Chythlook-Sifsof takes on world at X Games

February 3rd 10:18 am | Van Williams    

She didn't win a medal at the Winter X Games like she did last year, but it almost doesn't matter because Callan Chythlook-Sifsof of Dillingham is feeling too good.

"I'm riding about as well as I ever have," she said by phone from Aspen, Colo. "I definitely feel on top of my game."

Being ranked eighth in the world can do wonders for the confidence.

Chythlook-Sifsof, an Olympic snowboarder of Yupik and Inupiaq fame, can afford to shake off a somewhat disappointing showing because her confidence is through the roof.

She came to the X Games fresh off winning a World Cup bronze medal in a team boardercross race in Telluride, Colo., her third career podium result.

The 22-year-old currently ranks No. 8 on the World Cup circuit, a series of races featuring the very best riders on the planet.

It's the NFL or NBA of winter sports.

Chythlook-Sifsof, a World Cup veteran since 2007, is the No. 2 ranked American behind World Cup leader Lindsey Jacobellis.

Last year, she won a silver medal at the X Games.

She came back looking for gold, but just missed making the finals and settling for eighth after finishing second in the consolation run.

She probably would have made finals if not for a minor collision with a fellow competitor in qualifying, which is common in a sport that's like roller derby on snow.

"There are always crashes; it's sort of the name of the game," she said. "The girl to my right swerved off lane and my board landed on her tail. I almost pulled through but my edge got caught.

"But hey, that's boardercross."

Chythlook-Sifsof bounced back to take runner-up honors in the consolation final, earning a measure of solace for not making finals.

"This course is super fun," she said. "It's always fun to run again. When you get a good course that is fun and big and exciting, you just want to keep running it."

Success validates preparation but not having it doesn't necessarily mean anything because nobody wins every race when matched up against the best in the world.

Just like life, there are ups and downs.

"To ride well, that's what you hope for because in the end you don't have control over a lot of things that happen on the course; it's so unpredictable," Chythlook-Sifsof said. "At the end of the day, if you say you rode well then that's all you can ask for."

Van Williams can be reached at sports@reportalaska.com.

 

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