Speed….check. Jumps….check. Head-to-head racing…..check.
Hedda Bernstein and Joey Swensson representing Middlebury in the Skiercross world……check.
If you’re not familiar with what skiercross is, check out this wiki definition -
Ski Cross (also known as Skiercross or Skier-X) is a type of skiing competition. It is based on the snowboarding discipline of boardercross. Despite it being a timed racing event, it is often considered part of freestyle skiing because it incorporates terrain features traditionally found in freestyle.
In a time trial or qualification round, every competitor skis down the course, which is built to encompass both naturally occurring terrain and artificial features like jumps, rollers, banks — whatever the course builder can imagine. After the time trial, the fastest 32 skiers (fastest 16 if not 32 competitors) compete in a knockout (KO)-style series in rounds of four. A group of four skiers start simultaneously and attempt to reach the end of the course. The first two to cross the finish line will advance to the next round. At the end, the final and small final rounds determine 1st to 4th and 5th to 8th places, respectively.
Competitors are not allowed to pull or push each other during the KO finals. Any intentional contact to the other competitors will be penalized by disqualification or exclusion from the next race.
The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, BC were the first Olympics that held a Skiercross event. Middlebury Alumni, Hedda Bernstein, a former Alpine World Cup Slalom star, earned herself a Silver Medal in that event - making her a decorated skier in Alpine racing, Telemark Skiing, and Skiercross.
She and newly minted Skiercross athlete and Middlebury Alpine Skiing Alum, Joey Swensson met up at the skiercross World Cup event in Alpe-d’Huez, France and sent us a sweet pic of themselves.
Joey, who just switched over this season from Alpine Racing to Skiercross, plans to be competitive on the World Cup circuit and to have a strong finish in the Winter X Games. With a few years of solid results, we may see him on the podium in the Olympics in 2014.
Good luck to both Middlebury Alums this skiercross season!
Go Hedda and Joe!