Freeskier Alec Savery Has the Best of Both Slopes

Queenstown freeskier Alec Savery, 20, spends most of his time in Cardrona, where just about anyone who’s anyone in the New Zealand freeski scene spends their winters. So, when it comes time to compete during the other winter — the northern hemisphere winter – Savery calls Breckinridge, Colorado home.

Savery is a slopestyle specialist, which means he knows a good booter when he sees one – manicured jumps are the tools of his trade.

But, just because “Breck” is home base doesn’t mean he stays in Colorado from November to April. This week, Savery heads to Mammoth Mountain in California for the Mammoth Grand Prix, one of several FIS-sanctioned events that are now required to earn an Olympic birth.

“If I didn’t travel to the snow I wouldn’t be able to grow and progress,” Savery said before rattling off his travel plans after Mammoth: South Korea, Japan, Europe, then back to the States.

“Now that it’s an Olympic sport and FIS is in charge there’s a lot more travel involved. When X Games was the major competition it was pretty much just Europe and America. Now, you have Asia, New Zealand, just a lot of travel all over the world.”

Original article by Paul Lindeman, Summit Daily, January 15, 2016.