Wasatch Powerkeg Delivers!

The culmination of PCSS Skimo’s competitive season took place at the 24th Annual Wasatch Powderkeg at the beginning of the month. True to its name, this year’s races were once again held under a blanket of fresh snow. Despite our young team, our athletes more than held there own in the ever-growing youth skimo scene.

We kicked the Powderkeg off midweek with the sprint race—a first outside of practice for many of our athletes. Zander Markewich, JP Rudio, and Oliver Bodnar all surprised themselves as much as anyone else, each earning podium finishes in their respective age classes. As first-year athletes, it was clear that the work they’ve put into the technical and physical elements of the sport has paid off.

The weekend got underway with the Individual race - the queen event - climbing and traversing throughout Solitude Resort. We came away with more medals, and importantly, a great experience for all: no broken gear, no injuries, and (almost) no course navigation issues - all a win in the world of skimo racing. On Sunday, the event concluded with the vertical race - an all-out effort ascending 1,700 feet continuously. JP Rudio led the charge on the results sheet, completing his triple-medal haul with a gold in the U14 category.

Our Masters athletes also represented extremely well, with nearly the entire team racing in the Individual event. Most notably, Kristin Mayer, Harald Casebourne, and Charlotte Casebourne Stock went all in and raced all four events over the five-day period, an impressive feat in its own right.

Following Powderkeg, the team enjoyed a few more weeks of practice and capped off the season on the 17th and 19th. We took a full van over to Brighton for the fifth and final Utah Skimo race of the season. The party vibes were high: spring sunshine, slushy snow, and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. We must have been blessed by a leprechaun, as Weston won the grand prize - a brand-new pair of La Sportiva touring skis!

As we look back at the season, our coaches and athletes have a lot to be proud of. It certainly wasn't an easy year to be a skimo athlete, but we made the most of it with the support of Park City Mountain and the Utah Olympic Park as our host venues. We now have a new crop of inspired skimo athletes to look forward to developing over the next few years, as well as new friendships, experiences and plenty of fitness for the early trail season!