BUMP'N AND HUCK'N: Shelly Robertson takes her mogul skills to the big mountain
Out of the mogul woodwork and into the big mountain limelight, twenty-six-year-old Shelly Robertson has made an explosive debut. She charged the freeskiing scene this winter, all the while maintaining a dominant presence on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. In between mogul world cups Robertson caught the big mountain fever. She impressed the judges in Les Arcs, won the Verbier Ride, and amazed the crowd with a laid out back flip at the 2005 IFSA World Championships in Kirkwood. Robertson’s fresh face and remarkable skill helped her to win the North Face Young Guns Award and a North Face sponsorship.
Robertson’s fluid, yet aggressive style speaks for itself. Six years of skiing on the U.S. Mogul Team has given her the edge and versatility to take on any big mountain venue full-throttle. She has moved up and down between the A and C mogul teams over the years, but after winning Duals Nationals this spring (just days before slaying the Kirkwood freeskiing competition) she has secured a spot on the B team for next winter. “Winning Nationals was my biggest goal,” Robertson said. “After a rough first half of the season I knew I needed to win in order to get on the right track for next year’s World Cup circuit. It [Kirkwood] was a great way to end the year.”
It’s surprising that Robertson even found time to dabble in the freeskiing arena, but her decision to give it a shot certainly paid off. “Honestly, my friends talked me into it,” she said. “I was in Europe skiing around and taking some time off between mogul competitions when I found out about the Les Arcs and Verbier events. I was really nervous about entering because I had only done one other big mountain event the year before, and I didn’t really know what to expect.”
Robertson owns a house in Reno and when she’s not training or traveling for a competition, there’s a good chance you’ll find her shredding the gnar at Squaw Valley, her home resort . She occupies her time in the off-season working, training, and going to school at the University of Nevada, Reno. “I’m on the ten-year plan for Elementary Education,” she said.
As for the future, Robertson added:
“It has always been my dream to compete in the Olympics, so I’m focusing a lot of my energy on going to Torino next year. I’m going to ski a lot this summer and train really hard and see if I can make it happen. After that, I plan on continuing to compete in big mountain competitions and world cups for a couple more years. Then I want to marry a heli pilot so that I can ski powder everyday!”
This is one ripper chick we’ll definitely see more of in the future, so keep an eye out for her in the 2006 Olympics at Torino and future big mountain events. She’s humble and modest by nature, but don’t let it fool you; this girl shreds.