After a slow start to her 2012-13 snowboard cross season on Dec. 8, Squamish's Maelle Ricker bounced back in Colorado on Friday (Dec. 14).
Ricker placed second at the Telluride FIS event on Friday and told The Chief she was happy to improve on her 13th place finish the previous week.
“The race [on Friday] went really well,” she said. “I should feel really happy and excited but I'm relieved more than anything else that I was able to come back with a good finish after my opening World Cup in Austria. In Austria I was out in the first round, the first time I've done that in five or six years. So I was glad to turn it around this week, pulled up my socks.”
It was a strong day overall for Team Canada at the event, as Ricker's teammate Dominique Maltais picked up first place in the women's division and Christopher Robanske from Calgary placed third for the men.
“It was great to see Chris back on the podium as well in the men's race,” Ricker said. “He had an amazing start and also did a great pass near the finish to grab third place.”
Ricker and Maltais then partnered up on Saturday (Dec. 15) to win the team event, edging out the Swiss team of Simona Meiler and Emilie Aubry. It was the first time the duo had ever won first in their career.
“Dom and I decided last night that I would start and she would anchor the team,” Ricker said. “I really wanted to make sure that I gave Dom a lead so she wouldn't have to deal with traffic at all in the race. My starts were much better than in the race on Friday, which allowed me pick my lines down the course and give lots of breathing room for her runs. We had fast boards and great energy pushing us down the course from the rest of the team.”
The boarders will now have a month off before the Mazda Snowboard FIS Championship in Quebec from Jan. 15 to 26.
For more information and full results from the event, visit www.fis-ski.com.
