Madi McKinstry – Profile

US Team Member: 2010-2015 Seasons

Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Birthplace: Spring Creek, Nevada
Birth Year:  1994
Education:  Montana State University

USTSA Team Sponsors: Flylow, SCARPA, Global Rescue, CW-X Conditioning Wear, Saucer Wax, SporTube
Personal Sponsors: POC, Mom and Dad

My Skiing History:

I started skiing when I was 2 at Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyoming. Nevada was home until I was 12, so getting to a ski area was a bit of a challenge. We mostly hiked in the Ruby Mountains, which is why I started telemark skiing at the age of 10. We moved to Steamboat Springs in November, 2006. There I joined the Winter Sports Club Telemark Program. The first event I ever raced in was the Copper Free Heel Throw down in January 2007 where I placed second. I then went on to race in the 2007 Tele Nationals, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked.

My Goals and Motivation:

Skiing is the biggest part of my life. Whithout it, I don’t quite know where I’d be in the world. Going to university and continuing to ski race has been one of the best things in my life, but it is also hard to balance, which is why I work hard on and off the hill, proving that it is possible to do both and maintain good results in races. My goals for the 2014-2015 ski season are to attend Nationals, and get the National Champion title. I also want to place at least top six in every World Cup I enter. I really want to win a World Cup, preferrably a Classic. I also want to become the World Junior Champion.
My motivation comes from my Dad, who is always out skiing with me, trying to help me improve. Also my coaches, Ty Upson, Charlie Dressen on the telemark side, and Kevin Francis and Eric Cates up here in Montana. Without them, I definitely wouldn’t be as great of a skier as I am today. Jasmin Taylor of the British Telemark Team also inspires me and pushes me to go farther in my skiing abilities. She works harder than anyone I know and fully commits herself to Telemark Ski Racing. I am proud and honoured to be able to call her my competition and my best friend.

What I Love about Telemark Racing:

Telemark racing is different from any other sport I’ve ever done.  It beats out every other sport on the coolness scale by like 10.  It’s something new and unique, and it’s a ton of fun.  It allows you to travel to many different places and countries, and meet exciting new competitors from all over.  I love it because you are always improving, and training is one of my favorite parts of the sport.  I also love training because it’s where I ski my best, and even if my results don’t reflect how I’ve been skiing at training, at least I remember the good feeling of the perfect turn and know I’m capable of skiing clean, fast and flawlessly (almost).

Interesting Facts About Myself:

I am currently studying Global and Multicultural Studies with a double major in Spanish at Montana State University. I am also a member of the alpine ski team here, who are generous enough to allow me to train with them and be a real part of the team. The winter of 2013/14, I lived in Les Houches, France from January to April and raced the entire World Cup and French Cup circuits, and raced in World Championships in Spain. I trained with Seb Mansart as my coach and Jasmin Taylor as my teammate, along with Laura Genier-Solgiet and Clement Bergeretti. I love to go on river trips with my family and family friends, and in the summer of 2008 we went down the Grand Canyon, which was truly the most amazing thing ever. I also had the chance to participate on a humanitarian trip to Zambia in the summer of 2011, it was life changing and the people of Zambia hold a special place in my heart. I truly will go back someday.

I have an obession with CrossFit, and it has stood in as an amazing summer training program. I also practice yoga daily and have found a new part of myself that is calm and a little bit flexible, which is nice with my crazy schedule! I like to go camping and hiking, biking and climbing, so I pretty much just love to be outside! Namaste.

Competition Results:

2014
US Nationals
-US Champion
Steamboat Springs, USA
-5th in Classic
-7th in Classic
-5th in Parallel
-7th in Sprint
Les Contamines, FRA
-5th in Parallel
-6th in Sprint

2013

2012
Espot, Spain-World Junior Championships
-3rd in Classic
-4th in Sprint
Chamonix, Les Houches, Les Contamines, France
-7th in Sprint
-11th in Sprint
-13th Classic
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
-3rd in Classic
-3rd in Classic
-6th in Sprint
-7th in Sprint
Kvitfjell/Rjukan, Norway
-9th in Classic
-8th in Sprint Classic
-5th in Parallel
2011
US Nationals
-1st overall
-1st in Classic
-1st in Sprint Classic
-1st in Dual Slalom
-1st in GS
World Championships, Rjukan Norway
-GS 15th
-Classic 12th
-Sprint 12th
World Junior Championships, Hafjell Norway
-3rd overall
-3rd in GS
-4th in Sprint
World Cups in Meribel, France and Thyon, Switzerland
-12th in Sprint
-14th in Classic
-12th in Classic
2010 Telemark Nationals 4th overall
-2nd in Dual Slalom
-3rd in Sprint Classic
-4th in the Classic
2010 World Cup in Bjorli/Rjukan, Norway
-Classic 19th place
-Sprint Classic 14th place
-19th in Classic
-Sprint 19th place
2009 US Nationals Women’s Elite 6th place
2009 Grizzly Peak Tele Race, Red Lodge Montana Women’s Elite 2^nd place
2008 US Nationals Women’s J2 1^st place
2008 Nastar Nationals Overall Other’s Women Champion
2007 US Nationals Women’s J2 2^nd place