UW ski racing team makes historic run to nationals

SEATTLE - Despite one of the worst ski seasons in recent memory in Washington state and barely being able to run traditional practices, the Husky Ski Team, a student-run ski racing club at the University of Washington, is competing at nationals this week in New York.

It’s the first time both the men and women have qualified in the same year in the club’s remembered history. "Finding out we both qualified was my favorite part of the season. Not being able to train has definitely been rough, but I think we’ve improved with every race," team co-captain Marion Garabedian said.

The struggling mountain conditions this season haven't dampened the mood for the team whatsoever. They are taking advantage of every single opportunity that they get to ski with their teammates, thanks to a strong sense of community that has formed within the club.

What they're saying:

"They’re like my best friends in the world," team co-captain Cody Trinkaus said. "I live with a bunch of people on the team, I have for years. Outside of skiing, they are my biggest support system. They’ve seen me through injury, they’ve seen me through heartbreak. They’ve seen me through great successes. The community really is the defining factor of my college experience."

Husky Ski Team (Via GoFundMe)

"...it’s emotional seeing all my hard work and everyone’s hard work, it’s all just successful. Everyone having fun, it makes me really emotional because I really worked hard, and we all worked so hard, and it’s really exciting to see the payoff," Garabedian said.

That hard work started with fostering a positive environment in an incredibly intense sport, placing more of an emphasis on enjoying the season rather than the stress and pressure to succeed that many racers experience.

"I joined the team my sophomore year at UW. It was the best decision ever because I remember being in the Quad, and the people that were trying to convince me to do it were like, ‘it’s like ski racing but no trauma.’ And it’s totally been true, it’s been all the good of it and none of the bad." Garabedian said.

"I think that our ability to perform well is thanks to that fun-loving community that we’ve built. There’s not pressure to be the best skier on the mountain. It’s just about having fun and doing what we do. Results come from feeling like a team and trusting each other," Trinkaus said.

And when it comes to nationals, the team isn’t straying away from the mentality that got them there. "We’re really just happy to be there, we’re happy to wave our flag around and have people see us and see both our men’s and women’s teams there, and we’re not going to worry too much about how it goes. We’re just proud to be there," Garabedian said.

The national championships begin on Tuesday for the Huskies and go through Sunday. The team has a GoFundMe setup to help cover costs for the trip.

If you're looking to watch the Huskies compete, the races will be live-streamed on YouTube.