Longview Teen Haley Hanseler Competes in 2008 Junior Olympics
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Some teenage girls idolize singers or movie stars, but 14-year-old Haley Hanseler isn’t your typical teenage girl. Her list of heroes includes names like Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Vonn and Phil and Steve Mahre – all world-class alpine ski racing champions. That’s because, ever since she was four years old, Haley has spent her winters on the slopes of Oregon’s Mount Hood, either training for or competing in alpine ski races.
Lately the young athlete, who lives in Longview and starts her freshman year at Mark Morris High School this fall, has been traveling even further from home. In March 2008, she was among 170 elite 13- and 14-year-old racers from nine Western states to compete in the Junior Olympics in Bogus Basin, Idaho.
Hanseler seems to take the experience in stride.
“It was really fun,” she says. “It was my first time so I didn’t know what to expect. It was actually easier than I expected, and I did pretty well – I got 10th place in my age group.”
By Pacific Northwest Ski Association rules, skiers under age 13 may not race in the downhill category, due to the straighter courses and high speeds. Until this year, Haley had raced solely in the slalom and giant slalom categories. But in February 2008, she competed in her first downhill race and took first place in her age group. Her speed was clocked at 65 mph.
“It didn’t really feel that fast because I was focusing on where I needed to be,” she explains. “It felt kind of slow actually. When my dad told me I was going 65 mph, I didn’t believe him.”
Haley’s father also was a Junior Olympian and now coaches Mount Hood Academy, his daughter’s ski team.
When she isn’t skiing, Haley plays soccer on a travel team, which keeps her in tip-top shape all year.
Story by Carol Cowan
Photo by Todd Bennett
