When Whistler celebrated the 20th anniversary of their annual Whistler Cup from April 6 to 9, Team Panorama Ski Club and the Windermere Valley Ski Club were well-represented by the two athletes chosen to compete as a part of Team Canada.
Keagan Sharp and Courtney Hoffos, of Panorama Ski Club and Windermere Valley Ski Club respectively, were each chosen to ski as a part of the Canadian National team late in March. Competing against 350 of the world’s best 11-14 year old skiers, both Sharp and Hoffos had some strong showings mixed in with some missed opportunities.
Sharp had a bit of a tough first day as he was unable to finish his run, however he rebounded nicely with a 22nd place finish on day two, followed by a 27th place finish on the final day.
Day one of the event for Hoffos saw her place 20th in the girls super G, however day two is when Hoffos had her strongest showing of the event with an 11th place finish in the giant slalom event, before she was unable to finish her second run on the third day.
“I thought I did pretty good,” Hoffos said. “I did well on the giant slalom. It’s always fun to compete against the international skiers because you can kind of see how you stand in the world.”
This was Hoffos’s fourth trip to the Whistler Cup, but first as a member of Team Canada, and she says she maybe wasn’t as focused as she could have been.
“I think I could’ve been a little more focused,” Hoffos said. “In a way I think I was a little caught up with meeting a bunch of new people.”
Canada’s first team ended up finishing in second place behind the Swiss team, and for Hoffos, who says she’s been skiing since about age 2, it’s merely another step to her goal of becoming a professional skier.
“Skiing is definitely really fun,” Hoffos said. “I’ve been doing it since such a young age that I kind of always grew up doing it. I am very lucky I have many supportive and encouraging people from the valley that have helped me get to this stage in ski racing.”
