By Shannon Lukens. (Courtesy photos)

 

Five Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Freeski Big Mountain athletes are competing in the International Freeskier & Snowboarder Association (IFSA) Junior Championships in Breckenridge, April 7-14.

The three freeski athletes are Ellie Reynolds, Mason Stewart and Oscar Dalzell.

The two snowboard athletes are Riley McNew and Cooper Malia.

Here are their rankings for North and South America.

• U15 Men Snowboard – Cooper Malia, ranked 1^st out of 92 athletes in that division,
• U19 Women Skier – Ellie Reynolds, ranked 17^th out of 306 athletes in that division,
• U15 Men Skier – Mason Stewart, ranked 53^rd out of 935 athletes in that division.
• U15 Men Skier – Oscar Dalzell, ranked 63^rd out of 935 athletes in that division.
• U19 Women Snowboard — Riley McNew, ranked 18th in her division.

Link to rankings

 

The 2024 Junior Championships will host 370 skiing and snowboarding athletes from the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Chile. It is the first time it has been hosted in the Rocky Mountain Region.

 

Courtesy photo Elisa Maines

The Freeski Big Mountain competitions include the steepest and most technical run at the host resort. Athletes can review the course on the morning of the competition to pick out their line. They are judged on five categories for scoring.

• Line Choice: Each competitor chooses his/her line or route down the course. High scores are given for choosing difficult routes. Difficulty is determined by steepness, exposure, air, snow and course conditions.
• Control: Competitors must remain in control at all times. Any loss of control will result in a lower score. Skillful recoveries will reduce penalties.
• Fluidity: Constant direction towards a goal. This includes continuity, pace, and smooth transitions between sections of the course. Falling or stopping can have a negative impact in this category
• Technique: Competitors are judged on style and turn quality relating to big mountain freeriding.
• Style & Energy: This encompasses the pace, energy and creativity with which a competitor attacks or descends his/her chosen line or route. Style focuses on freestyle execution of maneuvers.

 

Here are the accomplishments of some of athletes this season.

 

Cooper Malia, Instagram @cooper_snowboards

• 1^st in the 2024 Copper Mountain IFSA Junior National
• 1^st in 2024 Steamboat IFSA Junior Regional
• 2^nd in the 2024 Crested Butte IFSA Junior National
• 3^rd in the 2024 Snowbird IFSA Junior National

 

Ellie Reynolds, Instagram @l.e._reynolds

• 1^st in the 2024 Steamboat IFSA Junior Regional
• 2^nd in the 2024 Crested Butte IFSA Junior Regional
• 7^th in the 2024 Copper Mountain IFSA Junior National
• 23^rd in the 2024 Grand Targhee IFSA Junior National

 

Mason Stewart, Instagram @mason_send

• 1^st in the 2024 Winter Park IFSA Junior Regional
• 5^th in the 2024 Steamboat IFSA Junior Regional
• 8^th in the 2024 Grand Targhee IFSA Junior National
• 14^th in the 2024 Copper Mountain IFSA Junior National

 

Oscar Dalzell, Instagram @oscardalzell

• 1^st in the 2024 Snowbasin IFSA Junior Regional
• 2^nd in the 2024 Arapahoe Basin IFSA JR Regional
• 7^th in the 2024 Aspen Snowmass IFSA JR Regional
• 23^rd in the 2024 Winter Park IFSA Junior Regional

 

Photo courtesy Tracy McNew

Riley McNew — from SSWSC. “McNew’s season was upset by a big crash in Crested Butte, where she ended up 4th. Recovering from the crash took her out of training and the remaining competitions of the season, but her 5th place earlier in the season at Copper and her win in Steamboat gave her enough points to receive an invite to the Junior Freeride Championships with one less result than the rest of her field. McNew is going into the championships ranked 18th U19 female snowboarder.”

 

Previous competitions, from SSWSC:

• March 15, 2024 — Freeski and Snowboard Athletes Charge Through Tough Conditions at IFSA Comp at Arapahoe Basin
• March 15, 2024 — Anderson Agopian Wins IFSA Freeski Comp at Monarch
• March 8, 2024 — Snowboard Athlete Cooper Malia Secures Invitation to IFSA Freeride Championship
• March 8, 2024 — Multiple Podiums for Freeski Athletes at Winter Park IFSA Competitions