Los Alamos Ski Racing Club racer Liam Brown, top center, celebrates his first-place win in the Slalom race. Noah Bane, left, earns 2nd. Photo by FAST Race Team

Los Alamos Ski Racing Club racer Hirotaka Mertes, a Los Alamos High School freshman, powers his way through a Slalom gate. Photo by Michelle Mosby

By KEVIN MERTES
Los Alamos Ski Racing Club

Six youth alpine ski racers, led by head coach Lisa Kimura and coach Kevin Mertes, traveled to Arizona to compete in the second event of the US Ski & Snowboard (USSA) Rocky Mountain Southern Series Feb. 3-4, which was hosted by the Flagstaff Ski & Snowboard Team. Despite the bitter cold and low visibility, Los Alamos Ski Racing Club (LASRC) won five medals including two gold in Slalom races. 

For U16 Men, Liam Brown (sophomore at St. Pius X) placed 1st both days, and Noah Bane (freshman at Los Alamos High School) placed 2nd both days. For U12 Boys, Micah Brown (5th grade at Zia Elementary in Albuquerque) placed 3rd. For U12 Girls, Takara Mertes (5th grade in Mountain Elementary School) placed 6th, and Izel Garcia-Balkey (5th grade in Albuquerque) placed 8th.

Logan Swickley (8th grade in Los Alamos Middle School) of Team Angel Fire also placed 5th in U14 Men. Emma Mosby (5th grade in Los Alamos) of Taos Winter Sports Team (TWST) placed 6th in U12 Girls. 

The USSA Rocky Mountain Southern Series Championship will be held to conclude the season at Taos Ski Valley March 23-24 hosted by TWST.

LASRC will hold a fun race March 10 (subject to change due to weather) at Pajarito Mountain as well as a Giant Slalom race as a part of Skiesta March 16. Anyone is welcome to join. The Team Angel Fire also will hold a fun race March 2 at Angel Fire Resort. The Sante Fe Ski Team will hold a fun race March 17 at Sipapu.

LASRC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) which is run by mostly volunteers providing opportunities for Los Alamos and the neighboring kids to become a ski racer in a competitive but also fun oriented environment at relatively low cost. LASRC is proud to call Pajarito Mountain their home mountain. For more information about LASRC see https:////www.losalamosskiteam.com

Los Alamos Ski Racing Club racer Micah Brown, top right, celebrates his third-place win in the Slalom race. Photo by FAST Race Team

Logan Swickley, Los Alamos Middle School 8th grader, explodes out of the starting gate. Photo by Stephani Fuller Swickley

Los Alamos Ski Racing Club racers Izel Garcia-Balkey, front left, and Takara Mertes, front center, and Emma Mosby, front right, of Taos Winter Sports Team celebrate at the podium. Photo by Yoko Suzuki