Clarkston’s ski program holds high expectations and two of its members, Eric Weiland and Hannah Wolf, helped the teams meet those standards.
On a girls? team which finished fourth in the state, Wolf emerged as a state champion in the giant slalom. On the boys? side, Weiland finished fourth in the slalom for the second consecutive season.
In 2006, Wolf’s sophomore season, she finished second in the giant slalom and third in the slalom. All eyes were on her this season, as she coasted to first- place finishes in the dual-meet race season, as well as wins in the Oakland Activities Association and Southeast Michigan Ski-race League events.
The 16-year-old was weeks away from having no season at all after fracturing her tibia on Copper Mountain in Colorado in late November.
‘I was concerned at first because I couldn’t walk, but then after I went to the doctor and they said 4-6 weeks and it was still early in the year, then I knew I would be able to come back from that,? Wolf said.
The fracture stayed in place and Wolf avoided wearing a cast. The injury healed, but still stuck in her mind early in the season.
‘I was afraid I was going to do something worse to it and I wasn’t as quick reacting, but after two weeks it was back to normal,? Wolf said.
The expectations for the phenom will be high once the season begins next year.
‘I would expect the same or an elevated level,? Clarkston coach Mike Foyteck said.
‘I imagine she will be perfect again and be a contender.?
Wolf raced in the J-2 national competition last week in Oregon, competing in the slalom and GS.
Wolf began ski racing at 8 years old and joined the Central United States Skiing and Snowboarding Association (CUSSA) at age 10. Competitions for the upper-tier league take place in northern Michigan.
‘It’s a huge benefit because we don’t have the terrain down here that there is up there and it provides the best training experience you can get in the Midwest. It has bigger hills that are longer and steeper and everything is another step up,? Wolf said.
After high school, Wolf would like to attend a Division I college, likely in Colorado, she said.
Throughout the season, Wolf was getting attention for her accolades, but pushed it out of her frame of thought.
‘It’s not something (to pay attention to) because the next day can be the worst, so you’ve got to stay on top of your game,? she said.
Wolf and teammate Trisha Peters pushed each other to stay on top all season as the they combined for a first and second-place tandem most of the season.
‘We’re really good friends and we’re both passionate about everything we do and skiing happens to be something we both like to do,? Wolf said.
‘She worked so hard this year and she had her best year’and it would be hard to ski without her on the hill. It will be hard next year.?
Although he did not claim a state crown as he wanted, Weiland improved every season at the state meet. As a freshman in 2004, Weiland took 13th place in the slalom and the following year he was seventh.
Unlike many Clarkstonites, Weiland began his skiing career on European slopes. He learned how to ski at 3 years old and took up snowboarding at 7. The Weilands lived in Sweden, Germany and Switzerland for nine years, and they moved to Clarkston from Boston when Eric was in sixth grade.
Weiland, a linebacker for the regional champion Clarkston football team, uses a considerable size advantage on the slopes, enabling him to race past challengers.
‘A ton of skiing is having really good core strength because you’re constantly going through terrain changes and (you’re) off balance. When you have enough strength to get yourself back to where you want to be, that’s a huge advantage,? Weiland said.
‘He’s just a big, strong athlete and has good athletic presence,? Foyteck said.
‘We’ll miss Eric a lot, he’s a great asset to that team.?
In addition to the expectations for the team, Weiland also had to ski after older sister Maureen brought home a state championship in the slalom in 2004.
‘I wanted to do as good as she did, but I didn’t quite get there,? Weiland joked.
‘My sister is very smart, so I have to live up to those standards as well.?
Weiland hopes to continue his career in college, having looked into the University of British Columbia. He hopes to major in business at the Vancouver school and said he would like to be a stockbroker or financial manager when he’s done.
‘Anything in international business would be ideal. I love to travel, since we’ve lived all around the world and we’ve visited so many places,? he said.
Weiland plans to trade in the skis and poles for a snowboard in the future. While living in Boston, he was part of a snowboard racing team prior to his move to Clarkston.
‘I wanted to do it here, but there wasn’t any type of real snowboard racing,? Weiland said.
Through the years, Weiland has also raced CUSSA to further his career.
‘They’re both great ski racers and they put a lot of time and energy into it,? Foyteck said of the team leaders.
With near certainty, both racers will be successful in any future snow ventures.