Chilliwack skier Reece Howden won another first-place finish, and this time it was on home snow.
Howden of Cultus Lake topped the podium at the FIS Ski Cross World Cup race in Collingwood, Ont. at the Craigleith Ski Club on Friday (March 14). It was his fifth World Cup gold of the season.
Second place went to Alex Fiva of Switzerland, and Canada's Kevin Drury took third.
“You gotta win the start here and you have be aggressive because you don’t have much time to make things happen,” Howden said. “I had a close one in the quarterfinals but just got him at the line. Being solid and precise is key on this track and you need maintain your space.”
Support from his fans was much more noticeable on a home mountain, he added.
“The fans have been unreal this week. This is by far the most energetic stop on the whole tour and everyone has been so welcoming and supportive. It’s amazing to race at home.”
Earlier this season, Howden placed first in four other World Cups around the globe: Arosa, Switzerland on Dec. 17; Innichen, Italy on Dec. 21; Val di Fassa, Italy on Feb. 9; and Gudauri, Georgia on March 1.
Next stop for Canada's ski cross team is St. Moritz, Switzerland from March 21 to 23, and then Idra Fjäll, Sweden on March 28 and 29, to determine the Crystal Globe overall winner.
Howden's most recent win moved him into second place in the FIS Freestyle World Cup standings with 838 points, behind Florian Wilmsmann of Germany with 850 points.
FIS stands for the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (Fédération Internationale de Ski).
