U16 Alpine Athletes Compete in National Performance Series - Logan Grosdidier Qualifies for OPA Cup
Three SSWSC U16 alpine athletes qualified to compete in the National Performance Series. It was an incredible experience to participate in the races at Burke Mountain in East Burke, VT. The NPS series races provide an opportunity for athletes to compete against some of the best U16 skiers across the nation, with the goal of qualifying for one of two European race series and competing against U16 alpine racers from across the world. The trip began with some challenging snow conditions during our training sessions at Middlebury Snowbowl and Sugarbush before arriving at Burke Mountain. Caley Goforth, Logan Grosdidier, and Matthew Kafka got to discover some new and varied race terrain, as well as meet new teammates and competitors. The series began with a training day on the giant slalom race venue, “Dippers,” where the men’s FIS Nor-Ams had recently taken place, followed by a day of giant slalom races (2 races per gender).  The hill was challenging and the light flat, but Logan Grosdidier skied with her usual calm fierceness and finished 2nd in both women’s giant slalom races, while Caley Goforth finished 18th in the second race. Matthew Kafka finished 16th and 18th in the men’s giant slalom races.

Although it was not initially planned, the athletes got to enjoy a day off between the GS and SL events. It was a good call as East Burke, Vermont, suffered a power outage due to a storm, which left it without power for most of the day.
Finally, it was time for some slalom training, which again took place the day before the actual race. This gave all the athletes the opportunity to learn the new race venue, “Warren’s Way,” which is the primary training hill for Burke Mountain Academy, who hosted the races.

In the slalom races, Logan Grosdidier led the way with a 1st place finish in the second race, while Caley Goforth stepped up her game and finished 5th and 10th. Matthew Kafka charged down the hill in the men’s races and finished with a solid 9th place.

At the conclusion of the races, the two best results of each athlete were tallied, and six athletes (three women and three men) were selected to attend one of two European events. Logan Grosdidier was selected after her strong performance to compete for the second year in the OPA Cup races, taking place this year in El Tarter, Andorra, in late February. Caley and Matthew fell short of qualifying, but their performance in the race series and the experience they gained from the week will help them continue to grow and achieve over the rest of the season.

Men’s GS Race 1: Matthew Kafka 18th
Men’s GS Race 2: Matthew Kafka 16th
Women’s GS Race 1: Logan Grosdidier 2nd, Caley Goforth 18th
Women’s GS Race 2: Logan Grosdidier 2nd, Caley Goforth DNF
Men’s SL Race 1: Matthew Kafka 9th
Men’s SL Race 2: Matthew Kafka DNF
Women’s SL Race 1: Caley Goforth 10th, Logan Grosdidier DNF
Women’s SL Race 2: Logan Grosdidier 1st, Caley Goforth 5th