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Gavin Rowell won the Men’s North American Ski Cross championship this past weekend

Apr 17, 2019 3:40 PM by: Kyle Balzer
Princegeorgematters.com

It was a season of firsts for one of Canada’s up-and-coming ski cross stars, who happens to hail from B.C.’s northern capital.
Prince George product Gavin Rowell has completed his 2018-19 season with Alpine Canada’s developmental team, capping off with a gold medal in Men’s North America (NorAm) Overall Ski Cross, which he earned from the Canadian Ski Cross Championships in Alberta this past weekend.
He finished second in his Saturday run (April 13) for the silver medal and sixth in the Sunday run (April 14), accumulating enough points from the competition to get him on top of the NorAm podium.
“It was such a great feeling, getting the chance to perform at this level,” said Rowell to PrinceGeorgeMatters. “Being from Prince George, it means a lot to me in that aspect as well; I get to represent a lot of people from the region. The NorAm Overall really sets me up for next season with the team and moving up to higher level races, which will mostly be in Europe, and I’m really looking forward to that for sure.”
The 19-year-old takes pride in not only representing his city and province, but his country too when it came to setting up the maple leaf on the world stage.
“Canada is a very dominating country for ski cross; we do really well and you can always tell. You don’t have a lot of time to explore and travel as much as you would like to, but you’re in these places for a purpose.”
Rowell, a graduate of Kelly Road Secondary school, also made his mark on the slopes of Austria in March after claiming the silver medal in the World Junior Ski Cross Championships on the Federation of International Skiing (FIS) circuit.
This was just his second trip to Europe in his lifetime, and in under a year for competition reasons, but was forced to drop out due to concussion reasons from a race in the United States.
Rowell explained he was fortunate enough to have a good team of doctors working with to get back up to speed and get him to that podium position.
“We have really amazing support staff that helped me along through that process,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t a super-bad injury and the expectations were really high as well because I had never raced in Europe before, so I didn’t miss too much. Luckily, there was also a couple of bad weather days while I was injured as well.”
Rowell also told PrinceGeorgeMatters the National Ski Cross team is getting smaller with a few racers retiring from the top-tier team.
While he’s unsure what his future holds, which could potentially be a spot on the National team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, Rowell is grateful for what he’s already experienced in this breakout year.
“I surpassed most of the goals I set myself for this season and I’m really proud of myself for that. I’ve also gained a new perspective on this sport because of the level of competition is in Europe. Racing over there is very different compared to the NorAm circuit. It’s a steep learning curve because they race more aggressively, so this was definitely a learning year for me.”
He said his off-season plans are to continue with strength and conditioning, along with cultivating partnerships and relationships so he can obtain everything he needs to compete in ski cross.

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Ted Clarke / Prince George Citizen
March 27, 2019 11:00 PM

Melinda Kobasiuk has shown a voracious appetite lately for going fast when the alpine ski racing clock starts ticking and she feasted on the slalom course at the Teck Under-16 provincial championships at Apex Mountain near Penticton.

The 15-year-old Prince George Ski Club veteran won the first day of slalom racing Saturday by 1.06 seconds and finished second overall in Sunday’s slalom event.

“The slalom was what I was really looking forward to because I’m not the best in GS – it felt really nice in (Saturday’s) slalom but it was really stressful,” said Kobasiuk.

“Going into the second run knowing I was in first, oh man that was a fun time. That was a surprise.”

Based on her results at Apex and at two other provincial-level competitions at Sun Peaks and in Kimberley, Kobasiuk has qualified for the Whistler Cup races, April 11-14. This will be the third year she will have competed in the international event.

Kobasiuk finished 53/100ths of a second behind Noa Rogers of Apex in Sunday’s slalom. Kobasiuk also raced the two giant slalom events that began the U-16 provincials and finished 14th on Thursday and 11th on Friday.

“She skied the way she has been all year, it’s not really a surprise,” said Prince George Ski Club coach Phil Soicher, who has coached Kobasiuk the past three seasons.

“She just performed when she had to. We tend to try to keep the focus away from results and keep the focus on skiing well.”

Now in her seventh year with the Prince George team, Kobasiuk said she feels stronger on her skis than ever and attributes that to her dryland training program at the Engage Sport North – Canadian Sport School. She attends morning classes at Duchess Park secondary school then goes to the sport school to train with other student athletes, and it’s making a difference.

“I’m feeling more confident with all the training I’m getting, I feel that does a lot.” she said.

Kobasiuk was named as an alternate as the fifth female member of the B.C. team for the Canada Winter Games last month in Red Deer but did not get to attend the event.

Erica McCallum of Prince George also raced at Apex. Her top finish was 37th out of 53 in Sunday’s slalom and she was 40th on Saturday. In the GS events she placed 47th and 48th.

“Every race is getting better for her, even though the results might not be showing it,” said Soicher. “The whole U-16 group has been working pretty hard the last couple years and it’s kind of nice to see everybody get results and things start to pay off.”

McCallum and Kobasiuk will compete at the Teck north zone finals at Smithers, April 5-7, with GS, dual slalom and ski cross events scheduled.

© Copyright 2019 Prince George Citizen

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Behind the Scenes – Powder King Mountain Resort

By DOC POW, SnowSeekers

Operation Spring Break

Over the next few days, we are announcing a new spring break spot that you, as a PG Ski Club member might want to take your family this March 2019.

Today’s showcased spot is Powder King Mountain Resort, a destination that holds a mystic for those from the south, but is our own wintery Shangri-La.

We’ve partnered up with our friends @SnowSeekers to help you make an informed decision this spring break about which winter destination your family might want to choose.

For those of us who have been there, we know the hill lives up to its name, and this year, it’s being blessed with perfectly-timed snowfalls for some great spring skiing. So what do we have here:
• Cat skiing conditions at lift ticket prices
• Long gone are the Chateau Atcos, now it’s the wonderful Azouzetta Lake Lodge that host visitors
• The “Kings Cup Race”:https://ski.powderking.com/calendar/ takes place April 6. A fundraiser for the ski club, it’s the ultimate “race against yourself” challenge.
One thing you definitely want to check out is Powder Town. The locals are proud to show you their latest, yet ongoing, goal.
Learn more by reading “Powder Town is open for business”: http://www.snowseekers.ca/story/powder-town-open-business-powder-king-mountain-resort or “The Powder King community blanket”: http://www.snowseekers.ca/story/powder-king-community-blanket

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Behind the Scenes – Smithers & Hudson Bay Mountain

By DOC POW, SnowSeekers

Operation Spring Break

Over the next few days, we are announcing a new spring break spot that you, as a PG Ski Club member might want to take your family this March 2019.

Today’s showcased spot is Smithers and Hudson Bay Mountain, the ski hill that watches over the town. Smithers is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, but its real gift comes to life during the winter.

We’ve partnered up with our friends @SnowSeekers to help you make an informed decision this spring break about which winter destination your family might want to choose.

Smithereens are welcoming by nature and Hudson Bay is so much a part of Smithers, it’s hard to tell where the town stops and the ski hill begins.
• The Hankin-Evelyn Backcountry Ski Area will definitely leave you grinning
• Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre offers over 50kms of Nordic trails
• Hudson Bay is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Saturday, Mar. 16 in the most perfect way – lift tickets are only $19.69 and it’s going to be a great party.
Smithers has a vibrant downtown core and home to two breweries – the Smithers Brewing Co. and the Bulkley Valley Brewery.
Learn more by reading Flying into Smithers is flying into winter adventure Spring is here and Smithers’ wild powder is calling and The Playground of the North: Hudson Bay Mountain

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Behind the Scenes – Murray Ridge & Fort St. James

By DOC POW, SnowSeekers

Operation Spring Break

Over the next few days, we are announcing a new spring break spot that you as a PG Ski Club member might want to take your family this March 2019.

Today’s showcased spot is Murray Ridge Ski Hill and the Village of Fort St. James, and as many of you know from attending races with us, this is one sweet hill. Given that it has the highest vertical in Northern B.C., it makes for some challenging fun.

We’ve partnered up with our friends @SnowSeekers to help you make an informed decision this spring break about which winter destination your family might want to choose.

Built by volunteers, Murray Ridge defines what “community” really is.
• It’s about the skiing and riding, not the bank balance – in other words, it’s truly affordable
• Great Nordic trails and roughly 200kms of snowmobile trails
• Get your 80s glam on, ‘cause Murray Ridge’s Retro Ski and Rail Jam/Big Air is happening Saturday, Mar. 16.
And make sure to spend some time in Fort St. James itself, a truly historical village with a number of attractions that highlight its long history. Learn more by reading The soul of skiing is alive and well at Murray Ridge and Then and now: Murray Ridge

Photo Cred: Nancy Shields