Aaron Blunck takes third at U.S. Freestyle Championships

“We knew we had to step it up”

Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team (CBMST) skier Aaron Blunck continues his climb up the national ranks in the world of halfpipe skiing, taking another step toward the big time this past weekend in Vermont.
Blunck finished in second place overall at the USSA Junior Nationals on March 9 in Steamboat.
The effort earned Blunck an invitation to compete in the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships in Stratton, Vermont March 24-26.
“This event is an invitational of the country’s best halfpipe skiers, the big dogs,” says CBMST coach Ben Somrak. “I was going to be extremely happy with a top 10.”
The freestyle championships opened with two days of training in the icy halfpipe at Stratton with frigid temperatures under snowy, gray bird skies. Blunck dropped in for his training runs and hit the deck, crushing his elbow. He fought through the pain to put some more training runs in, but Somrak admits that morale was a bit low following Thursday’s session.
“I told Aaron, great skiers adapt— you either adapt or fly home,” says Somrak.
Friday went a bit better for Blunck as he started to get more comfortable in the halfpipe.
“By the time training ended he had a few good runs down,” says Somrak.
The turning point came after training when Blunck, Somrak and some coaches and skiers from Aspen headed to the park for some freeskiing.
“We went to the park to improve morale,” explains Somrak. “I feel like he went to bed Friday night with some stoke.”
The sun came out Saturday and Somrak could see that Aaron made the switch into competition mode during his training runs the morning of the competition.
“Aaron started out the day looking like a different skier,” says Somrak.
The two talked and decided to go with his “insurance” run during the qualifier, sticking to the trick combinations he is comfortable with.
The move paid off in spades as Blunck finished third in qualifying to advance to the finals with 11 other skiers.
Blunck and Somrak talked some more and Somrak put it out there for Blunck that it was time to step out of his comfort zone if he wanted to compete.
“We knew we had to step it up,” says Somrak. “He had to risk it all to hang with these boys.”
Blunck did just that, starting with a rightside 1260 into a left 900, right 900 (all with grabs), right 1080 landing backwards into a switch 7 and finishing with a flair opposite mute grab.
“He just stomped his run and moved into first place,” says Somrak.
One of the last two skiers managed to push Blunck into second place but with a podium-worthy run already down on paper, Blunck added a new trick to his second run that he had picked up two days before the competition—a switch 900.
“I told him there’s nothing to lose now, just go have fun,” says Somrak.
One more competitor nailed his final run and Blunck finished the day in third place, with $800 cash and a big foam credit card.
When 14-year-old Blunck stepped onto the podium in Stratton Village to receive his just rewards, he was up there with two 20-year-olds.
“Aaron was the youngest in the competition,” says Somrak. “He’s got the skill, dedication, visualization and no-fear combo. That’s an important combination. When I was 14, I was working on a penciled-out disgusting 540.”
Blunck will likely finish the season at the USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain April 15 and then look to get a spot on the Dew Tour beginning December 16.
“We have to lobby to get him in there, which shouldn’t be a problem,” says Somrak.
Local kids and parents get a chance to ski with Aaron and the rest of the CBMST members this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Goldlink Terrain Park.