The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, fresh off a record-breaking season with two World Cup titles and 12 different athletes claiming 35 World Cup medals, has announced its team for the 2004-05 season.
Not surprisingly the list includes Whistler’s Sylvia Kerfoot, who has worked hard to get back onto the team after being sidelined with injuries.
Although she wasn’t completely happy with her results last season, she did manage to finish consistently in the top-15. She was seventh once, eighth once, 12 th three times, 13 th twice and 14 th once in nine World Cup appearances.
"I was really happy with my consistency this year," said Kerfoot. "Unfortunately it was at the 12 th and 13 th mark, and when only the top-12 make it to the finals it becomes frustrating week after week to be 13 th . But things started to click near the end of the season, and in the last two events I made the finals. I was fifth qualifying in Czech, fell and ended up in 12 th , and I was seventh in Switzerland.
"I started to figure out what I need to happen, so now my goals are set higher. I want to be consistently in the top-10 instead of the top-15. The thing about being consistent is that you start to expect more of yourself, which is good because is sets your goals that much higher. Being consistent helped me get back on the team."
Last season Kerfoot joined the national team after the fourth event, joining the World Cup tour when it swung through North America. This year she will get to start in every contest, which was one of her goals for this season.
"(Getting back on the team) was exactly the goal I set out for myself at the beginning of last year, looking out towards the Olympics, which are only just over 18 months away. This is where I had to be to reach that goal, the first stepping stone on the way," Kerfoot said.
Kerfoot was almost entirely self-financed last season, and although the national team will help her with her training costs this season, she will most likely be picking up most of the tab again next winter unless she can find a major sponsor.
"The finances are still a big stress for me," she said.
In the meantime she’s working at Milestone’s and spending every free moment training for the upcoming season. Her goal is to be one of the four Canadian women to qualify for the World Championships in Rukka, Finland in January.
"I’ve started trampoline work and when the water ramps open I’ll be working there to put together harder tricks like D-spins and back-fulls so I can take them to the snow in July when everyone comes back to Whistler for our training camp," said Kerfoot.
The national aerials team is currently training in Park City, Utah in preparation for the season opener at Mount Buller, Australia in September. The moguls team recently wrapped up a training camp in Whistler, and will return to Whistler once again to train from July 19 to Aug. 1.
Moguls World Cup Team
Women:
Jennifer Heil – Spruce Grove, AB
Sylvia Kerfoot – Whistler / Vancouver, B.C.
Elisa Kurylowicz – Manotick, ON
Kristi Richards – Summerland, B.C.
Jennifer Simm – Prince George, B.C.
Stephanie St-Pierre – Victoriaville, QC
Men:
Vincent Marquis – Ste-Foy, QC
Marc-Andre Moreau – Chambly, QC
Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau – Drummondville, QC
Jim Schiman – Cranbrook, B.C.
Jean-Francois Therrien – Laval, QC
Chris Wong – Prince George, QC
Moguls Development Team
Women:
Jacquie Brown – Cambridge, ON
Chelsea Henitiuk – Spruce Gove, AB
Marie-Josee Lessard – Louisville, QC
Pascale Lamarre-Biebuyck – Laval, QC
Audrey Robichaud – Val Belair, QC
Karine Simard – Quebec City, QC
Men:
Stephane Agnard – Ste-Anne de Beaupre, QC
Alexandre Bilodeau – Rosemere, QC
Camil Matar – Outremont, QC
Maxime Gingras – St-Hippolyte, QC
David Mirota – Terrebonne, QC
Garrett Simm – Prince George, B.C.
Colin Smith – Red Deer, AB
Warren Tanner – Grimsby, ON
Aerials World Cup Team
Women:
Veronika Bauer – North York, ON
Deidra Dionne – Red Deer, AB
Amber Peterson – Thunder Bay, ON
Melissa Prefontaine – Blackfoot, AB
Men:
Jeff Bean – Ottawa, ON
Ryan Blais – Grande Prairie, AB
Kyle Nissen – Calgary, AB
Steve Omischl – North Bay, ON
Warren Shouldice – Calgary, AB
Ryan Snow – Calgary, AB
Cord Spero – Grande Prairie, AB
Aerials Flightschool
Women:
Gillian Bell — North Bay, On
Elise Pallard – Calgary, AB
Tara Piersanti – Woodbridge, ON
Men:
Eli Budd – Toronto, ON
Manuel Holden – North Bay, ON
Jay Nachbauer – Prince George, B.C.
