See full race results below story and photo gallery.
By Paul T. Choate
Jan. 29, 2013. The High Country Junior Race Series held their third race of the season Sunday, Jan. 27, at Beech Mountain. Started in 1984, the series has become one of the most popular winter events for young people in the area.
This week, Wiley Speckmann, of the boys aged nine and 10 division, recorded the fastest time on the mountain with a time of 23.6900 seconds. In the last race, Daniel Kosmala, of the boys aged 13 and 14 division, recorded the fastest time on the mountain with a time of 22.2300 seconds..
Over the years, the series has grown in popularity and well over 100 young athletes aged 4 to 18 are participating this season.
The series alternates around to the three ski local ski resorts – App Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain – with each mountain hosting two races. The championship race rotates annually with a different mountain hosting it each year. All three resorts sponsor their own junior race team.
At each of the races, medals are awarded to the top three finishers among boys and girls in each of seven age groups (6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18). Cumulative points are awarded to each athlete and carry over from each race to the championship, where trophies are also awarded to athletes with the most points earned. Also, there is a team trophy – or “mountain trophy” – awarded to the team from the ski resort with the most points for the season.
Though certainly competitive, the major focus of the series is to allow the kids and their families to have fun.
Cumulative points are logged for individual racers and for the mountain team they race for throughout the season, so it is not to sign children up to participate in the last four races of the season.
A registration fee of $7 for each race will be charged and each racer must have a valid slope ticket or appropriate season pass to participate. An optional NASTAR race fee of $3 is charged at Sugar Mountain. A liability waiver must be signed by a parent or legal guardian prior to a child participating. Additionally, a ski bib will be issued to racers for the season. If the bib is not brought on race day, a $30 deposit on the bib will be requested and a temporary bib can be issued for that day.
The upcoming races take place on Feb. 3 (Beech) and Feb. 10 (Sugar), with the championship taking place on Feb. 24 at App Ski Mountain.
For more information on the series, visit hcjrs.com.
Photo Gallery
Photos by Ken Ketchie
The following are pictures of the winners from each age group on the podium and their peers standing around them in some. Adults on the podium are coaches or representatives from the mountains of the respective winners who could not stay for the awards ceremony following the race.
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Results from Jan. 27 Races
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