The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“I still think, that night, he gave it everything he had”
It’s been an incredible ride for Aaron Blunck this year and the 17-year-old halfpipe skier from Crested Butte just hit another peak on Tuesday, February 18 placing seventh in the men’s halfpipe at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Blunck is relatively new on the professional halfpipe skiing scene. After a fantastic “rookie” year last year, he came into the 2014 season on fire, progressing far beyond anyone’s expectations.
“He literally just started his career a year ago,” says his head coach at Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, Elana Chase. “He’s just at the beginning and to back up his strong freshman year with a strong sophomore year is unique.”
Blunck had no choice but to step up his game this year if he wanted a shot at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The qualifications for the US Olympic halfpipe team were fairly straightforward. There would be five qualifying events. Podium in three events and you’re guaranteed one of the three US Olympic team spots originally up for grabs.
Blunck opened the entire series back in December with a bang placing second at the first event and then won the second qualifying event a week later at the Grand Prix in Copper.
The next month was hectic to say the least. He crashed during qualifying at the third event and almost ended his season right there. Initial prognosis hinted at a broken collarbone but a follow up showed that it was a stage I separation of his AC joint in his shoulder. An injury he was all too familiar with and one that he had dealt with in the past.
Down but not out, Blunck stepped back into the starting gate for the fourth qualifying competition and finished in fifth place. That left his Olympic future hanging in the balance as he headed into the fifth and final qualifying event of the season on January 18.
With two runs left to determine his fate, Blunck dropped into the pipe only to crash on his first run leaving it up to the last run of the entire qualifying season to decide whether he would be skiing in the Olympics or watching it all on television.
