Editor’s Note: This is Part II in The Tahoe Weekly’s ongoing “Olympic Hopefuls” series leading up to the Olympics in February. Part I of the series may be found at http://yourtahoeguide.com/2013/12/local-athletes-eye-olympic-winter-games/
Olympic sport: Freestyle moguls
Hometown: South Lake Tahoe
Resort Team: Heavenly
Strength, grace and smooth landings characterize mogul skier Sho Kashima who began skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort when he was just 4-years-old. Growing up, he was inspired by world champion skier Jonny Moseley, among other Tahoe legends. It was Moseley’s gold medal win in Nagano that inspired Kashima to compete as a mogul skier. And, that decision has already led to more than a dozen top-10 World Cup finishes.
Kashima was 12-years-old when he began skiing moguls with the Heavenly Team, and after winning the 2006 National Championships for Dual Moguls in Killington, Vt., he qualified for the U.S. Ski Team at 19.
His rookie year on the U.S. Team in 2006–07, was successful: he finished 13th and was runner up for World Cup Rookie of the year. With only five starts last season, Kashima locked in three top-10 finishes and earned both a second and a third place finish at the U.S. National Championships. And, once again, he is an Olympic hopeful.
Selection events, held in December, are used to qualify skiers. The three or four skiers with the most World Cup points leading up to the Winter Games in Sochi will make the team. The final U.S. Olympic Team will be named in late January.
The Weekly had a chance to talk with Kashima in November. As you might expect, training is a year-round commitment for Olympic level competitors. Just a single month, April, is generally taken off.
“I have been on the snow somewhere, somehow every month this year. There’s also a lot of weightlifting and aerial training,” shared Kashmina when asked about training for this year’s competitions. “Mentally … keep confidence high and focus on every single training session. I’m looking forward to this winter.”
Kashima attends Westminster College in Salt Lake City and recently coached Mogul Logic at Whistler, as well as a trampoline and skate camp, in Sugarloaf, Maine.
Kashima has an outstanding record coming into this season – three top-10 results with only five starts in 2013, on the World Cup podium in 2012and an eighth place ranking in moguls at the close of the 2009 World Cup. In addition to a growing fan base, support comes from sponsors including ID One Skis, Technica boots, Swans Goggles and Giro.
Keep your eyes on this Tahoe bump skiing champion.
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