FREESTYLE SKIERS battled the elements and each other during this weekend’s OISRA freestyle state championships at Mt. Hood Meadows. HRV’s Trey Roeseler catches some air during Friday’s rainy half pipe event, which he would win.
FREESTYLE SKIERS battled the elements and each other during this weekend’s OISRA freestyle state championships at Mt. Hood Meadows. Avrie Van Tilburg, who won half pipe and overall for HRV, catches air.
TUCKER FITZSIMONS prepares to execute a trick during Friday’s half pipe competition. FitzSimons placed second, but was the overall winner for the boys at the state championship, placing first in rail jam and slopestyle. This is the fourth consecutive season FitzSimons has placed first overall at the state championships.
FREESTYLE SKIERS battled the elements and each other during this weekend’s OISRA freestyle state championships at Mt. Hood Meadows. HRV’s Trey Roeseler catches some air during Friday’s rainy half pipe event, which he would win.
Ben Mitchell
FREESTYLE SKIERS battled the elements and each other during this weekend’s OISRA freestyle state championships at Mt. Hood Meadows. Avrie Van Tilburg, who won half pipe and overall for HRV, catches air.
Ben Mitchell
TUCKER FITZSIMONS prepares to execute a trick during Friday’s half pipe competition. FitzSimons placed second, but was the overall winner for the boys at the state championship, placing first in rail jam and slopestyle. This is the fourth consecutive season FitzSimons has placed first overall at the state championships.
It was another dominant race and another dominant season for the HRV freestyle skiers, who shrugged off less than ideal weather conditions to sweep all three events that made up the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association’s state championship competition held at Mt. Hood Meadows last weekend.
With rain on Friday, snow on Saturday, and wind both days, both the boys and girls weathered the elements to take the half pipe, slopestyle, and rail jam events that comprised this year’s state championships. While the boys had little competition — facing only skiers from Sandy and Riverdale — and the girls had literally no competition, the boys ensure that no rival skiers got higher than third place in any event.
“Although conditions were challenging — rain and snow — I would call the state championship a great success,” said HRV Head Coach Mike FitzSimons.
For the fourth year in a row Tucker FitzSimons won the overall championship for the boys, taking first in the rail jam and slopestyle and second in half pipe despite skiing with a sprained ankle. Teammate Trey Roeseler, who won the half pipe event and took second in slopestyle and rail jam, took second overall. FitzSimons noted that both athletes are ranked first in the nation by the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) in different disciplines: Roeseler, in slopestyle for Skier Men 16-18 and FitzSimons, in rail jam for Open Skier Men.
For the boys, Myles Taylor rounded out the sweep, taking third overall after finishing fourth in half pipe, third in rail jam, and 11th in slopestyle. Also competing for the HRV boys were Sammy Stevenson (fourth), Kaden Sponhauer (seventh), Charles Sutherland (ninth), Fenn Pader (10th), Carter Rigert (12th), and Evan Blaine (13th).
The six HRV girls in attendance competed amongst themselves with, Avrie Van Tilburg placed first overall, taking the rail jam and half pipe events, while finishing second in slopestyle. Abby Bergemann finished second overall thanks to a first-place finish in slopestyle and silver finishes in half pipe and rail jam. In third place was Sarah Hall, who took second in half pipe, third in slopestyle, and fourth in rail jam.
Also competing for HRV were Rosalie Dillon (fourth), Nina Bockius (fifth), and Sophie Caldwell (sixth).
FitzSimons was pleased with how the season unfolded and expected the sport would continue to grow and provide more competition for HRV athletes.
“We had a great season. I saw a lot of improvement from my underclassmen athletes. Obviously, HRVHS continues to be at the forefront of Oregon high school freestyle skiing,” he said. “I expect that freestyle skiing will continue to grow in Oregon and that Hood River will remain on top… although the HRVHS women do not have any other schools to compete against at this time, they continue to progress and push each other.”
HRV’s alpine skiers were at Mt. Ashland this week for their state competition, which finished up Friday (full results not available at press time).
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