The winds were blowing at Bear Mountain Ski Hill, just outside of Dawson Creek, as the BC Winter Games alpine skiing kicked off.
Sunny skies and good snow condition more than made up for the gusting winds. None of the athletes seemed too bothered by the gales, including 12-year-old Ewan Hawes from Prince George, B.C.
“The course’s were a lot of fun.” He said after finishing his two runs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Hawes had a strong first run, coming in at a time of 58.45 seconds. However, on his second run, he had a fall. He managed to finish the run though, and said that even though he fell, he still enjoyed himself.
Each competitor was tasked with running two courses, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. With the sun peaking out from behind the clouds at midday, the changing condition of the snow was a big factor. 13-year-old Roxy Coatesworth, from Golden, explained how the different types of snow affected her runs.
“The snow was hard in the morning, which is nice because there were no ruts.” Coatesworth said. She explained that her first run was better because it was easier to get close to the inside of the gate, saving time on her run. Those extra seconds paid off, because Coatseworth came in first place in the women’s group with a final, combined time of one minute and 36.22 seconds for both runs.
“I started racing when I was four.” Coatseworth said when asked how she got into skiing. “I was supposed to wait until I was 5, but I just couldn’t.” She credits her love of going fast with her passion for alpine skiing. This was her first time competing in the Games, and she shows interest in continuing towards a career in the sport.
Coatesworth was one of the many team members coming from Zone 1 - Kootenays. She was the only member of her zone to place for the women’s group. However, two of her fellow athletes, Carter Christensen and Nate Canhooren, both 13 years old from Fernie, placed in the men's group, coming second and third respectively.
“The second run had softer snow.” Christensen said. He was worried about a fall on the softer snow, and didn’t want to take any risks. He finished in under 50 seconds, coming in a combined time of one minute 40 seconds even. Only .78 seconds behind the winner of the gold medal, Thomas Hung.
All told, the Kootenays took home three medals, a gold, silver, and a bronze. It was a fantastic showing for Zone 1 on the slopes.