Hundreds of high school ski racers tested their skill and endurance competing in the Alpine Ski Racing State Championships at Mt. Ashland Ski Area from Wednesday to Friday. More than 350 young athletes from across Oregon took part in the three-day event, including a warmup day and two days of competition.
This was the fourth time Mt. Ashland has hosted the state championships organized by the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association. Prior competitions were held in 2020, 2016 and 2007.
“This championship will not only highlight the skill and dedication of these young athletes, but also bring significant energy and economic impact to the region,” Mt. Ashland General Manager Andrew Gast said in announcing the event. “These talented young competitors will showcase their skills in both men’s and women’s slalom and giant slalom races.”
Mt. Ashland has a long history of hosting races for the Mt. Ashland Racing Association and the High School Alpine Southern League, along with competition for the Ashland and Southern Oregon High School snowboard teams.
As the three days of races wound down Friday, the main lodge became a bustling thoroughfare of high school students, parents and coaches all jostling with equipment and searching for tables along with food and drink.
Upstairs above the fray, Grants Pass High School senior Jack Mateja relaxed after his last run.
“I did OK in the races and I’m satisfied with that. Today was a good time, it’s my senior year and I was able to meet and have good memories with all my friends,” Mateja said.
Mckenzie Gallagher, from South Medford, was getting ready to head down the hill. She was also pleased with her day on the slopes.
“I did pretty well today, my teams going to be in third or fourth place in the girls slalom. I love ski racing, I’ve done it for years. It’s very meaningful to me and my family, my mom raced in college so I’ve been racing my whole life,” Gallagher said.
The two skiers are members of the Southern Oregon Ski League that includes Ashland, Phoenix, South and North Medford and Grants Pass and Crater Lake.
Kristin Duyn traveled from Portland with her son Jackson, a high school freshman in his first statewide competition. She said the experience is something they have been waiting for.
“We ski a lot, we ski all the time. Mt. Ashland is a good mountain and has a good feel. I’ve been skiing for about 40 years,” Duyn said.
Jackson said he felt positive about his performance.
“I thought I was going to do well today, almost as good as I did in slalom. I was 12th combined in slalom and 20-something in giant slalom,” he said optimistically.
Eventually all the skiers made their way down the mountain, many staying at the Ashland Hills Hotel. That evening the teams all gathered at the Historic Ashland Armory for an awards banquet.
The room was packed as the entire company listened to the keynote speaker, former World Cup and Olympic (2014, 2018) skier Laurenne Ross.
Ross was named to the U.S. Ski Team just after graduating from Klamath Union High School, and she was on the team for seven years. She made the World Cup Circuit in 2010 and, after a few injury-plagued seasons, she posted a second-place finish in a downhill event during the 2012-13 season.
Ross applauded the assembly of skiers and reflected on the courage it takes to race on skis.
“Just to stand in the starting gate, it’s such a huge challenge, it takes so much energy and so much determination and you guys know we’re really proud of ourselves for making it here, it’s a really cool place to be,” Ross said.
“I could kind of get out of my head to make sure I wasn’t going through the course in my head. Then, once I stepped into the starting position I just kind of let go of everything and I would put my poles over the gate,” she said.
“I watched the race today and it was pretty impressive,” she added. “Cherish this time, work hard, you can get wherever you dream.”
Alpine State Championship Results
(first place and top Ashland High School finisher only)
First Day
Boys individual slalom (75 finishers): 1, Ivar Hokanson, Crater, 1:16.82; 5, Bjorn Austbo, Ashland, 1:20.64
Boys team slalom (17 finishers): 1, Lake Oswego, 1:58.71; DNF, Ashland
Girls individual giant slalom (85 finishers): 1, Emily Teets, Hood River Valley, 1:38.35; 5, Anya Saturen, Ashland, 1:41.68
Girls team giant slalom (19 teams): 1, Bend, 2:41.88; 6, Ashland, 2:45.78
Team standings, boys: 1, Lake Oswego, 14:14.86; Ashland, DNF (did not finish)
Team standings, girls: 1, Bend, 5:17.82; 5, Ashland, 05:31.33
Team standings, combined: 1, Sisters, 09:35.97; Ashland, DNF
Second Day Results
Boy’s individual giant slalom: 1, Styopa Myagkov, Sisters; 4, Bjorn Austbo, Ashland
Boy’s team giant slalom: 1, Bend, 02:18.71; 7, Ashland, 02:29.25
Boys individual combined: 1, Kaden Bertell, Wilsonville, 02:51.54; 3, Bjorn Austbo, Ashland, 02:56.50
Boys team combined: 1, Lake Oswego, 9:20.30; Ashland, DNF
Girls individual slalom: 1, Alyana VanHorn, South Medford, 1:25.21; 3, Anya Saturen, Ashland, 1:26.86
Girls team slalom: 1, Hood River Valley, 2:23.03; 6, Ashland, 2:30.27
Girls individual combined: 1, Alyana VanHorn, South Medford, 3:05.25; 2, Anya Saturen, Ashland, 03:08.54
Girls Team Combined: 1, Hood River Valley, 10:07.01; 6, Ashland, 10:35.76
Combined Team Boys & Girls: 1, Bend, 19:40.00; Ashland, DNF
For full results, click here
Art Van Kraft is an artist living in Ashland and a former broadcast journalist and news director of a Los Angeles-area National Public Radio affiliate. Email him at artukraft@msn.com.
