Stepping Back
Yesterday was the 9th time that I’ve turned south off of Interstate 70 onto CO-82 for the Winter X-Games in Aspen, CO and will mark my 8th Winter X-Games appearance. (It would be my 9th appearance, but I was sidelined last year with a knee injury and attended the event as a spectator. You can read about that trip here.) I couldn’t help but recount the feelings of anticipation that I’ve had every year, each year markedly different, but this one feels extremely special. Most of my peers that I began this journey with 10 years ago are retired and [...]
Don’t Let Your Dreams Define You
“Don’t run from your monsters because I hear they can heal you.” Jayson Haws The last 3 months have been the most challenging few months of my life. Without rehashing the details, but still informing new readers, I’ll catch you up. On January 10th I sustained a severe knee injury, a season ending and career threatening injury, and that same day, my friend, greatest idol and rival sustained a life ending injury. The following weeks and months were relentless. I endured surgery on my knee as numerous friends and teammates also sustained season ending knee injuries. Another friend was caught [...]
reIGNITED
In January 2005, I found myself in Aspen, Colorado for my first winter season out west. I was an eager 18-year-old girl from the East Coast, ready to take on the freeskiing industry, set new standards and win the X-Games. I was full of fire, ambition and fight. I talked big game, I was over-confident, very excited, and underprepared. I walked away finishing 9th out of 10 competitors that year; falling on nearly every run of a generous 3-run final. Every year since 2005 I have returned to Aspen ready to compete; always a little more experienced and filled with [...]
Moving Mountains
Neu Productions and Pro Skier Jen Hudak Announce Fall Release of “Moving Mountains” Breckenridge-based production company releases trailer for a fall 2011 web-based ski film series featuring professional skier, X Games Gold Medalist and Olympic hopeful, Jen Hudak BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO- April 27, 2011 – Neu Productions, a Breckenridge based production company, proudly announces a new short film series featuring two-time X-games gold medalist and women’s freeskiing advocate, Jen Hudak. “Moving Mountains” is a four-part film series that follows Jen through her 2010-2011 season as she travels the globe, pushing the limits and pursuing her dreams. As a 2014 Olympic hopeful, [...]
Trains 2011
This past weekend I headed out to Alpine Meadows California to judge Trains 2011, a unique contest created by the High Fives Foundation. This contest is unique in that there are multiple different categories in which people can succeed and the main emphasis is on a team format in which the team with the best “train” (where athletes ski in tight succession through the course) gives away the grand prize. No, it wasn’t a typo. The “winners” go home with PRIDE alone, as the actual prize money is donated to charity on behalf of the athletes. This event is [...]