Ketterer and Mielzynski double down in Bear Valley WPST

Returning to Bear Valley, Calif., for the first time in over three decades, the World Pro Ski Tour staged two days of hard-charging competition. The weekend revealed back-to-back champions in both the men’s and women’s fields.

Amid a record-setting winter of snowfall at Skyline Bear Valley Resort, where the decorated lineup of WPST competitors has included greats such as Jean Claude Killy, Spider Sabich, Jimmie Huega and Billy Kidd, white flakes came down in force. The snow delayed the start of Saturday’s head-to-head giant slalom racing numerous times. Nonetheless, the most consistent hammering prevailed.

German World Cupper walks away with two wins

In the men’s Mazda Far West Classic GS, as Pro Tour veterans Michael Ankeny and Miha Kuerner were taken out unexpectedly early, German World Cup racer David Ketterer sliced seamlessly through Saturday’s rounds. Drew Duffy came onto the WPST scene last season and came out fighting Saturday to face the German in the quarterfinals, where Ketterer once again dominated. A dark horse, Alaskan Kieffer Christiansen, a former US Ski Team racer who hadn’t competed in years, made a surprise appearance, slaying his way to the semi-finals against Ketterer. However, the German’s surge continued as WPST favorite Simon Breitfuss-Kammerlander of Austria and Norway’s Joachim Lien were busy duking it out in the next semi-final round. It was Breitfuss-Kammerlander to advance.

The Austrian faced Ketterer in Saturday’s final. Ketterer, who arrived in California fresh from one of his top World Cup performances – a 22^nd in the Chamonix slalom – maintained his flawless track record. He came away with the win as the Austrian took the second step and Lien rounded out the podium. 

Same battle on Sunday

For Sunday’s super slalom, while the snow abated, strong wind supplied an extra challenge, delaying the start of both the Women’s CLCKR Pro Challenge and the Men’s CB Sports Pro Challenge.

Buoyed by his immaculate day of domination and the $10,000 check that came with it, Ketterer appeared to be on a similar jag on Sunday. Ankeny was one of few to challenge him, winning the first run of their quarterfinal heat. Still, Ankeny could not hold his speed against the German World Cupper. Appearing on the WPST last season and earning 2022 Rookie of the Year, Drew Duffy came out swinging again on Sunday, facing Ketterer in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, WPST veteran Nolan Kasper fought to the semis against Breitfuss-Kammerlander.

Although Breitfuss-Kammerlander took Kasper down and Ketterer out-skied Duffy, the small final turned out to be the exciting battle on Sunday. In the first run, Duffy fired down the three jumps of the course to handily dominate Kasper. First out of the gate in his final run, Duffy appeared to be on track for more dominance when Kasper snuck in on the last few gates and charged across the line ahead by around a tenth of a second for the small final win and third place. In a repeat matchup of Saturday’s final, Ketterer again faced Breitfuss-Kammerlander. The Austrian made a misstep in the first run, putting his arm through a panel. This opened the door for Ketterer to once again run away with it. The German will return to the World Cup $20,000 richer from his weekend’s winnings.

Mielzynski schools small women’s field

A small field of women turned out for the California stop of the World Pro Ski Tour, led by Steamboat Springs champion Erin Mielzynski, who once again displayed her dominance.

The Canadian who retired from the World Cup last season after one win, a handful of podiums and four Olympic appearances started and finished the weekend with her hair on fire.

After an anticlimactic start to Saturday’s Mazda Far West Pro Classic women’s race, Mielzynski faced local athlete Michelle Morozinski in the quarter-finals. The Canadian handily won as Morozinski caught an edge before the last jump and did a dramatic tumble. Meanwhile, Slovakia’s Sona Moravcikova put up a solid fight against 2022 WPST women’s champion Tuva Norbye of Norway in the semi-finals, but Norbye fired ahead. As Morozinski relinquished the small final to Moravcikova, Norbye would face Mielzynski in the finals, both competing for their new team, Sportsinsurance.com. Although the Canadian dominated both final runs and ran away with the win, there were hugs in the finish area.

More Mielzynski speed

The women’s super slalom field for Sunday’s CLCKR Pro Challenge was again downsized. Slovakia’s Sona Moravcikova faced off against Canada’s Mikaela O’Brien in the round of 8. Moracvcikova came out strong and charged ahead in both runs. Meanwhile, Mielzynski earned a bye for the round of eight and again faced Morozinski in the quarter-finals. The Canadian showed her speed once more as the local athlete sustained a few more blows from her opponent and the course. Tuva Norbye was also gifted a bye in the first round and faced Moravcikova in the semis. The Slovakian would not be outdone on Sunday, charging to victory to face Mielzynski in the finals. Morzinksi then handed Norbye the third-place spot, choosing to sit out the small final. The final heat saw Mielzynski vs. Moravcikova. Mielzynski, still strong from her relatively light day of racing, dominated in a big way.

“It was a difficult day. It was challenging,” Mielzynski said after collecting her second day of $10,000 winnings. “The course was long and bumpy and it was rough. You couldn’t see the finish. It was a difficult race but extremely rewarding.”

The 2023 World Pro Ski Tour continues next month with a stop on the East Coast before wrapping up March 30-April 1 with World Championships in Taos, NM.