In the racing spirit

By Tara Nelson

“There’s not a feeling like it when you’re at the top and they say ‘go’ and you’re out the gate and around the corner and all these people are watching you. Your heart is just about beating out of your chest; you can hardly breathe.” – Ian Galt, four-time participant in the Legendary Banked Slalom snowboard race at Mt. Baker Ski Area.

Ian Galt thinks he knows one way to stay close to his kids.

Several years ago, the 52-year-old Kelowna, B.C. resident realized his children weren’t getting any younger. But instead of passively watching them grow up and away, he joined them snowboarding.
“When my kids stepped over to the other side, I figured I would never see them again if I stayed on skis,” he said. “So I joined the cross over.”

Today, Galt, his daughter Kelsey, 17, and his son, Taylor, 20, not only snowboard together, they routinely race in snowboard competitions throughout the United States and Canada.

Galt and Kelsey will compete for their fourth time at this year’s Mt. Baker Ski Area’s 21 and 1/2 Annual Legendary Banked Slalom. (The half represents the event that was cancelled last year because of a lack of snow, said Gwyn Howat, business office manager for the ski area.)
It took Galt three years of entering their names in the qualifying drawing, which works similarly to a lottery. In 2001, Galt was finally admitted into the competition. Kelsey and Taylor were not. Then, when a racer in the amateur men’s division from British Columbia backed out because of a knee injury, Taylor attempted to sneak into the race using his name.

“It didn’t work,” Galt said. “But because he tried so hard, they let him in. And he ended up winning in his division, which was the young amateur’s division. He was 14 at the time.”

The next year, Kelsey passed the qualifier and placed second in the amateur women’s leg, ages 14 to 27. At 14, she was the youngest in her division.

Two years later, in 2004, she was a runner up in the women’s pro division. This year, Kelsey will race in the event’s pro women, though she said she prefers folk-style competition, which emphasizes the use of jumps, rails and half-pipe tricks, rather than downhill racing. Galt will race in the grand masters leg – a division for racers 50 and older. Taylor won’t be racing at all this year.

When asked what she thinks about snowboarding with her father, Kelsey said she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I pretty much competed with him all my life because we started together,” she said.

Galt agreed, although he credits much of his skill to watching Kelsey.
“She runs right by me,” he said. “The way I train for this race, we go there a day early, Kelsey goes out the gate first and then I go right behind her and I follow what she does. She shows me there’s nothing to worry about.”

Galt said he and his family live close to Big White, but will often make the four-hour commute from Kelowna to spend the day playing at Mt. Baker. It’s also one of their favorite places to compete, Kelsey said.
“Sometimes when I go to competitions, some people are uptight and not as easy going,” she said. “But at Baker, everyone seems to be friends. There’s definitely a down to earth atmosphere. Plus, everybody in the competition gets a free salmon dinner, which gives you a chance to meet everyone and feel comfortable with the competition and everyone there.”

Galt agreed.

“I just love Mt. Baker,” he said. “I think it’s the mystique of Mt. Baker being in a natural forest where there’s not a bunch of condos and chain stores.”

Galt said, as ski areas get bigger, the natural feel of the area is often ruined. At Baker, however, that natural feel is still there.

“It’s such a beautiful place,” he said. “We just really hope that it stays in the national forest and doesn’t become lined with hotels and condominiums. It should be classified as one of the wonders of the world. But not talked about.”

If you want to watch: Mt. Baker Ski Area will host the famous snowboard race beginning at 9 a.m., February 3 through 5 and the bonfire is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday and is available to the public for $11 per person.