Snowboard Yukon sent a group of seven athletes to B.C. Provincial Series competitions at Big White Resort, near Kelowna this past weekend. The slopestyle competitions offered a chance for Yukon athletes to get some out-of-territory experience prior to the Canada Winter Games in February. There were 102 athletes from nine clubs around B.C., Alberta and Yukon. For some of the Yukon’s athletes, this was their first major Outside competitive event experience.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very cooperative. Thick fog meant that 2 days of slopestyle competitions, which normally include a series of rails and jumps that the athletes perform tricks on, had to be modified. The fog was so thick that the athletes would not have been able to spot their landings on the jumps. With athlete safety in mind, the competitions were modified to a rail jam.

Yukoners did well despite the difficult conditions. Coach Esa Suominen was extremely pleased with the composure and progression that all the Yukon athletes demonstrated throughout the weekend.

Stian Langbakk lead the way with second place in the U15 category. His best run came under the pressure of his last run in qualifications just to make it to the finals.

Riley Boland had a consistent competition, making finals comfortably. She landed both her runs in qualifications and then followed that up with an even higher scoring run in the finals to finish sixth overall. In the same category, Sascha Nelson finished eighth.

Other results included Leo Spiers Leung placing fourth in male U13 in his first competition outside the Yukon.

In the male U18 category, Lewis Bunce was eighth and Connor Boland was 16th. Eli Wolsky equalled that 16th place in U15.

– Submitted by Snowboard Yukon President of the Board Brent Langbakk