Kyle Cyr faced a tragic moment in her high school skiing career when her pole stuck in the snow at the starting gate at the Class A championships, ripping her glove off her hand, sending her hurtling through the slalom gates with just one pole.
It was the next to last run of a tremendous four years. While others might have veered off course, Cyr’s determination and strength took over, as the Mt. Blue High School senior willed her way down the slope and then blistered the course on her second run, with one of the fastest times of the day
“I was so disappointed,” Cyr said. “I had to focus on finishing and helping the team.”
Cyr finished, then pulled herself together, climbing all the way from the bottom of the results after the first run to a 14th-place finish, helping the Cougars claim the state Class A championship.
“Although she doesn’t show her competitive nature, it is definitely there,” said Mark Cyr, Mt. Blue’s Alpine coach and Kyle’s dad. “In practices and at meets, Kyle would always ask for feedback. She concentrated on how to improve and always wanting to know how she could get better.”
For her team contributions and leadership qualities, Cyr has been named the Morning Sentinel Girls Alpine Skier of the Year. Also considered were Erica Luce, Emily Luce and Noelle Lake, all of Mt. Abram.
Cyr’s excellence was portrayed early when as an eighth grader she finished in first place in all four events (giant slalom, slalom, and Nordic freestyle and classical) at the Class A middle school state championships.
“I learned to ski when I was 2,” she said. “I feel like I have been refining my skills ever since I started.”
At the high school level, Cyr put her skills to good use, concentrating on Alpine skiing with tremendous results. This season, Cyr claimed first place finishes in the giant slalom and slalom races in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships, along with a fourth place in the GS at the state meet.
“I always enjoyed Alpine, it was something I always wanted to do,” Cyr said. “I like the speed and that it is all downhill.”
Cyr, the only senior on the Mt. Blue girls Alpine team, has been a member of four consecutive overall Class A state title teams won by the Cougars. Her individual efforts this season helped to lay the foundation for a young group of skiers to follow for seasons to come.
“When I look back I am happy with the results,” she said. “Sometimes you are going to mess up and you just have to recover to do the best you can.”