Taos Super-G Athletes and Coaches, back to front row from left, Coach Jude Arvidson, Coach Solana Pearl, Thomas DeVargas, Head Alpine Coach Julian LaCome, Coach Josh Willette, Asher Park, Phoebe Snow Desatoff, Max Oliver, Malik Boukhalfa, Konik Pearl and Oliver Mosby. Courtesy/Michelle Mosby
Max Oliver fighting to earn a top spot on the podium at Purgatory. Courtesy/Michelle Mosby
By ALLAN OLIVER
TWST
Friday, Jan. 19, the Southern Series kicked off three days of racing with the Super G – a race that combines the technical skill of giant slalom with the speed and strength of downhill.
The U16 men led the charge with Max Oliver winning 1st place with a blazing run, Konik Pearl followed in 3rd place and Thomas DeVargas close behind in 4th place in their age group. The U14s brought in four top ten finishes including Malik Boukhalfa (4th), Asher Park (5th), and Phoebe Snow Desatoff (8th).
Saturday Jan. 20, 13 new and veteran TWST athletes shifted to racing giant slalom. TWST athletes earned 5 podiums. TWST women U18 Jasmin Brady and U10 Elinor Turner ran clean fast runs to each earn 2nd place, while U16 Konik Pearl earned a 2nd place with U16 Max Oliver just off his pace in 3rd place. Vincent Brady led the U14s with a 3rd place finish followed by Oliver Mosby (Los Alamos 7th grade homeschool student) finished in 4th place, Malik Boukhalfa (5th), Phoebe Snow Desatoff (8th) and Owen Knaus (9th). U12 Gus Wood kept up the family ski racing tradition with an 8th place finish.
Sunday, the team faced tough weather conditions with a low visibility, soft snow in the track and ruts on a difficult giant slalom course. No one saw this better than U14 racer Oliver Mosby, who stood in 1st after the first run, then faced deep ruts that knocked him out of the course. A moment later, fellow TWST athlete U14 Vincent Brady pushed through the conditions to win the U14 field, while U18 Jasmin Brady, U10 Elinor Turner, and U16 Max Oliver each earned 2nd places in their age groups. By the end of the day, TWST had earned another 4 podium spots.
While the tough conditions kept many other racers from finishing, new TWST racers U12 Gus Wood, U16 Ella Knaus, and U10 Streeter Kastrin each earned top ten results. Hats off to U12 competitors Emma Mosby (Los Alamos 5th grade homeschool student), Ava Silverman, and June Thornton for showing us what resilience looks like.
Summing up the weekend, TWST Alpine Coach Julian LaCome said “The Taos racers really charged each ski course with courage and conviction. With 28 top ten finishes over three days, even under difficult conditions, I know our athletes are applying their training and demonstrating the resilience it takes to be a ski racer. I’m proud of their hard work to get this positive early result.”
About TWST:
TWST is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that was established in 1976 dedicated to providing opportunities for athletes to become great skiers and pursue personal goals. TWST promotes the development of good sportsmanship, healthy competitiveness, sound technical skills, and a reverence for the ethos of the mountains. Proud to call Taos Ski Valley our home mountain!
