Please note, only current Western State Colorado University students are eligible to join the program.

The Swatch Freeride World Tour (FWT) is every freeride skier and rider’s ultimate dream. It is the highest level of freeride competition.  In order to qualify for this cut-throat tour, athletes must successfully compete on the rigorous and highly competitive Freeride World Qualifier Series (FWQ). Only 12 athletes in the world make the cut for the FWT annually, just 6 of whom are from the America’s Region.

I won the overall FWQ in 2013, which has allowed me to compete on the 2014 and 2015 FWT. Often I am asked what gave me my competitive edge over other athletes fighting to make it on the FWT. The answer: Western State Colorado University. Western provides its athletes with the support of coaches and teammates; it even makes it more affordable than competing solo. Western offers the structure of great academics as well as a world-class skiing program, giving Western athletes a big competitive advantage.

Francesca showing off her technique. Photo from FWT.

My claims have been proven true by some amazing results during the 2015 season. Freshman Max Durtschi won the overall FWQ earning himself a spot on the infamous FWT. As if this was not enough, sophomore Sierra Sawyer and alumna Kaytlin Hughes were on the cusp of qualifying for the FWT in 2015. The proof is in the podiums; Western makes top notch, world class Freeride Athletes. Recently I took some time to talk to these amazing skiers who agree that Western is a key element of their success.

Max, at just 19 years old, made a big splash on this year’s FWQ and Collegiate Freeride Series. He describes Western’s support by saying, “Western has given me every resource I could have possibly wished for to help me achieve my skiing goals. In the fall I took part in dryland training, which was well run and very beneficial. Having a team to ski with has been awesome, riding with a group of good skiers really pushes me to progress my own skiing in new ways. The coaching has also been very helpful.”

Max enjoying spring conditions at Crested Butte.

Sophomore Sierra Sawyer added to Max’s description of Western’s support by saying, “Western has helped me with my skiing career more than I could have imagined. The Mountain Sports Program helps me travel to all the competitions; which I would not be able to do on my own. All of my professors are very understanding and accommodating. Western and the Mountain Sports Program have helped get my foot in the door of the competition scene while still working towards my degree.”

Sisi showing off her trademark smile.

Both Sierra Sawyer and Kaytlin Hughes were within striking distance of making the FWT this season. As Kaytlin puts it, “making the tour has been a goal of mine for the last two years. Traveling to Europe and competing with some of the best skiers in the world is any competitors dream. Unfortunately, I have narrowly missed making the tour for two years in a row. But my successful results have helped me gain confidence and I have more motivation and determination to compete and qualify for the tour next year.” Both athletes will continue to work hard so they can eventually make it on the pinnacle of Freeride competitions.

Sawyer powering through her Collegiate Freeride Series run at Grand Targhee.

Alumna Kaytlin Hughes graduated in 2012 with a degree in Cellular Biology and a minor in Chemistry and Exercise and Sports Science. One may think the course work alone would be more than enough for Kaytlin, but she has been excelling in Freeride competitions since 2010. “It was at Western that I started my competitive skiing career. The fact that I had coaching for three years of competing while in college jump-started my success.” This is a perfect example of how Western provides academic support and structure while making some of the best athletes on the Freeride circuit.

Kaytlin Hughes at home in Snowbird, UT. Photo Korey Kaczmarek.

Max finished up our chat by summarizing his successful season, “Making the tour means I get to travel to Europe to ski in places I’ve only seen in ski movies with some of the best skiers and riders out there right now. I am very excited to have this opportunity… All in all, without Western it would have been much harder for me to have achieved what I have.”

Hughes airing it out. Photo Eric Sales.

I have to agree with Max, Western makes competing more affordable and making the FWT more attainable. Western’s one of a kind freeride team speaks for itself. Within the last two years, Western has had two FWQ champions and currently has two Freeride World Tour athletes, an accomplishment that no other University can claim. The other amazing results are too numerous to add, but safe to say that Western is the Mecca for freeride competitors seeking a degree. Keep an eye out for the Western athletes during the 2016 winter season. It is safe to say that we can expect big things from our freeride athletes both on the FWQ and FWT.

– Francesca Pavillard-Cain

In late March Mountain Sports Athletes Max Durtschi and Sierra “Sisi” Sawyer made a break for the border with coach Ed Dujardin in a last minute effort to to qualifiy for the Freeride World Tour.  The Freeride World Qualifier 4* Event took place at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, British Columbia on a large and challenging venue.  Durtschi and Sawyer both had great runs on day one, with each of them sitting in the top ten heading into the finals.  Even though he missed a feature in his finals run, Max was able able to jump on to the podium with a 3rd place finish behind last years Junior National Champion Martin Lentz in 1st and local skier Trace Cook in 2nd.  Fortunately for Durtschi, Lentz’s win wasn’t enough to overtake Durtschi on the season and he stands as the new North American Champion.

Max Durtschi

Unfortanetly for Sawyer, a small crash at the end of her finals run would knock her out of the top ten and out of the running for a spot on next year’s Freeride World Tour.  Sawyer would come home with an 11th place finish and the mental fuel necessary to chase down a championship next season.  Overall, Sawyer took 3rd Place in the North American Freeride World Qualifiers.

Sierra “Sisi” Sawyer

Western’s Freeride Team Takes Multiple Team Podiums in the IFSA Collegiate Freeride Series

The IFSA Collegiate Freeride Series Finals (CFS) were supposed to take place on the same weekend with Western and the University of British Columbia neck and neck headed down to the wire.  Unfortunately for the hundreds of college students around the country that were looking forward to this event, Mother Nature had other plans.  A well below average snow year coupled with extremely high temperatures left the fine folks at Crested Butte Mountain Resort with no option except to cancel the event. This forced CFS organizers to base this years awards on results from earlier CFS Events at Grand Targhee in January and Snowbird in March.  Western would end up taking team victories in Men’s Skiing and Men’s Snowboarding.  The Overall CFS Title would end up going to the University of British Columbia with Western in a close second.

Conner Michael

Full IFSA Collegiate Freeride Series Results:

Overall Title

1. University of British Columbia
2. Western State Colorado University
3. Westminster College

Men’s Skiing

1. Western State Colorado University
2. University of British Columbia
3. University of Colorado Boulder

Women’s Skiing

1. University of British Columbia
2. University of Colorado Boulder
3. Colorado College

Men’s Snowboarding

1. Western State Colorado University
2. Westminster College
3. University of British Columbia

Women’s Snowboarding

1. Montana State University
2. Whitman College

Western’s Freeride Team inspecting the venue at Grand Targhee

For more information, please visit the following links:

Freeride World Tour press release

International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA)

Freeride World Tour

West Elk Project Article

Zoe and Cameron Smith with Wilderness Pursuits Manager, Christie Hicks

For the second consecutive year, Western State Colorado University’s Endurance Ski Team had three student teams take on this brutal course in an effort to cap off a season dedicated to pushing their mental and physical fitness to the limit.  Senior Zoe and Freshman Cameron Smith, a brother sister duo originally from Rockford, IL, made up one team.  Senior Nick Schley and Sophomore Sam Lesnikoski formed a second.  Juniors Erin Kearns and Tyler Lee joined to form Western’s third team.

Nick Schley (right) and Sam Lesnikoski (left) at the finish

Team Schley Lesnikoski had a great race finishing just under the elusive 10 hour mark at 9:44:58.  The pair went on to take first place in the Men’s 18-25 age category and 33rd overall.  This was both of their second year taking on the grueling event, but, due to last year’s dangerous avalanche conditions, their first year finishing in Aspen.

Zoe and Cam Smith at the finish

This was Zoe’s second attempt at completing the GT, and her course knowledge combined with brother Cam’s fitness and enthusiasm led the pair to a first place finish in the Co-Ed 18-25 age category.  With Zoe graduating in May, Cam intends to convince Western Nordic Skit Teammate, Kevin Geisen, to race with him next season.

Zoe and Cam on the podium

Unfortunately for team Kearns-Lee, trouble early on forced them out of the race at Friends Hut, just shy of the half-way mark.  The pair was slowed down by early technical difficulties when Erin’s skin fell into the East River and immediately froze.  Kearns’s skin later broke completely and she would lose half of her water  due to a crash in the difficult snow conditions.  Despite their best efforts, cascading minor defeats would eventually overcome the team and force them to look towards next year for a shot at skiing to Aspen.  Both Erin and Tyler are eager for another shot at finishing in 2016.

Schley and Lesnikoski on the podium

For more information on this year’s race check out the following links:

Elk Mountains Grand Traverse Homepage

Full 2015 Results

Aspen Times Article

Wednesday’s Men’s Snowboarding Podium. 1st-Zach Bare, 2nd-Dustin Eldridge, 3rd-Joey Odneal, 4th-Peter Noon.

With terrible snow conditions at nearly every host resort, many event promoters have pulled the plug and shelved their events until next season.  Thanks to the hard work of Patti Hensley and the events crew at Crested Butte Mountain Resort along side the unwavering commitment to excellence by the Crested Butte Ski Patrol, the Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) event s last week at Crested Butte were a go.

Max Durtschis’s Finals Run. Photo Courtesy of Joel Matuszczak.

Western’s Freeriders took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their training and commitment on their home mountain. These athletes stepped up Wednesday for the FWQ 2* and snagged 8 of the 12 possible podium spots in skiing and snowboarding. In Thursday and Fridays FWQ 4* competition, these same athletes returned to the hill against some of the best riders in the country and did not disappoint. Senior Connor Michael  had his best competition appearance ever, finishing in 4th place in men’s skiing right across from senior Dustin Eldridge in 4th place in men’s snowboarding.  Sophomore Sierra Sawyer took 3rd place in the FWQ 4* (after winning Wednesday’s FWQ 2*) and launched herself into 3rd place in the North American FWQ points race.  Freshman Max Durtschi had an eye-popping finals run and catapulted himself from 25th place to a 6th place finish in the event.  This one run on Crested Butte’s famed Headwall put Durtschi back in the drivers seat for the North American FWQ points race.  Durtschi is also ranked 4th in the world in the FWQ Series.

This week Durtschi and Sawyer will be traveling with Coach Ed to Kicking Horse, Brittish Columbia where they hope to lock down a coveted berth onto the Freeride World Tour where they would be joining former Western teammate, Francesca Pavillard-Cain.

Check out the links below for more information:

Full Crested Butte 2* Results

Full Crested Butte 4* Results

International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA)

Freeride World Tour (FWT)

Rising with the sun the next morning, the group of Endurance Ski Team Athletes made their way up and over Star Pass and followed the (unmarked) race course to Taylor Pass traveling through the midpoint of the race and laying down some great training miles in not-so-great skiing conditions.  After reaching Taylor Pass and realizing that they still had some “gas left in the tank,” students climbed a ridge off of Taylor Peak and enjoyed some spring-like conditions back into the headwaters of the Taylor River.

Zoe Smith, Cameron Smith and Sam Lesnikoski

As dusk quickly approached, Endurance Ski Team athletes climbed to the 12,500ft Star Pass for the second time in the 16 mile tour and enjoyed some final turns in the awe-inspiring alpenglow surrounding the ever-majestic Star Peak.  The next morning, athletes rose early and climbed to Star Pass for the third time in 24 hours and descended through Crystal Basin back to the valley floor and eventually back to the trail-head and civilization.  All said and done, it was an amazing trip that will stay with athletes and keep them inspired for the coming race.

Sam Lesnikoski enjoying some turns in the fading light

The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse is a brutal and ever-popular race that takes teams of two through towering peaks and beautiful valleys from the town of Crested Butte to Aspen, Colorado.  The race begins at midnight and teams carry all of the necessary gear to survive the night as they make their way 40 miles to Aspen, accepting nothing but water along the way.  Western’s Endurance Ski Team will continue to log miles and participate in shorter events in training for this years Grand Traverse in late March.

Shelbie and Bob

On Sunday, the Grand Mesa Nordic Council hosted their annual 10k on the Mesa. This consistently rolling and winding course is another favorite of the team. This year, the discipline was Classical Technique, and with some new snow that had fallen overnight, conditions were perfect for easy kick, and the freshly groomed track was in the best condition it had been in years for this typically windy and frigid race. Cameron Smith was the first Western finisher in the Mass Start 10k Classic. Finishing 18th over and 12th for the RMC Collegiate Men with a time of 43:49, it was an exceptional start to the season for Smith. Right on Smith’s tails, was Samantha “Bob” Maddox with a 19th place overall finish and 4th for the RMC Collegiate women with a time of 44:01. Shelbie Ralston had begun to feel under the weather that morning and had a bout with some stomach issues during the race, but still finished with a time of 55:43 and 13th place for the RMC Collegiate women.

Cameron Smith at the Starting Line

As a season opener with a partial squad, the Western State Nordic Team rang in the New Year with a bang at the Grand Mesa Nordic Races. Their next race weekend is January 24-25th at the Stagecoach Classic at Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

The team traveled 18 runners and 4 support staff for what turned out to be a remarkably successful competition. Against 600 other competitors, 4 Western runners toed the line in the National Championship Trail Marathon with Josh Simkins leading the way with a 21^st place showing with a time of 3:51:01. An incredible result for the first time marathoner. Freshman Kevin Geisen finished strong with a time of 4:46:17, taking second place in his age group. Senior Conner Jackson posted a very solid 4:57:38 finish time, while running an impressively consistent race. Freshman Will Martinez rounded out the scoring for the Western men by battling through and finishing well.

At the starting line from left to right: Kevin Geisen, Josh Jaeger, Will Martinez and Conner Jackson

Twelve Western runners also competed in the ½ Marathon on a supremely technical course, which included a 1 mile stretch of running through water and beehives in Kane Creek. Sierra Brown, Danielle Sweet, and Shelbie Ralston all finished well in the ½ marathon. On the men’s side, Josh Jaeger, Julian Cullumber, Zach Goering, Charlie Thompson, Bryan Clocker, Sam Ferrara, and Warren Knutson all produced strong finishes on a day with near-perfect weather conditions. Nice work team! Rounding out the racers for the Western Team was Samantha “Bob” Maddox, who put up a strong race and won the women’s 5km event with a time of 39:57. Very impressive for the ‘adventure-race’ nature of this 5km event.

Conner Jackson cruising through mile 18.5

The Western Trail Running Team will now turn its attention to winter training in preparation for a slate of spring time races ranging in distance from 5km to 100 mile! #WesternUp.

Sierra Halverson makes her way down the rock garden during the DH competition

Western’s Mountain Sports athletes had a great showing with outstanding performances from Graham Ruhmann, Sierra Halverson, Daniel Frentzel and Jimi Averill.  Ruhmann took second place in the Men’s A Short Track and fifth in Men’s A Cross Country.  Sierra Halverson was top five in Women’s B Downhill, Dual Slalom and Cross Country.  Freshman Daniel Frentzel made statement by taking a close second in the Men’s B Dual Slalom and annihilating the field in Men’s B Downhill with a more than 3 second victory.   Senior Jimi Averill took 6th place in an incredibly talented field of Men’s A Downhill riders.

Cameron Smith in the Short track race

The Pagan Pedal has set itself apart as one of the top-tier Collegiate Mountain Bike Events in the RMCCC, riders from every school present had  nothing but praise for the courses and all of the wonderful volunteers, staff and community members that made the event possible.  Western’s Mountain Sports Program would like to send a huge thank you to the excellent people at Crested Butte Mountain Resort for their hard work and dedication throughout the weekend.

Results can be found at the USAC website

Banks Kriz races to the finish in the dual slalom

Written by Jason Holton. Photos by David Dieckhaus, Preston Hoffman, and Mason Strehl. More photos from the event may be found on our Flickr page.

Please pick-up a registration packet from the Mountain Sports Office in the south end of the Mountaineer Field House.

Contact Assistant Director of Mountain Sports, Jason Holton for more information

jholton@western.edu

970-943-2014