Jamie Lammers, Nederland. Covid-19 regulations have made everything in our daily lives much harder to navigate than usual. Alpine ski coach Seth Waldman shared this exact sentiment when he announced how the alpine state championships on March 11th and 12th, 2021, were going to work. 

Typically, skiers eligible to participate in the championships were picked solely on their performance. Now, because of Covid, Waldman has had to be even more selective about the teammates chosen. The four divisions of the championship, the slalom boy’s and girl’s championships and the grand slalom boy’s and girl’s championships, were only allowed to accept a certain number of members from each team according to new regulations from the Colorado High School Activities Association Ski League. The boys slalom and grand slalom only allowed six boys each, the girls slalom only allowed four girls, and the girls grand slalom only allowed five girls. Considering attendance, performance, high school year, years on the team, and team captain status, Waldman ultimately chose these students to qualify:

Boys Slalom: Townes Bakke, Conner Bergeson, Giorgio Busulini, Stanley Buzek, Parker Newby, and Aiden Olsson.

Boys Grand Slalom: Nicholas Bigelow, Keenan Fuller, Paul Masters, Carson McCue, Aric Olson, and Matthew Younce.

Girls Slalom: Ellie Boye, Emily Creek, Mazlan Finch, and Brittany Lilja.

Girls Grand Slalom: Hattie Fuller, Trinity LeBlanc, Bella Lynch, Ali Thomae, and Lily Waldman.

Alpine skiers also had the chance to compete with fellow Nordic skiers during the 2021 Skimeister Championships, held in Steamboat Springs on March 9th. The skiers, who all trained in both Nordic and alpine events, participated in four major events, the 3Km classic race, the grand slalom race, the slalom race, and the 3Km skier race, all divided into men’s and women’s teams. These four events all took place over the course of a single day, which is different from the usual format of the competition as there are typically more races building up to the championships. The top five male and female skimeisters received awards and recognition was given to the top Colorado Skimeister High School Team.

At the State Skimeister competition Bella Lynch took 3rd place. Mazlan Finch placed 6th, Annabel Ivey 11th, Loic Masters 13th, Paul Masters 17th and Townes Bakke placed 22nd. All of these students take immense pride in their involvement in skiing, training multiple days a week in both alpine and Nordic events in anticipation for the championship. While consistent training and skiing events can make balancing the student’s schoolwork and personal lives difficult, their intense love for the sport allows them to find a way to unwind amidst the chaos of managing their routines. For these students, improving their endurance, pushing themselves, and getting outside in the snow feels incredibly rewarding, putting immense effort into a sport that they care so deeply about. They get the chance to meet new people and work with close friends who care as much about skiing as they do, and they make lasting connections and memories that stay with them forever.

As Waldman stated in his official alpine championships announcement, “In this year of Covid everything is different.” With the new regulations limiting outside interaction, even in a sport so focused on the outdoors as skiing, sport coaches all over the state have had to find ways to negotiate around the regulations and keep their students safe, healthy, and a part of the team they love being a part of. With these alpine championships, it’s clear that Waldman did everything in his power to keep his students on the slopes and keep their passion for skiing going.

Results from the Alpine State Championships in Loveland Valley

Women’s Giant Slalom

Trinity LeBlanc   33rd

Hattie Fuller        38th

Lily Waldman 43rd

Bella Lynch         47th

Cielle Burnett      49th

Women’s Slalom

Emily Creek     19th

Ellie Boye            27th

Mazlan Finch       30th

Brittany Lilja 43rd

Men’s Giant Slalom

Carson McCue     11th

Paul Masters     42nd

Matthew Younce  46th

Aric Olson            47th

Keenan Fuller       51st

Nick Bigelow       DNF

Men’s Slalom

Stanley Buzek       7th

Aidan Olsson        9th

Townes Bakke      31st

Conner Bergeson  DNF

Parker Newby       DNF

Giorgio Busulini   DNS

(Originally published in the March 18, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)