Year of Birth: 2005
Hometown: Auckland, NZ
Skiing Disciplines: Slalom (SL) and Giant Slalom (GS)
Sweet Protection NZ - Has Ski Racing always been a part of your life and when and how did you get into it?
Mikayla - Ski racing has been the biggest part of my life since I was 8 years old. I learned to ski at 4 years old with my parents at Coronet Peak. The passion took off once I started school in Queenstown at Remarkables Primary where in the winter terms there would be skiing one school day a week. From there I entered the school holiday ski programme with QAST (Queenstown Alpine Ski Team) and at the end of the 2nd week of the holidays there was a race. I received a medal in that race and from there-on I was hooked! I was lucky enough to have the commitment of my parents to pursue my ski dreams - during my teenage years they travelled with me overseas so I could train in the northern hemisphere winter spending the NZ school summer holidays and term 1 in either Europe or North America and then the 2 winter terms training and racing in Queenstown.
Favourite place to ski and why?
This is a tricky question because there are so many amazing places in Europe and North America. But at the end of the day I love skiing and racing at home. Having skied and raced all over the world it has really made me appreciate the beautiful places we have at home to ski like Coronet, Cardrona, Oahu, Treble Cone and Mt Hutt. One of my favourite training sessions was 6am at Treble Cone as the sun was rising over Lake Wanaka, truly a view I'll never forget. Racing at home is special because you get to be in your element at home surrounded by Kiwi culture with all the Europeans and Americans racing on our home turf for a change! The atmosphere and vibes of NZ and Winter Games racing are by far the best.
What was your proudest ski moment and what that meant for you?
Standing in the start gate of World Champs in Meribel France last year, at 17, representing New Zealand amongst the best skiers in the world was surreal and my proudest moment. I felt so grateful to be there and have my mum and dad supporting me, it was pretty special and made me feel so grateful for the journey and overwhelming support from them.
When you’re not on the slopes what do you do for fun?
Our home in Auckland is on the beach, so I love the water. I love surfing, it is a passion my Dad and I share. A few years ago we were both introduced to foiling and e-foiling and so this has become the latest thing we enjoy doing together. I also love to cook and read.
Favourite bit of Sweet Protection Kit?
I love the Boondock goggle range, for me performance is super important but i'm also a sucker for a cool look. The Boondock goggle lens range has me covered no matter the weather/visibility and also looks awesome with the mirror and colours.
What was your biggest learning of the season?
I had the opportunity to train with some really experienced World Cup girls this season. I learnt a lot from watching how they train but I'd say a big learning for me was seeing how much you really have to push it in big events to compete amongst these great girls.
What goals and highlights do you have for the upcoming season? I hope to make further strides in lowering my FIS points and world ranking. I aim to represent NZ at both World Junior Championships and World Ski Championships again this season and hope to get some good results there.
Thanks for your great words Mikayla - we can't wait to see what you achieve over the next year and beyond!
Follow Mikayla's journey on Instagram here.
