As the Michaelmas term was winding down and the whole community was looking forward to their holidays, thirty-five Etonians headed to the town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies for an action-packed week of slalom, ice hockey, and fun on the slopes.
Our return to Jasper this year was uncertain. Over the summer, the town was ravaged by wild fires, with a third of the town being destroyed. The destruction remains scarred onto the landscape, with shells of houses and bare slopes visible. It is testament to the enormous, good nature of the locals that they welcomed three hundred British school children to their town, as though it was a normal year.
At the ski resort, it was business as usual. The main event of the week was the Canada Cup and annual ski racing competition. Seven British schools go head-to-head with each other over four days, with Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Parallel Slalom events. This year saw a much larger Eton team, giving us a more competitive footing. Our results did not disappoint, with seven Etonians finishing in the top fifty racers for both events, despite being the smallest team. Additionally, George S won a gold medal in the Open Giant Slalom, and a silver medal in the Open Slalom competitions. Our cumulative score gave us a very respectable position of fourth overall. I have no doubt that we can build on this in future competitions.
Alongside the competition, many boys also took a course to qualify as ski instructors. In addition to developing their proficiency at skiing, they also learned pedagogical and leadership skills. However, most fun was had in the mountains was outside of these more formal events. Many boys enjoyed relaxing on the slopes after a busy half, as well as honing their skills over some tricky terrain. In addition, Mr Phillips and Mr Haighton carved their first tracks into the snow, often with some instruction by boys. By the third day, Mr Phillips even made his way down a very demanding black run!
It would be remiss to write about the fantastic time that was had on the trip without mentioning Madame Dano. Her tireless planning over the course of nine months came alive during our week in Jasper and she deserves enormous thanks for her hard work. Moreover, we would also like to thank Mr Nevin-Jones, Madame Tschaine, Mr Haighton, and Mr Phillips made for giving up a week of their holiday to join us!
