By Jody Jewers, Editor, The Sport Section
Malcolm Farris kicked off his freestyle skiing season this season with a big win.
The 19-year-old, who in 2023 became the first Nova Scotian to medal in the sport at a Canada Winter Games, earning bronze, capped a five-week training session in New Zealand in October with a silver in slopestyle at an Australian New Zealand Cup competition at Cardrona Alpine Resort.
Farris, one of three Canadians in a field of 36 entrants, totalled 99.30 points to finish behind American Evan Wischmeyer, who had 120 points.
Farris then returned home to pack his bags and relocate to Calgary with his mother and sister to prepare for the upcoming NorAm Cup season, which will see him participate in events in Whistler, B.C., and Quebec, as well as four stops in the United States. As with the Australia New Zealand Cup, the NorAm Cup is a second-tier Continental Cup competition, and a strong showing on the NorAm circuit could earn him promotion to the top-tier World Cup circuit.
“This is all part of a five-year plan for 2030 Winter Olympics,” says Farris. “And that’s a big reason for the move out west, because that’s where most of the competitions are and that’s where they have the bigger facilities where you can train full-time.”
Farris didn’t have much time to get settled into his new home base, as he headed with the national team for a two-week training camp in Switzerland in November.
“I’m one of the younger guys on the team. There’s guys who are 28 and 29 and are going to their second Olympics, so hopefully I can learn from them,” he says.
“It was an easy and a hard decision to make (to move to Calgary), easy in that that’s where I have to be to get to where I want to go in the sport, but hard in just the process of having to pick up everything and move, and my family has always been supportive throughout my career and that has really made the whole transition a lot easier.
“Local places like a Ski Wentworth got me to where I am now, but if I want to actually make a go at the Olympics, out there is where I need to be.”
Farris also plans to coach when he’s not training to help offset the costs of travel to these events, as only full-time national team members can qualify for federal funding. He’s also had help from local sponsors.
“I can basically train year-round there, and coaching helps me to stay involved in the sport when not training and is a good way to make a few bucks while I’m out there, because having a full-time job would be too time consuming,” says Farris. “It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m excited for it and hopefully it will lead to good things.”
Editor’s Note: An update to this story — Farris’ season was cut short because of an injury suffered at training camp in Switzerland. He is recovering in Calgary and plans to be back on the slopes soon.
