Woodbury 10-Year-Old to Compete in National Freestyle Skiing Event

Cayden Wood, an up and coming young skier from Woodbury, has been invited to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s junior nationals next week in Park City, Utah.

The Liberty Ridge Elementary student will compete in “big air,” a freestyle jump competition, according to his father, Don Wood.

“Quite the accomplishment for a 10-year-old,” he said.

The USSA event runs March 4-10.

In a summer 2012 interview with Patch, Cayden said his ultimate goal is to compete in the X Games and represent the U.S. in the Winter Games. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia will include slopestyle and halfpipe skiing for the first time.

Related: A Big Jump Toward His Olympic Dreams

Cayden started skiing at age 4, and studies tricks on YouTube (along with practicing at Afton Alps) to hone his craft.

“I like 540s,” he said in August. “With grabs. Because you’re going backwards, and that’s fun. But it’s not fun if you fall.”

Cayden often practices with 16- and 17-year-olds, and has been sponsored by Smith Sport Optics and K2 Skis.

All those aerials don’t strike fear in to the young man, however.

“I’ve had some bad falls,” Cayden said. “If you do, you do. If you don’t, you don’t.”

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