Gilman wins freeskiing title

Local skier Mitch Gilman recently won the Subaru U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships at Crested Butte, Colo. Gilman claimed top honors and first place in the 12-15 year-old division on Feb. 18 in the second stop of the IFSA Junior Freeskiing Tour.

The juniors competed on the steep and challenging Sock it To Me face with lines that even the adults didn't go after. In rocky conditions, Gilman skied to near perfection a 45-55 degree chute with a mandatory cliff drop known as Little Hourglass to claim the win. Most competitors opted for easier lines with less exposure.

Gilman's run through Little Hourglass landed him in first place in his age group with a run score of 39.83. The only competitor out of 60 juniors to post a higher score was Miles Honens, a 17-year-old from Squaw Valley who won the 15-17 age group.

Gilman was named one of the top-20 skiers in the world for 18-and-younger in the February issue of Powder Magazine. His win in Crested Butte pre-qualifies him for the U.S. Extreme Freeskiing National Championship to be held at Crystal Mountain, Wash., in April.

For more information, visit online at www.freeskiers.org.