The U16 program places particular emphasis on the “train-to-race” aspect of the sport, and with courses every training day (weather and conditions permitting, of course) video feedback, and timing systems, it familiarizes athletes to the race mentality and environment while still allowing them to hone their technique. The program also fosters a tight sense of community, and with the amazing coaches and supportive peers, each day spent on skis is a good one.

January was our second month on skis, and we started easing into our pre-race routine. We trained weeknights (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) as well as weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) consistently with slalom on the weeknights and GS on the weekends. This was all leading up to our first race in nearly two years — the weekend-long Whistler event. It was an extremely fun two days for all, as it was nice to finally see skiers from other mountains and get to enjoy an interclub race. We also had quite a few strong finishes from both men and women, with a couple podiums and several top 10s.

Next week, the team will be heading off to Silverstar for our second race of the season!