Nussberger wins Pro-Women Snowcross championship

By Jule Koch Brison

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Another snowcross season has just finished, and Sonya Nussberger has fulfilled one of her dreams. Last year Sonya, 22, became the 2006-07 Canadian Snowcross Sport Women champion, and this winter, she ended the season by winning the 2007-2008 US Snowcross Pro-Women Championship. Sonya also won the High Points Championship in the women’s division – a separate award.

Sonya grew up in Northbrook and now lives in Sydenham. This season she raced in the US mainly because it was closer and more affordable for her. From Sydenham she is only a couple off hours from the smaller racing circuit, Rock Maple Racing and it costs her a lot less to get there. She also says, “They treated me like gold – they’re great people down there”.

The races took place in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire – there are about 11 events in the season, and Sonya usually raced against 6 to 16 competitors. The beginning of the season was a bit of a rough start, “I didn’t have my mind set right,” she said. “But when one of the teams worked on my sled and gave me some words of encouragement, it was full-throttle from there.”

About two races before the end of the season, Sonya realized she had a 30-point lead. “I knew then that the championship was mine – All I had to do is show up and ride. It felt awesome!” she said.

A banquet has held in Rome, NY, last weekend where Sonya was presented with all her trophies.

But there’s no rest for her now that the season is over. She works as an advertising specialist and keeps in tone during the summer by riding a dirt bike and training 3-4 times a week doing cardio and weights.

She fully intends on moving to a bigger circuit in the US next year. Her ultimate dream is to race in the WPSA, which is the national level circuit. She has to work very hard this summer on getting sponsorships organized much earlier as she will be required to buy a new sled, a 600 (she currently races a 440)
Asked whether it would be easier to get sponsors now that she has two championships under her belt, she replied,”It helps a little, but it’s still much more difficult for girls in the ‘extreme sports’”.

Sonya sends huge thanks to her sponsors for making her season possible:

Darran Green Construction; Quality Housing; Factory Finish;  FXR Clothing;
Peak Velocity; Kaladar Northern;  Hook’s Rona, Cloyne; Brite Electric, Deep River Motel, Maurice's Masonry, Frontenac News, Kaladar Auto,
Shawn Fennell, Lavoie Logging, VP Race fuels, Scott USA, Studboy,
All Sport Dynamics, A & T Racing.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Sonya in the 2008-09 season can contact her at slednecksonya@hotmail.com