Teal Harle, a 16-year-old who lives on Mount Washington where he attends the Podium of Life Snow Sports Academy, won two golds and a silver at the BC series freestyle skiing event, called the Timber Tours, in Apex over the weekend.
The first gold came in the slopestyle event where he slid a rail sideway, then slid a long flat - down rail, then hit the first jump and did a cork 9 mute (two and a half rotations in the air at an angle while grabbing your ski) and landed backwards, then while skiing backwards toward the last jump took huge air and did a switch bio 9 grab (two and a half rotations off kilter while grabbing your ski). He stomped every trick and soared above the competition.
The second gold came in the Big Air competition where he again performed a switch bio 9 grab. The degree of difficulty for this off-axis maneuver was the highest performed in the competition.
Teal struck again with a silver medal in moguls, which is skiing huge bumps, then hitting a jump, then skiing bumps, then hitting a jump, then skiing bumps. His first air was a back flip and his second air was a cork 7 (2 rotations in a off-axis position). He was the fastest down the course and performed the most difficult tricks, but was outclassed by a Japanese skier in the turns.
"I was very happy with the whole event, and lucky enough to come out on top," commented Teal. "I am fortunate to be able to train every day as part of my school curriculum."
Teal will be competing in the other B.C. series events as well as a few Canadian series events later on this season.
– Podium of Life