Will Surbaugh, 9, was all smiles after finishing the competition at Mont Du Lac in third place.
The Lutsen Mountains Junior Ski Team traveled to Mont Du Lac Recreation area on January for race No. 1 of the Northland Junior Race Series. The Northland Junior Race Series (NJRS) a volunteer group dedicated to alpine skiing that organizes eight ski races at area hills for kids ages four through 17. Lutsen racers ski both slalom and giant slalom disciplines and compete against Duluth Superior Alpine Club, Arrowhead Alpine Club and Ski Gull Alpine Club. Awards are given according to age group and gender: and under; 6-7; 8-9; 10-11; 12-13; 14-15 and 16 and up. Our junior racers have been training hard on giant slalom tactics since early December at Lutsen Mountains in anticipation of race one.
Twenty-six racers from Lutsen skied two runs of giant slalom competing in a field of 96 athletes at the event. Unseasonable weather and a rainstorm followed by sub zero temperatures created ultra icy conditions called “boilerplate” for the race at Mont Du Lac.
With temperatures nearing zero, the party got started with 5-year-old Cayden Zimmer skiing on the alternate course for 5 and under) propelled his way to 2nd place. Six-year-old Molly LaVigne was our first racer out of the gate on the main course and sped her way through the finish winning 2nd place. Seven-year-old Riley Tarver also won a 2nd place medal. Eightyear old Masen McKeever pushed himself hard winning yet another 2nd place for Lutsen, followed close behind by 9-year-old speedster Will Surbaugh with 3rd place and 9-year-old Lynden Blomberg with 6th.
Sela Backstrom, 9, put together two fantastic runs and won her first ever 1st place victory in race No. 1 of the Northland Junior Race Series at Mont Du Lac Recreation Area on January 2.
Nine-year-old rising alpine star Sela Backstrom utilized everything she learned from the last two seasons and then some, putting together two fantastic runs and won her first ever, 1st place victory! Nine-year-old Claire LaVigne missed a gate in her first run but came back strong in her second. Eightyear old Halle Lamb skied two clean runs winning 3rd place, followed by Bianca Zimmer 8th and Elsa Lunde 10th. 11-yearold team veteran Madysen McKeever showed everyone she has what it takes winning 2nd place followed by 11-year-old Alyssa Martinson’s stellar run and best finish to date with 3rd place.
This race belonged to 11-yearold Logan Backstrom who put the pedal to the metal, took every risk he could and smoked two nearly flawless runs earning himself a longawaited, 1st place medal. His first run was faster than all the 12 and 13 boys and girls, a handful of 14 and 15 boys and all but two 14 and 15 girls! The crowd was silent and literally stunned as Logan came over the headwall and they rewarded him with roaring applause as he went through the finish. Coaches and fans alike were looking around asking, “Who was that?”
He was followed by 11-year-old Damian Zimmer who put down a solid first run landing him in second and ending up with 3rd place after his second run. Eleven-year-old Ezra Lunde was in fifth place after his first run but stormed back on his second run winning 4th place, followed by Erik Lawler 6th and Caleb Phillips 7th.
Twelve-year-old team veteran Will Lamb dug in on the hard ice, tucked in all the right places and won 1st place. Twelve-year-old Morgan Weyrens cruised through the finish 7th. Fourteen-year-old Ava McMillan held her own on the icy course, finishing 4th, followed by 15-year-old Cook County High School varsity teammate Megan Lehto 5th both in a very competitive age group. Fourteen-year-old Ashley Berglund DQ’d in her first run but finished her second run, completing her first alpine ski race.
Fifteen-year-old Luke Fenwick, also from CCHS varsity fired down the course with the second fastest time of the day in his first run and then put down a smooth second run winning 2nd place, a mere two tenths out of first, followed by Charlie Lawler CCHS varsity 4th. Sixteen-year-old Kyle Martinson, CCHS varsity, also finished in 4th place.
Skiing is exhilarating all the time, but there is something about performing against the clock in front of everyone (competitors, friends, family and fans that takes it above and beyond).
Practice resumes every Tuesday and Friday evenings under the lights on Ullr, thanks to our sponsor Lutsen Mountains. The next race for the young skiers from Lutsen will be held on Sunday, January 9 at Giants Ridge on the steep pitch of Helsinki run. With one race down and seven to go our racers from Lutsen are off to a great start.
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