The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, are only weeks away with team selections expected by the end of January. Among those vying for spots to compete in the Winter Games are nearly two dozen Tahoe and Truckee area athletes.
Olympic Sport: Ski Cross
Hometown: Duluth, Minn.
Resort Team: Squaw Valley
Of all the qualities that make a strong athlete, determination and sharp focus may be what sets the best apart from the rest. For Charlotte Mia Skinner, these qualities are natural.
A native of Duluth, Minn., Skinner spent most of her childhood on the hill. Her father owned two ski resorts in the Midwest, which gave Skinner the opportunity to ski as much as possible. Her first taste of competition was alpine racing with the Duluth Ski Club, which travelled to United States Ski Association and FIS events during the winter. In high school, Skinner qualified for state championships three out of four years, and made the All-State team one of those years. Despite the success, Skinner sought something more from skiing.
“I will always love alpine, but I wanted something a little more exciting and different,” said Skinner.
Her first attempt at ski cross came after relocating to California to study economics at the University of California, Berkeley, where she joined the ski club and competed at the U.S. Collegiate Ski Association National Championships.
“I tried it, and it was awesome,” said Skinner.
The next summer, Skinner found herself training at Mount Hood, Ore., with X-Games ski cross athlete and Canadian Development Coach Stanly Hayer, who gave her some pointers on how to break into ski cross.
Skinner’s next attempt at ski cross was during the Canadian Nationals in December 2012.
“I got my butt handed to me. I was so out of my element, but I was like, I can do this. This is fun,” said Skinner.
After a phone call to announce her plans to her parents, Skinner jumped into the sport headfirst. Despite not having immediate answers to their questions about a sport they had never heard of, where she would live and how she would pay for it. She assured them she could make it happen.
She discovered the ski cross program at Squaw Valley through talking to friends and soon moved to the Tahoe area to begin training and building connections. She met coach Donald “Mort” Nyberg who helped her earn the Team Squaw Athlete Scholarship to train with Squaw Valley Ski Team. Mort’s direction helped Skinner grow from a skier with little ski cross background to someone who could confidently attack a ski cross course. Off the hill, Mort offered guidence and mentorship in with both physical and mental training, as well as balancing school with competition.
That season, Skinner entered as many North American Cup Competitions as she could, and competed in all of the Revolution Tour ski cross events. By the end of the season, it was obvious her dedication was paying off. She was ranked second in the country in women’s ski cross by USSA.
The following summer, she took summer classes before deciding to take the fall semester off to work and train. She hired a personal trainer to help ensure she reached peak fitness at the best times for competition.
Her job as a customer service representative for the audio accessories manufacturer Boombotix allows her to work remotely, which is necessary for her to balance training while independently funding her own ski career.
This season, Skinner hopes to compete in all six of the North American Cup competitions, as well as competitions on the Europa Cup in Europe. Her goal is to win the Nor-Am Cup, which will earn her a spot on the World Cup tour. Her long-term goal is to qualify for the 2018 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, as well, since Skinner is of Korean descent.
“I’ve always dreamed of being an Olympic athlete, in high school I grew up doing tennis, track and skiing,” she said.
However, qualifying proves to be a complicated process. Ski cross athletes compete with mogul, slopestyle and half pipe athletes for a limited number of spots on the Olympic teams. In 2010, no female ski cross athletes qualified for the team due to the sport having a limited number of female competitors. None of these hurdles bother Skinner who is excited to see the events growth over the years and highly anticipates whatever is in store for this season.
