Nick Page is fast, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise he’s ahead of schedule. At just 19 years old, the Park City local finished fifth in the men’s mogul skiing competition at the Beijing Olympics and wrapped up his third year on the World Cup circuit. We caught up with Page when he returned home to hear about his Olympic experience, how growing up in Park City put him on the fast track for stardom and to learn why he’s only getting started.
THE ORIGIN OF PAGE’S MOGUL SKIING CAREER
It all kicked off when I was 7 years old watching the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. I remember sitting on the ottoman in my living room seeing Bryon Wilson win the bronze medal. My dad mentioned Wilson had skied with the team I was on, Wasatch Freestyle. Right then I got the idea that if I stuck with it anything was possible. Bryon has become one of my closest friends and most influential coaches, so to see it all come full circle by competing in my first Olympics alongside him is incredible.
HOW GROWING UP IN PC PREPARED PAGE
The Olympic spirit is all around you in Park City. All the resorts have the Olympic Rings, and I got to train competitively from an early age at the Utah Olympic Park. Growing up experiencing the local legacy of the Olympic culture makes the whole thing feel like a reality.
WHAT IT MEANS TO COMPETE IN PARK CITY
Every place we get to compete is special, but the World Cup at Deer Valley is the standout. It’s Augusta National for mogul skiers. Skiing in front of the huge home crowd brings a different energy that fires us up to show our best stuff.
HOW THE PANDEMIC MADE PAGE BETTER
The pandemic wasn’t something anyone wished for, but it forced me into a corner where I could either do something constructive or sit back and wait. As soon as I got home in March 2020, I built a gym in my basement and got to work. I chose to focus on the positives and put all my energy into what I could control. I came out of the experience more fit and well prepared for the season than ever before.
WHEN THE MAGNITUDE HIT HOME FOR PAGE
It didn’t sink in until we were at this big hotel near LAX getting ready to fly overseas. We got to try on our Team USA outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies, and that’s when it really hit me that this is it. It’s the Olympics, and everything we’d been working for had built up to this moment.
What the future holds
The results I’ve gotten and the work I’ve put in give me a lot of confidence. My air scores are consistently leading or in the top three, which is a testament to the foundation I built with Wasatch Freestyle. But there’s never going to be a perfect mogul run, and there’s always room to improve. I’m focused on getting stronger and skiing faster with more consistency. I’m only getting started.
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