A Fernie skier has taken second place at the Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier in Jackson Hole.
Caleb Brown, 19, from the Fernie Alpine Resort Freeride team stunned the judges with an aggressive line at the qualifier at the resort in Wyoming on Saturday.
Brown, a Fernie Secondary School graduate, finished with a score of 80.53, putting him in second place in the mens category.
But, according to Brown, he can always do better. “It’s good, but it’s not good enough until you’re first,” said Brown.
“The support from the community has been great.”
His Mom, Christa Moffat, was more enthused by her son’s result.
“I think he really enjoyed himself, especially being on the podium!” she said. “I’m his biggest fan!”
He won $1,500 with his second place finish at the event.
Ten women and 21 men took part on the second day of the competition, after the majority of skiers were eliminated on Friday.
Only the top four women and top seven men were added to the pre-qualified athletes’ list for the rest of the 2011 tour. Brown was one of only two Canadians to make it to day two and to qualify.
He plans to join the World Tour on March 8 at Snowbird in Utah and also is planning to take part in a movie called “The Highway” which follows the legendary Powder Highway stretch of road that takes in Fernie, Revelstoke, Golden, Kimberley, Nelson and Rossland. He will be filmed cat skiing near Nelson.
Last year Brown, who works at The Guides Hut in Fernie and builds bike trails at Fernie Alpine Resort in the summer, finished in fifth place in the 2010 North American Freeskiing Championships in Kirkwood, California. He received the Young Gun award at the same event. He finished 19th overall on the 2010 Freeski World Tour.