The Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team finished their season at the 2014 IFSA North American Championships at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort in Utah this past weekend. Ten team members out of 12 qualified and 9 attended, saying a lot about our little program considering about half of all IFSA members were invited. It was spring break conditions on Silver Fox early on in the competition, leading to blustery gray-bird conditions in finals. The two female all-stars, Josie Byron and Brittany Barefield, took 5th and 4th, respectively, while Peter Hunt took the top spot for the boys in 18th.
Above Photo: Brittany Barefield and Josie Byron flank the podium in 4th and 5th, respectively. All Photos: Will Dujardin
Lane Griffin found a solid air on Day 1.
The seven young men representing the CBMST were senior Bill Klein of Gunnison, juniors Oz Scott and Peter Hunt, sophomores Patrick Curvin, Lane Griffin and Conrad Truettner, and freshman Matthew Harper-Johnston. Some of the men had competed on Silver Fox before earlier in the season at the IFSA National series event, including Bill Klein. Bill Klein’s day 1 run could have been one of the better runs of the day, going for a big 3 off of Standard air, but it was a little too big and he washed out on his landing. Patrick Curvin’s previous experience was a non-factor as he skied right by his big air at the bottom of the venue; that’s something he won’t mess up again. Matthew Harper-Johnston and Conrad Truettner, one of 3 telemarkers in the event, both skied admirably well but couldn’t make the stiff cut among the best competition in the country. Oz Scott was able to make the finals with a great run including airing the Macaroni Chute, hitting Standard, and sending a big 25-footer with a little back-seat landing while Peter Hunt skied the fastest run of the day straight-lining through Little Smokestack to the finish. Lane Griffin squeezed in under the tight cut-line with solid and safe skiing.
Josie Byron cruises towards her bottom air in her straightline.
Oz Scott sent a huge transition gap in the finals.
In the largest women’s field of the season at 33, junior Brittany Barefield and senior Josie Byron were able to lace some standout runs down Silver Fox. Josie Byron, who took 3rd at Snowbird back when she was a freshman, found a high-speed straightline down the bottom venue with a little 5-foot air she hit for 15 feet down to the finish, slotting herself into 4th on the day. Brittany Barefield had one of the most energetic runs of the day highlighted by a technical straightline that put her in 2nd. The girls would take that momentum into the finals knowing that the other girls were gunning for them with less than a point separating 2nd and 8th place. The graybird skies made for less than ideal conditions in the finals, but the girls were able to ski strong, regardless of the flat light or hardpack. Brittany started another straightline even higher up on the venue that would sketch out most skiers, she stuck it and held on to 4th place. Josie Byron repeated her day 1 run and was able to stay in 5th place. After similar finishes in Grand Targhee, the result would put both the girls in the top 10 for the season; Brittany finished 7th overall while Josie finished 9th, no easy feat out of 81 athletes.
Like 30-35 feet?
Lane Griffin and Oz Scott had nothing to lose dropping in early Saturday morning on the graybird hardpack, sitting in 44th and 37th, respectively. Lane kept it pretty similar to his previous day’s run but upped the ante at the bottom of the venue, stomping a 20-foot air to a good transition, moving up to 27th. Oz decided to step it up as well, hitting a big 30-foot transfer gap at the bottom of the venue to finish just .17 of a point out of the top 20 in 22nd. Peter Hunt repeated his big straightline from the previous day on even harder conditions and cracked the top 20 in 19th. The finish would put Peter Hunt in 55th overall for the season, finding himself a little redemption after breaking his clavicle back in early December. Despite missing the finals, Patrick Curvin was still the highest CBMST overall finisher on the season in 22nd and Oz Scott close behind in 24th. Solon Gray, who was unable to attend do to a microfracture in his pelvis he suffered during Big Air on Elk (and yes, he took 4th at the IFSA National the next day before he knew about the fracture), finished the season in 58th, while Lane Griffin was in 60th. With mixed finishes on the year, Bill Klein found himself in 91st, Conrad Truettner in 107th and Matthew Harper-Johnston in 114th. All these finishes were respectable in a field of 308 total athletes on the season, showing that the CBMST is still a force to reckoned with in big mountain terrain.
Women’s 15-18 Podium: 1st) Jess Sterrett, 2nd) Andrea Byrne, 3) Edie Mason, 4) Brittany Barefield, 5) Josie Byron
With fond memories we’ll be graduating Josie Byron, Bill Klein, Solon Gray, and Peter Landry from the program as they wrap up their high school careers. Watch out for these athletes in the adult events! As we move on to next season, the CBMST is stoked to improve on where these team leaders left off. As friendly reminder we advise all families and businesses to support the Crested Butte Snow Sports Foundation, a crucial organization that supports local athletes with merit and need-based scholarships which go a long way in a busy competition season. See you next fall!
Check full results at freeskiers.org!
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