As winter hangs on for a few more weeks, Durango Winter Sports Club (DWSC) is reminiscing and enjoying what the season has to offer. DWSC had a very successful season by many measures despite the lack of snow in Southwest Colorado. It was hard to miss the numerous events at Purgatory Resort and Chapman Ski Hill each week.
“It's been a great year for the club,” former DWSC executive director Nate Greason said. “In addition to a ton of competitive success, we've really stepped up our programming here in Durango. We are excited about the events we've hosted … like the awesome rail jams and skills comps we hosted at Chapman during Snowdown … Our competitive success has been fueled by an amazing collection of sponsors. I am excited to see our support from the community and our ability to offer new, fun programs continue to grow, hand in hand.”
The DWSC freeride program had some quality results this winter. Freeride director Brian Buerger said the DWSC coaches have focused on technique and style development so that DWSC can compete with the bigger programs at the more challenging venues.
Patrick Matlock has had a great winter and spring at the U12 competitions. With first-place wins at Crested Butte, Taos and Monarch, Matlock qualified for the 2025 IFSA Junior Freeride Championship being held in Kirkwood, California, from Sunday to Wednesday. The championship is invite-only and features all the best athletes from all over North America.
Shane Rapiejko is also representing DWSC very well at the U15 level. He’s the only member of the team competing in the 3 Star series and has been placing in the top 10 consistently, with a sixth-place result in Telluride and a fifth-place result in Crested Butte. The 3 Star competitions feature the highest level of competition, are invite-only and have multiple days of competition on multiple venues. Rapiejko has been invited to attend the IFSA Junior Freeride Championship in Kirkwood, California, from April 9-13.
In freestyle, a large majority of the athletes ages 8-12 focus on practice and fun-spirited events hosted by the club, to build up their freestyle knowledge, skill and experience. Any athletes who wish to pursue the sport further can, and are encouraged to do so through Rocky Mountain Freestyle and USASA SW Colorado Series events.
“The improvement that we have seen from all of the younger athletes this season is immense, thanks to the excellent winter sports facilities at Purgatory Ski Resort and Chapman Hill Municipal Ski Resort,” freestyle team director Shane Ellis said. “It is exciting to see this model pay off with several top finishes at high-profile competitions and through the development of younger freestyle athletes, who are capable of the same achievement as they progress in their freestyle skiing journey.”
Amara Kirk had a good freestyle season, with several top-10 finishes, including first-place duals at the Southwest Freestyle Classic.
The snowboard program has grown to be the largest youth snowboard program in Southwest Colorado. Throughout the season with events at Purgatory Resort, Angel Fire and Aspen, the competitive team has qualified 13 athletes for USASA Nationals in various disciplines. Athletes receiving national invites this year include Meadow DeFeyter, Brooks DeFeyter, Alex DeFeyter, Ava Beaver, Lilly Anderson, Jaelee Grady, Micah Wachter, Luke Chavez, Reece Bird, Winter Swartz, Kendrick Keene, Saige Weese, and Meir Braam.
“These kids have worked hard all year training for these events along with the amazing coaching staff,” snowboard director Cody Beaver said. “I am so proud of the growth of athletes and the program over the past few years with the DWSC. Thanks to all of the parents who have supported this program. We couldn't do this without you.”
