BIOGRAPHY:
Former gymnast Heather McPhie came late to moguls skiing but she's been making up for lost time. In 2010 the Bozeman, Montana native found a new gear and accelerated to her first career World Cup podiums (four) including one win in her current hometown of Park City, Utah. After becoming a first-time Olympian (18th place) in Vancouver, McPhie stayed consistent and ended the 2010 season ranked second in the overall World Cup standings (her previous best ranking was 13th in 2007). She backed up her breakout season in 2011 with seven more World Cup top-10s (including one podium) and again pulling in a pair of U.S. Championship podium finishes.
HEATHER SAYS:
My 2011 season was a building year for me. I threw my D-spin in at over 50 percent of my single competitions, which I was really excited about. Highlights include a third place finish at the Are, Sweden World Cup, and finishing my year at U.S. Championships with a third in singles and a second in duals. I was also happy to finish up the season ranked fifth overall. My main goals are to continue to work on my more difficult tricks and compete them regularly in single mogul and hopefully in duals as well. I also want to be on the podium with at least one of my more difficult tricks, and finish in the top three overall.
FIRST TRACKS:
Her parents were ski instructors, so when McPhie was finished with gymnastics, she turned to skiing. Let her tell it: "Growing up I had always loved mogul skiing, so my parents signed me up for the Bridger Freestyle Ski Team. The first year I competed in all the competitions and rarely made it down without falling, but I immediately loved it. For the first two years, I skipped the jumps because I was petrified of them." She's no longer scared about jumps - "I feel in love with jumping," she said, a key component to reaching success.
OFF THE SNOW:
During the dry months, McPhie is never bored. “I'm training for my first century road ride coming up at the end of May which is exciting for me, and coaching a camp in Colorado,” says McPhie. “This summer I am attending classes at Westminster College in Salt Lake and continuing with my gym and water ramp training. In terms of hobbies I plan on continuing to play on my mountain bike, dabble in tennis, get on my yoga mat whenever possible, and disc golf.”
