnny Collinson, who crashed after attempting a back flip, it meant the end of their competition.
“We rewarded good skiing but if you crashed you got hit hard, if you back-slapped you got hit hard and if you weren’t fluid you got hit hard,” said judge and local pro-skier Chris Rubens. “We were looking for really solid, fast, entertaining skiing and there was quite a few of them up there – it was exciting to see.”
Kappler, after a smooth run that lacked the big risks other skiers took, finished 30th.
“It was a pretty mellow run, I’d say; not too many hits,” he said. “There was a good booter in that chute that caught me and almost took me down but I stayed strong and pulled through it. I have to say it was a pretty good run.”
On Monday, the final day of competition, with Mac Face looming under them, the competitors showed why they were in the finals, tackling the menacing, steep, cliff-ridden terrain with abandon.
“At the end of the day, the best riders came out skiing, like Lars and Drew,” said race director Bryan Barlow. “They showcased what big mountain skiing is all about.
With files from Katie Findlay/Special to the Times Review
