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Ken Smith/Turnagain Times photo |
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Ken Smith/Turnagain Times photo |
By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
I waited at the bottom of Tanaka hill, the main training course at Alyeska Resort for junior skiers of the Alyeska Ski Club. A long line of gaits stretched from the top of the hill down to the bottom of the slalom course. Several skiers made their way down the course, finishing up with a tired last push at the end of a rigorous run.
Next to me stood Alyeska Ski Club coach Duffy Daniels.
“Here he comes,” said Daniels. We both looked up, Daniels watching intently as the skier carved tightly around every gait, skiing with a fluid rhythm, and a tightly tucked body, gaining speed with each turn he made. When he completed the course, he finished with a burst at the end, sped towards his coach and stopped in front of him. He leaned on his ski pole, catching his wind, and waited for instructions from his coach.
Daniels pointed out some minor technical problems in his form and then sent him up for one final practice run.
It was a subtle exchange between a coach and his pupil, a close relationship that has been established over a four-year period of working together. Daniels’ student athlete is Girdwood based Kieffer Christianson, a 14-year-old skiing phenom, who came of age Sunday, March 4 when he won the gold medal in J3 (ages 13-14) slalom and took a silver medal in the giant slalom at the 46th Annual Trofeo Topolino races in Italy. Not since Tommy Moe has Girdwood had a skier of this caliber and potential.
When Kieffer finished his final practice run, he listened to a few more pointers from his coach and then respectfully and patiently stood under the bright sun for the next fifteen minutes to answer some prying questions from this reporter.
Kieffer is a little shy and restrained with his answers, never boasting about his gold medal performance in Italy, nor offering bold predictions about his future. When asked, he simply said, “I need to keep focused on my skiing, and not get caught up on what happens in the future.”
Although he’s still just a kid, the world has taken notice of Kieffer after his dominating performance at the Topolino games where hundreds of skiers from around the world participated. The United States had six representatives at the event—three boys and three girls ages 13-14.
Kieffer comes from a skiing family. His older brother, Charles, 23, is a three-time All American, and placed 8th in the Nationals in 2006 in giant slalom. Charles was in Italy the same week as Kieffer, participating in the World University Games when he took a bad fall in the slalom and blew out his knee. His mother, Cynthia, was at the event.
“I didn’t watch Kieffer at Trofeo the first week because I was too traumatized by Charles,” she said. “He crashed right in front of me. It was terrible. It was a tough course. I started watching Kiefer a little bit when I started hearing how well he was doing then I started watching some more.”
The two brothers kept track of each other during their competition in Italy, and after suffering his injury, Charles called Kieffer.
“He called me before the race and said make us proud,” said Kieffer.
Kieffer has always been the younger brother trying to keep up with his older brothers, he has another brother, Nicholas, 26, who also skis, but dropped out of competitive skiing at 15.
“Kieffer is very focused,” Cynthia said. “And he has benefited a lot from his older brothers. He was a little brother who wanted to be like his big brothers. When he was 10, he would go and ski with some of the U.S. ski team skiers who were training at Utah where Charles’ was. Kieffer always tried to ski with Charles and his friends, chasing them down the hill.”
Kieffer started skiing at the Alyeska Ski School at age three, and the family bought a second home in Girdwood in 1994.
“We’re down here five days a week when he’s training,” said Cynthia, “and every weekend.”
The Christianson’s are a skiing family, everybody skis. Although, the philosophy as expressed by Cynthia, is that skiing is first and foremost a sport for fun and health and fitness.
“We think ski racing is a great sport for kids,” she said, “because it keeps them focused and disciplined, and busy, and it’s great exercise, all of which is good for a boy.”
And it’s Kieffer’s ability to remain focused on his sport and training regiment that has allowed him to reach a championship level at such a young age. He’s also entering his mid-teens, (he turns 15 Aug. 11) and his body is growing and maturing as an athlete.
“He’s grown a lot in size,” said Daniels. “So, his increase in strength has helped a lot in his progression and skill level. It’s been cool to watch him grow up. He was talented as a young athlete, it’s been awesome to watch his growth into the skier he is today.”
Kieffer has two coaches now; his other coach lives in Colorado. He skis close to 12 months a year both at Alyeska and in the Lower 48 and Europe. In the summer, he skis at Mammoth and Mt. Hood, and then in Sept. and Oct. heads to Europe. To accommodate his training schedule, the family has opted to home-school him.
“He’s home-schooled because he trains so much,” Cynthia said. “The Anchorage School District wouldn’t allow him to miss that many days.”
And for Kieffer, the more training the better.
“I’m always training,” he said. “I always have a coach with me.”
The question now is whether he should join a national skiing development system or a ski academy, or simply stay with the Alyeska Ski Club and continue home schooling.
“I like Girdwood a lot,” Kieffer said, when asked about leaving for an outside ski academy. “When I go to Park City or Vail, there’s more to ski there, but it’s not the same.”
Next up for Kieffer is the Junior Olympics at Mammoth Mountain, CA March 22-25, where he will compete in J3 slalom, giant slalom, and super G. Kieffer has to win one of the events to qualify for the Whistler Cup in April, one of the major international children’s races.
After that, decisions will need to be made as to his skiing future. But at 14, there’s certainly no rush, in a sport where skiers typically peak in their late 20’s. However, people are watching, and waiting to see if this skier from a small town in Alaska can emulate the Alpine skiing accomplishments of another local kid who made it to the Olympic Podium in Alpine skiing.
“He’s on a very solid track to becoming a world class ski racer,” Daniels said.
As our interview ended, the coach looked over at his pupil and asked him if they should call it a day.
Kieffer nodded quietly, “Yeah, okay,” he said. But it was obvious, there was still more desire and skiing left in him.