Anchorage Daily News

Jake Young isn't suffering any adrenaline shortage.

By the time the 2008 Freeskiing World Championships end on Sunday at Alyeska Resort, Young, 28, of Girdwood, will have crammed three gut-check events on snow into 16 days -- the Telepalooza World Telemark Championships, The North Face Masters big mountain snowboarding competition and this weekend's freeskiing. He's the only Alaska competitor to do so.

"I put lots of hours in on the hill," said Young, a Dimond High graduate who moved to Girdwood at age 18. "I can visualize any part of it."

Lynn Young has watched her son's skiing addiction for years.

"He was such a little ski nut," she said. "He was there every weekend and wanted to live in Girdwood since he was about 14.

"It's his passion. You put something on his feet, he's going to go downhill on it."

No matter if it's telemark skis, a snowboard or alpine skis.

"I've already got six days of competitive racing under my belt," Jake said earlier this week. "I'm well warmed up."

He began his warm-up in the Telepalooza telemark championships, where he finished 24th among senior men with a total score of 47.2.

A few days later in the North Face Masters snowboarding, he was 11th among men -- and the second Alaskan -- with a score of 68.0.

Now comes an event that may be Young's strongest.

"I've been competing in skiing since 1998," he said. "I've kind of been in the arena for a while."

In 2002, Young was sixth at the World Free Skiing Championships in Valdez.

And Young, who now makes skis and snowboards, is comfortable with his skis.

That wasn't exactly the case in the North Face Masters snowboarding competition.

Although Young has built 19 pair of skis since he started making them in June, he finished his first snowboard just last week.

The next day, The North Face Masters competition got started on Alyeska, and Young's new board was on the hill.

Though perhaps a little stiff, "It got me through," he said.

This week, Young is back on skis and anxious for the competition.

"I've got all my lines figured out," he said. "A top-10 would be nice."

Big mountain freeskiing is judged on a skier's line choice, technique, aggressiveness, control, fluidity and use of the natural terrain from start to finish. Unique and difficult routes provide more points. Skiers often negotiate steep terrain and ski over cliffs and rock exposure.

About 100 athletes are expected in the competition.

SCHEDULE: The 2008 Freeskiing World Championships are today and Saturday at sites not yet determined on Mount Alyeska. Awards are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the Sitzmark Lounge.

VIDEO: Watch a video of Jake and his wife Vesna skiing -- called "Titanium Challenge 1: Ski Powder Forever" on YouTube. It features them skiing, with music by Vesna.

youtube.comwatch?v=9Jz6EMlglg4

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