Willie Borm was just 2 years old when his dad first strapped a pair of skis on his feet.

Willie doesn’t remember the moment, but a deep connection was forged between toddler and skis that day.

Nine years later, Willie still can’t resist the call of the powder. From the warmth of the Hyland Hills chalet in Bloomington, Willie’s eyes are drawn time and time again to the skiers and snowboarders outside. He knows he should be out there with them. He has practicing to do.

This week, the 11-year-old Chaska Middle School West student is competing in the Junior Olympics in three freestyle skiing events. Freestyle skiing is trick skiing involving jumps, rails and halfpipe.

“We’re really proud of him,” said mom Tammy Borm. “He’s had a great year.”

Adrenaline

Willie is currently ranked sixth in the country in big air (performing tricks off of jumps) and ninth in slope style (a course combining a series of jumps and rails). He’ll be competing in both of those events this week as well as the halfpipe.

This trip to the Junior Olympics will be Willie’s third. He first competed in the games as a 9 year old.

“He was the youngest contestant there,” said Tammy.

“It taught me how to deal with the pressure,” Willie said, of his first Junior Olympics. “I was really nervous.”

Willie currently competes on the Nybora freestyle ski team. He was in second grade when one of the coaches first saw him on skis.

“He came over to us and said ‘I need to have this boy on my team,’” Tammy recalled.

Willie took to trick skiing like a duck to water. He skis on special twin-tip skis that are rounded in both the front and back to allow for skiing backwards.

“I like the adrenaline rush,” he said of performing tricks. And adrenaline rushes he gets plenty of as he tackles complicated moves off of up to 70-foot jumps.

“I get very nervous,” said Tammy. “Especially this year because he’s on the biggest jumps.”

Last year, Willie finished the Junior Olympics big air competition seventh out of 70 competitors. Tammy says he’s even better this year.

“It’s amazing how far he’s come in a year,” she said, noting that he does about 10 competitions a year and has sponsorships with companies like Solomon skis and Oakley.

Living on skis

Logic would say that one can’t spend all of their time skiing, but Tammy would disagree when it comes to Willie. “He kinda does,” she said. “It’s made such a difference in his life.”

Willie practices on the slopes almost daily in season. In the summer, the family treks to Whistler where snow remains year round high in the mountains.

And when he can’t be on his skis, Willie works out on a trampoline.

“He’s comfortable in the air,” said Tammy. “That comes from the trampoline – that’s his air awareness.”

But the trampoline is a distant second love in Willie’s world.

Skiing is Willie’s life and there’s no where he’d rather be than on the slopes practicing his tricks. “When he’s home he drives me crazy,” said Tammy.

Willie keeps busy playing baseball and listening to music (he likes reggae and R&B), but for now, skiing is Willie’s biggest passion.

He has his sights set high for his skiing career. He’d love to make it to the X-Games, like his idol Sammy Carlson, or the Winter Olympics some day.

If that doesn’t pan out, Willie doesn’t know what he’ll do. “Maybe coach,” he said.

What will he tell those interested in getting into freestyle skiing?

“Go for it.”

-Mollee Francisco, staff writer