Any serious athlete needs to deal with the highs and lows of a competitive campaign, and Whistler Freeride Club (WFC) product Kieren Ferguson is no exception.
Ferguson threw himself into eight competitions in three months this year, experiencing everything from the podium’s thrill to the disappointment of falling short. The 17-year-old’s best outing was a 69.24-point effort in Revelstoke, placing second behind fellow WFC athlete Lukas Bennett.
Ferguson also skied to fourth at the Whistler Nationals and fifth at the season-ending North American Championships in Kicking Horse—where he was the top WFC athlete among boys aged 15 to 18. Moreover, he got his first taste of Freeride Junior World Championship (FJWC) action, placing 10th as fellow Whistler athlete Marcus Goguen broke through in victory.
It all added up to 3,081 points and a 14th-place ranking in the IFSA’s overall standings in North America.
“As a whole, it felt like this season just whizzed by,” Ferguson said. “It was on this roller-coaster of great success and not so much.
“It was super rad to see Marcus get the win [at the FJWC]. The after-party was something special. I’ve always been motivated by my own love of skiing and getting outdoors, rather than based on my results or someone else’s.”
‘No bad days’
Born in Vancouver, the young man spent most of his childhood weekends and holidays in Whistler, and picked up freeride at age 11. Now with seven seasons under his belt, Ferguson couldn’t imagine his life any other way.
“It’s safe to say that any day where there was more than 30 centimetres of fresh snow was one for the books,” he said. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without the constant critiquing of my turns by coaches, my mother driving me around everywhere, and the support received from [my sponsors] Rossignol, Smith, and Surefoot.”
“Super proud of Kieren’s passion for skiing and his ability,” remarked Ferguson’s mother, Heather. “I think WFC is great. I’d figured he’d be jumping off things regardless, and at least in freeride he has a coach with him.”
Ferguson is always keen to hit the slopes, and even as a child never needed coaxing from his parents to do so. Unlike more casual skiers, who might prefer bluebird skies and calm conditions, Ferguson will head out rain or shine—as long as it is safe.
“I’m one to think that there are no bad days on the hill,” he explained. “It’s important to keep an open mind and just ski the conditions for what they are. It’s also important to always come to the hill prepared. Proper mid-layers and gear make all the difference in adverse weather conditions.”
Next year, Ferguson is preparing to tackle a new challenge: his bachelor’s degree in engineering. Yet he’s far from done with competitive freeride, which is why he chose to enrol at the University of British Columbia (UBC) a stone’s throw away from the Coast Mountains. After all, Ferguson needs to stay in shape ahead of next year’s FJWC, where he has a chance to build upon the foundation Goguen laid.
Above all, he hopes to maintain his connection with the freeride community at large.
“What drew me into freeride is the community; there isn’t anything more fun than ripping around the mountain with friends and connecting with like-minded people from all over the world,” Ferguson said. “And the powder, you wouldn’t be able to fully take advantage of pow days if you were out skiing gates.”
