ALTA, Wyo. — The best of the best are taking on the chutes at Grand Targhee Resort for the Adult IFSA Freeride World Qualifier this week.
Athletes competing in the Adult IFSA Freeride World Qualifier at Grand Targhee Resort arrived Wednesday to find the Tetons covered in an estimated fresh fall of 40 inches since last Friday, which has kept Targhee’s mountain ops team busy. Targhee is gearing up for this weekend’s comp, which will take place on the north side of the Peaked summit and in the Reliable and Bobcat chutes. Competition begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 7, for male and female snowboarders.
“We’ve been focused on avalanche mitigation and ski patrol has been focused on our venues more than other places on the mountain so a lot of stuff is closed right now while they catch up, and they’ve been doing a great job,” Tony Ferlisi said, the resort’s special events manager.
Ferlisi was nothing short of pumped about the upcoming qualifier when he spoke to Buckrail earlier this week, and from the sound of it, everyone at Grand Targhee Resort was looking forward to the 168 competitors making their way to Alta for some Wydaho pow. But Ferlisi said it’s not just the snow that gets everyone stoked to enter.
“The one thing that always comes up the most frequently among the competitors and coaches is people talk about the culture here. It’s like stepping back into a time machine when people come to Targhee,” he said.
“It’s what ski areas used to be like and I think people really appreciate that vibe but it’s also about the venue itself. What Bobcat and Reliable might not have in terms of vertical relief, they definitely make up for in the number of lines that competitors can choose from and there are several features that give the athletes opportunities to pump up their scores,” he explained before adding that though the venue is compact, it’s impressive to see how many lines can be sought out.
Ferlisi said the list of athletes is robust with a large contingency coming from the University of Colorado this year in addition to the usual Montana, Idaho and Utah entries. Hometown athletes in this year’s IFSA qualifier include Miles Coleman, Alec Davis, Dylan J Peppin, Caroline Barnes, Morgan Kilmain, Alex Coosaia and coach Michael MacBlane.
Courtesy photo from Grand Targhee Resort, photographer Sam Negen
This year’s judges are Susan Mol, Dylan Crossman, Silas Chickering-Ayers and Grand Targhee Ski Education Foundation’s Gary Mackenzie is the technical director.
Spectators are welcome to check out the event from the bottom of the course but Ferlisi cannot emphasize enough how important it is for viewers to obey all signs and stay out of the way of any downhill traffic. The venue is closed to anyone not competing.
“Taking the Teton Traverse off of Dreamcatcher will get you the best views of the comp. If you are coming up to ski, plan ahead and leave early,” he said. Ferlisi encouraged skiers and riders to consider taking the shuttle up to the resort this weekend.
“Everyone has been working around the clock to set everything up for this and because we love doing these types of events, we just encourage people to plan and be patient and kind to the resort staff. We’re pumped! And really excited to be hosting an event like this,” he said.
The total purse across the event is $2,400, with prizes for podium spots ranging from $300 to $100. The real goal for this event is to earn enough points to qualify for a four-star event with the ultimate hope of making the cut for the world qualifier circuit.
