FVSEF Skiers shred slopes at Red Lodge, Sun Valley
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT are four U14 FVSEF racers who competed in Red Lodge: Claire Graham, Kessa Drendel, Ella Elliott and Finlee Klocke. (FVSEF photo)
Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation (FVSEF) racers travelled in a couple different directions last weekend, and Claire Graham of Whitefish stood out on the slopes in Red Lodge.
While the U16 and U18 racers were in Sun Valley, Idaho — where Melody McNally won twice — Graham was strong in Red Lodge, finishing second in her first U14 slalom and then winning her second.
Finley Klock of Kalispell finished third in both the second and third slaloms while Kessa Drendel was fourth in one of her U14 races to go with a seventh and a ninth. In the U12 girls, Adelyn Danley (Columbia Falls) found the podium with third place in SL2 and was 13th in the first SL.
On the boys’ side, Colter Bengtson (West Glacier) took second place overall in all three slaloms. Theo Elliott (Kalispell) and Riley Ralston-Love (Whitefish) each had strong second-place finishes in the U12 races in Red Lodge.
All race results were not available, but Ella Elliott (Kalispell) came in 13th in the first U14 SL. I Renoir Averill (Whitefish) had two solid 17th place finishes. Edmund Dickson (Kalispell) was solid in his first races ever earning seventh and 11th place in the U12 boys, and George Dickson (Kalispell), also in his first races, was 16th in two of his races.
Down in Sun Valley, McNally of Columbia Falls won two U18 giant slalom races, while Kira Paatalo (Whitefish) finished second in the SL for Northern Division U16 girls and fourth in one of the GS’s for the Northern Division.
Grayson Galle competed in his first race ever and was the fifth fastest Northern Division U16 boy.
The race series are two of several this winter that count towards qualifying Northern Division athletes to the Western Regional Championships at Schweitzer, Idaho (U16s) and Mammoth Mountain, Calif. (U14s) and the Tri-Divisional Championships at Jackson Hole, Wyo. (U14s and U16s) in late March.
Whitefish Mountain Resort is also set to host Youth Ski League (YSL) races for U8s, U10s, U12s, and U14s this Feb. 22-23. You can watch the races and support your local ski racers from along the course on Ed’s Run or at the finish, just up from Ed & Mully’s restaurant. Those interested in volunteering for the races can email hilary@fvsef.org for available positions.
—Hilary Lindh, FVSEF