World Pro Ski Tour Coming To Maine - Sunday River To Host Pro Ski Tour, March 30-31
For the second year in a row, the World Pro Ski Tour will return to Sunday River for the final competition of the season, the Visit Maine Pro Ski Championship on March 30 and 31, 2018. Olympian Nolan Kasper and several other international competitors will compete for the $10,000 cash prize. Entering the championship event, Kasper holds a slim one-point lead over Michael Ankeny for the $5,000 season-long prize.
The weekend event is expected to attract many visitors to watch a competitive field that includes Olympian Nolan Kasper who competed in Pyeongchang, South Korea, less than a month ago. Kasper will be challenged by 2014 Olympians from Slovakia, Adam Zampa and Andreas Zampa. The two racers each won a silver medal in the 2017 World Championships Dual Team Event. In total, the field includes more than 30 competitors from across the World Cup and collegiate ranks. The professional dual-alpine ski race format will put the racers side by side on the Monday Mourning course that will be entirely visible from the base area at Barker Mountain. The event will be free and open to the public.
"We are thrilled to be bringing the tour back to Sunday River," said Ed Rogers, president of the World Pro Ski Tour. "The event last year was a big reason we were able to add more locations and races to the tour this season. The business growth we have seen along with the quality of skiers that have competed in the events has made us proud to say the tour is back!"
The World Pro Ski Tour races will be televised on CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, which is available nationally. The Visit Maine Pro Ski Championship will be broadcast on April 15 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
After winning the World Pro Ski Tour opener at Waterville Valley and competing in the Pyeongchang Olympics, Nolan Kasper will lead the field at Sunday River. Photo credit Mike Gridley
Olympian Nolan Kasper captured the $10,000 prize at the first competition at Waterville Valley Resort in February. On March 10, AJ Ginnis, a member of the US Ski Team and 2017 US and Canadian National Slalom champion, won the most recent event, the Rocky Mountain Classic at Snowmass, Colorado. The races on March 30 and 31 at Sunday River in Newry, Maine, mark the final event for the World Pro Ski Tour this season.
Schedule of events
Thursday, March 29
- 7- 9 p.m. - Tito's Opening Reception at the Grand Summit
Friday, March 30
- 12 p.m. - Qualification
- 3-5 p.m. - Tito's Apres Party at the Foggy Goggle
- 8-10 p.m. - Tito's Evening Party at Trail's End
Saturday, March 31
- 11 a.m. - Finals
- 4-6 p.m. - Tito's Apres Party at the Barker Bar
- 8-10 p.m. - Tito's Closing Party at the Matterhorn
Among the racers scheduled to compete in the Visit Maine Pro Ski Championship are:
- Michael Ankeny (Wayzata, Minnesota)
- Philip Brown (Toronto, Ontario)
- Jake Jacobs (Glens Falls, New York)
- Nolan Kasper (Warren, Vermont)
- Robby Kelley (Starksboro, Vermont)
- Theo Leleu (Grenoble, France)
- Johnny Manekin (Park City, Utah)
- Tucker Marshall (Pittsfield, Vermont)
- Kyle Martinson (Schroeder, Minnesota)
- Sam Ricker (Turner, Maine)
- Alec Tarberry (North Conway, New Hampshire)
- Adam Zampa (Vysoke Tatry, Slovakia)
- Andreas Zampa (Vysoke Tatry, Slovakia)
The World Pro Ski Tour is supported by premier sponsors Tito's Handmade Vodka, Maine Office of Tourism and Greenhead Lobster, along with many other tour partners.
