From Dan Egan Re: Katie Leake and Silas Ayers

[notorious]

Could you post this on ski madriver.com on both the mad river and sugarbush forums? It is an update on Katie Leake and Silas Ayers both representing the Mad River Valley. Competition starts on Wed and they are both expect to qualify for the Thursday event. Thanks Dan

Subaru US Extreme Junior Freeskiing Championships
Crested Butte February 19, 2008
Featuring two Mad River Valley Skiers - Katie Leake and Silas Ayers

Today was registration for the Subaru US Extreme Junior Freeskiing Championships at Crested Butte and 80 of the top Juniors in the country have come together to make this the largest field in the history of the event. The US Extreme Freeskiing Championships started in Crested Butte 17 years ago, six years ago the event added the Junior Category and the field has grown every year since to the point of now there are three such events for Juniors in North America.

Wednesday will be the first day of the event which will be held on the famed double black diamond “Sock it To Me Ridge” in the middle of the Crested Butte North Face Extreme terrain. The Juniors range in age from 14-17 years old and have come from all over North America to show off their talents on this radical terrain that is home to cliff bands and steep and narrow chutes with names such as “Cesspool” and “Body Bag”.

The Women’s division is stack full of talent. Ariana Stufano bib #85 a Canadian from Whistler/Blackcomb recently wonof the Junior Event at Steven’s Pass in Canada. Crested Butte has fielded a deep field of females led by former event champion Francesca Pavillard bib # 58, daughter of famed mountaineer Jean Pavillard, other locals are Danielle Levin, Annalise Manley and Brittani Ballintyne.

Representing the east coast in this field of 18 women are Meanie Yemma bib # 14 from Stratton Mountain Vermont and new comer Katie Leake of Sugarbush Vermont. Katie one of the youngest competitors in the Women’s division is competing in her first Freeskiing event ever and gaining confidence on the steeps of Crested Butte. A strong technical skier Katie is witnessing for the first time the most lift serviced extreme terrain on the continent here at the “Butte” and other than slight adjustment to altitude is ready to tackle the first day of competition.

The Men’s field has 58 participants and is considered the who’s who of the Junior Freeskiing talent in North America, some of which compete regularly on the US Freeskiing Tour in the Men’s Open division. Such notables are Christian Mandahl, bib # 90, who claims to hail from the North Pole, he recently competed in Telluride Colorado in the opening event of the US Tour. Others to watch are Peyton Colvin from Crystal Resort in Washington State, Taylor Lyman from Alta Utah and North Parker from Sun Valley Idaho.

The lone east coast entry from Mad River Glen Vermont is Silas Ayers who just recently won the Mad River Vertical Challenge by doing 29 runs off of the famed single chair at the resort. Silas is currently the point leader in the annual Triple Crown event which is held each year at Mad River Glen. His older brother Lars is currently on the World Freeskiing tour and the Ayers Brothers are proving that skiers from the east throw down with the best in the world!

Log onto www.usfreeskiing.com for race results

[notorious]

Katie qualified at No 6
Silas at No 9

[notorious]

Subaru US Extreme Junior

Freeskiing Championships

Crested Butte



New comers Katie Leake and Silas Ayers of Vermont advance



Day One of the US Extreme Junior Freeskiing Championships with the largest field of junior competitors ever at Crested Butte Colorado was packed full of thrills and spills as the top Juniors in North America attached “Shock It To Me Ridge” which was deemed by the judges a “No Fall Zone”. The competitors took one inspection run from 8-8:45 and at 9am sharp the competition started with the women field diving into the steep and rocky terrain.



The morning was marked by spectacular skiing, cliff drops and unfortunately crashes that turned into top to bottom falls for several of the women and men competitors. Melanie Yemma, bib # 14 of Stratton Vermont who started sixth, survived a horrendous fall in which she slid and bounced over 1000 vertical feet, she was treated and later released with just minor injuries. Ariana Stufano bib # 85, just off of her recent win at Steven’s Pass in Canada proved once again to be one of the top Junior Females in North America with a flawless run down the “Hour Glass” Chute to end the day with 29 points and the lead heading into day two.



Female favorites Annalise Manley and Francesca Pavillard skied strong aggressive lines and skied their way into second and third place respectively. Rounding out the top five were Carmen Frequlia bib # 60 of Sugar Bowl and Alexandria Bachmeier bib # 150 of Crystal Mountain. Other top female competitors were new comer Katie Leak bib # 17 of Sugarbush Vermont at only 14 years of age Katie raged down the run called “Cesspool” with one of the fastest, smoothest runs of the day to score 25 points and sits just ¾ of a point out of third place heading into day two. Alex George of Jackson Hole and Jonneke Grisham of Sugar Bowl finished 7th and 8th respectively. Three of the 18 females fell and the remaining seven failed to qualify.



The Junior Men ignited the crowd sitting below with big air, quality turns and outrageous lines through the rocks and chutes. Ben Southworth bib # 49 of Powder Mountain stands above the field in 1st place with 34 points and hot on his heals is rookie Jesse Hoffman bib #113 from Aspen Mountain. Jesse skied an unique line and launched a clean and smooth air midway down the slope to score 32.63 points. Out of the 58 men 25 qualified for day two.



Notable runs were North Parker bib #34 of Sun Valley who was one of the few to ski an alternative route through “Hour Glass” and cleared the rocks below with room to spare. Duncan Adams, formerly of Stowe Vermont now hailing from Breckenridge skied a technical line skier’s right of “Hour Glass” and ended the day in 7th place with 29.75 points. Just behind him in 9th place is Silas Ayers of Mad River Glen who’s speed and controlled scored him 29.50 point. Rounding out the top 15 were Carter McMillan of Lake Louise, Kevin McJames of Park City and Forrest Cole a local from Irwin Colorado.



Day Two for the Juniors will be held on the steep and very rocky “Head Wall” of Crested Butted. This will also be the site of the qualifying runs for the “Open Men’s and Women’s as well as the Masters” divisions for the US Extreme Freeskiing Championships. All tolled there will be over 170 competitors ripping down this terrain on Day Two. With the Juniors leading the charge followed by the Master and then finally the 120 men and women who make up the “Open” division.



Although a record snow year in Crested Butted the “venue” was showing the signs of wear and tear in “Angle Gully” where most of the rock features and formation lay. Competitors will be skiing through, around and over the rock infested slope. In the competitors meeting the Judges and Event Organizers over and over again stressed control and good judgment as the terrain will be punished by the entire field of 170 competitors inspecting and competing on the thin snow covered extremely steep and rocky pitch which lays high above a long and mogul covered run to the finish.



For complete event results log onto www.usfreeskiingtour.com

[atkinson]

This is awesome. The Mad River Valley continues to produce world class skiers and riders! I've skied with Katie a few times this year and always been impressed with her poise, maturity and ability, especially given her age ...

John