Yukoner Sammy Kent, who learned to ski at Mt. Sima and enjoyed his first competition on the Whitehorse slopes, barreled down the ski cross course in British Columbia last month in quick enough time to earn a pair of silver medals.

Twice, the 21-year-old Kent stood on the podium at the B.C. Ski Cross Championships, the first time for his finish in an International Ski Federation sanctioned event and the second for his silver-medal result in the B.C. Championships. Both competitions were held at the Big White Resort near Kelowna Jan. 16 and 17.

Unlike traditional downhill ski racing, in which competitors navigate a course individually competing to record the fastest time, ski cross pits heats of four racers in a head-to-head rush to the finish.

"You're making bigger turns, like in a giant slalom race, but between them you're dealing with rolls and bumps and you get big jumps sometimes,” said Kent in explaining the sport of ski cross. "And with three other people and you on the course it gets pretty competitive and pretty challenging trying to pick your fastest lines down while dealing with other people trying to cut your off ... everyone is trying to win so it gets pretty interesting.”

Kent started skiing when he was two and entered his first race six years later. When he turned 16, Kent then moved to Calgary in order to be closer to bigger mountains and better competition.

In his second year on the Western B.C. ski cross circuit, Kent has started to make a name for himself and after the Big White races, he is now ranked 10th in the world in an event that makes its debut at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

"Hopefully I'll be there watching and cheering on my friends and hoping for success,” said Kent adding that he aims to be part of the Canadian Olympic Freestyle Ski Team in 2014. "That's my goal.”

Although new to the Olympic freestyle ski program that already includes moguls and aerials, "ski cross has existed as a sport since the early days of alpine skiing competition,” according to the Vancouver Olympics website.

Different from moguls and aerials, whereby competitors are rated on style and execution, determining the winner of a ski cross competition is simple; first across the finish line wins.

"With four racers on one track, there's jumps, bumps and a little bit of pushing and tugging,” said the former F.H. Collins student while describing a typical race. "I love skiing and was a ski racer for a long time but ski cross takes all of the funnest parts of ski racing and really makes a competition out of it.”

After lending moral support to his friends ski cross racing at the Olympics, Kent heads to Alaska to race in the Arctic Man Challenge race in Fairbanks.

"And I'm looking for some kind of endorsement or support to get me up there, so maybe someone in Whitehorse would like some exposure West of the border,” Kent told the Star.