The 77th 4-Way Races feature four disciplines; including a night slalom, giant slalom, nordic sprint and gelande jump. Results are combined to name the overall male and female Champions.
This 3-day event will take place at Little Ski Hill and Brundage Mountain Resort in McCall, ID, February 24-27, 2022.
Since the beginnings of Little Ski Hill, four-way competitions were what races were made of. In 1946, a 40-foot-tall ski jump was built with wooden scaffolding just 200 feet from Idaho state highway 55. Little Ski Hill was the training grounds for McCall’s 13-and-younger Mitey Mites Ski Team; some of whom went on to compete at the Olympic level. In 1948, Corey Engen of McCall took third in ski jumping at the Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Going off the jump was a rite of passage for local youth skiers who would first practice their jumping skills on a nearby smaller jump. “In the days before Brundage Mountain, that was how we got our downhill practice for getting used to speed on skis,” said Dave Engen, US Ski Team member 1965-66.
Today, The Little Ski Hill is not all that different. Still, it’s a special place for dawn-to-dusk winter recreation with lights and a new T-bar (2021). Cost of a lift ticket is just $20 for kids. Temperature of the local craft beer on tap is cold for the adults and the churros are hot for everyone at the Lodge. Participating athletes will remember this event for a lifetime and are encouraged to enter all 4 events.
The JUMP is much smaller than that of the big jump designed by the Engen brothers and practice jumps will be scheduled prior to competition on Saturday, 2/25/22.
The NORDIC course is short and flat at the base of the LSH T-Bar. Many athletes compete in this XC sprint on their alpine skis!
The GS races will happen on Alpine Run at Brundage Mountain Sunday, 2/26/22 followed by an awards ceremony. Top 5 boys
and top 5 girls in each discipline and age group(U8, U10, U12, U14) will earn a medal; as will the overall boy and girl who compete
in all 4 events.
The SLALOM races will be lit by moon and Friday night lights at LSH, 2/24/22. From the Lodge deck, spectators can watch and cheer on the athletes. These will kick-off the 77th Annual 4-Way Races. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this tradition and remembering Chris Bodily; past ski racer and coach for McCall Winter Sports Club.
