All six Canadians who participated in the 2024 Freeride Junior World Championships (FJWC) train at the Whistler Freeride Club (WFC). One of them, Lukas Bennett, threw down a poised and memorable run to seize gold one year after club alum Marcus Goguen achieved the same feat.
Bennett still can’t believe it.
“I mean, it's insane,” he remarked. “I feel like I still haven't fully understood [what I did]. I don't think I’ve wrapped my head around it, really. I'm just super happy and proud to be able to represent my friends and family.”
Bennett’s crowning moment did not come easily. He and his peers had been expecting to ski on the Quellspitze face in Kappl, Austria, but adverse weather conditions pushed organizers to move the event to the Hausberg mere days before go time. FJWC athletes are typically only allowed to study terrain from afar, and the short-notice change made it harder for them to prepare runs.
Ultimately, competitors were permitted to test out the Hausberg face before dropping in. Turbulent winds prevented chairlifts from operating, and a deluge of rain made the snow virtually “un-skiable”, according to Bennett. He nonetheless made do with the cards he’d been dealt.
It was tough sledding. WFC members Nate Wilson and Kieren Ferguson managed 13th and 14th respectively, while Kane Gascoigne crashed outright. Drea Dimma’s seventh-place effort was the best Canada could do among ladies, with Kayla Constantini labouring to 10th.
The pressure was on.
‘It’s just a run’
Bennett once grappled with what he calls a “mental block”. His abilities are palpable, his work ethic on point, but he’s failed to ski to his own standards at numerous contests in years past. 2023 was a turning point for the Whistlerite, as he completed that season ranked fourth in the IFSA’s North American junior rankings.
How was the 18-year-old able to develop a clutch gene?
“Last year, I found my stride when I started telling myself at the start of my runs: ‘it's just a run'," he explained. "I would say it with my coaches and when I dropped in, because I felt like I could do [most runs] nine times out of 10. At Junior World Champs, I was actually super tired because I had gone 30 days without a real rest day, and I was even more nervous."
Yet, the sight of Gascoigne wiping out bestowed focus and confidence upon Bennett. He knew he needed to put down a clean attempt for his friend. He reminded himself what he was up against. It was, after all, just a run…though it didn’t quite go according to plan.
Thanks to some flat lighting, Bennett mis-navigated near the top of the mountain and found an avalanche barrier in his path rather than his original takeoff point. He sent it anyway, and thinks he got lucky in landing what turned out to be a solid 360. It all came together from there.
Veteran WFC coach Jen Ashton is proud of all her pupils, but especially Bennett for his physical and mental growth.
“If you're looking for the best line or the hardest thing to do, but it doesn't match your style of skiing, then it's not going to really work out,” Ashton said. “I think Lukas just figured out how to embrace his style. He’s an insane skier, but he’s kind of a flowy and stylish guy, not a hit-the-biggest-thing-on-the-venue kind of guy. When you embrace your style, that’s when things start lining up.”
Staying positive
It’s not easy to develop talent. It’s harder still to keep everyone on schedule when unforeseen factors like venue changes come into play, but Ashton and her fellow coach Derek Foose did their jobs. Both are more than qualified for the task at hand: Ashton is a three-time IFSA World Champion who’s been coaching for over 20 years, while Foose founded the WFC itself just after the turn of the century.
“It can be pretty frustrating when things are changing up, but in front of the athletes, you always try to stay positive and look at bright sides,” explained Ashton. “We keep them focused on executing what's presented to them instead of trying to think of what could have been.”
Bennett is deeply grateful for what his mentors bring to the table.
“They help so much,” he said. “Derek has been there every year that the Whistler Freeride Club’s gone to World Juniors. He had some great intel, especially when we were inspecting the big venue, but also he's got a very calming demeanour. And Jen has a ton of experience. She’s an amazing skier…and she was helping me a ton with my lines. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
For the next several months, Bennett will be leveling up his game in the freeride mecca of Verbier, Switzerland. He speaks French and holds a Swiss passport due to his mom’s side of the family. It’s all out in front of the newly-minted champ as he aims to one day join Goguen on the Freeride World Tour.
