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VOLUME 17 ISSUE 03 MARCH 22 — APRIL 18, 2019
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GIRL GROUP READY TO TAKE SNOWBOMBING STAGE PAGE 16
REDUCING LONG-TERM RESIDENTS IN VILLAGE CORE PAGE 2
Canada Winter Game ignites fire in SPAC trio BRYNN APPLEGATH, BEN JACOBY, AND NOA HOOTON EACH COMPETED FOR TEAM BC AT THE CANADA WINTER GAMES FEB. 15 TO MARCH 3. Photo SPIN
NIKKI FREDRIKSON
RUMOUR HAD IT, IF THEY PLACED FIRST AT THE FIRST U16 TECK OPEN SERIES OF THE SEASON JAN. 10 TO 13 AT SUN PEAKS, ALPINE SKIERS WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE CANADA WINTER GAMES. NOT WANTING TO GET THEIR HOPES UP, THREE OF THE SUN PEAKS ALPINE CLUB U16’S BRYNN APPLEGATH, NOA HOOTON, AND BEN JACOBY, WEREN’T EXPECTING TO TAKE FIRST PLACE FINISHES LET ALONE QUALIFY FOR THE NATIONAL EVENT IN RED DEER, ALTA. FEB. 15 TO MARCH 3. But that’s what happened. “For me, it was in the back of my mind, but I was trying not to focus on that because I knew if that was my main focus I would probably get too nervous and psych myself out,” said Applegath. Having qualified for nationals
the previous season, Applegath and Hooton knew what to expect heading into the Games, however the event was Jacoby’s debut on the national stage. “I didn’t really think I was going to be going... and the first run of the first day I was in third and that was pretty unexpected for me even at third. In the second run, I had a very good run, one of my best runs ever and I ended up first,” said Jacoby. “I was told by my dad afterward that it qualified me to the Canada Games which was pretty cool.” The three athletes each prepared for the competition differently. Applegath headed to Whistler to train with a Team BC coach while Jacoby and Hooton were busy with other sports and acknowledged they didn’t get as much training as they would have liked. “I wasn’t very confident going in. I barely skied, and the skiing I had done wasn’t very good. I didn’t change
anything I was going into it just skiing how I ski and to try my best,” said Hooton. Alpine competitors were based two hours out of Red Deer at Nakiska Ski Resort which meant the skiers were away from the festivities. “It just felt like a race for us. It didn’t feel like Canada Games. Obviously, it did a little bit because there were girls from Quebec and girls from Ontario, so it wasn’t a normal race, but it didn’t give the vibe of a super huge event because it was only ski racers there,” explained Hooton. Applegath added it was nice to be isolated so they could focus on what they were there to do with little outside distraction. Competing in four events, Super-G, GS, Slalom and Ski Cross, the course changed each day. The terrain was similar to Sun Peaks with a few more flat sections. “I didn’t find them (the courses) that difficult, for Slalom 24 girls finished out of 61 so a lot of girls did find the
courses difficult. I found B.C. handled it pretty well, a lot of us finished,” said Hooton. In the Slalom competition Applegath had her best finish of the Games placing eighth overall. She said SPAC coaches prepared the team by setting more difficult courses so she felt prepared. “Usually we go into races prepared, and then we go into the course and (find) this is so much easier than what we’re used to,” she said. Agreeing with his teammates they were over-prepared for the Slalom course, Jacoby said he liked the GS course most and had his best finish of the Games in the event placing 13th overall. “A lot of people were falling. It was a tough course, and I got course support from my coach on this one pretty crucial section, and he told me exactly what to do, and I felt like I knew exactly what to do in my head. I went down, and I felt I nailed it pretty well,”
said Jacoby. Hooton found her flow in the Ski Cross event with her best finish of the Games coming in at 9th overall. She said the new-to-her event was her favourite moment of the games. “You’re in the gate you have to hold on, and then you push yourself out, and there’s three other girls beside you. Having the other girls beside you and feeling the pressure right on you as you go down was a lot more exciting, I found, than a normal race,” she stated. Taking away newfound friendships, confidence, and skills, the three athletes returned with a determination to keep building on their own race day management and preparation. “I just feel part of something, and that it was all these kids who were doing the same thing as me that was really cool to me, to know there’s people just like me all around Canada that love sports just as much as I do,” said Applegath.
VOL 17 ISSUE 03 MARCH 22 — APRIL 18
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