Yukon athlete Mackenzie “Mack” Jenner will be racing in the Mount Sima Aurora Cup FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) races this weekend at Mt. Sima.

According to Alpine Canada, Jenner is the first Alpine Yukon athlete to compete at this level.

Jenner started skiing with the Alpine Yukon ski club at eight years of age, and joined the racing program when he was 10. He competed in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games and the 2023 Canada Winter Games, where he finished seventh in the ski cross competition.

Based on his strong placement at the Canada Winter Games, Mackenzie has been invited to the ski cross youth Olympic trials in Nakiska, Alberta.

“Mackenzie has worked really hard to get to the level where he is today,” said Urs Schirmer, coach for Alpine Yukon’s High Performance Race Team. “He has been very dedicated to training the last few years, and his hard work is paying off. I encourage anyone who is able to come out to Sima on the weekend, to come and cheer Mackenzie on."

“I’m excited to be racing in an international race here at home,” said Jenner. “I’ve been training really hard, and it will be fun to race against other athletes from Canada and the United States.”

Slalom and giant slalom races are scheduled for this weekend.

The giant slalom starts Saturday at 11:15 a.m. with the women's first run, followed by the men at 12 p.m.

The women compete in their second run at 2 p.m., followed by the men at 2:45 p.m.

The slalom takes place Sunday with the same schedule in effect.

The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place Sunday at 4 p.m.

Hot dogs and hot chocolate will also be available Sunday at 2 p.m.

Information on Alpine Yukon’s programs can be found at https://alpineyukon.com