Bear Valley, CA…On Feb. 10-11 the Bear Valley Snowsports Education Foundation (BVSEF) held the first Far West Central Sierra Series race of the season at Bear Valley Mountain last weekend. Racers ages seven to sixteen demonstrated their technical skills, racing slalom on Saturday and Sunday. Participating teams included Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge, China Peak, Yosemite and Sierra at Tahoe. Excellent snow conditions, clear skies and cold temperatures provided a great weekend of racing.

Competitive and recreational ski racing is a proud part of Bear Valley’s history. The resort’s general manager Andrea Young commented, “We are pleased to collaborate with BVSEF on hosting the Rasmussen Classic Slalom Race which gives our current team athletes a chance to shine and grow, while highlighting former three-time Olympic ski racer Kyle Rasmussen, Bear Valley native.” The race event is aspirational for young hopefuls and brings a colorful ski racing community of families together for an action packed weekend. “Youth ski racing has fun and social opportunities for kids and parents and allows athletes to learn healthy lifestyle habits and improve athletic and mental skills. In addition, we strive to foster their appreciation for the spectacular Sierra environment they play and race in as well,” Young noted.

On Saturday in the U10 ladies category, Maryn Ludlow of Dodge Ridge took first with a combined time of 1:47.20. Olivia Gluchowski of Bear Valley finished second and Iona Liu of Dodge placed third. On Sunday, Bear Valley racer Addison Gwin finished first with a combined time of 1:11.58, which was the fastest time in both the male and female under ten categories. One of the youngest racers, seven-year-old Leah Homsy of Bear Valley took second and Dodge racer Maryn Ludlow finished third.

In the U12 category, Dodge Ridge’s Madelyn Utterback took first on Saturday, with a combined time of 1:54.41. First year ski racer Nikki Kannan of Bear Valley finished second and Bear’s Elise Fowler came in third. On Sunday, Fowler finished first with a combined time of 1:57.70. Utterback of Dodge was second and Kannan of Bear took third.

The U14 ladies had a dominant figure with Eleri Colon from Bear, charging her way to first both days, earning her the Rasmussen Golden Cowbell. The Cowbell is awarded to the top female and male under fourteen, who throw down the fastest combined time for the entire weekend. Bear’s Amelia Tyler finished second both days, with Sarah Azevedo of Dodge in third.

Alison Carter of Bear Valley was the sole female U16 racer of the weekend. Carter showed tenacity after missing a gate on the top section of the course the first day and hiking back up to complete her run. She finished first both days.

For the men’s U10, Bear Valley’s Liam Colon swept the competition topping the podium Saturday and Sunday. Rohan Naidu of Bear finished second both days. Charles Ferguson of China Peak came in third on Saturday and William Tyler of Bear finished third on Sunday.

The U12 men’s category had Dodge Ridge racer Owen Bartholow on top of the podium with a combined time of 1:46 on Saturday, followed by Bear Valley’s Kyle Ridosko in second and Hans Ramirez in third. Ramirez put down a strong performance Sunday to take first with Bartholow in second and Ridosko in third.

The U14 men’s race had Nathanael Ridosko of Bear Valley in first with 1:38.59, Noah Petersen of China Peak in second and Brendan Byrne of Yosemite in third on Saturday. On Sunday, Bear’s Jakob Shawkey battled to take first with a combined time of 1:43.84, with Dodge racer Skyler Kivley in second and Byrne in third. Kivley took home the Rasmussen Golden Cowbell.

U16 racer Danny Kelsay of Dodge Ridge dominated the course both days with a top time of 1:28.52. Saturday and Sunday, Bear Valley’s Ryan Ridosko and Andreas Ramirez took second and third respectively.

Nick Shawkey, Bear Valley’s Head Race Coach, said, “Our kids did an outstanding job. They are performing really well, working hard and having fun with the available terrain. There have been many early morning training days, on top of regular practice, that have translated into some great results and podium finishes.”

BVSEF Mission
The Bear Valley Snowsports Education Foundation (BVSEF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the support of Bear Valley’s snow sports athletes in achieving their athletic, academic and personal goals. The programs we support promote the development of essential skills; stimulate interest in competitive events and the positive values of sportsmanship, self-discipline, goal setting, character building and the pursuit of healthy lifetime activities.

BVSEF assists Bear Valley’s competitive teams and development programs by helping to stage intramural, Central Sierra Series and USSA competitions, as well as intensive training camps. Our members assist coaches with training setup, safety monitoring, team communication and administrative tasks. Through fundraising and on-mountain volunteer work, we provide Bear Valley with the necessary parent and community support to develop highly competitive ski and snow sports teams.