Current and former members of the Apex Freestyle Club earned 29 medals in the Timber Tour and Super Youth competition last weekend.
Apex Mountain hosted more than 180 athletes who competed in moguls, big air and slopestyle disciplines for the first B.C. Freestyle Series of the season as they try to qualify for the Canadian Junior Nationals, March 13-16, in Quebec.
Kuroda said the early season training by his athletes paid off. AFC skiers used home field advantage to net 25 medals.
“That’s a really good result for the first competition,” said Kuroda.
He was equally pleased in the slopestyle discipline since course work wasn’t complete until just days before the competition.
“For the lack of training that we did have, my athletes did good as far as personal bests go,” he said.
AFC slopestyle and big air coach Stuart Chapman said his athletes performed all right as they completed new tricks.
“We could have used a little bit more training I think in all aspects,” he said. “Our girls cleaned up. The girls team killed it for sure.”
Leading to the next event in Prince George Feb. 6-9, Chapman is looking forward to more training.
“I think this just started the fire for all of the kids,” he said. “See what they have to work up towards. What tricks they have to learn.”
Next up for a group of AFC skiers is a Canadian Series event at Castle Mountain in Pincher Creek, Alta. The club is sending Max and Kassidy Todd, Mackenzie Schwinghamer, Joe Durham, Koleton Phipps, Brayden Kuroda and Madison Parker. They will compete against the best field of older skiers Canada has to offer that is not competing on the World Cup stage. With his group ages 15 and under, Kuroda said he would be very happy with them placing in the top third or half.
“This is for experience, plus they gain points going towards junior nationals, which is an important event for these athletes,” said Kuroda.
Medal winners:
Shaina Finlayson, 14-15, gold in Timber Tour Slopestyle and big air.
Kassidy Todd, 14-15, bronze in slopestyle, silver in moguls
Mackenzie Schwinghamer, 14-15, bronze in moguls, silver in big air
Madison Parker, 12-13, gold in moguls
Anna Spence, 12-13, bronze in moguls
Koleton Phipps, 14-15, bronze in moguls
Brayden Kuroda, 12-13, bronze in moguls, bronze in big air
Chloe Kober, 14-15, bronze in big air
Matt Finlayson, 14-15, silver in big air
Rhya Covert, 7, gold in big air, gold in moguls, gold in slope style
Simon Albrechtson, 8-9, silver in big air
Alec Henderson, 10-11, silver in big air, bronze in moguls, silver in slope style
Aiden Waddle, 7, gold in moguls
Ethan Phillips, 10-11, gold in moguls
Teagan Holinaty, 11-11, bronze in slopestyle
AFC Alumni winners
Mason Barzilay, 18, gold in moguls
Josh Kober, 19, gold in moguls
Jordan Kober, 17, silver in moguls
Kyle Parker,14-15, gold in moguls