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Dual slalom team event spawns new friendships

Downhill ski legend Rob Boyd gives thumbs-up review of BC Alpine's new concept

For 12 seasons, alpine skiing legend Rob Boyd had the Canadian flag tattooed on his skis.
From 1985-97, Boyd carried the mantle left in the 1970s and early-80s by the Crazy Canucks - Jim Hunter, Dave Irwin, Dave Murray, Steve Podborski and Ken Read - who earned their nickname pushing the limits to the edge of recklessness on the World Cup stage in skiing's ultimate speed event.
At a young age Boyd conquered his fear of going fast and racing to the verge of disaster on the slopes of the small ski resort his parents owned in Vernon (Tillicum Valley) and used that as a springboard to become a three-time World Cup champion in the downhill event.
Boyd was 16 when he and his family moved to Whistler and by that time he was already on the provincial team and two years later he made the national downhill team and finished in the top-10 at two World Cup events. He cemented his legendary status 30 years ago in February 1989 when he became the first Canadian male ever to win a downhill on home soil at Whistler. After three Olympics and 28 top-15 World Cup finishes Boyd retired.
At the height of his career Boyd qualified for six world alpine championships and part of that was competing for Canada in a dual slalom in the Nations Team Event. Each country selects its top racers (male and female) to form teams of six to compete head-to-head in a bracket-style elimination on a short course in minute-long races. Each win is worth a point and the team with the most points after each round advances to the next round.
Two weekends ago at Purden Ski Resort 60 kilometres east of Prince George 160 skiers, including  Boyd's 13-year-old son Dylan, got a taste of their own team event when they raced the dual slalom competition at the Teck under-14 provincial alpine championships.
Fun was the name of the game with each of the 32 teams made up of of skiers from different clubs. For that one day, those kids weren't competing for the zone they lived in or for the club they belong to and they had an absolute blast.
"Rather than doing it by team or zone this is an opportunity for kids to mix and mingle with kids from the same province who are the same age and we're seeing more of that," said Boyd. "(Dylan) had a riot. This removes that (barrier) to try to level the playing field a bunch more.
"It's a lot of runs (for the teams that advance through all four rounds) but a really great, fun format - a chance for them to mix and mingle and meet other people from the province. Down the road, if they continue to race, they'll see them again and again. Great memories, great format and I really love the way Purden poured out for this event, it's been really great coming up here."
It was the 53-year-old Boyd's first visit to Prince George and to Purden and conditions were pretty much ideal after 50 centimetres of new snow the week before the race. Although there was a lot of snow to pack the day before the racing started, sunshine and warm temperatures all weekend put smiles on the faces of everybody connected with the three-day competition, which included individual slalom and giant slalom events.
Team No. 31 (Alex Waldrum and Alexa Brownlie of Whistler Mountain, Addyson Kuss and Tessa Wang of Grouse Mountain and Reed Kelly of Revelstoke) won the team event, edging Team No. 13 (Noah Fischer of Grouse, Joy Attalla of Fernie, Noah Paltinger of Revelstoke, Heidi Schenk of Whistler and Aquinna O'Grady of Kimberley) for top spot on the podium
Team No. 32 (Forrest Sevoy of Whistler, Alessandra Cicilese of Blackdogs - Lake Louise, Noah Smith of Grouse, Amelia D'Andrea of Smithers, Manu Gandhi of Cypress and Jacqueline Smith of Whistler) won the bronze-medal duel over Team No. 27 (Jamey Bachand of Prince George, Marek Krampl of Red Mountain, Claire Richardson of Vernon, Raleigh Robertson of Whitewater and Marlo Parkhill of Whistler).
"My team was really fun, it was an awesome team," said the 13-year-old Krampl. "We were from all around the province and everybody was fun to talk to. I got to meet new people and new friends. We got fourth. We just tried hard and knew we could win it and just did it. Anybody could win it, it's who wants it the best."
In each round, each skier raced both courses so all the finalists took 10 runs on the dual slalom course, which kept the two snowmobiles busy hauling them back up the hill on a rope tow. It was a tiring day for Gandhi but well worth it.
"It's really fun, it's fast-paced and really exciting, it's a lot of nerves," said Gandhi, who finished sixth in the GS. "It's 20 gates, all-in. You get to know new people, it's a good time. I didn't know my teammates before this, it's a good event. Purden has been a really good host, the tracks here are awesome."
Al Bull, coach of the Whitewater team from Nelson loves the team concept and would like to see the same format used at future provincial championships. Bull coached the Kootenay team last year at B.C. Winter Games and knows how those kids have stayed in touch with each other through social media channels. He figures those same electronic ties will bind kids who didn't know each other before they became teammates at provincials in the team slalom.
"It really brings out a different level of competition in them and it's really cool to see, they pulled off a great event here," said Bull.
"They try to make the teams as fair as possible, based on (individual times in) Friday's slalom. For the kids that make it all the way, it's an endurance race for sure."