rsederquist@vaildaily. com
Nash Lucas has skied in the past in Deer Valley and Waterville Valley. The former opens the NorAm season each year and the latter was the site of its first U. S. National Championship.
“There’s a little sentimental price there,” he said. An additional emotional price tag will be added to the return of Vail Ski and Snowboard Club’s tycoon skiers to the New Hampshire headquarters on Jan. 26. The occasion will be a first for the 21-year-old. Start of the World Cup.
“It’s a huge deal,” he said Lucas. Es something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I looked not only at my inspirations (but) at the other people I grew up skiing with. It’s something I was looking to accomplish and yet it was delivered there.
Lucas “nailed” back-to-back tycoons and side wins in the U. S. qualifiers at Winter Park on Dec. 16 and 17. While the FIS grants the U. S. six spots for foreign World Cups, host countries get an additional berth. . Lucas will also compete in Deer Valley, home of the tycoon festival at the 2002 Olympics, Feb. 1-3.
“It was a definite occasion for Nash,” SSCV tycoon coach Freddy Mooney said. “He’s been running hard this offseason, making key adjustments to his jumps and in the gym. “
Lucas said he wasn’t worried about adding levels of consistency, but he had to “pick up a brush” for those tricks. During the summer, he spent more time at the water ramp facility in Steamboat Springs.
“Just doing repetitions, fixing little things on the takeoff,” he said. “How I land, if I’m doing a grab, how I show it off — all that built up to Chile.”
This fall, Mooney and his crew traveled south of the equator to practice, where Lucas reassembled his aerial backpacks in the snow.
“The timing was the best and the camp worked like a charm,” he said of his time in Chile. “The quality, as well as the quantity, of the education we provided there was incredible, and it showed how prepared our team was for this first event. Since no one in North America had the opportunity to take a full course this fall, we had great merit in taking a full course a month ago in Chile.
In addition to Lucas’ win, fellow SSCV athletes Porter Huff, Jiah Cohen and Garrett Marley placed third, fourth and seventh, respectively in the individual moguls. Huff, Cohen and Marley went 3-4-5 on the duals day.
“It was an incredibly competitive field, and to rank four of the top five is surely unreal,” Mooney said. “The whole team has worked hard and I’m very proud of all of them. “
Lucas said the date with Marley, who is two years older, is something the two athletes are pushing each other towards.
“We went back and forth from each and every event,” he said.
“It’s great to have him (there). We’ll sit down with the iPad and watch them both compete. On the field, we’ll talk about tactics between the two. It’s great to have someone skiing on the slopes. Same as me, even a little bit more, and I go through those things and get a momentary opinion.
In Waterville Valley and Deer Valley, Lucas will likely compete alongside SSCV alumnus Dylan Walczyk. The two-time Olympian finished seventh at the Individual Tycoon World Cup in Bakuriani, Georgia, on Friday and lately ranks 15th overall in tycoons. During the COVID pandemic, the couple struck up a relationship when Walczyk invited Lucas to camp with him in Oregon while they trained in the bush.
“And from it turned into a traditional thing,” Lucas said. “We’ve done it the last few years. We both have camping trailers. We drive out together, set up together, cook together.”
As for the expectations for his World Cup debut, Lucas’ purpose is simple.
“Just go for a run,” he said.
“A lot of times, kids go to the first World Cup, they get into their own heads, and they end completely blowing it,” he continued.
“So, for me, the important thing is to keep a cool head and keep the right mindset to be able to race and overtake from there. “