Flathead Valley racers ski to success at Big Sky
FVSEF athlete Melody McNalley from Columbia Falls won two of the three speed races at Big Sky last weekend. (Provided photo)
Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation (FVSEF) ski racer Melody McNalley (Columbia Falls) secured two victories at the Lone Peak Speed Series alpine ski races held at Big Sky, Montana over the weekend of Feb. 11-12. The race series included three Super Gs (Super Giant Slaloms, or SG) for U14 and U16 age classes and was a qualifier to Western Region and Tri-Divisional championships to be held in March at Sun Valley, Idaho (U16 Western Regionals), Jackson, Wyoming (U14 Western Regionals) and Grand Targhee, Idaho (U16/U14 Tri-Divisionals).
Other FVSEF podium finishers included U16s Parker Retz (Whitefish) with two third places and Kellie Klepper (Whitefish) with a third place in one of the races. Emotions were high as many of the athletes worked through their fear of “the jump”, a mid-course feature that sent racers airborne for up to 90 feet. FVSEF athletes rose to the challenge and impressed their coaches with their efforts.
The race series was preceded by a Northern Division training camp at Big Sky on Feb. 8-9, as well as a Western Region U16 speed training camp at Soldier Mountain, Idaho on Feb. 6-8. FVSEF athletes were well-represented at both camps.
The next qualifying race series for U16s will be a pair of Giant Slaloms Feb. 25-26 at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Please contact hilary@fvef.org or tim.hinderman@fvsef.org for volunteer opportunities.
Lone Peak Speed Series Race Results:
SG 1
U16 Girls
Melody McNalley 1st
Greta Lund 4th
Valerie Cross 6th
GuineviereTomblin 16th
U16 Boys
Parker Retz 3rd
Brayden Hoover 12th
U14 Girls
Lola Zinser 12th
Kira Paatalo 15th
Avery Retz 19th
Dynalea Tomblin 29th
Lillie Groom 30th
SG 2
U16 Girls
Kellie Klepper 3rd
Melody McNalley 4th
Greta Lund 6th
Valerie Cross 8th
GuineviereTomblin 20th
U16 Boys
Parker Retz 5th
Brayden Hoover 11th
U14 Girls
Lola Zinser 15th
Kira Paatalo 20th
Avery Retz 23rd
Lillie Groom 24th
Dynalea Tomblin 31st
SG 3
U16 Girls
Melody McNalley 1st
Kellie Klepper 4th
Valerie Cross 6th
GuineviereTomblin 16th
U16 Boys
Parker Retz 3rd
Brayden Hoover 11th
U14 Girls
Kira Paatalo 12th
Lola Zinser 15th
Avery Retz 25th
Lillie Groom 30th
Dynalea Tomblin 33rd
U14 Boys
Leo Bungener 4th
Rylan Hoover 8th