Casper Bowl was announced as the first day’s venue, so the day before competition I scouted what line I would ski in competition. Your chosen line is perhaps the most important element, as you cannot score more than three points higher than your line score in most of the other judged criteria (Control, Fluidity, Technique, and Style). Line difficulty is determined by steepness, exposure, air, and snow conditions.

I decided on a relatively tame line for my first competition: dropped a four-foot rock into a keyhole section, hopped another rock into a straight-line exit, then included a stand-alone seven-foot air at the end.  I didn’t know what to expect in terms of what lines the other girls would choose, but was confident I could ski my line smoothly.