Young skier uses artistic talent to reach his goals on the slopes

Heel grabs and greeting cards, 13-year-old skiing prodigy Aidan Rambo of Evergreen has developed a unique way combining his skills to support himself as he works toward his goal of one day becoming a professional skier.

The youngest member of Whitefish Mountain Resort’s Senior Freestyle Team, Rambo said his life revolves around skiing, and over the next year he’ll work to raise the funds he needs to take his training to the next level using his artistic talents to design and sell ski- and snow-themed cards.

Rambo first took up the sport at 4 years old, learning to ski at his grandfather’s side on Big Mountain. For five years, the duo spent most winter weekends on the mountain as Rambo began to exhibit a natural proficiency on the slope uncommon for someone so young. The year Rambo turned 9, increasing aches and pains drove his grandfather to retire his skis.

Rambo was still too young to tackle the mountain alone, and without his grandfather’s guidance, he and his mother, Heidi Kincel, grappled with how he could continue growing.

Determined not to throw away the investment and commitment her son had made to the sport, Kincel encouraged him to join the resort’s freestyle ski team.

He started on the junior team, but after about two weeks, Rambo said the coaches decided his skill level made him better suited for the senior team. He began practicing and learning alongside skiers five years his senior.

The 9-year-old would watch his teenage teammates master new tricks, and then, he said, he would try to one up them.

Encouraged by his coaches, Rambo started competing in local freestyle skiing competitions.

With a knack for mastering complex rail tricks, he consistently outscored older competitors to win or place in competition after competition.

The hardest thing to learn, Rambo said, was confidence in himself and his abilities.

Now 13, the teen has accrued a long list of injuries over his years of skiing, and said the fear of another often produces a mental block that can be hard to overcome when trying something new.

Last year alone, Rambo suffered a broken arm, a broken ankle and discovered a hip displacement that required weeks of physical therapy, ending his season six weeks early.

Still, Rambo said, he has never questioned whether he would continue skiing and considers every injury and obstacle worth it.

“Injuries definitely scare me, but I know I can make it through it and push through it even if I have an injury,” Rambo said. “Even something big that can ruin a season, I can still keep my mind forward and think OK as soon as I make it out of this I’m going to be back up there training and training and training and getting back all that I’ve lost.”

Though some of his friends from school also ski or snowboard, the seventh-grader stands alone in his passion and drive for the sport.

Rambo trains year-round, practicing complex tricks on his trampoline and doing dry-land workouts with his teammates.

When winter rolls around, he strives to work ahead in his school assignments, working with his teachers to accommodate his ski schedule, which often takes him out of school early.

Though he has maintained some friends at his school, he relies on his family and friends on the freestyle team for support.

From gear to travel expenses to competition fees, Kincel said the sport comes at a cost, but seeing her son excel in something he loves makes the investment worth it.

“You just have to have a budget and always be planning for it,” Kincel said. “It is an investment, but when you see the drive and you see the outcome you don’t think twice about it.”

According to Kincel, Rambo works to pull his share of the weight financially, mowing lawns and helping her run her daycare during the summer months to help pay for his ski pass and other expenses.

WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT opened its ski season Dec. 7, and Rambo was among the first to hit the slopes.

Inspired by other local legends like Maggie Voisin and Tanner Hall, professional skiers who hail from the Flathead Valley, Rambo said he believes a small town Montana boy can reach the top.

Fully healed of last year’s injuries, Rambo said he is determined to get back into some local competitions and plans to use this ski season to prepare for training in Park City next November.

Through the intensive program, Rambo will train five days a week for five months, keeping up with his schooling online and spending most of his daylight hours on the slopes from November through April.

Placing in or winning competitions through the program gives participants the chance to accumulate points. Skiers who accrue enough points by the end of the program win the chance to become members of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

USSA membership would make Rambo eligible to compete in national competitions, building his reputation in the world of professional skiers and gaining recognition from potential sponsors.

From there, Rambo said, his ultimate goal is to attend the great invitation-only competitions, like the X Games.

However, the road to the first step on that journey, Park City, will be neither easy nor cheap.

The program alone costs $4,100 to attend. Add to that the cost of living with a host family, competition fees and traveling expenses, and Rambo will need to raise about $10,000 over the next year to accomplish his goal.

THE DETERMINED athlete has taken the challenge of fundraising on himself, encouraged by his family to work for what he wants and using another set of skills to do it.

Around the same time he began skiing, Rambo also discovered a love for art and has developed skills in drawing, photographing and designing in his free time.

Together with his mother, he came up with a way to put those skills to use in his mission and has since designed a total of seven different greeting cards to sell.

Featuring drawings or photos taken, manipulated and edited by Rambo, the cards come in a variety pack containing two of each of his five best selling designs.

Each pack goes for $20, and to date he has made around $1,400 in sales and donations from the cards.

“A big part of that is seeing a 13-year-old boy saying, ‘I’m going to make it big one day, and I know I’m going to do it so can you help me,’” Rambo said. “I’m doing something and using my abilities to get out there and not just ask for money. Working for what you have is a big part of our household.”

Rambo takes his cards around town and so far has received the support of several local businesses.

He calls his campaign “A Lift to Park City, Utah,” and he puts 100 percent of the proceeds directly into the fund that will help pave the way to his future.

To purchase greeting cards or to make a donation, visit Rambo’s Facebook page or make a financial donation to Aidan Rambo at Whitefish Credit Union.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.