Three local cross-country skiers and their coach reached the top of the podium on Dec. 30 at the second Coast Cup race of the season.
Meja Koshul prevailed among U8 girls, while Luke McGowan claimed victory among U12 boys. In the U12 girls event it was Dalia Fortier breaking through, while Nicholas Pidgeon struck gold for senior men.
Pidgeon coaches McGowan, Fortier and numerous other young athletes on the Coast Corridor United (CCU) team: a collaborative effort between Whistler Nordics, Spud Valley Nordics and Sea to Sky Nordics to make a performance-focused cohort for U12 to U16 aged racers.
Other CCU podium finishers included Beck Manhard (silver, U8 boys), Alex Bodkin (silver, U12 boys), Ella Koshul (silver, U12 girls), and Veja Stevens (bronze, U14 girls).
Unseasonably mild 3 C temperatures and a lack of snow this winter forced officials to make last-minute modifications to the course. Despite the challenging conditions, 132 participants aged 4 to 63 braved rain to take part in the classic technique interval start.
The event was also a qualifier for the Quesnel 2024 BC Winter Games. 21 athletes competed for the opportunity to participate in the Games scheduled for Feb. 22 to 25.
“The weather was wet, but all the racers had a great time," said chief of competition Jake Weaver in a press release. "There were lots of smiles, and everyone was working hard. A special thanks goes to all the volunteers who did an awesome job putting on a really good race.”
Full results can be found here. The Coast Cup returns Jan. 20 to Callaghan Valley.
