For Immediate Release
March 30, 2008
Media Contact: Molly Murfee - mmurfee.aei@usa.net.
Chief of Press: Abbie Baugh - (907) 754-2554 - abaugh@alyeskaresort.com
GIRDWOOD, Alaska - March 30, 2008 - The Chugach Mountains of Alyeska Resort, long legendary in big mountain skiing, have just magnanimously hosted Day One of the first ever World Telemark Freeskiing Championships. Seventy-four competitors, from former time-tested champions to local Girdwood rippers, exploded down the precipitous Shadows today in rapid and fluid succession. Divided into airy and committing chutes such as Rudy's, Waterfall, DF, Down Beat and Jim's Rock, this venue has not been opened since 1999 and never to the public. The extremity of the venue challenged not only the tele technique of competitors, but forced them to stand up to the tests of navigation, strength and power necessary to succeed in true big mountain skiing.
At the end of a riveting day, it was Coloradoans Jake Sakson of Carbondale and Megan Michelson of Boulder who will take the lead into the Day Two Finals of the competition. Sakson, who placed fourth overall in the 2008 U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Championships in Crested Butte, Colorado, linked extraordinarily grandiose turns in the top of Waterfall, before taking tremendous air out of a bottom cliff band. The effort earned him 38 points and a first place finish for the day.
Bearing down on his heels in second place is five time U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Champion Dylan Crossman of Bethel, Vermont. Seemingly unshakeable, Crossman showed big risk airing out of a nerve rattling exposed cliff band of Jim's Rock with dire consequences, only to do it again at the bottom and score 36.8 points. But it was third place J.T. Robinson, lawn darting over an 80-foot cliff at the bottom of Jim's Rock and rolling out of it with a jaw-dropping front flip, who won the biggest cheers from the crowd to accompany his tight third place finish of 33.4 points.
For the women, 2008 U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Women's Champion and neophyte competitor Megan Michelson kept what seems to be her routine composure while hanging it out over the sharp end. She leads the women with her final score of two runs of 64.6, which is quite a feat, as second place finisher Martha Burley is the 2007 U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Women's Champion. Burley, of Fernie, British Columbia strutted her stuff in Jim's Rock to win her 61.8 points. Skiing out of Aspen, Kate Cardamone's smooth execution of Waterfall landed her in third with 61.2 points.
In the Junior's division, Francesca Pavillard-Cain of Crested Butte, Colorado continually proves to be steady and unwavering. Having numerous alpine freeskiing championships under her belt, Pavillard-Cain shows she's got what it takes in two disciplines. As the 2008 U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Junior Women's Champion, Pavillard-Cain will be the one to beat in the Worlds with her lead of 59.2 points for two runs. Amelia Hamilton of Olds, Alberta, Canada takes second with 54.6 points, followed by Rebecca Mamrol of Anchorage, AK and 38.4 points for third. Meanwhile, Junior Men competitors Spencer Jonas, currently in first, and Peter Mamrol, currently in second, will battle it out for the Championship of their division with a 6.4 point spread between them.
To finish off the day, Telepalooza, the 3-day telemark festival housing the 1st Annual World Freeskiing Telemark Championships, treated $10,000 of raffle prizes to benefit the Friends of the Chugach NF Avalanche Center to spectators and participators decked out in a treasure chest of pirate attire. After a recent showing from Tough Guy Productions, pirates the world over are now dancing the night away before tomorrow's final events.
Tomorrow's venue for the Finals competition will be on the North Face's upper cliff band known as the Prow, being opened specially for this event. Athletes will carry their scores from Day One into the Finals. After cutting the Women's and Men's fields to five and ten respectively, a Super Finals will be held to test the best of the best and defining what the sport of big mountain freeskiing really means.
Media and spectators will be able to view the event by traversing from Lolo's down to the Autobahn where the athlete tent will be located. North Face will be open from Chuck's Gate down with Christmas, New Years and the Monies closed to the public due to the event. For more information visit www.alyeskaresort.com or call (SKI-SNOW) 754-7669 for the latest mountain conditions.
JUNIOR WOMEN
1. Francesca Pavillard-Cain Crested Butte, CO
2. Amelia Hamilton Olds, Alberta, Canada
3. Rebecca Mamrol Anchorage, AK
JUNIOR MEN
1. Spencer Jonas
2. Peter Mamrol Anchorage, AK
WOMEN
1. Megan Michelson Boulder, CO
2. Martha Burley Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
3. Kate Cardamone Basalt, CO
4. Kelsey Vrem Girdwood, AK
5. Gwen Stosovloski Girdwood, AK
MEN
1. Jake Sakson Cabondale, CO
2. Dylan Crossman Bethel, VT
3. JT Robinson Fruit Heights, UT
4. Nick DeVore Aspen, CO
5. Jake Young Anchorage, AK
EVENT SPONSORS
Valdez Heli Camps, Valkyr Adventure Lodge, GCI, Black Diamond, K2 Telemark, Karhu, G3, Rossignol, Moment Skis, Hammerhead, telemarkski.com, Atomic, greenmultimedia, Garmont, Alyeska Resort, Captain Morgan, Native Eyewear, Smartwool, Alpine Air Alaska, Friends of the Chugach, Tough Guy Productions, Marmot, Alaska Coast, World Cup, Girdwood Suite Retreat, The Ascending Path, Alaska Driftaway Fishing, Art Seriously, Backcountry Magazine, Backcountry Access, Cliff Bar, Cloudveil, Off-Piste Magazine, Patagonia, Powder Magazine, REI, Scarpa, Smartwool, Voile Equipment and countless other local sponsors.
Press release written by Molly Murfee, freelance writer, for Alyeska Resort. Molly's e-mail is mmurfee.aei@usa.net.
