Local talent shreds at USASA Nationals in Colorado

Earlier this year, when the cooler weather kept the snow strong, members of the Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine team competed at the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) races at Alpine Valley in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

The races at Alpine Valley were separate from school-sponsored events, so athletes that did attend usually did so on the weekends after the week of conference competition here in the Northwoods.  

By competing in these races — which included boardercross, slalom and giant slalom — Rhinelander senior Soren Dumar and Northland Pines senior Sydney Sarkauskus qualified for the USASA national event. 

Dumar said “(Alpine Valley) races really introduced me to a different side of racing.” 

Increased competition came with Alpine Valley races, and even better competition followed at the national event in Copper Mountain, Colo., held March 27 to April 1. 

Both Dumar and Sarkauskus competed in boardercross, while Dumar also raced in slalom and giant slalom at the national event. The duo represented the Midwest Best Series, along with fellow snowboarders Gavin Schauble from West Bend and Jacee Erickson from La Crosse. The Midwest Best Series is one of the regional outlets for USASA and the one that competes in Alpine Valley where Dumar and Sarkauskus qualified for the larger national event. 

After Dumar and Sarkauskus had a mandatory training day on March 28, they joined Schauble and Erickson to march with all regional USASA groups from around the country at the opening ceremony before national competition began the next day. 

Dumar was the first to compete on March 29, but it didn’t go as originally planned. 

During a trial run, Dumar had fallen and was beat up with several ailments, including a chipped tooth, tailbone and arm pain, and had hit his head hard enough for ski patrol to ask him concussion protocol questions. 

“My heart sank,” said Ingrid Bodensteiner, who traveled with Dumar and Sarkauskus to Colorado. “For the first two years of (Dumar’s) alpine career, he had season ending injuries.” 

She spoke with ski patrol officials who said ‘he’s answering (concussion protocol) questions appropriately,’ so officials decided to clear him to race, but given Dumar’s ailments, Bodensteiner was unsure what the rest of the week would hold. 

Dumar said he had trouble with his arm right out of the gate, as the boardercross race started and he pulled himself onto the course. 

A difference in the USASA scoring format for both Dumar and Sarkauskus was the bracket scoring of the race. This meant that all racers boarded at the same time as others, in heats, instead of boarding by themselves and having time be the only competition to race. 

Sarkauskus made it to the semifinal in boardercross, and placed sixth overall, while Dumar took tenth. 

Alpine team head coach, Rod Olson, said “boardercross, it was difficult...A lot of the Wisconsin kids struggled with it, but maybe a little different style or something like that. But (Dumar) cleaned up in the, in the two technical events.”

    Soren Dumar took home gold in the snowboard Junior Men (17-18) overall racing championship with 3,272 points. (Contributed photograph)
  

Dumar ended up with the a bronze medal in giant slalom, and was joined on the podium by Schauble of West Bend. 

The following day, Dumar was in a tight race with Schauble in slalom, taking the silver after Schauble beat the differential in the final race and took home gold. 

Despite early difficulties, Dumar won gold in the 2026 Overall USASA National Championship Racing for the Junior Men’s (17-18 year-olds). He totaled 3,272 points overall across the three disciplines he competed in.

“He’s a great boarder. I’m so glad that he pulled it together” Olson said. 

Dumar added that his experience at nationals “was a really, really great time.”

“Everyone there was really, really good and it was fun to watch different disciplines,” he said. 

Dumar got sponsorship support to attend the event from Clark Corporation, Nicolet Bank, Child’s Frame Co., and a few private donors, which Bodensteiner and Dumar are extremely grateful for in making the experience and opportunity possible.

Blake Richard may be reached via email at [email protected].