On March 4th, the Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club hosted the Sporting Life U8/U10 Skills Event, which consisted of two courses, a Glalom race and a Kombi course. Before the sun was even up, Grouse Mountain welcomed 289 racers, from 4 Lower Mainland ski teams (Cypress, Grouse Tyee, Seymour and Sasquatch), up its signature Red Tram where athletes were lucky to have clear views of Greater Vancouver.
The conditions were up to par, including compact snow, good visibility, and lightly snowing skies. By 9 am, the first U8 racers were ready to take on the Glalom course, while the U10s finished their Glalom inspection and made their way to the Kombi course. We spoke to U10 athlete Russell, who exclaimed, "The race was good and in the end, it was all for fun! I wasn't expecting the Kombi to turn into a tunnel... I really appreciate how hundreds of parents came and put together this race for us. My favourite part of the race was the racing part!
U10 group with Coach Petra, photo by Patrick Nuestro
Claire Rempel at the starting gate. Photo by Sonya Tesanovic
At the starting gate. Photo by Sonya Tesanovic
Swag toss at the Cabin in a snow storm, photo by Joyce Yip
Bib 260 Russell Wong, U10 Grouse Tyee. Photo by Wei Ma.
U10 group with Coach Sonya
As the day progressed, the U10s and U8s switched roles in the afternoon as each age level took on the course they hadn't yet raced down. As U10 racers made their way through the finish line, there seemed to be no racer without a smile on their face! We caught up to two speedy athletes upon their second run, who both happened to have the same helmet, and asked them what they thought of the race:
U10 athlete Elle stated, "The race was fun, particularly the combination of the race course, jump and speed trap! I felt happy and excited in the start gate [but especially] at the finish; [as I] felt like I had done really well. My favourite part was going down the blue course.
U10 athlete Claire said, "I thought the race was really fun, pretty fast and [that] I had some good turns. In the start gate, I was pretty confident, really excited and I was thinking about where to pole plant. In the finish, I was thinking that I did a good race, had a good run and that I went really fast on it. My favourite part was getting to ski the red course!"
The athletes, coaches, and Grouse Tyee Ski Club would like to acknowledge all the parents, coaches and athletes for their enthusiasm, effort and engaging attitude. Additionally, we'd like to thank the coaches who set up our race courses and sponsors, alongside Grouse Mountain Resort, for their sponsorship, support and assistance in making this event possible. However, a special appreciation goes to our volunteers who set up safety nets, kept the race environment safe and fun, and ensured its success. Congratulations to all participants for a successful event!
Photos
Photo links from by Wei Ma (volunteer from Cypress Ski Club):
Photos from U8/U10 Sporting Life Skills Event on March 4, 2023
