Whistler’s Sylvia Kerfoot is on her way back to the World Cup team in the New Year after dominating a series of moguls events at Park City, Utah.
Last week she entered the annual Freestyle Frenzy, which is the U.S. qualifier for the national development team. She earned a gold and a silver against the top American prospects.
Her winning streak continued this week, as Kerfoot claimed a Nor Am win on Tuesday, Dec. 16, which meant official qualification for the World Cup circuit again. A series of injuries, including a serious shoulder injury that required surgery, resulted in her move from the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team to the development team for the beginning of this season.
"It was great. I did my backflip with an iron cross, which was awesome, and I won by two-and-a-half points," said Kerfoot.
Kerfoot says her results reflect the amount of on-snow and dryland training she did this summer, including a trip to Europe with the national team. She footed most of the bill herself, but so far the investment is paying off.
"The summer training was a huge benefit, which was something I haven’t had for the past three years," she said.
The training has improved her confidence, she said, and she’s enjoying skiing more now than at any point in her career.
"I’m just happy where I’m at right now. I’m happy to be skiing, I’m happy to be starting fresh with the team, I’m more comfortable on my skis and more willing to push it and take more chances," said Kerfoot.
She also credits national development team coaches Jason Smith and Michel Hamelin for helping her win in Park City.
"The competition was definitely pretty good. There were other girls out there who were flipping, which motivated me to do it as well," said Kerfoot.
Kerfoot’s success is also having an effect on the young skiers with the development team, most of whom are rookies this season. One girl from Ontario who is new to the team finished third.
"When I was younger there were skiers I looked up to, and if I can be there for other people, I would definitely want to help them out however I can," said Kerfoot.
Kerfoot’s first World Cup competition will be at Mont Tremblant in January. Although the competition will be a lot tougher, she says she’s feeling confident.
"I’m really excited with these results, I feel they’ve built my confidence a lot. I can’t wait to get there," she said.
