Maëlle Ricker won the Legendary Banked Slalom at Washington’s Mount Baker for the seventh year in a row on Sunday (Feb .10), also moving into first all-time for total victories at the 28th annual snowboard race.
Ricker, the reigning Olympic and world snowboard cross champ, continued her win streak in the pro women’s class with a time of one minute, 37.065 seconds. Whistler’s Leanne Pelosi (1:44.450) also raced in the division and finished fifth.
Ricker’s seven wins at the Legendary Banked Slalom broke a tie with Karleen Jeffery, who won six titles in the 1990s, for most by a pro women’s rider. She also tied Terje Hakonsen for most wins overall, as the Norwegian legend has seven pro men’s victories at Mount Baker.
Fellow Olympic snowboard cross champ Seth Wescott took top spot in the men’s event, with Squamish’s Rob Fagan, a national snowboard cross team member, finishing fourth against a field that included big names like Hakonsen and Travis Rice.
Whistler’s Wes Makepeace and Chris Rasman finished 22nd and 27th, respectively, in the pro men’s race. Kevin Sansalone competed in the pro masters division and the Whistler rider took ninth place.
Whistler’s Finn Finestone, 9, and Jadyn Chomlack, 10, rode into third and fourth place, respectively, in the next generation class. Pemberton rider Tommy Hartl raced in the older amateurs division and wound up 17th.
Daniel Fear, also of Pemberton, finished 18th in the men’s masters race to round out local results.
