Skiing Prodigy

Learning to ski at the age of 3 and competing at the tender age of 5, Lewis & Clark High School freshman Makaela Kerl grew up on the slopes. When she was 5, her parents were told to put her on the race team because she was continually bumped from ski groups for going so fast down the hill, and it was all history from there. 

Now competing for Mount Spokane, 15-year-old Kerl hopes to go to the Olympics some day.

“I’m just set out for it, and I’m going to do whatever it takes, and I’m going to work as hard as I can and just keep going and never quit because I might have had a bad race, it might have gotten me down, I’m just going to keep going. It’s just something I’m planning on doing,” Kerl said.

“Since she was little, always, that was her thought and goal,” said Holly Kerl, Makaela’s mom.

But don’t be fooled, Kerl worked hard to get where she is. Ranked in the top 20 in her division of the first-year J2 level, she practices at least four days a week during the winter season. Don’t think she gets summers off, though.

“Even when it’s like 90 degrees out, I’m skiing on Mount Hood about five weeks every summer,” Kerl said. “It’s like bipolar weather,” she laughed in reference to how hot and cold it gets during her practices on the mountain.

She loves practicing in the summer, and finds it fun meeting people from Australia, Canada and other various parts of the world who come to Mount Hood to practice on the mountain that is open almost year round.

“From a coaching perspective, Makaela is extremely dedicated and passionate about the sport and I think that she’s starting to reap the benefits of that desire and that passion for the sport. I think that’s the key ingredient. And when you have that desire and keep it, and go forward with that determination, inevitably you will succeed and that’s where she’s headed,” said Chuck Holcomb, head coach and program director.

Scheduled for at least 20 races this season, Kerl’s schedule stays busy with traveling to Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, California and different areas of Washington.

Holcomb is mainly focusing on the competitions in Mammoth, Calif., Montana, Idaho and the J2 nationals in Aspen, Colorado.

In the last year of her youth league (J4), she was ranked second overall in her division before she entered her junior years. Also, a few years ago, Kerl won gold in the NASTAR Nationals.

“That was really cool. They gave me a free ski suit and ski poles,” she said.

With teams ranging from around 40 to 150 people, Mount Spokane has had 95 people the last couple of years strictly in Alpine. Mount Spokane’s Alpine is one of the largest in the area as far as youth ski racing (ages 5 to 19).

Kerl competes in all styles of racing: Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super G. Once being clocked at 64 miles per hour in a training run at Mount Bachelor, she loves the high speeds, making Downhill her favorite race.

And she also aspires to make skiing a career. “I think it would be fun to have been in the Olympics and make great accomplishments in my skiing and then coaching other people from junior level up.”

Holly said, “I think what kids can take the most from this sport, is you can ski until you’re 80 because you’re so well-trained. Their ability levels are so good.”

But as far as injuries go, most of the athletes are in good shape and the technology of the gear keeps them safe. The skiers wear helmets, face guards, hand guards, shin guards and mouth guards. Some even have pads inside their suits and wear back protectors.

“The athletes are fairly highly conditioned. They work a lot on strength and flexibility which minimizes the risk of injury. And also there’s significant amount of protection used out on the hill,” said Holcomb. “There’s protection measures that are put into place that certainly help… On a race day there’s course maintenance crews that help keep the course in good shape, the track as smooth as possible.”

Kerl has pushed through an injury as well.

“In a J3 qualifying race for Junior Olympics this year she dislocated her shoulder in the Slalom race and continued the rest of the race straight into first aid,” said Holly.

As far as future goals go, Kerl hopes to make the Pacific Northwest Ski Association (PNSA) team and hopes to qualify for J2 Nationals. “I just want to make that [and] be recognized on a national level.”

If you would like to get involved with the Spokane Ski Racing Association (SSRA), please contact Holcomb by e-mail at chholcomb@hotmail.com or by phone at (509) 979-7499. To learn more about the SSRA, visit their Web site at www.gossra.org.

Story by Kristen Kirchner.