Hayden’s passion for the slopes continued this weekend during the Martock Cup at Ski Martock in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. Representing the Wentworth Ski Race Club, Hayden competed as the only competitor in the Para division in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events.
Braving the sunny but cold and windy day in his new orange race suit, Hayden followed his guide to an impressive finish in each of his 4 heats.
First up was the Giant Slalom where he posted increasingly faster times. His second run saw him shaving over a second off his time during the first heat.
After the course was reset for the tighter Slalom event, Hayden showed off some tight carving skills, making every gate during the first heat and pushing his guide to greater speeds.
As the day wore on, the conditions became icy. His second heat saw only some minor slippage as his edges struggled to maintain their hold around the gates. Ever the fierce competitor, he quickly recovered and once again successfully navigated past each of the course’s gates.
A New Guide, A Perfect Match
Following Hayden’s first official race event at Brimacombe in Ontario, he and his mother Cheyanne d’Entremont were invited by CTV Morning Live to come on for an interview. It was during his time at the CTV Atlantic studio that Hayden made first contact with news anchor Heather Butts who revealed during conversation she has a lot of ski racing experience. Cheyanne admits that she may have dropped a hint that she and Hayden were looking for a guide.
A few short days later Heather reached out to Cheyanne and heartfully expressed she would be honored to guide Hayden during upcoming race events.
Hayden and Heather paired up for one practice during the week during which an instant bond was formed. By the time the pair launched from the start gate during their first heat of the Martock Cup, it appeared as though they had been skiing together for months.
Guide and athlete were all smiles as they climbed the podium to receive their recognition during the event’s awards ceremony. The crowd enthusiastically cheered them on as Hayden received his trophy.
