Featured Image: Surrounding mountains of Lake Louise. Credit: Urban Planinsek
The second NorAm event of the 2025 season took place on two different hills in Alberta, Canada, this past week. The elite athletes competed in both giant slalom and slalom on Mt. Norquay Ski Resort and Lake Louise.
The men and women fiercely competed for the top position on the leaderboard. The men kicked off the week with a strong performance in the slaloms before shifting to the giant slaloms, whereas the women tackled the giant slaloms and then moved to the slaloms.
The GS races in Lake Louise took place on the dormant World Cup downhill slope, adding an element of prestige to the event.
Norquay is distinguished as a premier location for slalom races, thanks to its unique terrain and great conditions.
“The hill at Norquay was prepped to perfection with the slope watered and icy,” Jesse Kertesz-Knight of Alpine Canada Alpin explained.
Jimmy Krupka, an independent US athlete, explained the excellence of the conditions on social media, stating, “The best surface I’ve seen on the NorAm circuit in a long time.”
Men’s Slaloms
On January 27th and 28th, the men kicked off the NorAm event with the slalom races at Mt. Norquay Ski Resort.
First Day
Jesse Kertesz-Knight was the second athlete to kick out of the start gate and set a first run pace that proved hard to beat. With a solid second run, the Canadian dominated the field, achieving his second NorAm victory of his career.
He stated, “Winning for the second time in a NorAm slalom this year really is unbelievable for me. I am really happy with how my slalom skiing is progressing, and I am really proud to be able to show that at Norquay.”
Pierick Charest, his teammate, secured second place, finishing just +0.79 seconds behind the lead. This achievement marks Charest’s first podium on the NorAm circuit, a significant milestone for the 20-year-old.
Charest stated, “I think this new Canadian development team really helped me reach those results this season. The support and mostly the group of athletes I get to train with got me to challenge myself even more in every training.”
Rounding out the podium on day one was independent U.S. athlete Jimmy Krupka, finishing +1.07 off the winning time. He stated, “I haven’t stepped on the podium in a long time, so it felt pretty nice.”
Second Day
The men danced into the second day of slalom, where Max Malsiner of Italy reigned victoriously. Impressively, this was the 22-year-old’s first win on the NorAm circuit.
Stanley Buzek of the Stifel US Ski Team skied two aggressive runs, which secured him a 2nd-place result (+0.61). After his win at the NorAm slalom in Panorama this season, Buzek came into today with confidence, which shined in both of his well-executed runs.
Rounding out the podium on day two was his teammate Camden Palmquist, finishing +0.72 behind the lead. Palmquist and Buzek both entered the US Ski Team from Team Summit in Colorado.
Palmquist had his debut on the World Cup circuit this season in the Levi, Finland slalom, which marked a big milestone for the young athlete. NorAms are a big stepping block, but his primary goals for this season revolved around the Europe Cups and World Cup: “This season, the focus will be on Europe Cups—fighting for podiums and skiing on that level. When I’m skiing well, and when it works in the schedule, I’ll do World Cups.”
Women’s Giant Slaloms
Elisabeth Bocock of the Stifel US Ski Team stole the show in both of the giant slaloms, clinching two consecutive wins. These marked her first two victories of her NorAm career.
She stated, “I was super happy with my skiing in the GS races. Those were my first ever NorAm wins, so it felt awesome to finally accomplish that goal after having some tougher results in Europe, and doing it on a challenging and fun hill like Lake Louise was exciting.”
First Day
On the first day she absolutely crushed it, finishing -1.48 ahead of the field. The closest athlete to her time was her teammate, Liv Moritz.
Moritz is a multi-sport athlete, competing also in soccer for the University of Denver. She is accustomed to hard work and is continuously striving to achieve high goals. This was her first NorAm podium of her career.
“I loved Lake Louise and thought it was a very fun hill. My first run of the first GS was the most fun, and the snow was awesome,” Moritz explained.
Justine Lamontagne of Alpine Canada Alpin rounded out the top 3 of the initial GS race. Lamontagne also competes for the university circuit as a member of the Montana State University alpine team.
Second Day
On the second day of GS, Bocock had another performance that outshined the rest of the field. She conquered by -1.86 ahead of the other racers.
Even after racing the World Cup, Bocock had some nerves coming into the NorAm races. She explained, “Heading into these races after some World Cups, I was feeling confident in my skiing, but also nervous and kind of antsy to perform well given that I hadn’t raced a ton so far this season.
The Stifel US Ski Team member was still able to use that confidence to set the nerves aside and win the GS NorAm races.
Sara Rask, competing for Sweden and the University of Denver, skied into second place. Justine Lamontagne earned another 3rd-place giant slalom result, concluding the day +1.89 behind the lead.
Rask stated, “It felt amazing! I’m very happy with my skiing, and I am excited to build on that. It was also really cool to see Liv and Elisabeth rip! It was inspiring to watch.”
Day 1 Women’s Giant Slalom Results
Day 2 Women’s Giant Slalom Results
Men’s Giant Slaloms
Liam Wallace of Alpine Canada Alpin dominated in the men’s giant slalom races on both days. This is an extraordinary achievement as Wallace is returning to snow this season after enduring serious injuries in Bansko, Bulgaria, almost a year ago to date.
First Day
The first day of GS in Lake Louise, Wallace won by -1.07, and on the second day he achieved victory by -0.77. This marked his second and third win on the NorAm circuit this season.
After the first NorAm races in Panorama, where Wallace achieved a first and second in the GS, he stated, “I am proud. Getting results right away is a bonus. I am mostly excited about the way I feel on my skis after everything last year.”
The Canadian has impressively wowed himself and everyone around him with his strong return and is aiming to secure his first World Cup points.
On the first day of GS, Jacob Dilling of the University of Colorado Ski Team secured his second NorAm Cup podium, with his first being in 2022. This marked Dilling’s top result so far of the 2025 season.
Swiss racer Daniele Sette rounded out the podium, +1.32 off the lead. This was Sette’s first time on the podium in a NorAm.
Second Day
On the second day, Norwegian and University of Utah athlete Johs Bråthen Herland was the closest racer behind Liam Wallace, achieving a 2nd-place result (+0.77). This represented his second podium finish in a NorAm.
Nolan Sweeney rounded out the podium on day two, +0.91 behind the lead. Sweeney’s top 3 finish was a big leap for the athlete skiing for Colby College, as his best finish on the NorAms before the GS was 19th place.
He did start the university races off with his first podium finish on the circuit, which sparked his confidence.
Day 1 Men’s Giant Slalom Results
Day 2 Women’s Giant Slalom Results
Women’s Slaloms
First Day
On the first day of slalom, Kiki Alexander of Alpine Canada Alpin concluded the day victorious, 0.36 ahead of Liv Moritz. This was Alexander’s third slalom win on the NorAm circuit.
Sara Rask and Victoria Palla skiing for GB Snowsport, rounded out the podium in a tie, +1.05 behind the lead time.
Rask stated after the race, “Overall I am happy with the races. They will be a good momentum for the coming college races in Montana and Utah. It was also nice to ski with the skiers at the NorAms. There were really good skiers there [NorAm races], and it feels good to know where I stand in that environment.”
Second Day
On day two of the slaloms, Moritz was able to take over the lead ahead of Alexander and Palla. She dominated the day by -0.67. This was a milestone for Moritz as it marked her first win on the NorAm circuit.
Moritz stated, “I was super excited, and it gave me some confidence in my skiing. I was pleasantly surprised by my consistent performance this week, and I just tried to enjoy it as much as I could.”
“I would say my last run of the second slalom was one of my best. It is hard to feel very good on a surface as firm and slick as it was, but I was just thinking about the quality of my skiing, and for me, I kind of know it is a good run if I “blackout” and don’t remember it when I reach the bottom,” Moritz explained.
Palla skied a solid two runs to claim another podium finish on the NorAm circuit, concluding the day in 2nd place. Alexander finished in third, +1.92 off of Moritz’s time.
Stifel US Ski Team’s Elisabeth Bocock had a screaming first run, leading the charge into the second run. However, she unfortunately did not put two together to achieve another podium result, finishing merely +0.03 off of 3rd place.
This was commendable as she has not been racing in slalom gates this season. Bocock explained, “These were my first slalom races of the year, and I went into the races with very little slalom training due to a broken hand that took place in the Killington GS earlier in the season. I was happy to get back out there; I feel like my slalom is coming along, and I am gaining confidence in it.”
The second event of the NorAm series proved to be an exhilarating experience for both the men and women. The race crews and volunteers at Norquay and Lake Louise dedicated significant effort to ensure a successful competition and to provide a reliable surface for the athletes to perform at their best.
The next NorAm event is just around the corner, switching over to speed races at Kimberley Alpine Resort, British Columbia, on February 5th.
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
