Brayden Baird of Fort Macleod placed third in Alberta in junior mogul skiing.
A Fort Macleod youth soared toward the top of his chosen sport this season.
Brayden Baird attained his goal as he placed third in moguls at the provincial championship last month at Canyon Ski Hill in Red Deer.
“My goal was to podium,” Brayden said.
Thirteen-year-old Brayden, who has been skiing since he could walk, qualified for the junior nationals with his performance at Red Deer.
A Grade 8 student at F.P. Walshe school, Brayden turned in his best performance of the season in order to nail the thrid-place finish.
“I had to raise my game as I had placed fourth in the last competition,” Brayden said. “I knew I had to send bigger air and go a little faster.”
Mogul skiing is a freestyle skiing competition consisting of one timed run of free skiing on a steep, heavily moguled course.
Moguls are a series of bumps on a piste formed when skiers push snow into mounds as they do sharp turns.
Mogul courses are between 200 and 270 metres with an average slope grade of 26 degrees. The moguls are set about 3.5 metres apart. The course includes two small jumps which are used as a take-off for aerial maneuvers.
The point system in mogul skiing is based on good form, speed, smoothness, and jumping and tricks.
Brayden was encouraged to take up the sport by a coach.
“Our coach at the time that I started with the freestyle club was a mogul coach and taught lots of kids all over Alberta and saw my potential so he steered me that way,” Brayden said.
Brayden said in addition to good training, successful mogul skiers have a common characteristic.
“Having No fear does help,” Brayden said.
Brayden trains at Castle Mountain with the Castle Mountain Freestyle Ski Club, working with three coaches.
Brayden maintains a busy schedule through the winter, training every weekend and every day he can get off school.
“I have great teachers to allow me to do this,” Brayden said.
Brayden also credited his parents, Mark and Cara Baird, his younger brother thomas and his grandfather Jim Baird for providing the support he needs to spend the winter on the mountain.
Brayden’s third-place finish at provincials qualified him for the junior nationals, which were held march 8-12 at Missisaugua, Ont.
The Bairds were unable to attend nationals, due to the high costs involved, but Brayden said he is pleased with placing tid in Alberta.
“I was very excited and honoured to qualify,” Brayden said of qualifying for nationals.
Brayden will use the third-place finish as motivation during the off-season in preparation for next fall.
“I am going to do some air bag training and water ramp training to work on bigger tricks.”
