The morning of February 9th was cold and snowy on Crotched Mountain in New Hampshire. Williston’s Devin Deverry ‘17 had just completed his first run of the giant slalom, and the Southwick native sat in second place, .02 seconds behinds the leader, at the Class B New England Prep School Athletic Counsel Ski Championships.
“After the first run I knew I could win,” said Deverry about his chances of becoming NEPSAC G.S. Champion. “I really pushed hard on the second run. However I knew that I had to take the risky line; a safe line wouldn’t allow me to win the race. Knowing this, I charged out and attacked as hard as I could. Unfortunately, I put my hand through a gate panel and fell.”
Deverry remained focused on finishing the race after falling. He got right back up on his skis and finished in 10th place, but he was visibly upset with the result when he reached the bottom of the mountain. “It was very disappointing,” Devin said about his fall, “because I knew I had a shot at winning the G.S., it’s my best discipline.”
As the afternoon approached the sun came out from behind the clouds to warm the mountain and it stopped snowing. Devin shifted his focus towards that afternoon’s slalom championship. “I was able to pull myself together after the G.S. race and put all of my energy on the slalom race,” said Deverry. “I knew I could win!”
Determined to make up for the morning’s disappointment, Devin was eager to jump out of the starting gates for his first run when the skier before him knocked out a gate on the course, putting a hold the race. Devin waited in freezing temperatures in his ski suit before having the chance to tear down the mountain.
“A stop, or hold, on the course before your run is called ‘being iced in the gate,’” Deverry explained. “Normally this is because skiers start their adrenaline rush right before the run, and if the rush starts before they hold the skier it can sometimes mess people up. However, for me this gave me more time to visualize my run to make sure I had to perfect start to my run and race the line I wanted.”
When Devin’s time came, he was ready. “I pushed out of the start going full tilt holding nothing back,” he explained. He raced aggressively down all sectors of the course, and when he crossed the finish line he knew he was in contention for the title. “Immediately I knew I put down a solid run. Even a few spectators complemented my finish! After the first run I was about a second ahead of the field, and I felt pretty amped up especially after my G.S. result.”
Devin’s second run would determine if he would take home the slalom title. He overcame the pressure of being in the lead and pushed out of the gate at full tilt. After a great start to his run, he recalls hitting a hole towards the bottom of the course that cost him valuable time.
“I knew at that moment I really had to push to get as much speed as possible,” said Deverry about making up time after his near-championship-ending crash. “I crossed the finish knowing that I might have lost my lead so I went down to the timing shack and looked at the times. I was ahead by a mere .18 of a second! I was instantly ecstatic!”
“No matter how many races you win every one feels special,” he recalled about winning the Class B NEPSAC Slalom Championship. “I felt a warm feeling of accomplishment when they called my name at the awards ceremony. It was a special feeling I’ll never forget. It was just pure happiness.”
Williston ski coach Will Eberle praised Devin’s performance at the Championships. “He was relatively upset going into the slalom but knew the race was not over,” Eberle said. “He toughened up mentally and skied the course neatly and aggressively. It was a great race for him, but ultimately it showed his determination to come back after a fall and take gold!”
Skiing is in Devin Deverry’s blood. His parents and grandparents are all deeply involved in the New England ski community. His father, Ray, was the youngest person to become a PSIA examiner, which is the highest rank one can achieve as a teacher of skiing. His mother, Harriet, is a level III PSIA instructor, which is the second highest level in the U.S.
Devin has been skiing since he was two years old and began racing at the age of six. At ten years old, Devin won the overall championship for the Tristate Ski League, and he currently competes in the Vermont Alpine Racing Association, the most competitive league in the country. Last year, Deverry qualified for the Eastern Team, which is composed of the best skiers from the East Coast.
Deverry plans on taking skiing as far as he can. Next year he plans to compete in FIS races in Vermont, which will give him a world ranking. He also plans to ski for his college, but he is more concerned about focusing on completing a degree in aerospace engineering.
“My dad always used to say ‘fun is the most important thing,’” Devin explained, and “I ski by this rule. It means I never get frustrated or bored, and I always have the drive to be better.”
The Williston community is eager to see what Devin will accomplish in skiing before he graduates in 2017. This young Wildcat skier is supremely talented and has the right mentality to go far.