Whitefish skier Dominick goes international

Whitefish High School junior Gardner Dominick is headed to Switzerland to compete in the 2021 Freeride Junior World Championships, held Mar. 30-Apr. 3 in Verbier.

Dominick was invited to attend the competition after finishing the abbreviated 2021 season with a third place finish at the Grand Targhee junior regional on Mar. 12-14.

In 2020, Dominick started off hot, winning junior nationals at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in British Columbia and the junior regional in Big Sky and placing second at the junior regional in Fernie, B.C. before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. He finished the abbreviated season ranked 14th in North America.

Dominick, born and raised in Whitefish, was on skis before he was two years old and began competing in races at the age of six, because he liked to go fast. He competed in his first freeride competition at the age of 10, and finished sixth at the U12 North American Championships at 11 — which he qualified for by winning Jeep Jr. Freeski event at Kicking Horse.

After competing in freeski and racing events for a few more years after that, Dominick switched to freeride full time at 14.

The 17-year-old has split his time between Whitefish and Big Sky over the past eight winters. He will be one of 30 men competing in the freeride ski division.