Valdez, Alaska
April 1-6, 1998

The best free skiers on the planet will converge for three days of competition during the 1998 World Extreme Skiing Championships (WESC) in Valdez. Check here for the LIVE Mountain Zone cybercast as these skiers gather to rip in the rugged terrain of Alaska.

"Everything is so much bigger up there than it looks from down here," Jill Sickles-Matlock, a long-time WESC competitor, said after last year's contest.

Safety considerations are held as a high priority and this year WESC has introduced an elimination format in order to limit risks. All 36 competitors will compete for the first two days, and the final day will be narrowed to the top 15 and three women.

"Safety is definitely the most important aspect of putting this event together," said Mark Johnson, WESC President. "We want people to come here and have fun. To walk away saying, 'this place rips!' If we can keep people safe and put on a great event too, we know folks will want to come back and bring their friends."

Eliminating some of the risk factor is an aspect the WESC board of directors agrees is critical.

"We can reduce our exposure by narrowing the field to those skiers that could win the event with their final run," explained WESC Executive Director Patrick McIntyre. "Every other event in the World Cup Tour of Extreme/Freeskiing has a cut on its final day. It just makes sense," he said.

Many of the competitors are already selected. Previous WESC finishes along with performances in seven other extreme events held in Europe, Japan, North and South America determine the field which is then approved by an international review committee.

In the women's class, Wendy Fisher will return as a result of her top finish in the South American Extremes, the Red Bull Competition in Chamonix, France, and prior successes in Valdez. Alison Gannett, winner of the Canadian Free Skiing Championships, will also compete. Jill Sickels and Heidi Vanwinkle enter WESC '98 following the US Extremes in Crested Butte, CO and last year's bronze finisher A.J. Cargill is also returning.

On the men's roster, 1997 competitors confirmed to return include Brant Moles, Dave "Swany" Swanwick, Aaron McGovern, Robbie Rollins, and Jeremy Nobis. In addition, Chris Murphy, John Dill, Matt Belleville, and Chris Davenport will race, along with Valdez local Jesse Tol.

International skiers include Daisuke Sasaki, Sebastian Michaud, Denis Ray, and Jason Prigge. Richard Greener qualified with his first place finish in the South American Extremes, and Gordy Peifer winner of the Canadian Free Skiing Championship. Rex Wehrman, winner of the U.S. Extremes and Scott Aitkens from the Red Mountain Extremes round out the entrants thus far with the Japanese Extremes and the Alaska Extremes still to be run prior Valdez.

— Michelle Quigley, Mountain Zone Staff