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WHISTLER BLACKCOMB SELECTS 6 YOUNG ATHLETES TO REPRESENT RESORT AT "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS NEXT SNOWSEARCH FINALS AND ALL-STARS" EVENTS
WHISTLER, BC, January 16, 2006 - Whistler Blackcomb has selected four promising young local athletes to represent the resort at the Sports Illustrated for Kids Next Snow Search (Next Snow Search) finals to be held at Killington, Vermont on March 3-5. Two additional athletes were selected to attend the Next Snow Search All-Stars event at Keystone, Colorado on January 27-28. The resort held a Super Qualifier event Sunday on Blackcomb Mountain where 68 local kids aged 9-13 competed for the six spots.
The four Whistler athletes selected to attend the Next Snow Search Finals in Killington, were - Logan Pehota, skier, age 10, Cameron Schuster, skier, age 12, Devin White, skier, age 13, Max Ripper, snowboarder, age 12.
Kerry-Anne Hamilton and Brin Alexander each earned a finalist spot in the Next Snow Search All-Stars Event at Keystone, Colorado in January.
Logan Pehota will be joining Kerry-Anne and Brin at the All-Stars event. As a finalist at last years Next Snow Search in Keystone he receives an automatic invitation to the All-Stars event.
A centerpiece of this year’s Next Snow Search program is the first-ever All-Stars event, which will bring together the elite members of the 2004 and 2005 teams, as well as newcomers from the 2006 Next Snow Search for two days of competition at Colorado’s Keystone Resort. On January 27-28, the best of the best will compete in an all-around test of skill for the honor of being named to the first-ever All-Stars team. A one-hour show featuring the Next Snow Search All-Stars will air on NBC Sports on Saturday, February 11 (2-3 p.m. ET), the first day of competition at the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
Athletes competed throughout Sunday in a snowcross timed event, a big mountain event, and a slopestyle skills event on Blackcomb Mountain. "The level of talent among these kids is mind-blowing", says Mike Douglas, Whistler Blackcomb Pro Team member and judge. "It makes me feel pretty good about the future of the sport."
Six judges spent the day watching closely as the kids competed and interacted with each other, their coaches, event officials, and even their parents. Judges included Zoltan Katchanoski and Jason Fentiman, IJC judges and Whistler Blackcomb employees, Whistler Blackcomb Pro-Team riders Justin Lamoureux and Gaetan Chanut, as well as the godfather of freeskiing Mike Douglas and international freeskier Chris Turpin.
The Next Snow Search, now in its third year, is a national talent search to find young athletes who best represent the next generation of extreme skiers and snowboarders. It’s the first all-mountain, all equipment, all person snowsports competition that factors in style, attitude, and personality. With just one class, everyone competes together - boys, girls, skiers, snowboarders and adaptive athletes. For more information, visit www.nextsnow.com
