Jasper’s Jesse Kertesz-Knight is carving up the ski race circuit.

The 15-year-old recently returned from the Canada Winter Games where he narrowly missed the podium in the slalom event, posted a top-ten in the Super-G and was leading the giant slalom until he got a bit aggressive during his second run and missed a gate.

“It was still pretty cool,” he said in between slurps of a hot chocolate at the SnowDome Café. “I was really happy with my GS run knowing it was possible to be up there.”

Kertesz-Knight has been up there all season, particularly in the slalom—his strongest event. He started the winter with a bang with a win at Nakiska. As a result of that finish and a strong showing in the GS, Kertesz-Knight was the first U-16 athlete to qualify for Team Alberta’s alpine squad. Not long after he qualified, fellow Jasperite Skylar Shepherd made the team.

“Qualifying for the team was the original goal,” he said. 

Kertesz-Knight has been setting—and meeting—racing targets for nearly half of his life. His first goal, one which he remembers clearly, was to earn a Jasper Junior Olympics t-shirt like some of his schoolmates.

“I remember in Grade 3 my friends came home from JJOs and they had these cool shirts and they were talking about how awesome it was,” he said. 

Although he had been on skis since he was two-years-old, he’d never raced. 

“My mom said it was up to me,” he said.

These days, his family is a big part of his success. His mom is one of three coaches who help him work on his form, fitness and race day preparation. His dad works on the World Cup tour. His brother, 13, is following in his ski-steps.

As a family, they all watch quite a bit of tape— not just of they boys’ skiing, but the pros’, too. Just like World Cup athletes, Kertesz-Knight has a set race-day routine.

“I like to have fun and stay relaxed until course inspection, then I try to dive in and break it down, figure out the tough parts,” he said.

At the Canada Winter Games, based in Red Deer this year, the alpine events took place at Nakiska, the same place he won earlier. Jesse said the Super G course was fast and flowy, with one big jump to “get light on.” And although his start time was near the back of the pack and he had to ski a more rutted-out course, he kept his run clean. He got eighth. 

“I managed to ski over the ruts and I think I just kind of gave ‘er a bit,” he laughed. “I sort of let the skis run.”

The slalom course was tough and tight—“but fun,” he said. He knew he’d have to ski smooth and keep his feet quick. After a strong first run, after which he sat in third place, Kertesz-Knight played it a little safer. He carved over the ruts into fifth.

“I was a bit more cautious,” he said of his second run. 

Although the ski racing season is winding down, Kertesz-Knight has high hopes for next year, when he’ll have the opportunity to qualify for the FIS circuit. He’s excited to train, to study more tape and to work with his coaches. 

He also is stoked to get the odd piece of advice from one of his skiing idols, recently-retired Jasper ski racer, 20-year-old Sam Wall. At the Canada Games, when Kertesz-Knight grabbed the early lead in the GS but then was disqualified after he missed a gate in the second heat, Wall told him, through a text message, not to dwell on it.

“I told him I totally know the feeling of winning the first run and skiing out on the second run, and to just think about the next one,” Wall said. “He’ll get to that position again.”

Wall, who’s studying Environmental Science at university now that he’s hung up the racing bib, is in a unique spot to comment on this unique young skier. 

“I’m super psyched for him and he’s skiing really well.”

Bob Covey // https://bob@thejasperlocal.com