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Show ) U.S. Ski Team prepares for 2010 Olympics ' Five Westminster hope to compete in aerials Brittany Marsden StafFWriter Fourteen Westminster students are members of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, five of which are freestyle aerial skiers hoping to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. For World Championship Gold Medalist Ryan St. Onge, 26, Jana Lindsey, 25, and Dylan Ferguson, 21, aerial skiing is more than just an exciting sport. For them and other winter athletes, it is an opportunity to do their best and represent the United States. ABOUT AERIAL SKIING Aerial skiing is a winter sport that requires attention and physical stamina. According to St. Onge, aerial skiing can be difficult to understand because of the amount of flips and twists the skiers do in a short amount of time. I have a lot of people come up to me and say, I dont know what you just did, and half the time thats exactly how I feel, said St. Onge in a phone interview. The jump goes by and you dont even know it. According to St. Onge, aerial skiing can get intense. He said a skier goes into a jump at about 70 kph. The jump, which is about 14 feet tall, shoots the skier about 50 feet in the air and the skier does as many flips and twists as possible before hitting the ground. Its like getting shot out of a cannon, said St. Onge. And you still somehow have to put your feet down and try to land as you hit the snow. Lindsey describes aerial skiing as an adrenaline rush. You get a lot of nerves and butterflies no matter how many years you have been doing it, she said. The first jumps of the season on the snow or the water ramps are a little bit scary, but its a lot of fun. St. Onge said he has heard various ways to describe aerial skiing, but his favorite is comparing it to golf. The elements we deal with, like weather and conditions, are very similar with golf, he said. I think the big difference is that if you screw up in golf you land in the woods, but it you screw up in aerials you land on your head. fast-pac- ed BEING A MEMBER OF THE TEAM Being a member of the U.S. Ski Team has been a rewarding experience for Lindsey, St. Onge and Ferguson. We have a great team with kind of a family atmosphere, Lindsey said. Were all very close and its nice to train with people who can help you and support you. Being on the team has been a really positive part of my life. Ferguson, who made the team four years ago, said that making the moment. team was a It put into reality that I really had to try harder, he said in a phone interview. Im now representing the United States instead of just myself. St. Onge also enjoys skiing on the team and the opportunity to travel the world to places such as China, Europe and Japan. He also said that it is an honor to be on the U.S. Ski Team. Im there competing and training next to the best, brightest young kids not just in aerials, but in other sports as well, he said. life-changi- ng V ; JK-- - U.S. Ski Teams Ryan St. Onge jumping at the World Cup aerials at Deer Valley Resort. GETTING READY FOR THE OLYMPICS Not only are St. Onge, Lindsey and Ferguson looking forward to the upcoming season and training with the team, but also the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Olympics are the most important event in the four-yecycle of freestyle skiers and are the main focus for St. Onge, Lindsey ar and Ferguson. According to Ferguson, the team chosen at the end of January, Jana Lindsey and Ryan St. Onge after their jumps at the Freestyle World Championships. which is right before the Olympics start. Im looking forward to the Team and is looking forward to the opportunity to Olympics, said Ferguson. Its kind of hectic up until then, but it would be fun if I could go. compete again in 2010. When I was a little kid this was a somewhat St. Onge agreed that getting ready for the Olympics is a mixture of stress and excitement. He said it is an impossible dream, but being able to keep with it and having a very supporting family and friends, that dream opportunity to go and compete with not just different athletes in the sport, but different athletes from around actually became a reality, Lindsey said. I think with hard the world. Its a place where more people take an work, dedication and support you can accomplish said. whatever Its kind of interest in what youre doing, he you want. Thats part of what skiing has shown excited and have me. so many people a special feeling to St. about one Onge, Lindsey and Ferguson are among 11 happy thing. other Westminster students on the U.S. Ski Team Both St. Onge and Lindsey competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Lindsey described hoping to be able to compete in the upcoming her experience in the Olympics as one of the most Olympic Games. X memorable moments about being on the U.S. Ski is Students play handball, water polo and more in Intramurals 2010 Intramural season begins Jan. 20 Mathew Wennergren StaffWriter Ever wanted to play water polo? How about on an inner tube? Students have the chance to do just that through Westminsters intramural sports league. The league offers sports that are less traditional. Laura Stusek is the director of Westminsters intramural program. The participants are mainly students, but staff and faculty play as well occasionally, said Stusek. The league is for those who want to get some exercise, but want to do so in a less competitive environment than some of the more traditional team sports. The leagues are formed by students through forms available in HWAC. sign-u- p The intramural leagues offer an alternative to traditional workouts as they are a different environment in which to get some exercise. Stusek said many participants play in the leagues as a complete replacement for traditional exercise such as lifting weights or running. One of the most popular features of the intramural SB VOLUME XLIII: ISSUE 7 nTi1I9S?r w HT'SW.WW i sports leagues is that participants do not have to have any experience in the offered sports to play. The leagues are completely open to everyone and anyone who wants to play. Its pretty informal, Stusek said. The teams dont usually even practice, they just show up to have fun and play a friendly game. The games are not completely without formality. Students, who are interested in helping with the games as well as learning more about the sport being played, officiate the games. See INTRAMURALS on page 7 |