Rockport skier Jay Wilder brought home third place overall, and first in the 15-16 age group, in slopestyle skiing at the 2014 USSA Freestyle/Freeskiing Junior Nationals. The slopestyle championships took place March 13 in Park City, Utah, with 81 participating skiers, 18 years old and younger. 

Slopestyle is a freeskiing event best known from the Winter X Games, and had its Olympic debut in Sochi earlier this year. Judging for slopestyle is based on overall impression, with each skier's best run counting as the final score.  

The Park City slopestyle course consisted of two rail elements followed by four jumps. After two morning qualifying runs, Wilder was in sixth place, and joined 15 other skiers in the finals. 

The day had warmed up by late afternoon, when finals took place, making it harder for skiers to get enough speed for the rails and jumps and to land without catching a ski edge in the soft snow. After a bobbled first finals run that had him temporarily in 12th place, Wilder landed a solid second run and received a final score of 76 out of 100, vaulting him into third overall. 

Wilder's second run in finals included the following tricks: Switch lipslide onto the first rail and back 270 out; straight onto the second rail with a big 450 out; left 540 with a blunt grab off the first jump; switch right rodeo 720 with a safety grab on the second jump; switch left rodeo 540 with Japan grab on the third jump; and left cork 720 with a mute grab on the fourth jump. 

"I had hoped to go bigger, but after not landing the first run, I had to take a more conservative approach on the second," said Wilder. "I wasn't expecting to end up in the top three, and appreciate the judges rewarding variety and clean execution, rather than just the most flips and spins." 

The overall final results notably included two skiers from Maine in the top three: First place, Keegan Kilbride of Portland (skiing with Carrabassett Valley Academy); second, Ethan Swadburg of Dillon, Co. (skiing with Hocks Free Ride); and third, Wilder of Rockport, (skiing with Gould Academy). In the 15-and-16-year-old age category, the results were: First, Wilder; second, Quinn Wolferman of Missoula, Montana; and third, Aaron Milligan of Vail, Colorado. 

With the Camden Snow Bowl so close to home, Wilder was able to get an early start on slopestyle skiing.

"I will always call the Snow Bowl my home mountain, because it is truly the place I learned to ski," said Wilder.

The terrain parks and staff at the Snow Bowl made it possible for him to make early progress in the sport. 

Once high school came along, Wilder was ready to begin competing and working with coaches.

For the past two seasons, Wilder has attended Gould Academy in Bethel.

"Gould's coaches and training facilities have been crucial in my getting this far," he said. "What has also made a huge difference in my progression these past two years was skiing with people who were better than I was. That has pushed me to learn faster and keep at it."