Thursday, February 13, 2014

Freestyle Skiing - Men's Ski Slopestyle - 2014 Winter Olympics

Joss Christensen
Gold Medal
USA
Joss Christensen (born December 20, 1991) is an American freestyle skier. Christensen's highest accolade to date is winning a Gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
 Gus Kenworthy
Silver Medal
USA
Gus Kenworthy (born October 1, 1991) is an American freestyle skier. Kenworthy is currently competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
 Nick Goepper
Bronze Medal
USA

You wouldn't expect a world-class skier to be raised in Indiana, but Nick Goepper was, and despite the geographical obstacle he faced growing up, the smart and talented Goepper made due with what was around him, skiing at a nearby mountain that stayed open at night. He also built features with a mixture of snow and AstroTurf in his backyard so he could practice while he was home. Goepper, who's known for his flawlessly executed slopestyle runs, has the tools for success and it shows with his impressive roster of results. Goepper made waves on the slopestyle scene in 2012, taking a silver medal at Winter  X Games, a win at Dew Tour Snowbasin, third at Dew Tour Breckenridge and a slew of other podium results. In 2013 Goepper took Winter X Games gold, third at FIS World Championships and won the slopestyle AFP title among other exciting podiums. In addition to his podium-worthy skiing, Goepper graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA, earning him an academic scholarship to Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Career Highlights:

2013 Dew Tour, Breckenridge, CO - 1st
2013 AFP rankings - 1st overall
2013 Winter X Games - Gold
2013 World Championships, Voss, Norway - 3rd
2013 Austrian Freeski Open, Kaprun, Austria - 1st
2013 Dumont Cup, Sunday River, ME - 1st
2013 WSI/AFP World Championships, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada - 2nd
2012 AFP rankings - 2nd overall
2012 Winter X Games - Silver
2012 Dew Tour, Snowbasin, UT - 1st
2012 Dumont Cup, Sunday River, ME - 2nd
2011 Dew Tour, Breckenridge, CO - 3rd
2011New Zealand Winter Games, Cardrona, New Zealand - 3rd

Things To Know:

1. Earned the nickname "Heartthrob" during the 2013 Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado.

2. Broke his hand in New Zealand in the fall 2013 which lead him to ski slopestyle without poles, and qualified for the Olympics too. 

3. When Goepper was in middle school, mowed lawns and sold candy bars in order to buy himself a ski pass. Would buy candy bars in bulk from Costco and then sell them out of his backpack on the school bus. Had to operate stealthily since it was against school policy. Would collect anywhere from $500 to $1000, which would fund his ski pass to Perfect North Slopes.

4. Has a dog named Suki and two adorable cats, Sparky and Jones. 

5. If Goepper wins gold in Sochi, he'll keep his medal at home in Indiana hanging around a stuffed animal in his room. 

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