FIS GMC Cup Recap – Dec 6-7, 2025
Alberta Alpine athletes put together a solid weekend across Saturday and Sunday at the FIS GMC Cup Slalom at Mt. Norquay. The event was a full field with 140 men and 100 women showing up to compete in this seasons opener. There was strong skiing from the Alberta Ski Team and Club athletes some of whom belong to the Alberta Development Group.
On the women’s side, Katie Smith and Amy Attalla were consistently competitive. Attalla opened the weekend with a top-5 on Saturday. Smith followed up with one of the best results of the weekend on Sunday, taking 4th place. Attalla added 7th place on Sunday, keeping herself well inside the lead group and showing great consistency on the challenging snow pack.
The Development Group women also put down encouraging performances. Noemie Brooks (BAR) had a standout Sunday, finishing 5th. Sofia Stanier (Team Panorama) added a 12th-place Sunday finish, while Emma Suman (Team Panorama) produced steady results across both days with finishes inside the top 15. Emma Fynn (BAR) , Maya McHugh (Team Panorama), Loren Hannema (BAR), and Keira Hawkins (BAR) raced both days, gaining valuable experience.
Club standouts include University of Calgary athlete Mikayla Wunch with two podiums both in third place and Banff Alpine Racers Jessica Mclellan in 6th and 7th over the weekend.
The men’s group showed similar momentum. Caleb Brooks led the way with his third consecutive podium on Saturday and a strong 4th place on Sunday. Caleb was pleased with his results, saying, “Feels awesome to be back in the start gate, this is just the start.” We hope so too Caleb!
Cole Merrett finished 7th and 10th over the weekend, showing great consistency. William Puloski found this pace with 9th on Sunday, while Gavin Johnson landed in 12th. Thomas Cais and Aidan Kometz skied consistently on both days, skiing into 9th and 11th on Saturday and 14th and 18th on Sunday.
From the Development Group men, Grayden Swanson (SUNSH) punched into 12th from bib 53 and Oliver Brooks (BAR) was hot on his heels in 13th on Saturday. Dylan Giesbrecht (BAR), Joseph Macknish (Team Panorama), Olivier Brooks (BAR), Eric Ward (Team Panoarama), Eric Taylor (BAR), and Lachlan Ferguson (BAR) all completed full race runs across the weekend, gaining experience and improving their pacing.
Club standouts on the men side include University of Calgary Dinos athlete Aleksas Valadka with a 6th and 7th and Taras Dets with an 8th on sunday.
Overall, it was a productive two days for the AST, ADG, and Alberta Club athletes, with multiple top-10 results and many athletes tightening the gap to the leader as the season begins. We are looking forward to seeing you in Panorama for the next FIS GMC Cup.
