The Cypress Ski Club U10 and U12 teams travelled to Whistler for the JANYK Cup weekend, hosted by the Whistler Mountain Ski Club at the Dave Murray National Training Centre (Ptarmigan). This BC Alpine–sanctioned event brought together Coast Zone and WB RDP athletes for a weekend centered on skill development, confidence-building, and quality competition.
Event Overview
The JANYK Cup weekend is designed to support athletes at different stages of the LTAD pathway, with age-appropriate programming and a strong emphasis on learning through racing.
- Saturday, January 31 featured the NGSL Skills Event, open to U10 and U12 Coast Zone racers, as well as U10, U12, and U14 WB RDP athletes. The skills-based format exposed athletes to a wide range of skiing tasks and environments, keeping the focus on effort, adaptability, and fun rather than results.
- Sunday, February 1 included two race formats:
- U10 Glalom, open to U10 Coast Zone racers and U10 WB RDP athletes (born 2016–2017), providing valuable race mileage in a supportive setting.
- U12 JANYK Cup Giant Slalom, open to U12 Coast Zone racers, U12 WB RDP athletes (born 2014–2015), and U14 WB RDP athletes (born 2012–2013). The GS featured two combined runs per gender, raced from Club 21 Bench to Sunset, challenging athletes to manage speed, line choice, and terrain.
Cypress U12 Giant Slalom Results
A special congratulations to Ella MacRae, who finished 7th overall, earning a Top 10 result in the U12 Women’s Giant Slalom. Ella delivered two confident, composed runs, demonstrating strong fundamentals and smart tactical decision-making on a demanding Whistler course.
From a Cypress Ski Club perspective, our U12 athletes delivered composed and confident Giant Slalom performances, translating their training into solid Top 3 results against a strong field.
Women
- Ella Macrae – 7th Overall (Top 10 Finish)
- Stacy Chung – 20th Overall
- Charlotte Veillette – 23rd Overall
Men
- Boslan Hong – 15th Overall
- Lucas Kan – 22nd Overall
- Rhys Lang – 25th Overall
Building Confidence Beyond the Course
Recognizing that the JANYK Cup is often the first official race experience for many U12 athletes, the Cypress U12 coaches hosted a special indoor technical talk at the Club Cabin ahead of race day. The session focused on stress management, race-day organization, and understanding the flow of a competition, helping athletes feel prepared, calm, and confident before stepping into the start gate.
This off-hill preparation played an important role in supporting athletes as they navigated inspections, start procedures, and the emotional demands of racing—skills that are just as critical as what happens on snow.
Coach’s Take
From the NGSL Skills Event to race-day execution, our athletes demonstrated focus, resilience, and strong team spirit. Weekends like this are about learning how to race well, support teammates, and build confidence through experience.
We’re proud of how our U10 and U12 athletes represented Cypress Ski Club on and off the hill and look forward to carrying this momentum forward as the season continues.
A sincere thank you to our Cypress coaches and parent volunteers, whose time, energy, and commitment made this weekend possible. From early-morning logistics and course support to calm encouragement in the start area, their presence created a positive, organized environment that allowed our athletes to focus on skiing, learning, and enjoying their racing experience. We are incredibly grateful for the strength of our Cypress Ski Club community.
Go Cypress!
