Hometown Hero

If you need further proof that Smuggs is the best place to take a lesson, Griffin Larson, our very own Smugglers’ Notch Ski & Snowboard Club athlete just returned from the Freeride Junior World Championships. At just 17 years old Griffin absolutely crushed it. He chose to ski a line and route through the gnarliest of terrain and skiing with control, technique, fluidity, style, and energy (tricks and creative flair).

Griffin placed 18th out of 31 competitors with this run. His run had the making of a top-three or winning run, and he’s working hard to get back to Kappl next year! We are so proud of him and hope he’s inspiring the next generation of Smugglers’ Notch Ski and Snowboard Freeride athletes!

For more visual excitement from the World Championships, along with continued skiing excitement from Smugglers’ Notch and beyond, please take a moment and follow on Instagram: griffinlarsonvt   teo.campbell   smugglersnotchvt

 

This is what Griffin said about his experience.

My experience in Europe competing at the Junior World Championships was truly amazing.  The atmosphere that the Freeride World Tour was amazing.  Everyone would gather together at the end of the day and meet at the dining hall, the athletes, coaches, and parents were able to talk about the competition and where we came from.  I was able to meet other skiers from all around the world.  

The competition was being held on a venue that was only accessible by a 40-minute hike up a knife ridge.  All athletes were required to wear a safety harness due to the high exposure that we experienced during the hike.  During the hike up the knife ridge, we peered over 200-foot cliff bands that were on either side.  The hike rose above most of the surrounding mountains to the valleys below. This gave us a clear perspective of how truly impressive the Austrian alps really are.

Once we got to the venue we were finally able to view all the cliffs from above.  During the 2 previous days my coach, Teo Campbell, and I were only able to inspect the venue visually from below. This is typical for the Freeride World Tour as compared to North America where athletes are allowed to actually ski the venue prior to their competing run.  I had made a plan before I left Vermont. That was to find a line that represented my skiing and apply it to all the aspects of big mountain skiing.  We were able to find a line that had both my style as well as big mountain skiing. Overall I was thrilled to be a part of this event and look forward to skiing the alps again in the near future (next year?).

This is what Teo had to say about the Freeride Junior World Championships.

Griffin Larson, our very own Smugglers’ Notch Ski & Snowboard Club athlete and ripping skier from Smugglers’ Notch Resort, along with myself, Teo Campbell, his SNSC Freeski coach for many years, have both just returned from the Freeride Junior World Championships. The FWJC was held in Europe at the ski resort of Kappl, in the Tirol region of Austria. Traveling thousands of miles from their training ground of Smugglers’ Notch Resort, to the Austrian Alps, Griffin competed amidst a field of 31 hungry Western and Global athletes that have been skiing in big mountain terrain for months this season. Only a week into his 17th year, Griffin absolutely crushed it. Upon arrival Griffin had only two days to visually inspect the venue from thousands of feet afar using only binoculars, drone footage and decision making conversation to help in risk management. In Europe, athletes are not allowed an on snow inspection prior to competition. In North America, the athlete must be on their equipment, on the venue, feeling the snow and standing above and below their drops, scoping their line choices by being in it. Not so in Europe, in massive terrain, where the consequences of the choices you make from afar will fill the soul with adrenaline and stoke or deliver unthinkable outcomes. 

What is Freeride competition anyhow? It is a judged event where the athlete has the freedom of choosing a line and route through the gnarliest of terrain and skiing it with control, technique, fluidity, with style and energy (tricks and creative flair). Those four categories mentioned have the opportunity to score 2 points above the line score. The harder the line, chosen, the higher the scoring opportunity becomes, if and only if, the other four categories are executed without issues. The score can and will plummet with loss of control and technique, if you stop, all fluidity is lost and that score plummets. Without tricks or creative style and energy, and those scores will remain flat. Freeride is such a wonderful culmination of creative expression in skiing and snowboarding, that is as riveting to perform as it is to watch. Be sure to show up February 11th and 13th at Smuggs to watch Griffin and the best Juniors in North America compete at Smugglers’ Notch IFSA Junior 3* National Freeride competition. Take a ride up Madonna 1 chair and check out Madonna Lifeline as it’s the finest example in the East for a Freeride venue. It will be exciting to watch for sure.

Ok, back to Austria now that we are all on the same Freeride page. To access the start of the venue it was a 40 minute “knife ridge” hike to the top of the 2,800 meter Quellspitze Peak far above Kappa Resort itself, where Griifin and I wore climbing harnesses and lanyards, clipping into a fixed line along the knife ridge to prevent an errant step or fall to the valley floor thousands of meters below on each side. To say the terrain is exposed is an understatement. As Griffin’s Coach, I was beyond impressed with his composure and hyped excitement to drop in when his time to compete arrived. When in the start, all the rock, cliffs, and terrain features that are so prominently visible from below, disappear into a sea of white falling away to the finish thousands of meters below. With Mother Natures’ fickle beginning to winter, prior to departure, our training ground was limited to the few groomed routes open from the top of Sterling, and on occasion, (whew, thank you patrol and mountain ops) Sterling lifeline. His Global competition had been slaying it in exposed terrain, deep powder, and steeps, sending giant cliffs since the beginning of December. Our best training/stomping ground of Freefall, Lifeline/“Headwal” and Robin’s Run off Madonna 1 chair opened the day we left for Austria. You’re welcome Freeriders and lovers of M1!

During visual inspection the two days prior to dropping in for his competition run, Griffin sighted and chose an incredibly creative and spicy triple drop line (think 20-25 foot air, to 15-20 foot air, to 25 foot air exit, all in the same cliff zone) that exemplified what Freeride skiing is all about. None of those features were visible until he placed his left footer approach turn along the first cornice line, before the full commitment right footer turn dropping him perfectly into his intended triple drop line. Upon exit of the third drop with a small splash in the snow, he rose up and out and looked over his left shoulder for his next and final 35 foot “donger” air. Being slightly low of the donger entry he made the immediate and sound decision to ski cleanly and smoothly to the finish corral verses taking an unnecessary risk of airing slightly offline into the final abyss. Griffin placed 18th out 31competitors with this run, even with the splash and smooth exit verse the 35 footer. His run had the making of a top three or winning run, and he’s working hard to get back to Kappl next year! We as a community should be so proud of his skiing skills, risk management and leadership, that is guiding and inspiring the next generation of Smugglers’ Notch Ski and Snowboard Freeride athletes the Club is sure to produce using the incredible terrain we have at Smugglers’ Notch Resort to train upon.

For more visual excitement from the World Championships, along with continued skiing excitement from Smugglers’ Notch and beyond, please take a moment and follow on Instagram: griffinlarsonvt   teo.campbell   smugglersnotchvt  

and on Facebook: Smugglers’ Notch Ski & Snowboard Club for information about incredible Freeride and Alpine training programs.

Many thanks to ALL of Griffin’s Sponsors helping realize his dreams: Blizzard Skis, Tecnica Sports, Sweet Protection, Flylow Gear, BCA – Backcountry Access Gear, Flyin’ Ryan Foundation, Smugglers’ Notch Ski & Snowboard Club, Smugglers’ Notch Resort

Bryan Salatino, our very own SNSCVT Freeski Program Director and Vice President of IFSA (International Freeskiers Association) the governing competition body that pipelines athletes into the Junior World Championships and Freeride World Tour. Bryan was in Austria as well, to speak during the Opening Ceremony with FWT CEO Nicolas Hale-Woods on behalf of IFSA at the opening ceremony, pictured on the right. Bryan’s dedicated decade plus of instrumental work in growing our Freeski program at Smuggs to the elite level of today, and his role as VP with IFSA, to grow our sport freely and sensibly and the above opening ceremony mention is of paramount importance in the write up. His role with IFSA, passion for skiing, Smuggs and SNSCVT is the reason we have a logical competitive pathway that allowed an athlete and coach to end up in Austria for an unforgettable experience.