Mullen nabs podium finish at freeskiing tour stop

CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. — Shredding down runs called Body Bag and Dead End, and landing on powder-covered “pillows,” former Sandpoint resident Caleb Mullen finished third recently at the 19th Annual Subaru U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships at Crested Butte, Colorado.

With more than two feet of fresh snow going into the Finals and Super Finals, there was bound to be some big air from the 40 skiers who had advanced to the finals round. Mullen picked a technical line between Body Bag and Dead End and dropped more than 15 feet over shelved out rocks from shelf to shelf, landing on snow patches called pillows, of all things.

“There were big pillows because it snowed a lot, and two feet of powder makes it way easier,” described Mullen, who lived in Sandpoint for 10 years before moving back to Crested Butte. “I pretty much skied my heart out with several big airs to score points.”

Mullen scored an 86.93 on his third place run, more than seven points behind the top-two, which pushed him into fifth place in the overall season competition, called the McConkley Cup. He says picking technical lines is his biggest strength in a highly-adrenalized and dangerous sport that involves negotiating rocks, logs, trees and steep terrain that is usually off-limits to the common skier.

After Crested Butte, the Subaru tour continues on to the famed Cirque at Kirkwood, California. After that the season ends when the famous Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort will host the 2010 Subaru Freeskiing World Championships, with the tour leaders battling for top positions in the final runs of the year down the infamous North Baldy.

Last year, he finished second at the World Championships at Crested Butte, what he calls the best finish of his career, and will be gunning for more podium finishes in the final two tour events.

For more information, visit “www.freeskiingworldtour.com.”