Flathead Valley ski racers and freeriders fly through Bridger, Big Sky

The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation (FVSEF) had a busy weekend with over 20 racers in the U14, U16, and U18 age classes competing in Big Sky for the first of several qualifying races, over 20 racers in the U8, U10, U12, and U14 age classes competing in Bridger in a Youth Ski League (YSL) race, and about 25 freeride athletes from the Flathead Freeride Club (FFC) competing in an IFSA Jr. 3* Freeride Competition at home on Whitefish Mountain Resort. 

FVSEF and FFC had multiple winners and podiums throughout the different competition series. The freeride event at Whitefish Mountain Resort is summarized in a separate article. 

In Big Sky Sydney McPhie (Whitefish) won one and was third in the other women’s U18 Giant Slaloms (GS). Claire Graham (Whitefish) was third for U16 women in one of the GS races. On the men’s side, Theo Elliott (Kalispell) was third in one of the U14 GS races and Nolan Shaw (Whitefish) finished third in both U14 Slalom (SL) races. There were also strong performances from many of their teammates who were racing at this level for the first time.  

At Bridger in Saturday’s GS, Quinn Laabs (Whitefish) finished second for U8 girls, Owen Grace (Columbia Falls), Barrett Heslop (Whitefish), and Huck Jostrum (Whitefish) swept the boys U14 category, Riley Ralston-Love (Whitefish) was second for U12 boys, and Noah Lozman (Whitefish) took second for U8 boys in his first race! On Sunday in SL, Aida Grace (Columbia Falls) was second for U10 girls, while Riley-Ralston Love (Whitefish) and River Schmidt (Whitefish) took second and third in the U12 boys. The FVSEF team took second overall behind the host club, Bridger, and ahead of Big Sky. 

Whitefish Mountain Resort is also set to host Youth Ski League (YSL) races for U8s, U10s, U12s, and U14s Jan. 24-25 and an IFSA Jr. Freeride 2* Regional Competition Feb. 6-8. You can watch the competitions and support your local skiers from along the racecourse on Ed’s Run and off of Chair 5 for the freeride team. Those interested in volunteering can email [email protected] for the races and [email protected] for the freeride competition. 

Full race results: 

Big Sky GS1 

U14 Girls 

Evelyn Barnett 7th 

Kessa Drendel 9th 

Adelyn Danley 11th 

Mia Lengacher 12th 

Cadence Ackerschott 15th 

U16 Girls 

Claire Graham 5th 

Kira Paatalo 8th 

Ella Elliott 14th 

Avery Retz 15th 

Sierra Nelson 17th 

Freya Wilson 21st 

U18 Girls 

Sydney McPhie 1st 

Dynalea Tomblin 7th 

U14 Boys 

Nolan Shaw 5th 

Edmund Dickson 8th 

George Dickson 13th 

U16 Boys 

Rylan Hoover 10th 

Big Sky GS 2 

U14 Girls 

Kessa Drendel 8th 

Mia Legacher 9th 

Evelyn Barnett 10th 

Adelyn Danley 11th 

Cadence Ackerschott 16th 

Lucy Love 17th 

U16 Girls 

Claire Graham 3rd  

Kira Paatalo 5th 

Finlee Klocke 7th 

Avery Retz 10th  

Sierra Nelson 12th 

Ella Elliott 14th 

U18 Girls 

Sydney McPhie 3rd  

Dynalea Tomblin 7th  

U14 Boys 

Theo Elliott 3rd 

Jude Petro 6th 

Nolan Shaw 7th 

Edmund Dickson 12th 

George Dickson 14th  

U16 Boys 

Rylan Hoover 8th  

Big Sky SL 1 

U14 Girls 

Kessa Drendel 5th 

Evelyn Barnett 9th 

Ellie Patzer 12th 

Cadence Ackerschott 15th   

U16 Girls 

Finlee Klocke 4th 

Claire Graham 5th 

Kira Paatalo 6th 

Avery Retz 11th  

Sierra Nelson 12th 

Evelyn Barnett 

Freya Wilson 

U18 Girls 

Dynalea Tomblin 6th  

U14 Boys 

Nolan Shaw 3rd  

Jude Petro 5th 

Edmund Dickson 8th 

George Dickson 12th 

U16 Boys 

Rylan Hoover 17th 

Big Sky SL 2 

U14 Girls 

Kessa Drendel 4th  

Adelyn Danley 7th 

Mia Lengacher 11th 

Evelyn Barnett 12th 

Lucy Love 16th 

Ellie Patzer 17th 

Cadence Ackerschott 18th 

U16 Girls 

Claire Graham 4th 

Kira Paatalo 5th 

Sierra Nelson 10th 

Freya Wilson 13th 

U18 Girls 

Sydney McPhie 5th  

Dynalea Tomblin 9th  

U14 Boys 

Nolan Shaw 3rd  

Edmund Dickson 6th 

U16 Boys 

Grayson Galle 15th  

Bridger GS 

U8 Girls 

Quinn Laabs 2nd 

U10 Girls 

Quinn Bickford 4th 

Lorraine Elliott 5th 

Sierra Duchesne 12th 

U12 Girls  

Maya Lozman 10th 

Elaina Lozar 11th 

Molly Waier 23rd 

U8 Boys 

Noah Lozman 1st 

U12 Boys 

Riley Ralston-Love 2nd 

River Schmidt 9th 

Miles McIntosh 10th 

Carver Clase 11th 

Bentley Harriman 17th 

Finley Lozar 22nd 

U14 Boys 

Owen Grace 1st 

Barrett Heslop 2nd 

Huck Jostrom 3rd 

Bridger SL 

U10 Girls 

Aida Grace 2nd  

Lorraine Elliott 6th 

U12 Girls  

Ainsley Crawford 4th 

Maya Lozman 12th 

Molly Waier 19th  

U12 Boys 

Riley Ralston-Love 2nd 

River Schmidt 3rd  

Miles McIntosh 10th 

Carver Clase 12th 

Bentley Harriman 17th  

    Claire Graham (Whitefish) was third for U16 women in one of the GS races at Big Sky. (Photo provided)
  

    The girls team at Big Sky last weekend. (Photo provided)
  

    Nolan Shaw (Whitefish) finished third in both U14 Slalom (SL) races at Big Sky. (Photo provided)
  

    Bentley Harriman races at Bridger last weekend. (Photo provided)
  

    Flathead Freeride YSL with Coach Lindan at Bridger. (Photo provided)
  

    Flathead Freeride YSL with Coach Maddie at Bridger. (Photo provided)
  

    Theo Elliott (Kalispell) was third in one of the U14 GS races. (Photo provided)