Staying low and riding the edges of his skis, Logan Backstrom, Grand Marais, speeds for another gate in one of the slalom runs he competed in at Steamboat Springs in the Junior Championships held March 15, 16, & 17. Logan placed 35th in the J-4 category out of 80 skiers who qualified from 20 states. To the right, Logan stands smiling while holding up the sign proclaiming the races, which in the past were called the Alpine Junior Olympics. Logan is the son of Rick and Jennifer Backstrom.
Logan Backstrom capped off a great year of skiing by saving his best efforts for his last ski meet. Backstrom finished 35th in the USSA J-4 division out of 80 of the top male ski racers in the 11-12 age group in Steam Boat Springs, Colorado. Racers came from seven or eight states to represent the Rocky Mountain region. Logan helped represent the Central States, which was comprised of 11 states.
To get to the championships, Logan had to qualify by earning a top 38 finish at the USSA Central Division races held in late February in Marquette, Michigan. The three-day meet consisted of two Super G races, one Kombi, three Giant Slalom races and three Slalom races. Once the results were posted, Logan learned that he had placed 20th out of 71 boys and his ticket to compete in Colorado was punched.
The USSA-Rocky Mountain Division versus Central Division Alpine Junior championships were held in Steamboat Springs on March 15, 16 and 17. These championships were formerly known as the Alpine Junior Olympics.
At Steamboat, Logan competed in one run of Super-G, two runs of Giant Slalom and two runs of Slalom. Logan’s best finish was 33 and his worst finish was 38, so he had a great, consistent competition, his dad, Rick Backstrom, said.
“He completed all five runs without falling, he did not have to ‘hike’ up the hill to complete any race run, had no DQs, and no DNFs,” said his mother, Jennifer Backstrom.
Although Logan has been skiing since he was 3 or 4 years old, he only began racing about three years ago, said Rick.
“He joined the development team at Lutsen coached by Charles Lamb. I began helping out, too, so I guess I’m an assistant coach,” said Rick.
“This year Logan began competing on the high school team, so he had to race with them and the Lutsen team. He trained with the high school team on Mondays and Wednesdays and the junior Team on Tuesdays and Fridays. To race with the USSA program you need a USSA team sponsor which we don’t have up here, so Team Duluth allowed Logan and a couple other local skiers to join with them,” Rick said.
One highlight for Logan in Colorado was meeting Todd Wilson, an Olympic skier. Nine Olympians sat down and had pizza with the young racers the night before the first competition. After eating, the Olympians taught the kids how to properly come off a jump and then set up a time trial down a steep part of Howelsen ski hill, the first ski hill developed in Colorado in 1915 and now owned and operated by the city of Steamboat Springs.
Logan and several other boys achieved the fastest speed down the hill, traveling a screaming 65 miles per hour. Howelsen has the unique distinction of sending more skiers to international competitions than any other ski facility in North America.
What did Logan enjoy the most in Colorado? “After the races ended my dad and I went way up the mountain and skied together. It was really warm and my dad fed a bird an orange peel and it ate out of his hand.”
When asked if he felt he had a good year on the slopes, Logan said, “I did better than I thought I would. I didn’t know how good the skiers would be at Marquette. They were all good there and I felt lucky to make it to Steamboat. I hope I can make it back again next year.”
Although the season is done, Logan, a 7th grader, will remain busy water skiing, biking, skateboarding and playing soccer. “He’s an active kid,” said his father.
His mother, Jennifer said, “I would like to thank his coaches, Jim Vick, Jim Elverhoy, Mike Larson, Charles Lamb and his dad, Rick. A special thanks to Team Duluth for representing him as part of their team in Michigan and Colorado. And many thanks to Anders Zimmer and the entire Zimmer family for the many hours of advice and encouragement. Logan has worked very hard this year—he joined two additional ski leagues (USSA and high school) and doubled his training days. He accomplished his goals this year and we are very, very proud of him.”
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