Meet Nikolas: Young Banff Freeskier Reaches for New Heights
Luckily, this first impression didn’t last forever. When Nikolas’ family moved from Edmonton to Banff and introduced him to downhill skiing, his appreciation for the sport began to grow.
“One day I noticed skiers doing tricks in the terrain park at Sunshine. I thought tricks were just for snowboarders, so that opened up a whole new world for me. It looked super fun – I fell in love with it.”
At age 10, Nikolas joined his first ski team, Sunshine’s Mountain Freeriders Program.
“I had a ton of fun in the park. I remember doing my first 360 – I was pretty ecstatic when I landed it. It took at least 60 attempts. But when I finally did, it was a feeling like no other,” he says.
“One day I noticed skiers doing tricks in the terrain park at Sunshine. I thought tricks were just for snowboarders, so that opened up a whole new world for me. It looked super fun – I fell in love with it.”
“It’s about mimicking your park skills on big mountain terrain,” Nikolas says.
During the 2015-16 season, after dislocating his shoulder three times across three consecutive seasons, Nikolas underwent surgery. To recover, he had no choice but to miss an entire winter of competition time – but he refused to let this hold him back.
“While I was recovering, I visualized all these tricks I wanted to accomplish. It’s essential to visualize in your head how you’re going to move your body, so you can transfer that to when you’re on your skis. Once I got back on the snow, I was able to do these tricks fairly quickly, which was fantastic,” he says.
Learning new tricks allowed Nikolas to qualify for some high-level competitions in 2016/17. In March 2017, he represented the Southern Alberta Freestyle Ski Club at the Alberta Freestyle Championships in Calgary, placing 2nd in U16 and 3rd overall (slopestyle); 14th U16 and 34th overall (halfpipe); 21st U16 and 47th overall (moguls).
“I started pushing myself more and I progressed a lot, stomping these new tricks that I’d never done before. It feels really good when you overcome a big obstacle for your skill level.”
In April 2017, he competed in slopestyle, halfpipe and big air at the Canadian Junior Freestyle National Championships in Whistler, B.C. While competing, he landed a Double Cork 720 – a personal highlight.
“You go up a jump and do an off-axis backflip combined with a 360, and you do it twice. Almost like a sideways double backflip. It was a great feeling to land it. It gives you confidence to keep learning.”
When asked about his wildest dreams for the sport, Nikolas names competing in the Olympic Games as one of his greatest ambitions.
“What inspires me is watching skiers I idolise, and trying to progress to that level.”
But big dreams mean big commitments – and that’s why Banff Lodging Co. supports young Bow Valley athletes like Nikolas. As a member of the company’s Pauw Foundation Youth Sport Fund Athlete Squad, Nikolas receives financial assistance for his travel expenses to pursue his passion.
“With all of the extra travel on top of the training programs, this can be an expensive sport. I’m grateful for this support so I can keep doing what I love,” Nikolas says.
On a typical weekend this season, you’ll find Nikolas training with his Winsport Team at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. When he isn’t skiing or training, he’s usually watching ski movies or creating video edits with footage captured throughout each ski season.
“I put all of my energy into skiing, and I can’t imagine life without it. It’s my passion.”
To check out more of his tricks, follow Nikolas on Instagram: @nikolas_worobey
