Yukon slopestyle skier Etienne Geoffroy-Gagnon competed in his second Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) World Cup on the weekend in Font Romeu, France. After qualifying third in his heat with a score of 88, Geoffroy-Gagnon went on to finish 13th.

For Geoffroy-Gagnon, it was one goal reached for his season.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Geoffroy-Gagnon whom the Star managed to reach over the phone as he travels between France and Italy, the site of the next event. “Reaching the finals was a big goal of mine for the season. Next up, I want to get into the top 10.”

To reach the finals Geoffroy-Gagnon said he played it safe, looking to ski a technical, clean run. However, after reaching the finals, Geoffroy-Gagnon said he just went for it in the medal round.

“The game plan was to make the finals and I did that,” said Geoffroy-Gagnon. “Once in the worst you can do is 16th place. I just went for the podium; you got to go for it. I was feeling stress-free.”

In his final runs, Geoffroy-Gagnon said he was doing well until he messed up on a feature near the end of his ride.

Each athlete in the finals had two runs down the mountain and through the terrain park.

The higher of their two scores determines their final ranking.

In his first run of the finals, Geoffroy-Gagnon scored a 68.22. His second run was 62.10. The winning run was posted by American Alexander Hall, scoring 92.11.

In the qualifiers, there were 60 athletes competing from all over the world. Before the qualifiers, which happened Friday, Geoffroy-Gagnon said the course was in great considering there was no snow anywhere else on the mountain.

Before Geoffroy-Gagnon left for France the Star spoke to him about what his goals and expectations were leading into the World Cup.

“I want to figure out the way of competing and see how I compare to the rest of the world,” said Geoffroy-Gagnon.

“Last season, I figured the National and Provincials were steps forward, now I’m building on those baby steps. I’m excited for the challenge. I’ll be a small fish in a big pond.”

Outside of the challenges of a demanding World Cup circuit, he also got to experience live T.V.

“It was my first time on live T.V.,” said Geoffroy-Gagnon. “It is very on the spot when you are talking to the camera when you reach the bottom of the hill, but it was cool.”

The game plan Geoffroy-Gagnon spoke of before heading to France is according to him, on schedule.

“My game plan is well on track,” said Geoffroy-Gagnon. “My training and prep over the summer is paying off. I just have to push myself forward, trust what I already have and lay it down. Now it is a competition within myself.”

His next World Cup event will be held in Italy and he is feeling confident about his chances.

“In Italy the big guys will be out in Aspen competing in the X-Games,” said Geoffroy-Gagnon. “This is a chance for me to get some more FIS points.”

Depending on how Geoffroy-Gagnon does in Italy will determine if he competes in other World Cup events. He says the events after Italy will have far more competition and a bigger field of athletes. For now, he says he is “sitting in a good spot.”

Two other Canadians skied in the slopestyle finals on Saturday. Phillipe Langevin, from Mont-Tremblant, Que., was the top finishing Canadian on the day. Langevin scored an 87.63 on his first run and 90.27 in his second to secure a place on the podium in second place.

Max Moffatt, from Guelph, Ont., came in the sixth spot. On his first run, he scored a 57.18 but came on strong for his second run improving to 81.12.

An athlete that makes it into the final round can place no lower than the 16th spot.