Mikael Kingsbury is looking forward to being the good guy for at least one weekend.
Kingsbury, from Deux-Montagne, Que., has won 83 World Cups, the most ever for any moguls skier, and is used to sending fans from around the world home disappointed when he beats their local skiers. But on Jan. 25 and 26 he'll be in Val Saint-Côme, Que., for the freestyle skiing World Cup where he, at last, will be the fan favourite after months competing in Europe.
"It's fun once a year to have the crowd on your side because I'm usually the guy that crashes the party in the other countries," Kingsbury said in a video call from Montreal. "I like to be that guy that silences the crowd on the road but at home it's fun to have everyone behind you.
"It gives me extra energy. At least like last year when I was the last guy to drop in, when I heard my name and the crowd cheered it felt super nice."
Already the most successful skier in moguls history, Kingsbury has continued to dominate the sport this season, winning seven medals in seven events with four gold medals and three bronze. Most recently, he won a bronze in moguls and a gold in dual moguls at a World Cup event in Bakuriani, Georgia, on Dec. 22 and 23.
At 31 years old, Kingsbury has had to slowly alter how he prepares for competitions and still remain effective.
"I learned through the COVID pandemic that it's OK to rest," said Kingsbury, adding that he's made his workouts and training sessions more efficient. "It motivates me when I go back on the hill and makes me never really on cruise control.
"I'm in very good shape because I knew that the schedule was going to be one of the toughest Decembers we've ever had on the World Cup tour."
Adjusting his fitness routines has been critical for Kingsbury as he gears up for at least one more Olympics. He's already competed at Sochi in 2014, Pyeongchang in 2018, and Beijing in 2022, earning silver, gold, and silver, respectively, in moguls.
"When I started (this Olympic) cycle, I plan a year at a time, but I knew in the back of my head that I can still win, I'm still getting better," said Kingsbury, who noted that dual moguls, his specialty, is being added to the Olympic program at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games. "I feel the competition's getting stronger, obviously, but I feel I still have a lot of skiing in me, so I see myself there.
"Now we're basically halfway through this cycle so I can almost see the finish line."
Kingsbury recognizes that to compete in four Olympics is rare for any athlete, regardless of sport, and that his longevity is also a tribute to how hard he and his team have worked over the past decade.
"(My coach) is there at the start gate with me, talking about all the strategy and we do hours of video review, my gym coach is making sure I'm on point on my takeoff and landings and trying to progress and find new ways to do tricks and bring the degree of difficulty up," said Kingsbury. "I have my mental coach, there's my trainer that I see five times a week here in Montreal when I'm home or especially during the summer. My agent, who I probably talk on the phone with almost every day.
"Then all the sponsors, like I'm doing a shoot with UnderArmour today and I've been with them for seven years now, going on eight. I'm pretty lucky that I have partners that have been with me for a long time and believe in me."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
