Boys' School 3rd time North Island Ski Champions 2016

This year’s North Island Primary and Intermediate Schools Ski squad were boys keen to win. This was evident when they got together with an elaborate ski tuning kit and spent hours making sure all their skis were in top shape for the week. 

The Giant Slalom was on day one.  In this race the boys had two runs down and around gates to post their best times. After the races the boys felt really good about their runs, but it wasn't until that night when the results were posted they realised how well they had actually done.  The rankings were; Jack Harman 2nd, Jack Mitchell 3rd, James Stanfield 5th, Tom Hope 9th, Sebastian Bull 14th, Asti Wallace 48th, Oscar Cottrell 56th, Sam Bergman 80th, and Harrison Urquhart 82nd.

All the boys finished within the top half of the field and the A team had four top 10 finishes out of 167 boys. Disappointment for Eli Harris though as he hurt himself on his first run and was withdrawn from the competition. 

This placed the boys ahead of Kings School after day one, with a slim 2 point lead. The anticipation was fierce that night as the boys once again attended to tuning their equipment to be ready to defend their trophy. 

The final day brought still conditions and a flat light making the task hard for all skiers. The B team did well winning half of their races. The A team then stepped forward with some trepidation and a lot to prove. 

"It was the most exciting five minutes of racing I have ever seen" commented Mr. Barter the team manager after the races. It started with Sebastian Bull on the red course, flying to victory over his opponent. Next was Tom Hope who also won in a close race, as his skills as a racer proved too much for the other skier. Then came the most pivotal race of the day with James Stanfield coming up against the top King’s School skier. Again it was a close race but James prevailed making our path to victory much easier. Jack Mitchell was next, easily winning when his opponent slipped and was out of the race early. This left Jack Harman who unfortunately also slipped at a gate, but showed true class by regrouping and skiing hard to the end. This gave the A team 18 out of 20 points, making the victory almost certain.

There was a nervous wait while the girls’ schools finished. Dio were also in the hunt for the trophy but needed to win all their races to overtake our boys. 

The hours of waiting for the results were worth every minute as it was finally confirmed that Saint Kentigern Boys’ School were Winners of the 2016 North Island Primary and Intermediate Schools Snow Sports Championships for the 3rd year in a row. Both A and B teams placed in the top half of the field.

It was a great win and we have to thank the parents who helped all week to make sure that the boys stayed focused and made their races on time. It was truly a team effort that brought the trophy back home to our school.

Well done to our winning teams!