Athletes demonstrate technical progress in drill-based event as season enters final stretch

KETCHUM, Idaho – March 16, 2026 – Athletes from the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) Alpine U12 North Series Team gathered for the fourth and final installment of the season’s Pastry Cup on March 15, with this version serving as a unique skills-based competition designed to highlight the technical fundamentals of ski racing.

Unlike previous iterations, the final Pastry Cup of every season focuses on core skiing movements and drills that form the foundation of high-level alpine racing. Athletes were evaluated across several technical exercises—including tip-down drills, skating, hop turns, and straight-line edge set challenges—that test balance, edging, and agility.

“It was a great day for our fourth Pastry Cup, which also happens to be my favorite,” said North Series Head Coach Claudia Stern. “We hammer these drills and skills all season because they are crucial to progression as ski racers. Every World Cup ski racer spends hours working on drills—yes, even Mikaela Shiffrin.”

After several weeks spent refining these movements in training, athletes demonstrated noticeable improvement during the competition.

“We are so proud of every one of you who worked so hard over the past few weeks perfecting your skills for this event,” Stern said. “These skills are not easy, and everyone showed impressive improvement thanks to all their hard work.”

With just a few weeks remaining in the season, the North Series team now turns its attention to upcoming events. Athletes will travel to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the Intermountain Division (IMD) Championships before returning to Sun Valley for the final week of training. The season will conclude with the Gary Black Jr. Memorial Race on March 29 at Arc Park, featuring a fun dual race format followed by end-of-season awards. 

Athlete Results

Boys

Girls