A year of ups and down (literally and figuratively) for Evan Bichon has paid off as he’s excited for what lies ahead.
The Prince George product competed this altered 2020-21 season with Canada’s Snowboardcross World Cup team in Europe and Asia and while he didn’t land on the podium, he accomplished an impressive feat in his young career.
For the first time since coming onto the scene in 2017, the 22-year-old has cracked the world’s Top 50 ranking to 45th, thanks to a new personal best he achieved in Georgia (the country) this past weekend.
On the slopes of Bakuriani, he placed 25th in his third World Cup stop of the year, qualifying for the televised big show after placing second in his pre-heat race.
Unfortunately, a slow start out the gate and a failed pass attempt on one of the turns cost him some speed and ended up last in his ‘1/8 heat.’ The top two racers advance to the next round.
The result means Bichon is not going to the World Cup Finals in Switzerland as the top 32 in the rankings receive an invitation, but he tells PrinceGeorgeMatters it felt good making a push in his final competition of the campaign.
“After a difficult year not reaching the goals I would have liked in the first half of the World Cup season, it feels really good to finish off the second half with a personal best,” he explained.
“This confirms to myself that I am progressing in the right direction heading into next season.”
Bichon was selected by Canada’s national snowboardcross team the week of Christmas 2020 to take part in the Block ‘B’ portion of the FIS World Cup.
He was joined by 2018 Olympian Meryeta O’Dine and fellow D.P. Todd Secondary graduate Colby Graham.
Altogether, Bichon carved three different mountains in Italy, Austria and Georgia, which was his first time spent in a maple leaf sweater overseas since December 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He says he’ll take the experience to heart and apply to his off-season regiment.
“I will be planning summer training and fundraising for next season,” said Bichon.
“COVID-19 is still affecting the world so training opportunities this summer may be limited, but I plan to make the most out of what is available!”
Regardless of where the summer will take him, Bichon continues to display a big smile on his face wherever he goes while soaking in all the experience.
He told PrinceGeorgeMatters he’s very proud to represent Prince George and Canada on the slopes after being officially named to the NextGen development squad in June 2020.
“Repping Canada heading into the Olympic Qualification year for 2022 feels pretty awesome and no matter how uncertain next season is with everything going on in the world, I will give it my all to make my Olympic dream a reality!”
Prior to his World Cup promotion, Bichon boasted a successful North American Cup résumé.
He won gold in Colorado in February 2020, a bronze in March 2020 at Beaver Valley (Ontario) and a silver the same month at Mont Orignal (Quebec).
