Happy spring to all!
It’s pretty wild to think we’ve already entered the spring season, a time when my hometown is the perfect place for slushy ski conditions and bluebird days. My spring days in the Valley are going to have to wait a few more weeks, though. I’ve been traveling the world for the FIS World Cup Tour since December. After a very successful singles and duals event in Deer Valley, Utah in early February where I placed 4th on both days in front of family, friends, and 10,000 more moguls fans, my team and I hit the road for the final three stops of the Tour.
The FIS World Cup Tour
First up was Beidahu, China where I placed 4th in singles and 3rd in duals! This was my first World Cup podium of the season, as well as my first podium in just under two years after undergoing spine surgery in the spring of 2023. It felt absolutely amazing to get this podium after the adversity I’ve faced. I’ve been working so hard every single day on and off the hill, so to have all of my efforts culminate with a bronze medal in China was amazing.
After China, we flew to Almaty, Kazakhstan for the next stop. People are always so shocked that we travel there for a ski competition year after year, in fact this was my 6th time in Kazakhstan. The event was nothing short of a dream come true because I won the singles event! This was my very first World Cup gold medal in single moguls and my second World Cup win ever after 7 years where I won the duals event in Japan in 2018.
Even a week or so after this moguls win in Kazakhstan, I can barely find the words to describe how it feels. Surreal, proud, validating, spectacular – those are just a few of the feelings I’ve experienced. Being one of few women on this tour, taking a gold medal is even more special. Women’s mogul skiing is incredibly competitive because anyone in the top 10 (most of whom are my teammates) could take the top spot. My teammate, Jaelin Kauf, took silver in singles and gold in duals (I placed 4th in the duals), and she secured the overall World Cup Globe which was a massive feat for her and our team. To share the weekend’s triumphs with her, the rest of my teammates, our coaches, and my family watching at home was what made this success that much more meaningful. I’m still over the moon excited about this result, but the job is never done, and that’s what I love about this sport. Our sights are always set on what’s next…
What’s Ahead
I’m currently writing this blog from Livigno, Italy where the World Cup Finals will be taking place this upcoming week. This is the same place where the 2026 Olympics will be next year so I’m thrilled to get a sneak peek at the venue! The following week is the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and I can’t wait to put my best foot forward at these last two stops of the season and continue focusing on my skiing/what I can control. The World Championships only happen every two years, so I’m proud to have qualified for this 4-person team, and it’ll be great to hopefully end on a high note at the pinnacle of the season with my parents watching in person! Speaking of my lovely parents, I couldn’t have achieved these results without them and the support of everyone around me, including my beloved hometown.
Spring in the Vail Valley
After these two events in some of the most beautiful places in the world, I get to go home to what is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place: the Vail Valley.
Springtime is my favorite at home, and I can’t wait to ski slush all afternoon in the Back Bowls with my family and friends. There is nothing better than corn conditions on Chair 5 and Chair 9 with long open runs, sunny skies, and a breeze in my smiling face. Here I feel peace and tranquility at the same time as the best adrenaline boost, and this is after all what I love so dearly about skiing! The combination of serenity and excitement is genuinely best achieved in the back bowls of my hometown, and after a long season of international travel and intense moguls competition, skiing in the Valley is what truly replenishes my love for skiing.
Beyond skiing, though, my hometown is full of the best local spots to relax and take in the scenery. Especially during cooler spring days, I love hanging by the Eagle River off of the Edwards’ Riverwalk to fly fish with my Dad, going to our favorite Edwards restaurants (Hovey and Harrison and the Mountain Fish House), and hiking in the evening up Berry Creek and Lee’s Way Trails. There’s no better way to describe springtime in the Vail Valley than rejuvenating and wholesome, and I can’t wait to come home to Edwards soon to soak it all up.
Hopefully I will see you around, and whatever your spring season has in store, I hope it’s blooming with health and happiness.
Thanks for reading!
