The High Fives Foundation congratulates 12-year old intern Cody LaPlante on winning the overall title in the 10-12 year old division at the 2014 USASA National Championships at Copper Mountain!
Cody is an amazing young individual and we couldn’t be more proud of him. After the big win, we asked Cody to answer the following interview questions:
High Fives Foundation (HFF): Describe your winning Halfpipe run. Was it all you had hoped for?
Cody LaPlante (CL): When it is competition time I am focused. If you try to talk to me I just say random words like “ok, yes, alright, no” because I’m all focused and trying to visualize my run. I review my run millions of times before I drop in, I practice all my sets (I look really stupid when I do my sets), I envision myself dropping in then doing my first hit so I pretend to do a 540, next hit right Flair, after that left Flair, then do a straight air to gather my speed for a cork 900 and stomp. So finally when I drop in I already think that I did my run and this is just practice.
(HFF): How does this Halfpipe compare to the past 2 years?
(CL): This year was the best because well I won but also because all competition was super nice and always congratulated me on my win. We would all hang out at the Woodward Cage and play video games or ping pong or just lay on the bean bags and talk about how much fun we had. It was super cool to meet Nico Porteous and shred the park with him. (Edit in the making with Aspen Spora, Nico Porteous, and myself at Breckenridge CO.)
(HFF): This was your first time competing in Skier Cross at Nationals – what happened? Why did you not take 1st place? How did you make it to finals?
(CL): This year I competed in Skier Cross and was super stoked to make it to finals because I have never really skied that event. It was cool because I won every bracket except for finals. In finals I got out of the gate in first but then got taken out by one of the kids and then I got ran over but I got up and finished with a worm turn through the finish line. The kid who got second – James Ward – waited for me to come through and we high fived and talked for a little bit. He’s cool.
(HFF): What happened in Slopestyle? You ended up 2nd place and were favored to win.
(CL): Slopestyle was super fun this year but I was a little bummed that there was not much speed so I couldn’t do the tricks I’d been practicing. But everyone had to deal with that. I have a foot injury keeping me from doing switch landings.I finally got to meet Nico Porteous. He’s awesome! We skied a lot together and then got to the top for our runs and watched each other. Nico was DQ’d first run and I landed my first run with a right cork 720 to left cork 720. That was my safety run and I went into run 2 in the lead.Then it was Nico’s second run, he stomped Right cork 720 to left cork 900. He stopped at the top of the quarter pipe to watch my second run. I hit my first box and stomped it but on my easiest trick on a flat down box I fell. Really!? So I got up and new that I had blown it so got as much speed as I could and did two massive laid out backflips of the jumps and high fived everyone at the bottom and congratulated Nico for his win and I ended up in second place and I was stoked!Then my brother Logan and I went and got shot some footage and skied the mountain until it closed. I learned that you still have to focus on your easiest trick to make the whole run perfect.
(HFF): What was your best experience at Nationals?
(CL): My best experience was definitely going down the halfpipe shirtless and doing kosacks and sketchy flairs as my victory run, but then everyone tackled me and threw snow on me at the bottom when I had no shirt on and it was freezing!That and seeing my teammate Amber Simonpietri win gold in Halfpipe and Slopestyle and my cousin Otto getting 5th in ski cross. It was his first year at Nationals.
(Click here for additional photos of Cody at the USASA National Championships)
(HFF): How does it feel to be overall National Champion?
(CL): Feels good. Not as good as skiing though.
(HFF): Have you met all your season goals? What’s next?
(CL): I have met all my goals…except for two which I am looking forward to trying at Breckenridge on Monday. If you want to figure out and maybe see them keep in touch on my Instagram and twitter @codylaplante.
(HFF): Shoutouts, props, and special thanks?
(CL): Shout outs to: the High Fives Foundation’s B.A.S.I.C.S. Program*, to my coaches Tyler Homen, Drew Fisher, and Jacques Fix and the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Foundation. All my friends who get me stoked and for pushing my skiing in a fun ways. Perfect Moment, Moment Skis, and Smith Optics.
*Cody has been training at B.A.S.I.C.S. camps since day one since he was only nine years old! He attended the first ever camp where he hit the water ramps and trampolines at the Utahe Olympic Park with coaches Timy Dutton and JT Holmes. Through his continued training, Coyd been aware of the risks and pressures of progression in the sport and is looking forward to a bright career while practicing the tenets of safety and awareness.
Facts:
- Cody just turned 12 in February. You compete in the age bracket on how old you are on Dec 31.
- 2014 was Cody’s 3rd trip to USASA Nationals.
- Cody has one more year in 10-12yo age bracket. After that, he can compete in open class. You have to be 13 years old.
- 2014 Nationals 10-12 (Year Old) Results:
– Best Overall (combined points)
– 1st place Halfpipe
– 4th place Ski Cross
– 2nd place Slopestyle - 2013 Nationals 10-12 (Year Old) Results:
– 1st place Slopestyle
– 2nd place Halfpipe - 2012 Nationals (9 & Under) Results:
– 1st place Slopestyle
2nd place Halfpipe - Sponsors: Perfect Moment, Moment Skis, Smith Optics, High Fives Foundation, Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows Foundation.
