The Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club is riding high after hosting a successful BC Cup race at Mount Macpherson last weekend.
“It was absolutely fantastic. It was a phenomenal success,” said Sarah Newton, one of the race organizers for the club. “It’s always dicey having a big race in Revelstoke because of the highways and weather. Everyone got in and out of town and the rain held off.”
The BC Cup is the biggest race series held in the province. About 375 athletes from all over the province came to Revelstoke for the event, with as many spectators on hand. About 120 volunteers helped things run smoothly.
The two-day event featured classic technique races on Saturday and skate-ski races on Sunday. The competition featured racers from the ages of three to 68, though the biggest races were amongst the youth.
The races were threatened by rain all weekend, with Environment Canada calling for a Pineapple Express to bring moisture and warm weather all weekend. Fortunately, the temperature stayed relatively cool and what precipitation did fall came in the form of snow.
Newton said the groomers did a great job of preparing the Mickey Olson Loop for the race.
The action kicked off Saturday with the classic races. The first group to leave the start gate was the atom boys. Revelstoke’s Mica Sheppard and Kieran MacIntosh finished first and second in the race. Thomas Paquin of Revelstoke, the youngest racer of the day, finished fifth.
A Revelstoke racer won the atom girls race, with Isobel Wilson taking top spot. Natalia Morrone and Rachel Grabinsky also cracked the top five.
Other Revelstoke highlights from Saturday include:
— Emily MacLeod, 5th bantam girls;
— Simon Blackie, 5th midget boys;
— Miika Park, 5th midget girls;
— Alana Britting, 3rd juvenile girls.
On Sunday, it was time for the free technique races, or skate-skiing as it’s better known. Racers took off in a mass start, with the biggest field being the 37 competitors in the midget girls category.
Revelstoke highlights include:
— Natalia Morronie, 1st atom girls;
— Isobel Wilson, 2nd atom girls;
— Maeve MacLeod, 5th pee wee girls;
— Nelson Luxmoore, 4th bantam boys;
— Elizabeth Elliott, 5th juvenile girls;
— Rory Luxmoore, 4th masters men.
For full results visit zone4.ca.
Newton said Revelstoke kids had a great time, even if they didn’t get the results they hoped for.
“Home turf advantage sometimes isn’t an advantage. It’s a lot of pressure,” she said.
Other highlights included the presence of the Australian junior development team; an executive from Teck, the BC Cup’s main sponsor, coming out; and former Olympian Zina Kocher helping out with warm-ups and handing out medals.
For photos, check out John Antoniuk’s gallery from the weekend: http://jantoniukphoto.smugmug.com
