Los Alamos Ski Racing Club celebrates a gold-and-silver finish at Arizona Snowbowl: Hiro Mertes (top center) captured 1st place, and Noah Bane (top left) earned 2nd place in the U18 men’s slalom race. Photo by Yoko Suzuki.
By KEVIN MERTES
Los Alamos Ski Racing Club
A thin winter didn’t slow the Los Alamos Ski Racing Club (LASRC) one bit! Six determined youth alpine racers—led by head coach Lisa Kimura and coach Kevin Mertes—headed south to Arizona Snowbowl for a pair of fast, technical slalom races Feb. 1–2 in the US Ski & Snowboard Rocky Mountain Southern Series (RMSS), hosted by the Flagstaff Ski & Snowboard Team (FAST).
While snow shortages postponed January’s Super-G and Giant Slalom races at Purgatory, Colorado, Arizona Snowbowl delivered, boasting a healthy 90 inches of seasonal snowfall. RMSS is a tri-state series featuring Super-G and Giant Slalom at Purgatory in January, slalom at Flagstaff in February, and Giant Slalom and slalom at Taos Ski Valley in March. LASRC entered the weekend with momentum after finishing fourth overall as a team last season and earning two RMSS champions—Michael Bane (U21 men) and Hiro Mertes (U18 men).
Day 1 Highlights:
In U18 men, Hiro Mertes (Los Alamos High School Junior) claimed silver, while Noah Bane (LAHS Junior) powered through a fall to take fourth. In U14 men, Micah Brown (St. Pius X, Albuquerque) finished fourth. U14 women had strong showings from Takara Mertes (Los Alamos Middle School), seventh, and Izel Garcia-Balkey (Albuquerque), ninth. U12 men’s Adrian Garcia-Balkey (Albuquerque) placed 13th.
Day 2 Breakthroughs:
Hiro Mertes returned blazing fast to win gold in U18 men, with Noah Bane close behind in second. Micah Brown posted seventh in U14 men, and Takara Mertes again finished seventh in U14 women.
Next up, LASRC heads to the RMSS Championships at Taos Ski Valley on March 22–23, hosted by the Taos Winter Sports Team. Weather permitting, postponed Super-G and Giant Slalom races at Purgatory may be rescheduled for late March or early April. The club will also compete in fun races at Angel Fire (February 21) and the Lloyd Bolander Pine Cup at Sipapu (date TBD).
About LASRC
The Los Alamos Ski Racing Club is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering affordable, high-quality alpine training led by US Ski & Snowboard–licensed coaches. Proudly calling Pajarito Mountain home, LASRC fosters competitive excellence in a fun, supportive environment for athletes from Los Alamos and neighboring communities.
Learn more:
https://losalamosskiraceclub.teamapp.com
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/187rWrrjbn
Los Alamos Ski Racing Club racer Noah Bane powers through the slalom gates with precision and speed, marking a remarkable comeback from last season’s injury. Photo by FAST Race Team
Los Alamos Ski Racing Club racers and coach—Izel Garcia-Balkey, Takara Mertes, head coach Lisa Kimura, Hiro Mertes, Micah Brown, and Noah Bane (left to right)—ride the Grand Canyon Express for course inspection, listening closely to their coach’s advice. Photo by FAST Race Team
Los Alamos Ski Racing Club U12 racer Adrian Garcia-Balkey carves smoothly through a slalom turn. Photo by FAST Race Team