For Colorado freshman Paige DeHart, skiing has been part of her life for as long as she can remember.
“I started skiing when I was 2,” DeHart said. “I was born in Spokane, Washington, and then when I was 8, I moved to Sun Valley, Idaho.”
In Sun Valley, the mountains quickly became part of her routine.
“The mountain was 15 minutes from my house, so I would ski every chance I could, usually four to five days a week,” she said.
But DeHart’s journey on the slopes looks a little different from the rest of her family.
“Most of my family is actually Nordic skiers. They do a little bit of alpine skiing, but I'm a little bit of the black sheep of my family,” she said. “I chose Alpine racing.”
For those unfamiliar with the sport, DeHart explained the difference between alpine and Nordic skiing.
“Alpine is when you're going down the hill. There are the gates, you go around the gates, it's higher speeds,” she said. “Nordic is you're on skinny little skis, like skating. Like how you skate to the lift in Alpine — you basically do that the whole time, and you go up and down, and it's usually a longer race.”
While she competed in both disciplines growing up, one aspect of alpine racing stood out.
“I did Nordic growing up as well as Alpine, and I think I just like going fast,” she smiled.
Now a freshman, DeHart heads to the NCAA Championships as one of six Buffaloes making their debut while CU aims for its 22nd national title.
Returning to college skiing has also helped DeHart rediscover her passion for the sport.
“Last year I was on the national team, and it was very much like, train, train, train. Like, super intense,” she said. “And I think I lost my love for skiing a bit that year. I was pretty miserable, honestly.”
Being back in school and part of a team environment has made a difference.
“Coming back to school and just having the balance between school and skiing and the team and everything, I think it's made it so much more fun and enjoyable that I'm able to actually love skiing again,” DeHart said.
As she prepares for the national stage, her focus remains simple.
“At races, I'm just trying to have skiing that I'm proud of,” she said. “I know that can be fast if it's just consistent normal skiing.”
The NCAA Skiing Championship begins on March 11-14 in Utah.
