The world of free-style skiing is, by its very nature, full of ups and downs and some very big bumps.  Perhaps no one knows that better than Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA). 

As the reigning World Champion, Deneen entered the 2010 Olympic Games as a likely medalist, but a dramatic and uncharacteristic fall knocked him out of the biggest competition of his life.  As a young skier, it was a pivotal moment in his career.  Some athletes seem to never recover from monumental setbacks, others are able to use heartache to fuel future greatness.  Last weekend, Deneen proved the latter as he demolished the field at the first competition of the season since his fall in Vancouver.  

Competing near the arctic circle in Ruka, Finland, Deneen dominated the World Cup competition to win the gold medal with 25.23 points. Mikael Kingsbury of Canada was second with 24.89. Read More Here... 

"My performance at the Olympics was obviously a huge disappointment," said Deneen.  "But I had a great group of people around me who helped me through it and helped me see it as a huge opportunity to grow as an athlete,  and really, as a person.  To come out here and win, well, I couldn't be happier.  It's a great way to put the past behind me and focus on a lot of great skiing that I know is still in me. I'll be back in Socchi in 2014, but between now and then I'd love to get very comfortable on World Cup podiums around the World. "

 

Freestyle competition resumes in Meribel, France with dual moguls on 12/15/10. Then it's off to Beida Lake, China. This event marks the first time a World Cup moguls competition will have been held in China.