A Squamish skier is wrapping up her season on the North American 'Nor Am' tour as the third-best Canadian in moguls
Chase Capicik took her skills on the road to Val St. Come, Quebec; Calgary Olympic Park, Calgary; Deer Valley, Utah; and Killington, Vermont.
There were eight events over the course of these four stops.
"She's been having an awesome year," said Josh Kober, head coach of the B.C. team. "She's been super fun to coach. I think one of my favourite parts about working with Chase this year is that she got better at every single competition that she skied at, which is pretty rare. I mean, like a literal personal best at every single event moving through the season."
During the Killington event, the 15-year-old athlete managed to put on a highlight performance, taking 8th in single moguls and then placing 6th in dual moguls, which was a personal best for her on the tour.
It was at that point Capicik managed to come out of herself, said Kober.
"She really stepped it up," he said.
"You can tell there was a bit of a shift in her mindset and her approach to competition. At times, she would tend to play it safe, and that's one thing we've been working on a lot with her, you know, stepping up when it counts and not backing down from the challenge when the pressure's on. And she did a really good job of making that change...she really left it all out there...to see that shift happen there — it was really exciting to see."
Capicik also opened the season with 9th place in Deer Valley, Utah.
Her strong finish of the tour landed her 13th on the overall Nor Am Grand Prix for moguls.
"You should keep an eye on her," said Kober. "She's a really special young athlete, She's got a really bright future ahead of her, so watch out."
At 13th place, Capicik's the third Canadian behind Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert, who placed eighth.
Kayley Koehler, is the top-ranked Canadian at fifth place.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 precautionary measures have led to cancellations for the rest of the ski season.
Kober said he's still trying to figure out if there's a way that the team can train and perhaps be productive, but he's not sure if that's possible.
He recommends any athletes and organizers looking for guidance for holding sport events should look to their governing bodies for guidance.
