Group Profile--Free Ride Team

Got Steeze?

 By Gwen Schultz ‘11

Steph Lawee during offseason training,

Courtesy of Facebook

“I swear my spine is running away!” Steph Lawee ('12) said one night in her National Sports Academy dorm room.

I wonder, though, is it the awesome freestyle skier speaking? Or is it the codeine?

After an accident on the trampolines last week, Lawee is suffering from a bad neck injury involving several torn or strained ligaments that leaves her on strong pain medications all day.

Lawee is from Montreal, Quebec and is a new junior this year. She is one of the athletes on NSA’s Free Ride Team, a small but awesome group that are involved in one of the coolest sports on Earth.

“It’s dope sauce…totally nar-nar,” adds Jake Wenn, a freeskiing freshman from Lake Placid, NY.

And it is hard to argue with his point. Whether one is watching the traditional freeriding events of moguls and aerials or the “new school” events such as halfpipe, big air, slopestyle, and skicross, the tricks that these athletes pull off seem superhuman.

Freestyle skiing is a relatively new sport; the International Ski Federation did not officially recognize it as a sport until 1979.

Often known as one of the most dangerous winter sports, I asked what it was really like to be suspended in midair for way longer than what would be comfortable for most humans.

“It’s scary and sometimes I pee in my pants,” admitted Lawee.

The third member of the team is senior John Wilkins of Lake Placid, New York. He has experience as a ski racer and freestyle skier, but has been committed to freestyle snowboarding since age 10.

Wilkins has a laid back attitude towards his sport.

“I like it," Wilkins said of his sport. "The danger is what keeps snowboarding amusing to me and it’s the best feeling when you get over something you’re too scared to do and finally do it.”

Jumps range from 10 feet to 120 feet, and any height involves a lot of talent and a little bit of insanity.

“It’s 90% mental, 10% skill,” said Lawee, “and 100% steeze!”

She specializes in halfpipe, skier cross, and slopestyle, and hopes to do well enough at her competitions this year to qualify for the world cup.

Mental toughness is one of her strong points. Even after two broken shins over the summer, a broken ski, and a neck injury since the start of school, Steph still looks forward to the rest of the year.

During off-season training on the trampoline, Steph was attempting a double front flip, a trick very uncommon for girls.

“I tried to push the limit for girls’ skiing,” she says, “and I don’t regret doing it”.

One thing about freestyle skiing that is often a mystery to outsiders is the aforementioned concept of “steeze.”

Steeze is a combination of style and ease, mainly shown through one’s clothes and attitude. Wilkins even has his own apparel company, Hardway Apparel, which he says “makes the steeziest hoodies in the world.”

NSA Freeride Alum Andris Blumbergs '09 demonstrates his steeze on the slopes.

Wilkins is also going big this year. He hopes to get on the podium at Revolution Tour and also get double flips on snow.

“Not breaking a bone,” Wilkins added, “would be nice too.”

Either way, Steph, John, and Jake will show off their steeze as they represent NSA this year in California, Colorado, Utah, and Vermont.