GREENWOOD — Even with a bobble and a near-missed gate, Falmouth avenged its year-old collapse in grand fashion.

Four Falmouth skiers placed in the top 22 of Wednesday’s slalom race to clinch for the Yachtsmen the 2013 Alpine and overall Class A ski titles.

“Our main goal is to get the alpine, for sure,” Falmouth Alpine coach Tip Kimball said, “but the Nordic team did very well, too, and congratulations to them. We’ll take the overall, as well.”

One year ago, the Yachtsmen were in a similar position, with a solid lead in the Alpine event after the giant slalom, only to have three of the team’s skiers falter in the slalom runs the following day, and they watched their title hopes crash down the hill.

“They skied well on the first run, and now all the pressure is on the second run,” Kimball said. “They understand the team mentality, too.

“You don’t want them to back off, because sometimes when you back off, if you’re not attacking the gates, that’s when you have problems,” he said. “So you need to attack it still, but you have to ski smart, and they did that. They did all right.”

This year, after another solid giant slalom and two outstanding days on the trails at Black Mountain of Maine in the Nordic skiing competition, Falmouth would not be denied, though one of the Yachtsmen’s top four had a hiccup on his second slalom run.

“A no-finish is unacceptable,” Kimball said. “That was the other strategy. If you do make a mistake, and you miss a gate or fall, you have to hike.”

Alexander Gowen hiked, and hiked quickly.

“It becomes a hiking contest,” Kimball said. “Who can hike the fastest? And then you have to go down the hill fast.”

Oxford Hills’ Alpine team took home second place behind Falmouth in the GS and third n slalom, giving the Vikings second place in the Alpine combined competition.

“That was a nice surprise,” Oxford Hills Alpine coach Mike Grace said. “They’ve come a long way this season.”

Perennial contender and many-time champion Mt. Blue remained steady all week, as well, taking second in the Nordic combined and fifth in the Alpine events to hold down a second-place overall finish. The Cougars’ Dylan Roberts led the way in the slalom event Wednesday.

Other top area individuals in the slalom included Oxford Hills’ Ben Brown in sixth place, the Vikings’ Matt Michaud in eighth, EL’s Evan Mancini in 10th and the Eddies’ Tanner Dillingham in 19th.

Following Falmouth and Oxford Hills into the Alpine top five were Edward Little, Marshwood and Mt. Blue.

In the boys’ overall championship, Falmouth and Mt. Blue were joined in the top five by Greely, Leavitt and Fryeburg.

Curtis Paradis was the individual slalom champion, while Doug Mitiguy of Greely was the top Class A skimeister.

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