Local skiers compete at USSA U16 Championships

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, MAINE — Sandpoint High students Jeru Gidley and Dakota Landwehr recently competed amongst the nation's best rising alpine racing stars at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association U16 National Championships held Monday, March 31, through Friday, April 4, at Sugarloaf Mountain — the second largest ski resort east of the Mississippi River.

The dynamic duo competed in the Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super G (Super Giant Slalom) events on the Narrow Gauge Trail, considered by many to be one of the most challenging trails in the East. Gidley finished 47th in the Giant Slalom (1:51.59 with runs of 55.91 and 55.68) and 29th in the Super G (1:00.21) while Landwehr placed 22nd in the Slalom (1:33.22 with runs of 47.77 and 45.45) and 40th in the Giant Slalom (1:50.07 with runs of 55.92 and 54.15).

The championship event brings together the top male and female athletes from each of the three USSA regions: 22 from the Western Region, 19 from the Rocky Central Region and 24 from the Eastern Region. Before the competition, Gidley and Landwehr were busy training for several days with the Western Region team at Sunday River, a ski resort in Newry, Maine. The Western Region includes the following states: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nevada, California, and Idaho.

In order to qualify for such a high-level competition, Gidley and Landwehr were among the top 15 overall at the USSA Western Region U16 Championships held at Schweitzer from Tuesday, March 18 to Friday, March 21. Racing in the same events, Gidley finished seventh out of 87 in the Slalom (1:40.64 with runs of 55.56 and 45.08), 22nd out of 87 in the Giant Slalom (2:00.71 with runs of 1:03.45 and 57.26), and 39th out of 87 on the first run of the Super G (1:12.20) and tied for 34th on the second run (1:15.47). Landwehr finished ninth out of 87 in the Slalom (1:41.20 with runs of 54.30 and 46.90), 24th out of 87 in the Giant Slalom (2:01.30 with runs of 1:03.49 and 57.81), and 10th out of 87 on the first run of the Super G (1:10.43) and 21st on the second run (1:14.38).

The pair competes for the Schweitzer Alpine Racing School (SARS), which, over the years, has trained athletes who have gone on to excel at every level of ski racing, including the U.S. Ski Team. More importantly, SARS continues to foster a lifelong love of the sport of skiing.

The entire SARS family and staff stated that they are incredibly proud of Gidley and Landwehr and look forward to celebrating their continued success.