Whistler’s World Cup debut delivered high-drama all weekend. On Sunday, that started with a series of career-best performances from the Canadian juniors on one of the circuits most challenging tracks. On a day where few riders managed clean runs, putting in a good result required skill and mental persistence.
Tayte Proulx-Royds and Ryder Wilson lead the Canadian results, both finishing within sight of the podium in fourth.
Junior men: Wilson hits career best even with a crash
Canada had five riders make it through qualifying to the junior men’s finals. Whistler local Jack McCredie set the fastest time in qualifying, but it was Ryder Wilson putting in the top result. The Team High Country rider was on a heater until a crash in the final woods set him back. Even after going down, Wilson would end up fourth in the junior men’s race.
“I gave it everything I had. I love this track and I felt really good all week, just building consistently. That run was no different,” Wilson explained. “I was hitting everything I wanted to, I just a got a bit off line in the last sector, panicked a bid and just laid ‘er over. I got back up absolutely as quick as I could, I knew I was on a good one.”
Wilson said the final woods were underrated, compared to the more spectacular rock garden and big drops.
“I think the last section is the hardest. You’re so gassed and you kind of take that section for granted. But there’s a few sniper roots that will get you off balance.”
Fourth in a World Cup is a big result, even if more was within sight.
“I’m pretty disappointed, but I can’t be too disappointed,” Wilson says. “It’s a career-best with a crash.”
And at home in Canada, no less.
“The atmosphere here is unbelievable,” Wilson says. “Hearing my name the whole way down that run, all the chainsaws. It was ear piercing, but in the best way. ”
For McCredie, after qualifying first on Saturday, Sunday’s run came unglued early on with a crash near the top.
“I honestly don’t remember,” the Whistler local says of what undid his run. “I just remeber hitting something slick and falling. It wasn’t a slow fall. I thought I’d thrown the race away but, looking back at the splits, I was only three seconds back.”
McCredie started pulling back time on the lower half of the course, working up to 13th by the finish. While it wasn’t the result that seemed possible at the start of the day, racing at home and a P1 in qualifying are still big takeaways for the Canadian.
“That was something I’ve dreamed of, it was awesome. I’m so happy to be able to put myself in that position. It definitely wasn’t easy, but I’m happy I made it happen,” McCredie says. “After the crash, I could hear people calling my name, it was so sick.”
Landon De Vall adds a fifth with McCredie 13th, Noah Milner 16th and Rhys Vath 19th in the junior men’s finals.
Tayte Proulx-Royds misses podium by 2.5 seconds
On the women’s side, Tayte Proulx-Royds also scored a career best result. After a big showing on 1199 in August at the Canadian Open DH, the Kelowna rider arrived in Whistler with some sense of what to epect from the course.
“Although it’s relatively the same course, with the weather it feels like a whole new track. Adapting to that was quite challenging,” Proulx-Royds says. And adapt she did, finishing just 2.5 seconds behind junior women’s world champion, Tilly Boadle, to take fourth. U.S.A.’s Aletha Ostgaard takes the win.
“I was so close to the podium,” the Canadian says. “I know the pace is there, I just have to find that little bit.”
She’ll have another chance next week in Lake Placid at the final World Cup of 2026. Until then, she’s reveling in the experience of racing at home. For riders used to racing in Europe, the home crowd really is something special.
“It was super cool. I finally heard my name in the crowd of World Cups, which is something I was super excited about. All my friends are up in the rock garden. To be close to home is really special.
Piper Graaten was the second Canadian in the junior women’s final. The B.C. rider put in a huge result, making finals in her first-ever World Cup.
“This was a really good experience, I’m so happy to be here. It’s been a dream since day one,” Graaten says. “The crowds are crazy, it was a lot of good motivation.”
Like McCredie, Graaten went down high up on the track. “There was a couple sketchy bits, but it was running a lot better today,” she said of the gnarly 1199 track.
Junior results: 2026 Whistler World Cup
Junior Men – Finals
- Camden Rutherford (Nukeproof Axess)
- Louis Eller
- Boston Bryant (Outlaw Intense)
- Ryder Wilson (Team High Country)
- Landon De Vall (Stoic Racing)
13. Jack McRedie (Frameworks Racing/TRP)
16. Noah Milner
19. Rhys Vath
Junior Women – Finals
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- Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH)
- Cassandre Peizerat (Commencal Muc-Off)
- Tilly Boadle (Commenca Schwalbe Les Orres)
- Tayte Proulx-Royds (Polygon)
- Ava Chaumet Lagrange
10. Piper Graaten