Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club alumni Gavin Murphy earned International Freeskier & Snowboarder Association Big Mountain gold at a national competition in Breckenridge last weekend. 

The event marked the final IFSA 3 National event of the season and the wind factor collapsed a three-day event into just two finals days.  

Murphy, a recent graduate of Steamboat Springs High School, took to the course on Day 2 for the U19 men’s event. He hit several big features on his run, with some tricks thrown in to solidify himself at the top of the field. 

Fellow SSWSC alum Ellie Reynolds, who won the previous event in Snowbird, had the best line score of the day for the women but crashed on her last air before the finish and ended in 13th place.

Robbie Wodnick, an active SSWSC athlete, dropped in straight out of the start into one of the steepest spots on the venue. He closed out the day in the upper half of the field at 25th overall. 

The day prior, the U15 field made its way on-course for a tricky weather day. Through breaks in the weather, athletes rolled, dropped and flew off the cornice into the venue. 

U15 female skier Reagan Farrell competed in her first-ever 3 event, lining up two large cliffs joined by fast and fluid carves to secure fifth in the competition. 

Vander Zuck topped his run off with a massive air to take seventh in the field of 60. 

With this final 3 National event behind them, SSWSC athletes are looking toward their next event: Junior Freeride Championships in Kirkwood, California.

SSWSC has seven athletes who have received invitations this year. U15 male skiers Vander Zuck, Branigan Murphy and Banks Ward received invitations, while Ryan Montgomery punched his ticket in the U19 male skiers. 

In the Single Plank world (snowboarders) — Riley McNew, Reid Graham and Jayla McGlone have all been selected to represent Steamboat.

SSWSC alumni Ellie Reynolds and Gavin Murphy, who are now with Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, also qualified.