Watching ski racers zoom down the mountain at lightning speed always makes my stomach turn and my nerves flare. This is not an issue Pascale Augspurger because since the age of two has been speeding down the ski slopes in Aspen, Colorado, pursuing her passion as a skier.  Augspurger, a freshman at AHS, competes on the AVSC alpine team as well as the high school team.  Auspurger joined the team as a J5, and this season will be her 7^th season racing. She decided to join AVSC because most of her friends were in the program and she loved doing the NASTAR while free skiing with her parents.

“We put her into ski racing because it keeps her busy, active, and determined. It also gave her a great foundation when she first started skiing,” Augspurger’s mom, Nicole Augspuger said.

Today, Pascale spends five days a week skiing and goes to races almost every weekend during the winter season.

“I love ski racing because it always gets my adrenaline flowing, and allows me to spend my afternoons with my best friends,” Augspurger said.

This season, Pascale has qualified to go the state championships for the high school division. Her finishes include a 6^th place in a high school race and 14^th place in a race for AVSC.

“The most challenging part about ski racing is the amount of time you have to put into the sport and how dedicated you have to be in order to be successful in the races,” Augspurger said.

This year Augspurger has the opportunity to travel to Italy for two weeks overlapping with ex ed with three other teammates from the AVSC team. While in Italy, she will be representing the United States and will be skiing in races competing with the best skiers from countries all over the world. She will also get the opportunity to spend time with kids in Italy so she can train with them and learn about a whole new culture.

“This is a great opportunity for her, because she will be able to travel abroad and experience and learn about a whole new culture as well as practice her skiing in another country,” Nicole Augspurger said.

Augspurger is excited to see what the future holds for ski racing and can’t wait to go to the state championships at the end of the season. She hopes to continue to improve her skiing and stay determined and focused for the coming winter seasons.

“I love being able to ski with Pascale because she is always smiling and motivates me to the best I can be,” sophomore Dolores Sharaf said.