Report | Results | Gallery | Video
After several days of pretty much constant cloud cover, the first event of the Natives Workers Challenge 2008 – the Respect The Mountain Slalom – brought out the sun in Meribel this week.
While some season workers were undoubtedly tempted away by the possibility of fresh powder, around 100 competitors took part in the day’s events, which included an individual Giant Slalom in the morning, and Team Dual Slalom in the afternoon.
Individual GS
The year for the first time, racers had two runs down the international standard course on the Stade Corbey. With only the best time of the two counting, there was even more incentive to throw caution to the wind in search of the best time possible.
 The margins of victory tend to be small in GS, but it’s rare that the fastest of the day comes from the ranks of the ‘dames’ rather than ‘les hommes’. However, the two stand out competitors of the day were GB Skiercross Team racers, Emily Sarsfield and Sarah Soavey.
Racing under the ‘Guest’ category, Soavey set the fastest time of the day with a 37.82, and only the winner of men’s race, Craig Conkie – his 3rd win in this competition – could keep it being a 1-2 for the ladies. His time of 38.99 just edged out Sarsfield into 3rd overall best time with 39.11.
 Rab McNab took 2nd spot in the Men’s with 39.73, winning the Masters category for over 40s, and he was joined on the podium by Martin Jeffers, who skied straight from taking a class to the top of the course to record a 40.08 in his only run of the day.
The final place on the women’s ski podium was taken by Meribel local Zoe Norton, while James Shail from La Tania won Rossignol skis for being the fastest non-instructor in resort.
As for your Natives equipiers, Iain Martin managed a fine 6th place in the men’s race on only his second day on snow this season, while Ben Simpson also managed a respectable Xth.
Among the ranks of the boarders, Scott Dunn employees Gareth Hollingsworth, Mark Yates and Chris Boogers filled all three podium places for the men. In the women’s Roz Fisher’s remarkable run of success continued with her 4th win in this competition. Both Roz and Gareth took home Rossignol Snowboards for their troubles.
Lynsey Gemmell from Courchevel and Hannah Wrixow from Meribel took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the women’s snowboard, while Ben Almond Jones snapped up the Telemark prize and Daniel Hughes the Novice category.
Team Dual Slalom
In the afternoon, competitors moved onto the team event. The group qualification stage saw two Meribel teams – Alpine Action and Get It Up ye - win all their heats to top their groups and head in to the semis.
The other semi final spots were taken by Up Your Kilt from Courchevel, who narrowly defeated Dicks Tea Bar in the decider in the closest race of the day. Thanks A Million, also from Courchevel, took the fourth semi place, pushing Team Ben Tom into 3rd place in their group.
The semis were both won by the Meribel teams, but Thanks A Million won the Courchevel battle for 3rd/4th spot. The final itself was marked by some gamesmanship over the choice of red or blue lanes, but was so closely fought that it went to a final race in the best of three format. In the end it was Get It Up Ye, who took the honours – probably not that surprising, giving the team included both the Men’s Individual winner, Craig Conkie and Women’s winner, Emily Sarsfield.  Many thanks to everyone who competed and helped out on the day, including Jamie Gunn, Vicky Brown, Giles Thornton, Welsh Phil and his fine BBQ, the team at Jacks and MC extraordinaire Jon Trigell.
The Workers Challenge is sponsored by Respect The Mountain, Rossignol, SH+, Bolle, Verbier Ride, The Ski Club of Great Britain a Extreme Drinks, Scott Dunn and supported locally by Freeride.fr
|
