Jaida Lewis, 13, has just finished her first year of competing in moguls and has the medals to show for it.

Lewis stood on the podium twice at Provincial Championships of the Alberta Freestyle Skiing Association, hosted at the Canada Olympic Park, Mar. 23-26, claiming a gold in U14 dual moguls and a bronze in single moguls. In the first provincial meet earlier in the season she also finished first in single moguls.

Skiing is nothing new to Lewis, having joined Nancy Greene racing at the age of 7. This year she made the switch to moguls and hasn't looked back.

"I find it much more relaxed and accepting and there's more room to grow and make changes," said Lewis. "In racing I really couldn't come in as late as I did and be able to progress as well as I have."

She also found inspiration from her coaches.

"The coaches show an interest in you and want you to do well. I found the coaches were especially encouraging and made me like the sport a lot."

You cannot discount the adrenaline rush of the sport.

Mogul skiing is a freestyle skiing competition consisting of timed runs of free skiing on a steep, heavily moguled course, involving technical turns, aerial maneuvers and speed.

The skiing season is now over, but the training continues. Lewis starts dryland training on June 1, and during the first two weeks of July she'll be on the Whistler glacier to do airbag and water ramp training where the skiers perform tricks on a large ramp before landing in either a pool of water or on big air bags.

 

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com