Take a quick gander outside and I am sure you will agree that it is only fitting that the first "That Sudbury Sports Guy" column of the week kick-off with a little alpine ski coverage.

Truth is that training runs likely availed themselves to all local skiers this morning the moment they stepped out the front door yesterday and today.

Kidding aside, it’s been a productive winter for many a local youth skier, with noteworthy results having been posted at several events. This week sees the top U14 competitors in the province gather at Osler Bluff, Georgian Peaks and Alpine Ski Club in Collingwood, with the U16 crew to follow suit in a week’s time.

Jackson Jost-Noob (gold in slalom), Evan Ayers (silver in dual slalom; bronze in GS), Mauro Frescura (silver in slalom), Ella Prosperi (bronze in dual slalom), Anna Corsi and Cohen Grieve were all among those who turned in top ten performances at the recent Ontario Winter Games, with Prosperi noting more maturity in her skiing now that she is competing within the U14 age bracket.

“I’m stronger and faster than I was a couple of years ago,” suggested the 13 year-old grade eight student at St Benedict Catholic Secondary School. “I have more strength, helping me carve out my turns better and staying more stabilized.”

“When it’s icy with ruts and stuff, I feel I have more stabilization in those conditions.”

For as much as the Ontario Winter Games are clearly an in-province event, with local skiers typically more excited to hit the big mountains of the Canadian Rockies or travelling to Quebec or Vermont, the multi-sport setting of the Games does make for a very special experience for Prosperi and her cohorts.

“The racing felt the same, just with a little more competition,” she said. “But there was also an athletes parade with all of the athletes from different sports and all of my teammates from around Ontario. That was different.”

Many of these same names are leaving Sudbury on Monday, with Prosperi always thankful for the chance to compete on her favourite of the Ontario hills. “Osler: for GS, that one is definitely my favourite. The race hill is nice because it starts off flat - and then there’s a long pitch that I love.”

“It’s not too steep; just perfect.”

Targeting a top five finish at provincials this week, Prosperi acknowledged that her biggest challenge likely has very little to do with anything that she can work on in the gym - where she does spend ample time.

“The biggest thing for me is my mindset; visualizing the course at the top before starting, giving myself a good mindset,” she said. “My mindset must be focused on staying positive, saying positive things to myself.”

To that end, she might draw on her results from the Mealey Cup in Sault Ste Marie last month. Prosperi was one of a nice handful of Sudbury skiers representing either Adanac Ski Club or the Elliot Lake Ski Racers to finish first in a race that weekend, joining Elliot St-Onge Winckel, Rebecca Jutras and Mauro Frescura.