Sitting on the overstuffed blue sofa in the quiet of the lobby of Orca Adventure Lodge, James Woods said with a smile that he was terrified on his first day of big mountain heli-skiing with Points North in the Chugach.
In passing, you could easily take him as just another kid in any town: gray hoodie, black baseball cap that covers his hair, long on one side, shaved on the other. Just another kid, that is until he looks you in the eye and says hello. Woods has that fresh, exuberant, utterly sincere energy that you just want to bask in.
Exactly 30 days prior to our meeting, "Woodsy," as his friends call him, was making a run at the gold at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The first skier from Great Britain to medal in World Skiing Championships, James "Woodsy" Woods, age 22, is considered the one of the best freestyle skiers in the world. But even for Woods, the wild natural terrain of the Chugach was something different.
"I was terrified. It's a big arena," said Woods of the Chugach. "In the park (ski area), it's a controlled environment. The variability does not compare at all. In the park, there is a goal; you have to perform, but you choose the difficulty, the trick, the terrain. Here, you are a tiny speck on these giant mountains. It's not about pushing limits, it's about surviving the big mountain, and you don't take any chances."
Woods grew up in Sheffield, England, a Victorian-era industrial center known not only for the steel it produced but for The Great Sheffield Flood of 1864. It's Sheffield's post-industrial life that, in a nation not traditionally associated with winter sports, has created the opportunity ground for several local kids who would become Great Britain's next generation of Olympians.
"The park was part of the town looking for economic opportunity, growing itself through sport," said Woods.
On what is known as a dry slope, essentially AstroTurf, Woods first tried skiing at the age of 10.
"There was a coupon in the paper for a free ski lesson, so we went and I took the lesson. Then a few more lessons and then I joined the ski club, then the race club. I got around guys with good technique. Then they put a few mounds of dirt under the carpet and we had moguls."
At age 12, Woods skied on snow for the first time at the British Championships in Laax, Switzerland.
"It was amazing," said Woods of his first moments on snow. "They lubricate dry slope, but it's still slow, sticky. It can't hold an edge, kind of like skiing on ice. The run was around 50 meters long. Skiing on snow, for six minutes straight, fast, free. I was linking so many turns I had to slow down, learn about speed management."
Woods won the youth category at Laax. He also caught the eye of Pat Sharples, who would become Great Britain's Olympic freestyle skiing coach. Sharples gave Woods his first pair of Salomon skis, and the rest is history.
"From that point on, I've been sponsored by Salomon, and they've helped guide my way," said Woods.
Woods skied dry slope at Sheffield every day until the age of 16. He made his World Cup debut in the half pipe and then started competing in slopestyle when it was introduced in the FIS World Cup in 2011. Slopestyle, which originated in snowboarding, has become one of the most popular events at the Winter X Games. The goal is to perform the most difficult tricks while getting the highest altitude off jumps with emphasis on variety, style and originality.
Woods took a bronze for Slopestyle at the 2011 Winter X Games in Europe. In 2012, he finished second in slopestyle at the World Skiing Invitational and AFP World Championships at Whistler. A Bronze for Slopestyle in 2013 at the Aspen Winter X Games. A Silver at the 2013 FIS World Ski Championships in Voss. In 2013, he was officially ranked as No. 1 in the world.
He has been described as one of the sports most stylish skiers, a compliment he accepts with appreciation. He clearly understands the crowd pleasing "performance" aspect of his sport. Overall, his achievements are considered "historic landmarks" for British skiing, earning Woods an invitation to represent Great Britain at the 2014 Olympics at Sochi.
"The pinnacle of action sports has always been the X Games," said Woods. "Slopestyle skiing had nothing to do with the Olympics. It just happened suddenly, like being slapped into it," Woods says of the announcement that slopestyle was being added to the 2014 winter Olympic Games. "To wear the Olympic rings, represent my country at the highest level, it is a big deal."
Woods suffered an injury during a training run at Sochi, placing fifth in competition. He spent a month in rehab before coming to Cordova, his first return to skiing since the games. He describes his experience at the Olympics as "living the dream" but also says he it's not the defining moment of his life.
"It's competitive and everyone is striving to do their best," said Woods. "But slopestyle is a community. We spend the year traveling, competing. You want to win, but you want to beat them on their best day. It's the performance of the sport that matters. To show that to the world and to inspire people."
Asked where he gets his inspiration, Woods says it's "everywhere."
"Watching kids or watching anyone regardless of age -- it could be the world's best or a total beginner. Watching that effort for whatever motivation, sometimes with zero reward, that's what inspires me.
"I coach in the summer, and I love it. I've worked hard myself and I want to give off the vibe that anything is possible. It doesn't matter what rung of the ladder you start on, it's how far you climb up it."
Woods is very appreciative of his family, none of whom skied, but have always been there to support him. Although his bio says he currently lives in Breckenridge, Colo., when not traveling and competing, Woods says he still lives at home in Great Britain.
"Yeah, I'm a skier, it's what I do and I love it, and there are no signs of slowing down," he says flashing a grin. "I still live at home with my parents. I just left on vacation at age 14, and have not come back yet."
Jennifer Gibbins is editor of The Cordova Times. Used with permission.