More than 400 athletes from Alberta alpine ski teams are in town as the Jasper Junior Olympics (JJOs) return to Marmot Basin.
Meanwhile, Jasper’s fastest brothers are carving up Europe.
The sounds of cowbells and cheers will echo through the Rocky Mountains as young racers—U12 and U10 skiers on Dromedary; U8s on Schoolhouse—are urged on by teammates, coaches, volunteers, staff and their own families at the JJOs March 1-3.
“HUGE thanks to all the volunteers that got right to business prepping for JJO 2025 today,” sang the JJOs social media page on February 28.
All racers, but the Jasper Ski Team especially, can draw extra inspiration this weekend from former JST members, Jesse and Jake Kertesz-Knight. The two Jasper brothers’ ski careers have been rising steadily and as the JJOs play out here in the Rockies, Jake and Jesse will be standing in the starting gates of race courses in Italy and Slovenia, respectively.
Both brothers are currently members of the Banff Alpine Racers e-Team—an elite division of the FIS club which serves as a launchpad for international competition. Fresh off of a decisive FIS Slalom win on February 13 at Mount Norquay, Jake, 19, has been selected as a member of Canada‘s Junior National Team and will spend the next week competing in Tarvisio, Italy at the World Jr. Championships. Starting on Saturday, Jake will race in the team combined event, giant slalom and slalom this week.
Meanwhile, thanks to some spectacular results this year, including two first place finishes, 21-year-old Jesse recently earned his first ever start in the Audi FIS Ski World Cup, taking place in Kranjska Gora, Solvenia, just across the border from where Jake is racing. Also a member of the Banff Alpine Racers e-Team, Jesse’s debut World Cup race is this Sunday, March 2.
Dedicated fans in Europe could, conceivably, see both Kertesz-Knight brothers race—the two ski areas might be in different countries but they’re only about 20 kms apart. So if Jake and Jesse aren’t actually able to watch each other’s races in person (with their parents, Mike and Louise, cheering them on), they might still be close enough to meet up for a family dinner at the end of their race day.
Certainly here in Jasper, proud Jasper grandparents Ray and Fay Knight will be tuning into watch both grandsons compete (Jake’s World Jr. Championship races will be live streamed on the FIS TV app; Jesse’s World Cup race will be televised live on CBC).
And if it’s not the Knights’ cheers echoing through the valley, it’ll be those raining down from the JJOs at Marmot Basin. Good luck to all racers this weekend!
Jesse Lent // info@thejasperlocal.com
