388 High School Racers Flock to Mount Hood for the First Kelsey Hewitt Memorial Race

388 Oregon high school ski racers got the racing season rolling with the first annual Kelsey Hewitt Memorial Run Race at Mt Hood Meadows on Monday, January 2.

The race was organized in honor of Kelsey Hewitt, daughter of long-time Grant/Cleveland racing coach Randy Hewitt and his wife Elise. Kelsey raced for Grant High School from 2006 to 2009 and later moved to Jackson Hole to ski and work in the Grand Tetons. She died in a tree-well skiing accident in December of 2015

The season-opening race held in Kelsey’s honor had 2 sets of dual GS courses set up on Stadium run, with racers taking 2 runs each. Girls skied skiers’ left courses, while the boys were in the right side of the run. It was cold, but not insanely cold as the forecast was calling for. There were prizes for best costumes, Frisbees, cookies, candy handed out. Just an all-around fun themed day to honor Kelsey.

Here’s a photo of Elise Hewitt (Kelsey’s mom) and Ron Yost (former Metro Ski League President and friend of the Hewitt family):

Besides the usual suspects, the event brought in racers from non-traditional ski racing high schools: Newberg, Dufer, Columbia, South Wasco (Maupin), plus one racer from Sisters High School. Furthest traveled would probably be racers from Crater High School, near Medford. Colin Howe, who finished 3rd overall for the boys, races for Columbia high school in White Salmon, WA.