ML - Aspen Peak

2013 - Issue 2 - Winter

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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ring leaders The dream starts young. Kids glued to the TV, watching their favorite athletes, proclaiming they, too, will compete in the Olympics some day. For these born-and-bred Aspenites the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is actually within reach. Let the Games begin. By Erin Lentz Torin Yater-Wallace photography courtesy of NBC Olympics/USOC FREESTYLE SKIER AND X GAMES MEDALIST "Torin has a natural ability to shine—not just in the half-pipe but in any freeskiing. He has balance, agility, and versatility all at the same time, which is rare.  It's cool to see those kids identified at a young age—the ones who have talent and desire—actually make it. During the X Games, when Torin won silver pulling off an alley-oop double flatspin 900, it was exciting to watch him shine in front of his hometown.  And Torin didn't come out of nowhere—he was getting noticed when he was just 11 years old. He was a standout—a quiet, cool little kid who had natural ability. What makes Torin so strong as a competitor is that he has an incredible amount of technical ability. David Wise may be the only guy matching him right now.  Each summer, when the athletes go to training camps, they start raising the bar with new tricks. The big question for Sochi, is, 'Will we see a triple?' I'm not sure if it's possible, but they're all going to contribute something, and Torin will definitely be bringing something new to the Games." —Mike Douglas, godfather of freeskiing and analyst for ESPN's Winter X Games Discipline: Skiing, freestyle. Event: Half-pipe. Age: 18. Claim to Fame: Won an X Games medal at 15, the youngest skier ever to do so. Has never been to… a high school dance. I went to normal school until halfway through sophomore year, then started online courses, because the ski world was way too busy. But senior prom is happening. I wouldn't be where I am today without… The Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club. I got a scholarship, and there was a never a moment where my parents thought I shouldn't be doing this because it was too dangerous. They've always been fully supportive because they knew I loved it. On the progression of halfpipe tricks: The sport has been pushed really fast. It's been pushed too fast in certain ways. Perfect everything first, and then move on. You need that style factor. Motivation: Music mostly—a lot of rap. It pumps me up. I always ski with music, even during competitions. People would never guess: I surfed a lot when I was younger because my Grandpa [Renny Yater] owns a surfboard company in Santa Barbara. He still shapes surfboards to this day. He gets up at 6 in the morning and shapes. About the competition: It's a good field of guys who are going to impress. aspenpeak-magazine.com  167 166-171_AP_F_NEW_Olympians_WIN13_SPR_14.indd 167 10/30/13 5:06 PM

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