Grab your tuques. The wizards of the white world are on their way. In February, the best skiers in both the freestyle and alpine World Cup realms are set to race in West Vancouver and Whistler. These events will afford athletes and spectators alike their opportunity to raise the curtains on two 2010 Winter Olympic stages.

In November, Cypress Mountain became the first of the seven new Olympic venues—spread across Richmond, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Whistler—to reach completion. Canadian Olympic team members on the freestyle-skiing squad, hopeful of gaining an advantage over their international competition, have already been training on the moguls and aerials courses on Cypress’s Black Mountain. That’s where the Georgia Straight caught up with two B.C.–based athletes to gauge their opinion of the venue in advance of the World Cup freestyle events this weekend (February 9 and 10).

Sylvia Kerfoot grew up near Cypress and cut her mogul-racing teeth as a child with the Blackcomb Freestyle Club in the 1980s. The national-team veteran was clearly elated at the prospect of competing in her “backyard”. A decade ago, Kerfoot won her first World Cup medal, a bronze, at Whistler. Since then, when not rebuilding her body after a sequence of sports-related injuries, she’s performed her high-flying magic on slopes around the globe. Her experience racing at former Olympic sites in Japan, the U.S., and Italy helped shape her take on the long-term legacy of the facility at Cypress. “It’s not just about the Olympics,” she said. “Even before the Games happen, Cypress is going to become known around the world as one of the best courses.” Catching her breath, the upbeat 30-year-old admitted practising at Cypress was “almost surreal because this doesn’t get any closer to home”.

As an example of the long-term benefits of the Olympics, Kerfoot pointed to Deer Valley, where freestyle-ski contests were held during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Much like Kerfoot, moguls world champion Kristi Richards couldn’t say enough good things about Deer Valley, where the athletes would compete prior to their return to Vancouver. “Much like the run at Cypress, Deer Valley is built on a steep pitch. The course is long, and filled with plenty of even-sized bumps. Because it’s close to a major ski town, we always draw a crowd.” The Summerland native was hopeful that freestyle races at Cypress will be accompanied by a similar ambiance. After all, these teams of highfliers who represent several dozen nations travel the world together for three months of the year. Much like mountain bikers, freestyle skiers enjoy a good party, especially as they are the star attractions. “It’s fun to rip it up at night under the lights, especially when live bands like Everclear play their hit ‘Summerland’. I stand at the top of the course so pumped and ready for my run.”

Freestyle skiing blends gymnastic prowess and speed with an ability to fearlessly soar skyward off jumps. The action happens quickly, making this style of skiing more challenging for spectators to follow than an alpine race, where athletes compete against the clock. As a mogul racer, Kerfoot laid out the basics of her sport. “You’re trying to find the most direct route down the hill around mounds of snow. There are also two jumps on the run. We ski down, do a jump, ski some more, do another jump, then ski to the bottom. Seven judges award you points based on three different aspects: marks are awarded for the technical quality of the skier’s turns [50 percent], the two upright aerial manoeuvres [25 percent], and speed [25 percent]. While speed is a factor, the fastest skier across the finish line does not necessarily win. On a regulation 200-metre course, we take about 30 seconds to complete a run.”

All it takes is one miscue to bring a premature end to an athlete’s season. One of the faces that will be missing at Cypress, at least on the racecourse, is that of Canadian Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Heil, who, like Kerfoot and Richards, has had to contend with injuries throughout her career. Heil spoke with the Straight last month from Montreal following a news conference in which she announced plans to skip the rest of the season. “I’ve heard Cypress is an amazing course. If it’s an option, I’ll be there to cheer on the team.”

While the 2010 Olympics are on everyone’s mind, Heil was just as certain that Kerfoot and Richards would be concentrating on the task at hand of improving their techniques and World Cup standings. After all, as Kerfoot explained, “Major injuries brought me down but amazing coaches brought me back up. I’ve got a lot to achieve before the Olympics.” Richards amplified that sentiment when she said, “Injuries are never easy, but as an athlete what gets me through is looking ahead and keeping my goals in front of me.”

To say that Richards came back stronger to win the world championship is an understatement. What the 27-year-old offered next should give the competition pause for consideration. “Last year was a breakthrough season for me. Walking away with the title was huge, but looking back on my run, I only showed 40 to 50 percent of what I think is my true potential.” Keep that inspiring thought in mind when this year’s version of the Canadian Air Force soars into Cypress this week.

Access: Freestyle-ski training for both moguls and aerials begins at Cypress Mountain on February 8 in preparation for competition on February 9 and 10. For details, visit www.freestyleski.com/ or www.cypressmountain.com/. Whistler’s four alpine ski contests take place February 21 to 24. For information, visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com/.