The Cook County/Silver Bay Alpine ski season is in full swing

The CCHS Alpine ski team has been hitting the slopes hard in preparation for the upcoming season. Here they are pictured on Lutsen Mountains Ullr, training at twilight. Pictured R-L: Emma Sexauer, Kalina Dimitrova, Sela Backstrom, Weston Heeren, Elijah Blank, Cy Oberholtzer, Ray Dressely, Ben Obinger, Elsa Lunde, Reilly Wahlers and Will Surbaugh. Photo courtesy of Charles Lamb

Head Alpine coach Charles Lamb is excited about the upcoming season.

“We started dry land training on November 12, and due to the early winter we switched to training on snow at Lutsen Mountains on November 17.”

Early season conditions are excellent at Lutsen, said Lamb. “We have been training in the evenings under the lights on Ullr and on Saturday mornings on Koo-Koo. On Saturday mornings we share our lane with racers from our friendly neighbor to the north: The Thunder Bay Fast Ski Club. They bring an added bonus to our training.”

Between Silver Bay and Cook County, there are 14 kids signed up for the team and, said Lamb, “everyone has been attending practice.”

While there is talent in both the boys’ and girls’ programs, Lamb pointed to “three awesome senior girls who have been in the program since grade school. Elsa Lunde, Sela Backstrom, and Reilly Wahlers. Sela and Reilly are state meet veterans, and Reilly was the Section 7 runner up last year.”

“New this year, we have five incoming seventh-graders, Kalina Dimitrova, Andrew Halberg, Ray Dressely, Cy Oberholtzer and Weston Heeren,” said Lamb.

“These seventh-graders are very good skiers thanks to their participation in the Lutsen Jr. Alpine Club. They have a lot of potential and have been very enthusiastic and great to work with,” Lamb said.

Rounding out the squad are Ben Obinger, Elijah Blanck, Emma Sexauer (German exchange student), Hazel Oberholtzer, Halle Lamb, and Will Surbaugh.

The first race of the season will be held on Koo-Koo Friday, December 14 at 10 a.m. All the teams from the Arrowhead Conference plus Brainerd will be racing.

If anyone is interested in volunteering as a gate judge, text Charles Lamb at 218- 370-0847.