Cle Elum skier is upward bound

Deneen's prowess on moguls opens eyes around the sport

By Craig Hill | The News Tribune • Published February 09, 2009

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CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, B.C. — Two hours before the finals of Saturday's moguls World Cup race Bryon Wilson was threatening to hurt Patrick Deneen.

Not because Deneen is the man he thinks he needs to catch to make the 2010 Olympic team, but because earlier that morning Deneen filled his ski boots with orange peels.

If Deneen survives whatever revenge Wilson has in mind, there's seemingly not much else that can derail his promising career.

The 21-year-old Cle Elum resident is a rising star on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team and has his sights locked on the 2010 Olympics.

He was rookie of the year on the world tour last season and, while he hasn't skied quite as well this season, according to his coach, he finished fourth in Saturday's World Cup on the course that will be used in next year's Olympics.

"He certainly has a tremendous upside," freestyle coach Jeff Wintersteen said. "He is a great talent."

Patrick's dad, Pat, was the first to see his son's talent.

When Pat was the general manager at Hyak, now Summit East on Snoqualmie Pass, his son started skiing at 11 months old.

"He had more opportunities to ski than most kids," said the elder Deneen, who also worked at Silver Mountain in Idaho.

When Deneen started racing he won almost every junior race he entered. While he was always fast, he said he was best at the technical events like slalom.

But it wasn't long before Deneen fell in love with skiing bumps.

And like ski racing, Deneen proved to be a natural in freestyle, too.

"The guy is always on the snow," Wilson said. "He works really hard."

Last winter he and his dad built a kicker on a slope in their backyard so he could practice his jumps. After each run his dad would tow him back up the hill with a snowmobile so he could go again.

Deneen knows he has to put in extra work because he's not going to surprise anybody any more.

"Last year there was no pressure on him and I think he just let loose and skied great," Wintersteen said. "This year he hasn't skied quite as well yet and that's pretty common for a guy in his second year because there are suddenly some expectations."

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