Toby Scarpella of the Purgatory Alpine Ski Team tops a roller and heads to the next gate on the giant slalom course last week at Durango Mountain Resort during the USSA Southern Series age class race. Competing in the Under 10 division, Scarpella won all four of his races during the two-day competition.
SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald
U12 racer Miles Bronson of the Purgatory Alpine Ski Team clears a gate on the giant slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort.
SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald
Tobin Ogden of the Purgatory Ski Team clears a gate on the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. Schafer competes in the U12 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald
Purgatory Ski Team member Miles Bronson of the U12 division clears a gate on the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Leit Schafer a U12 Division skier on the Purgatory Ski Team lines up on his next gate as he blazes down the Giant Slalom course during the Southern Series Age Class Race at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald
Purgatory Ski Team member Sadie Schafer picks up speed after clearing gate down the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. Watson competes in the ladies U14 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Purgatory Ski Team member Elena Gober focuses on her next gate as she blazes down the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort in the U12 division Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Paul Watson of the Purgatory Ski Team tops a roller and heads to the next gate on the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. Schafer competes in the U12 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Toby Scarpella of the Purgatory Ski Team tops a roller and heads to the next gate on the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Jacks Eggleston of the Purgatory Ski Team clears a gate on the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort during his first run at the Southern Series Age Class Race. Schafer competes in the U14 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Abbey Shepard of the Purgatory Ski Team focuses lines up on her next gate on the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort during the Southern Series Age Class Race. Watson competes in the ladies U12 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Miles Bronson of the Purgatory Ski Team's U12 division tops a roller and concentrates on his next gate on the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Annie Watson of the Purgatory Ski Team focuses on her next gate as she blazes down the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. Watson competes in the ladies U14 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Chloe Hirst of the Purgatory Ski Team tops a roller and tucks to line up on her next gate as she runs the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. Hirst competes in the ladies U12 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Jacks Eggleston of the Purgatory Ski Team focuses on his next gate as he blazes down the Giant Slalom course at Durango Mountain Resort Thursday during the Southern Series Age Class Race. Schafer competes in the U14 division. SHAUN STANLEY/Durango Herald<br>
Isabelle Washburn, Nicholas Unkovsky and Toby Scarpella each won all four of their races, topping results for the Purgatory Alpine Ski Team last week at Durango Mountain Resort in the first alpine ski races of the 2014 USSA Southern Series.
Racers from Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona in age divisions ranging from Under 8 to U16 competed in four giant slalom races on the Upper Hades ski run during the two-day event. That was followed during the weekend by a speed camp on the Upper Hades run in a Super G race format.
Washburn and Unkovsky were perfect in the U12 age group as was Scarpella among the U10s. Anne Chase had career-best finishes with two golds in the U16 Ability division, and Lucas Robbins led the U16 boys with gold- and silver-medal finishes.
Maddy LeSage (U10) had four top-three finishes including a gold, and Finn Scarpella (U8) had a gold and two silver-medal finishes.
Jack Eggleston skied aggressive lines that resulted in three crashes but came back to conquer the field with four first-place finishes in the practice Super G speed camp races Sunday.
“In their first giant slalom races of the season, the team posted terrific results,” Purgatory Alpine head coach Leah LeSage said.
Other notable results from Purgatory’s 37-member team included Wiley Corra with four runner-up finishes and Calvin Chase with three bronze-medal finishes among U12 boys; Ellie Gober, who was second to Washburn in all four races and Abbey Shephard with four bronzes among U12 girls; Maddie Jo Robbins with a silver and a bronze among U14 girls; and Izzy Bonecutter, who was second to Anne Chase in one of her races.
Jacob Ledbetter, a U12 racer, won the sportsmanship award for his constant positive attitude and willingness to assist during the race.
“With these early-season results, we look forward to getting into the bulk of our ski race season over the next few weeks,” LeSage said.
The Purgatory team next heads to Flagstaff, Ariz., for slalom races, then to Taos in early March for the Southern Series Championship, where Purgatory aims to keep the trophy it won last year.
