End of a season

So this weekend was the last weekend of coaching ski racing for me this season. Pretty crazy to think that I just completed my 8th season coaching with Sun Peaks Alpine Club. This time of year is always good because I get my weekends back and can start getting on the bike more, but it is sad to pass on a group that I have had the opportunity to work with and watch grow over the whole ski season, with 5 of the girls moving up to the next level this time. Ah well, a yearly occurrence, and today I got to ski with a couple kids I coached in my first season and 4 seasons ago, who are now high level racers absolutely killing it in the race course, but are still stoked to meet up and shred the whole hill any time they can. I've been around with the club long enough that this season I came full circle, with a girl I coached in my first season becoming a coach and coaching a group all season. Pretty cool.
The program I ran this year was 2 day E2 level racers, a group comprised of seven 9-11 year old girls who absolutely ripped. My little posse could be spotted on any given day on all parts of the mountain, impressing people equally wherever they went. I have a strong all mountain focus in my coaching, teaching formost a love for skiing and second a value for being able to rip any condition. I believe strong all mountain skiers make the best and most versatile racers, so we ski everything equally hard. This weekend I had my group of my girls hitting large jumps in the park, charging bumps and trees on double black runs, ripping race turns in all conditions, sending it off cat tracks, etc. So much fun and so cool to step back and take in fruits of a season.The weekend also saw the Sun Peaks Nancy Greene Festival, the largest event in BC with over 400 kids in attendance, comprised of a dual glalom, speed skiing, a bump off, a combi course and a distance jump. My girls were well represented throughout every category of top 10 age group awards, with one girl winning every single event she entered within her age catagory. (cont'd below)