Recap: The Slalom Showdown at the RMISA University of Denver Invitational

Featured Image: The overall individual winners of the University of Denver Invitational, Filip Wahlqvist (CU) and Kaja Norbye (UU).

The RMISA Colorado-based Invitationals concluded yesterday at the Loveland Ski Area. The athletes fiercely competed in two days of slalom in the University of Denver (DU) Invitational. The University of Colorado Invitational in Steamboat Springs and this Invitational were back-to-back with a traveling rest day in between. With five days of racing, the athletes had to buckle down and find their grit to fight for a leaderboard finish. 

Nora Brand, DU athlete, explained, “This was a long series. Three days of racing in Steamboat and two days here, both at altitude, which is pretty brutal. But it is the same for everyone; we are all in the same boat, and it has been super fun!” 

The University of Utah leads the NCAA team standings after the Alpine portion of the DU Invitational with 350 points. The Utes finished the two days of racing, achieving six podium finishes from both their men and women, and Kaja Norbye achieved the overall individual victory in Loveland. 

Norbye stated, “I have built some confidence now, especially in my slalom skiing. I was super excited to fully attack and give full gas.” 

The University of Denver trails the team standings slightly, with 327 points. Their athletes achieved two podium finishes and four 4th-place results. 

DU Head Alpine Coach Joonas Rasanen stated, “It was great to see the girls come together on their home hill and put the hammer down. The boys are gaining some momentum, and we’re super happy to see that. They’re finally growing into what they’ve been meaning to do in the past few years.” 

University of Colorado (288), Westminster University (241.5), and University of Alaska (225) complete the top 5 of the RMISA Team Standings after the Alpine portion of the DU Invitational. 

Day One- Men and Women’s Slalom 

Although Loveland had received snow over the weekend, the snow conditions held up nicely for the race. The weather was pristine for the racers to turn up the heat and attack the hill. 

Leon Nikic, a Senior from the University of Alaska Anchorage, stated, “It is such a tight field, and it is so stacked with great skiers,” he continued, “There is no room to play it safe. It is all or nothing in every race, and you have to give it your all.”

Women

Kaja Norbye started the day ready to give it her all and make a statement. She threw down the winning first run, -0.24 ahead of the University of Colorado athlete, Magdalena Luczak. Impressively, Luczak ignited in the second run to win the combined time of the day. 

University of Denver athlete Sara Rask rounded out the podium, +0.57 behind Luczak’s winning time. Her teammate, Nora Brand, was merely off the podium (+0.09), concluding in 4th place. 

Rask stated, “The goal is to win NCAA’s [Championships] for sure, so we are heading in the right direction to be super fast. The whole team is doing really well this year, especially the boys, so that is exciting.” 

A highlighted performance was Nicola Rountree-Williams from Colorado Mountain College, who started bib-30. She showed speed on the second run, tying with Luczak’s winning second run time. Although, with a slower first run, she concluded the day in 15th position. 

Men

Nikic (UAA) reigned victorious on the first day of slalom racing. The senior has been on the podium in six out of the seven races before the DU Invitational, but this was his first win of the 2024 season. 

Nikic stated, “I am just focusing on myself, focusing on how I am skiing, and trying to improve every day.” 

Teammate Ainsley Proffit (UAA) boasted Nikic’s and her team’s performance, stating, “Our team has been doing great, and Leon has been crushing it, so it is really exciting to see all of my team start to do well at this invitational.” 

Filip Wahlqvist, a Freshman at the University of Colorado, achieved a 2nd-place finish, +0.29 behind Nikic’s winning time. Wahlqvist won two back-to-back 1st-place results at his inaugural RMISA Invitational, and he continues to strive for the top of the podium. 

Wahlqvist stated, “When I am in the start gate, I am always thinking I want to win. Going for the win is always the goal, nothing else.” 

Wahlqvist won the overall individual victory, alongside Norbye (UU), for the two days of racing at Loveland.

Mikkel Solbakken from the University of Utah rounded out the podium, and Thomas Hoffman (DU) finished in 4th place, just +0.08 off the podium. 

Another highlight performance from the men’s field on the first day of racing was Jevin Palmquist. As one of the youngest athletes in the field, with only three participants born in 2007, Palmquist secured a top-10 finish. He put down two stellar runs that moved him from bib-42 to 10th place. 

Day Two- Men and Women’s Slalom

The second day of racing came with promising conditions, giving the competitors another day to push their limits and set the bar. 

Women

The day began with Sara Rask (DU) setting the pace for the women on the first run. With aggressive and clean skiing, Rask put down the fastest morning run, over seven-tenths ahead of the field. 

Although she had a substantial lead going into the second run, she was unable to hold onto the winning spot. Norbye (UU) came through with two consistently strong runs, which gave her the overall victory for the day. 

It was a big day for Norbye as she aimed to conquer her fears on this hill because of her traumatizing experience last season at Loveland. She stated, “I ended up almost dying in the finish [last year] from a bulged disk in my neck, so I have bad memories from Loveland,” she continued, “So, coming back one year later and winning means a lot because last year was no fun and super scary.” 

Rask was enthusiastic about her performance, stating, “I am super happy about it [today]. I started strong this college season, and I have just been climbing since with every race, which is exciting.”

Madison Hoffman (UU) rounded out the podium. The 2023, two-time individual NCAA Champion and World Cup athlete came into this season wanting to “keep the ball rolling.” She came into NCAA racing after World Cup races prepared to make her mark on the collegiate circuit. She had two wins, two podiums, and a 6th-place finish during these last two invitationals. She aims to keep that momentum going into the second portion of the NCAA season. 

The winner from the first day, Magdalena Luczak, missed the second day of racing to make it back to racing in Europe. 

Liv Moritz, a University of Denver and Stifel US Ski Team athlete had come into this Invitational straight from racing at the Junior World Championships in Europe. She had to overcome symptoms of jetlag and the difference in snow conditions but succeeded with a 9th and 11th-place result. 

Men

For the men, the second day of the DU Invitational came with a battle for the leaderboard, especially with a tight field and a challenging hairpin at the bottom of the second run. Nonetheless, the racers were up for the challenge, punching it from top to bottom. 

The University of Utah Raphael Lessard gave an all-out performance, coming from a 14th-place finish on the first run to winning the combined time. 

He stated, “It was really good. I had a good first run, and I was a little surprised to be far back in 14th, but it was really close, so I knew I could still get in there. On the second run, I just pushed it from the top to the bottom and managed to not make mistakes.” 

His teammate, Mikkel Solbakken, achieved second place, his third podium finish this season.

JJ Johnson, the Utes Head Alpine Coach, stated, “Everyone wanted to do as well as the others. Everyone is skiing so relaxed and executing. The atmosphere they’re building is cool to see. You can really feel it.”

Roman Frost, a Westminster University athlete, rounded out the podium with an incredibly victorious second run. 

The Alaskan winner from the first day, Leon Nikic, unfortunately, did not finish his second run but was sitting in 4th place on the first run. Following the first run, he found himself in a tie with Thomas Hoffman (DU), and both competitors gave their all during the second run but were unable to finish the day.

Nikic stated, “I went for it, and I do have to say I was pretty gassed before the finish, which caused me to lose focus for just two gates, went a little too straight and straddled. But, that happens; that is ski racing.” 

Full Results of University of Denver Invitational

After these competitive and thrilling Colorado-based Invitationals, the fields will head to Big Sky Resort for the Montana State Invitational and RMISA Championships (February 22nd-24th).