Alpine Ski Racing NZ - National Youth Championship

Press Release For Immediate Release

Subject: Alpine Ski Racing NZ - National Youth Championships 2009 – 28 SEP TO OCT 2

Race preview - Alpine Ski Racing NZ - National Youth Championships 2009

Tlaloc has been the biggest fan of Alpine Ski Racing in NZ this winter. The God of Rain turned up first and keenest to the Winter Games, and now he’s saved some of his best, a slow moving warm and wet complex low from the north west, for this week’s National Youth Champs at Turoa.

In response, TD Peter Duff, Referee Ian Smith and Chief of Race Raymond Goff, have rescheduled the Slalom races to lead the programme. Fingers are crossed that some gaps will break in the low. That may provide an early morning ski window each day. Frosts may even appear overnight if the rain comes mainly in daytime-school-holiday bursts.

If they do, a field of 35 women aged 11 through 18 hope to turn their early rising time into a 9am race start.

This may prove particularly harsh on the four Australian skiers, visiting from Mt Hotham, Louisa Davies, Alexandra Brial & Georgia Wood (K1), and her older sister Sophie Wood (K2). They will be adjusting not only to the Anzac time difference, but also to NZ daylight saving, and 9am race start will be at 6am on their body clocks.

The field of nine K1 ladies will also include Coronet Peak’s QAST skiers Jodie Llewellyn, Kate Pascoe and Elizabeth Reid. Ruapehu Snow Sports (RSS) has 3 entries headed by National Park’s Victoria Slegers. She is supported by Isabella Louisson and Alex Jefferson.

The most competitive female field is the K2 (date of birth 1995/6) offering of 18 athletes. Ten of these represent RSS including Amy Dixon who competed well at Mt Hutt last month, and North Island series medalists Lauren Young and Jordan Eves. Team Hutt has sent Eliza Grigg, while QAST fields Laura Mclauchlan and Emma Gamson. They will take on fellow South Islanders Rosie Smith, Chelsea Wallace and Piera Hudson all from Cadrona. Piera will have to ski up to her very best after drawing start bib 27 at the back of the K2 field.

The main concern in the conditions is how the course will hold up. We will have some idea by the time 8 non-FIS J skiers race their first run. Lauren Fenton flies the Northern Snow Sports flag against 7 RSS skiers who are led by the two Laura’s, Flay and Davey. Chelsea Bostock and Julie Whitehead will keep them honest.

The men’s field of 47 will follow, the first half of these featuring in the 1997/98 year of birth K1 division. It is a bumper crop and Jackson Wells is the only notable absentee. Skiers , in race bib order, who are capable of winning, and their best performances this season, include:-

1. Harry Eisenhut (RSS) multiple podium finishes North and South Island - jags another early bib!
5. Austin Davies (NSS) fast times at Treble Cone Mapei and NI Primary Champs
8. Faolan Gavigan (RSS) silvers in North Island series & NIPS, and only fractions behind River and Conrad.
9. Toby Eady (RSS) has emerged as a podium challenger this year
10. River Jones-Gardner (RSS) the natural number one seed, has pocketed most K1 golds medals this season
12. Richard McLauchlan (QAST) skied well at K Cup at Mt Hutt.
16. Conrad Barry (Cadrona) Mt Hutt podium and NIP’s gold
18. Sam Bushell (Mt Hutt) podium finish on home track last month

The races are run as a combined time best of two runs, and the pressure will be on this group until the last skier has finished his second run. All the major clubs have strong representation and, in addition, Stratford has entered Truman Edwards.

The K2 boys will race in bibs 25 through 39. Harry Izard-Price (RSS) will be missing, unfortunately, after a mis-hap at this month’s Secondary School champs. Leading chances hoping to take advantage of that are:-

25. Tim Wallace (Cadrona) has skied well overseas and at home this year
26. Tai Juneau (RSS) Mt Hutt podium
30. Jamie Green (RSS) exciting to watch, and always capable of either Gold or a high speed incident
33. Laurie Taylor (QAST) podium material
34. John Knowles (RSS) had two 4ths down south, two North Island podiums, and now looking to step up in HIP’s absence
35. Fraser Hannon (Cadrona) always competitive
38. Julian Davies (NSS) will be an interesting newcomer to this K2 level, having finished 4th in the NIPS from a 99th start bib.

The men’s event will be completed with 8 J skiers Joseph Wright (RSS), Tristram Hudson (Cadrona), Harry Hull (RSS), Remy Campbell (RSS), Oliver Eady (RSS), Pip Couch (RSS) Demetri Raffills (Cadrona) Stewart Dodson (RSS).

All races will be held on Branchline at Turoa, Mt Ruapehu. The 400m Slalom course starts at 2,300m and finishes at 2,160m well above this afternoon predicted snow and tonight’s minus 3 freezing level at 1900m, so here’s hoping for an even break from the weather gods. With luck the Giant Slalom races will follow Wednesday or Thursday.

ENDS

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