Kyan
Hopke

My name is Kyan Hopke. I ski for Buck Hill in Minnesota, and I have been skiing competitively for the last 10 years. I have found my love for ski racing from the small bump of Buck Hill, in Minnesota. Coming from a small bump in Minnesota has been difficult and continues to force me to push myself in my training on and off the hill. This sport has taught me many valuable life lessons such as time management, dedication, compassion, and how to actively have a strong mind. No other sport would have given me the opportunity to learn those lessons, and for that, I am extremely grateful. Throughout the years, my hard work has paid off, and I have qualified for Nationals these past three years. As a U16, I got third at Junior Championships and qualified for Nationals. As a first-year U18, I qualified for Nationals with a broken hand. Racing with a broken hand taped to a pole is not an easy task, but I still competed to the best of my ability. Breaking my hand in the Breckenridge Qualifying race made it tough to accomplish my goal of getting top 15 at nationals. I am excited to extend my skiing career into college next year and continue to push myself because I love the speed of ski racing and the adrenaline that comes with pushing myself to my limits. As a central racer, I travel all year long to races across the country, which gets expensive very quickly. Even though I am a central racer, I still compete with the best in my age and help represent the central region. As I look ahead at my future, I will be joining the Northern Michigan Ski Racing Team in hopes of getting the team to eventually go to the NCAA. This will take tons of work and travel to go to the races on the East and West Coast, but I believe in the team and our skiing. Your support would mean the world to me, it would allow me to go to the college races and pursue my dream of racing college at the highest level. Not only will you be supporting me through ski racing, but you will also be helping me pursue life experiences that I can not get anywhere else, teaching me to be dedicated, and have time management skills. With your help, all of these valuable lessons will be taught and earned throughout the following years in my ski racing career. As I go into this next year, I have a few goals in mind; drop my points below 50 in slalom and GS, get top 3 at USCSA Nationals, and be an All-American. I am extremely grateful for all of the support that I have gotten so far throughout my career, and I thank you for supporting my future in this amazing sport. No matter how big or small, your support means the world to me!

Thank you,

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Kyan Hopke