Yukon’s competitive snowboard season drew to a close with new open division champions.
In fact, only one division saw a repeat winner from last year at the 2014 Yukon Snowboard Championships at Mount Sima over the weekend.
The championship, which coincided with Mount Sima’s end-of-season celebration, Simapalooza, had only one boarder crowned champion both days.
Whitehorse’s Alexander Chisholme took first place in slopestyle on Saturday and first in snowboardcross on Sunday in open male.
RELATED:See full results here.
“It was a phenomenal weekend with so many great events,” said Chisholme. “It was a pretty good turnout, lots of fun. It was great to be back in my home town, see everyone, and be part of it this year.”
It was Chisholme’s first time winning the open title at the championships and the first time he’s competed at it in a few years. The 22-year-old missed the last three while studying at school in Alberta. A pair of head injuries also limited his riding the last couple of seasons.
“I didn’t get to do too much riding on my board until spring break because I was out of town,” said Chisholme. “Just to come back late in the season and have the conditions so optimal and have such an phenomenal park built by Tyler (Nichol) and have everything come together ... it all paid off.”
Chisholme edged out second place’s Tim Schirmer by a whisker both days.
He finished the slopestyle competition with a combined score of 526 while Schirmer finished at 525.
Chisholme was third in the rail portion of the slopestyle competition in the “upper park” before making up for it in the jump portion of the comp in the “lower park.”
“The upper park was more of a rail focus and I’m not super strong at rails, but I’m good at the backside boardslide and I think I did a few nice ones,” said Chisholme. “On the one jump on the upper park I was able to do some really good switch tricks, which really helped my score.”
Chisholme snagged the top spot with a backside rodeo 540 and a frontside 900 on the jumps.
Nichol, who built the park at Sima this winter, placed third in open male slopestyle.
Chisholme, who won a bronze at the Western Snowboardcross Series in 2012, won three races for the open male snowboardcross title on Sunday.
“I took the lead right out of the gate and was able to stay on my feet right to the finish line,” said Chisholme of the final.
Schirmer took second, Nic MacDougall third and Nichol fourth in the open male out of nine riders.
Sally Skinner finished her first Yukon championship with a title. Skinner, who moved to Whitehorse from Vancouver in December, took first in open female in slopestyle Saturday.
The 26-year-old was the only rider listed in open female but was added in with the 15-16 female division and topped the group.
“It was amazing,” said Skinner. “Every girl was stoked, excited to be there, and everyone was learning. It was fun.”
“I just did some boardslides and some spins off the lower jumps, nothing too crazy,” she added.
Skinner, who is a coach with Snowboard Yukon, finished ahead of 15-16 female winner Mackenzie Davy. Reanna Newsome placed third for females and Rachel McIntosh fourth.
“Mackenzie is just thinking about going on the team next year, so I think she’ll be on the team next year - she definitely should be,” said Skinner. “She got some amazing results.”
Crystal Legoffe took first in open female snowboardcross on Sunday in front of MacIntosh, the only other entry.
Schirmer, Newsome and McIntosh all represented Yukon in snowboarding at the Arctic Winter Games last month in Fairbanks, Alaska. Schirmer took three medals in juvenile male; Newsome won four medals, including a bronze overall, in juvenile female; Macintosh won two bronze in junior female.
The only boarder to defend a division title from last year was Aaron Frotten, who won snowboardcross in the masters (30-and-over) division for a second straight year.
With the course all set, Snowboard Yukon also hosted a skicross event along side the snowboardcross event on Sunday.
“It’s amazing Snowboard Yukon gets to put on these events and has the funding to do it,” said Skinner. “I think it really changes kids’ lives to be able to participate in it.
“And Mary Binsted and Sue (Deforest) and those guys (Norm Curzon, Aaron Frotten) put so much time in, so I think they should get a lot of credit.”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com