Inside the Breck Pro Team: Anna Segal interviews Emilia Wint

I interviewed Emilia to give people some insight of the next big thing in female freeskiing. Check out the details of Emilia’s life below!

Name- Emilia Wint

Age- 18 and 3/4

Nickname– Emilio, Meelz

Hometown- Denver

Favorite animal- Cats… Duh

Favorite ice cream flavor-Rootbeer float

Sponsors- Breckenridge, Volkl, Marker, Oakley, US Freeskiing

When did you get into park skiing and what made you want to give it a try?
Well, Breckenridge is my home mountain so I’ve been skiing there for my whole life. After trying my hand at racing and snowboarding I decided to venture into the park. Breckenridge was the perfect place to be because they have one of the best parks in the world. I really enjoyed hitting jumps, so I joined Hawks Freeride so I could get better. I’ve been on Hawks ever since!

You had a breakthrough season last year. What was your most memorable moment?
I’d say that the most memorable was the Killington Dew Tour stop. I had never made a final in a pro contest, but I ended up qualifying second and finished third. I went in with no expectations and cinched my first podium which was really special for me.

What’s your most embarrassing moment on skis?
I usually just try to laugh it off if I do anything embarrassing, so that people don’t notice as much.

However, once when I was coaching over the summer I was helping one of my campers try a backflip. I did one first to show him how to do it and ended up catching my tips and landing flat on my face. I slid down the entire landing on my stomach. I don’t think that instilled very much confidence in my camper!

Best place in Breck to eat after a long day of skiing?
Thats a tough one! I have to say Empire Burger. Nothing like getting a delicious burger after skiing with your friends.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Breck, apart from skiing?
I really like hot tubbing. Its a really good way to relax and get the muscles ready for skiing the next day.

Favorite person to ride the chairlift with and why?
I’d say my roomie Dara Howell. She always knows how to have a good time and she’s fun to lap with. And usually get a funny SnapChat or two.

Best on hill snack to keep you going?
Depends on my mood that morning. Sometimes I’ll pack a full on lunch. I absolutely love a good sandwich. If I don’t want to stop for lunch I’ll pack a bunch of different snacks to eat throughout the day (apple sauce, carrots, chocolate milk, granola bars etc.) Every once in a while, nothing can quite do the trick other than a big cup of hot cocoa at the Ski Hill Grill!

What can’t you live without through the Breckenridge winter?
I can’t live without my swag bag. It’s a little bag I hang off my ski pants. It’s full of trinkets and good luck charms. It lets me bring a little piece of Breckenridge wherever I go.

How have you been filling in your recovery time after your knee injury? Do you have tips to other wounded soldiers out there?
I actually moved to Park City, Utah. The move out here has been really adventurous and I’ve had a great time. The US Team has the Center of Excellence here so its a really good place to rehab my knee and get strong again. The COE takes up most of my free time. I do 2 hours of PT, 1-2 hours of gym work and then a 30-60 minute bike everyday. I am also taking a few college classes. Once the summer starts, I plan on taking full advantage of everything Utah has to offer and do a bunch of camping, biking hiking etc.

After creeping your Facebook page, I noticed that you’ve developed an obsession with cats. How did this come about?
Yea, I’ve had quite a lot of time on my hands so I was on my computer often. This obviously included watching cat videos, and I think its gotten a little out of hand. I think I may need to tone it down a bit, but they’re just so cute!

What’s on the cards for next season?
Next season I plan on coming back really strong. I’m moving back to Breck and will ski in all of the World Cups to get points for an Olympic spot. Next year is going to be pretty hectic, but I couldn’t be more excited to get back on the competition circuit!

— Interview by Anna Segal of Emilia Wint