Get used to seeing the likes of Tosh Krauskopf, Lane Weaver and Keenan Demchuk on snowboard slopestyle podiums going forward.
All three Whistler Valley Snowboard Club (WVSC) members found paydirt at a recent BC Provincial Series slopestyle event on home snow. Demchuk won it all on Jan. 11 with a score of 88.25 points, edging out silver medallist Weaver (88.00) and Krauskopf who took bronze (84.75).
The following day, Krauskopf moved into the runner-up hole (74.00) and Weaver placed third (73.75) as victory went to Mountain Shredder Snowboarding's William Buffey (75.75).
Also on Jan. 12, local Molly Goodwin earned bronze in the women's competition (54.50) behind Isabella Heninger (73.75) and Zoe Douglas-Crampton (54.75).
It's all encouraging stuff to WVSC director Rob Picard.
"We're always excited to be able to compete at our home mountain. It's rare," he said. "We don't have many events that happen here. This year with conditions being the way they are, it was really amazing to have the terrain and have beautiful weather. Everyone was excited to perform."
High-level athletes like Krauskopf, Weaver and Demchuk are well beyond their days of regular provincial competition but elected to use last weekend as a training opportunity. Each is known not only for his raw talent, but his dedication to the sport as well.
"They are true snowboarders," explained Picard. "They live and breathe it. They greatly value performance and fundamentals, and it shows in their riding. Lane Weaver, some of the stuff he does [stands out] as being very creative … even the way he does his double grabs really add flair.
"[Tosh, Lane and Keenan] actively work with coaches to look at our riders and see the promise of the future. Even though they're on their own little path, they take a step back every now and then to work with some of the younger talents. They are really supportive, approachable, fun guys and I have a lot of respect for what they bring to the table."
'World Cup level'
Every opportunity to train and compete in the Sea to Sky is invaluable for the WVSC, which spends a lot of money sending athletes to other resorts. Whistler, after all, continues to be the gold standard for snowboard slopestyle in many respects.
"Whistler Blackcomb hosts some of the best features in Canada," Picard said. "I think in general, everybody wants to compete here. If you're a Canadian snowboarder, you want to end up in Whistler at one point. The size of the jumps we have here is at a World Cup level.
"We should be inviting more of these bigger contests here, like a Nor-Am which is the next stage up from a Provincial and just prior to a World Cup. We have some really favoured resorts: Silver Star is amazing, and Sun Peaks, but the size of the jumps and features there aren't at that national level yet. We understand that [Whistler] has the terrain these kids need to be training and competing on."
The goal for younger riders like Goodwin, who might just be starting to aspire down a competitive pathway, is learning how to deliver under pressure. Medals and high scores are great, but even more important is the ability to grasp how judges evaluate runs and how to improve both physically and mentally.
"Our agenda right now is to get more training in," Picard elaborated. "We do have a landing airbag now on Blackcomb Mountain, so our idea is to use these facilities instead of travelling. We will be following the BC Provincial Series here too … and we try to get everybody involved in them so they start learning how to compete."
Complete results from last weekend's Provincial slopestyle action, including placements sorted by age group, can be viewed at bcsnowboard.com/2025-event-results.
