World Pro Ski Tour welcomes Alpine Bank Junior Challenge at Steamboat

The World Pro Ski Tour (WPST) will host its third annual junior race alongside co-host and title sponsor, Alpine Bank, at the City of Steamboat Springs’ Howelsen Hill on Feb. 8, 2021. The race will feature WPST pro racers mentoring Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athletes, who will compete in a unique, mixed age-group format.

As a part of an ongoing effort to engage youth athletes in the dual format, the WPST has again joined forces with Alpine Bank to give young athletes an experience of a lifetime: the opportunity to race and be coached along by Olympians, World Champions, NCAA All-Americans and more. The 2021 junior racers will compete for the chance to be champions on and off the snow, an important value of the Winter Sports Club. The winning youth team will be presented a check from Alpine Bank, which will pay for unique vouchers for local Routt County youth to go skiing with their families at Howelsen Hill. The voucher is good for a free lift ticket and ski rental at Ski & Bike Kare, making the program, “Kids Race for Kids.”

“Alpine Bank, since its inception in Steamboat in 1999, has believed in supporting this community,” says Betsy Wood, Director of Community Outreach at Alpine Bank. “We focus on inclusive youth programming; every child that lives in Routt County – no matter their financial situation – deserves to experience the thrill of skiing. The philanthropic aspect of this program is a perfect way to enable kids to give back and teaches them how good it feels to be a champion off the snow.”

The youth race will be held at Howelsen Hill at 4:40pm, before the WPST Moose Barrows’ Trophy Race begins at 7 p.m. No spectators will be allowed onsite, but all action will be live-streamed on FacebookLive. The Winter Sports Club athletes also have the opportunity to interview their favorite WPST racers online for an episode of WPST Race Brakes, found on Facebook and Instagram, this week.

“We love any opportunity to foster young athletes,” says Jon Franklin, CEO of the WPST. “Alpine Bank has been a long-standing partner and this year with the introduction of ‘Kids Race for Kids,’ the program really has it all; WPST athletes mentoring youth racers, giving back to the community and helping get kids on snow for the first time.”

Release courtesy of World Pro Ski Tour.