By DAVID McLAUGHLIN
Correspondent Tuesday, March 27, 2007

enlarge Staff photo by Jeff Pouland

Skowhegan Area High School's Christine Bussiere won the Class A state title in the slalom at Sunday River and registered three top-three finishes in four of the biggest races of the season.

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Correspondent

Skowhegan Area High School senior Christine Bussiere remembers walking into the cafeteria as a freshman to sign up for the ski team, wondering if she had to race to be on the team. Coach Bill Varney told her she didn't have to race until she was ready.

Varney understood Bussiere was timid about racing and assured her that competing at the high school level would be something she wanted to do.

"I had just started skiing in the eighth grade with my mom," Bussiere said. "I wanted to ski but I didn't want to race. The coaches were so nice about it, now it is something I love, and the competition is fun."

Bussiere has come a long way since that first day in the Skowhegan cafeteria. She won the Class A state title in the slalom at Sunday River and registered three top-three finishes in four of the biggest races of the season.

For her performances, Bussiere has been named the Morning Sentinel Girls Alpine Skier of the Year. Emily Luce of Mt. Abram and Kyle Cyr of Mt. Blue were also considered.

Once she became comfortable racing, Bussiere set a goal of winning a title at some point in her high school career. That dream seemed miles away until the Class A state meet this season, when she turned in the top two runs of the day to claim the slalom title.

"Christine has quietly and diligently trained for four years to reach the opportunity to win a state title," Varney said. "We are proud she reached that goal this year.

"Her hard work and dedication to the Skowhegan ski team are greatly appreciated. She has led by example, and a fine one she is."

Bussiere's most notable advantage on the slopes is her ability to remain calm under pressure. Sometimes she gets nervous before a race, but has a unique strength to let go of bad runs or mistakes and focus on the next opportunity.

"I feel I'm good with dealing with having a bad run," she said. "I come back and ski aggressively, hoping to get back on track."

As she grew older, she inched closer to her goal, but there always seemed to be someone skiing a little faster and finishing just ahead of her during those first three seasons.

"I always had that one person I had to beat to get closer to my goal," Bussiere said. "I just kept preparing for the races and staying in shape."