Tigers downhill ski team wait for more snow to start defending women’s state title

Like the Summit High School Nordic Ski Team, the Alpine Ski Team is patiently waiting for more snow to begin snow training for the 2021-22 season.

For now, both teams are forced to train on dry land, which for the alpine ski team consists of weight room work, plyometrics and other conditioning.

However, team members start to make a few turns early in the season.

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“A lot of our student-athletes are training on snow with their (ski) clubs, and the rest are free skiing at this point,” said coach Karl Barth.

Barth also said he hopes to start an Alpine-specific formal snow training early next week at Copper Mountain Resort and Keystone Resort, with a few training sessions scheduled per week until the Christmas holidays. After the Christmas holidays, the team will intensify their training to prepare for the competitive season.

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One of the biggest issues the team had over the past year – and struggled with this year – is figuring out when they can go out on the mountain during school week, as Copper doesn’t offer skiing. night skiing and Keystone does not offer night skiing during the week. . But the team has once again found a way to make their practices work.

“With some student rescheduling done by our great advisory service and some really passionate teachers, we practice Tuesday through Thursday from 2pm to 4pm,” said Barth.

The women’s alpine ski team graduated valuable seniors last year, including Camille Thompson, who was an All-State member in slalom, and Bryton Ferrari, the team’s captain.

While the team will miss these girls, the Tigers will use their depth to fight with Aspen High School for a second straight state title in alpine skiing in February.

The team will be led by two-time state slalom champion Olyvia Snyder, who will look for a third and final title this season.

The team will also be led by senior Jenna Sheldon, who finished second to Snyder in the slalom and second in the giant slalom at State. Snyder and Sheldon will rely on each other in training to outdo each other this competitive season.

In addition to the leadership of the two seniors, the women’s alpine ski team will also have a strong group of subclasses to support the team.

Ella Snyder, Olyvia’s younger sister, will look to defend her own state title in the giant slalom after winning the event as the first star last year.

Sophomores Cora Jackson and Luci Brady will be two girls to watch this season as they strive to complete the team’s score to ensure the Tigers win another Alpine team title.

On the boys’ side, the team lost to alleged returns Keaton Smith and Jack Hodge, but the Tigers have also added a few boys, which will provide them with enough talent to hopefully improve on their seventh place last year.

The team add senior Dylan Smith and second transfer Stanley Buzek, who finished seventh in the freshman slalom for the Netherlands last season.

The two additions will join the core of the Tigers’ men’s alpine ski team, which consists of seniors Gavin Masters and Kevin Reddell, juniors Michael Cheek and Jackson Campbell, and sophomore Wyatt Huston.

“The boys were strong last year, and we’re hoping to build on that and challenge the top five this year,” Barth said.

The two teams will open the 2022 alpine ski season after the new year on January 5, when they face off at the Loveland Ski Area in the discipline of giant slalom.