For as long as Kyle Farrington’s been able to walk, he’s been able to ski.
From the tender age of 2, Farrington spent most of his free time on the slopes. It’s a family tradition as his mom, dad, sister, uncles and grandmother all skied growing up.
There’s even photographic proof of Farrington getting his ski legs under him as a toddler.
“We have pictures of me really young skiing up at Sugarloaf on the birches and up at Whiffletree,” Farrington said. “I’ve been skiing a long time.”
From an inexperienced 2-year-old to a seasoned junior on the Mt. Blue ski team, Farrington has had his ups and downs with the sport he loves. As a freshman, Farrington didn’t finish his first run at the 2013 Class A state alpine championship at Black Mountain after finishing ninth at KVACs at Titcomb Mountain. The Cougars finished fifth at state that year.
Last year was a bit of redemption for Farrington and the Cougars. He finished seventh at KVACs in 1 minute, 21.69 seconds and completed both runs at the state championship in which he took 14th at Shawnee Peak. Mt. Blue took home the state title as well.
“One thing that really helps is maturity,” Farrington said. “When I was a freshman, it was really hard. You didn’t know when to back it down and when to ski hard and when you could win a race and when to back it off a bit. You have to know the snow conditions, and when it’s icy and when it’s firm, what you can do.”
Farrington said Titcomb and Sugarloaf are his two favorite hills to ski. Titcomb has been kind to Farrington this season as some of his best finishes have come at the Farmington mountain. He placed second at the Otterslide Challenge on Jan. 14 with a combined time of 1:10.87. Farrington returned to Titcomb nine days later and posted a fifth-place finish with a time of 1:19.11.
Farrington has found success at other hills as well, Mt. Abram and Kent’s Hill in particular. He posted back-to-back, top-three finishes at Mt. Abram in a span of four days. On Jan. 16, he took third in 1:48.97. He grabbed a runner-up finish on Jan. 19 in the Leavitt Invitational with a combined time of 1:37.20.
“I think he’s definitely figured out certain tactics and strategies,” Mt. Blue coach Mark Cyr said. “He’s matured as far as his skiing’s concerned. He’s done a great job, especially this year. Last year he struggled a little bit in the middle of the season and picked it up at the end. This year he’s so much more consistent. Very happy to see him finish in the top five consistently.”
Farrington has found his rhythm, but the same couldn’t be said at the beginning of the season. In his first giant slalom event of the season at Black Mountain, Farrington finished 20th (1:13.47) and didn’t factor into his team’s total score. The Cougars won the event with 22 points.
“Definitely started off a little slow,” Farrington said. “Just a work in progress. Wasn’t skiing that well at giant slalom at the beginning of the year. Finally getting back into the grove of skiing a good giant slalom. Slalom has been pretty solid. I’ve just been trying to build off every race and continue to do really well. I definitely started off a little slower than I wanted to, but things are starting to come together right now.”
Rust could be a contributing factor for the slow start. Unlike most sports, where facilities are readily available throughout the year, skiing venues are not open year-round, leaving athletes off their skies for months at a time during the summer. Skiers have options to venture out west to Colorado, Oregon and Washington for summer camps, but many athletes don’t have the funds to cover the traveling expenses.
There are skills skiers can work on during the summer months that don’t involve skis, Cyr said.
“They have to work on their core strength and quickness of feet,” Cyr said. “Strength for the giant slalom and quickness of the feet for the slalom. It’s not enough to be strong and heavy, you have to be strong and quick. At the bottom of the hill, if they don’t have quick feet they don’t make it.”
Farrington lives on a lake and spends his summer swimming to stay in shape.
While he still has another full season at Mt. Blue, Farrington has set both his individual and team goals high for his junior season. He’d like to finish in the top three at both KVACs and states, as well as bring another state championship to the Cougars, especially since winning it last year felt so good.
“Last year we all came together as a team and skied very well,” Farrington said. “Winning that state championship has been one of the best things so far.”
Cyr believes if Farrington can improve his times in the giant slalom, it could be a banner year for him.
“If he can get his giant slalom in line, where he’s top one or two in the giant slalom every race, that’s awesome,” Cyr said. “I really think at Class As he’s going to be in the top two in both events. He’s peaking at the right time. He’s already peaked a bit in his slalom, but he’s figuring out his giant slalom. I certainly see him on the podium at states.”
Farrington said he feels the pressure at times of being a member of the Mt. Blue ski team. He’s aware of the championship history and the high expectations that are set every year. But he enjoys it and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“There’s always an expectation of ‘You guys are going to do great, you guys are going to win state,’ but it’s also pretty fun being part of the dynasty, you could say,” Farrington said. “We’ve done pretty well and we’re just trying to write our part in the history book for the Mt. Blue ski team.”
Farrington has one final meet to perfect his giant slalom before the two-day KVACs begin on Wednesday and continue on Feb. 7. The state meet is two weeks later at Mt. Abram and Stark’s Hill.
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