Monster Army Captain Birk Irving is only 14 years old, but has been dominating all season long. Birk has been having an amazing season and he gives us an insight into his training and future goals in this interview.   

Who influences you and why?

My family influences me because they encourage me to always do my best and not lose sight of my goals. I am always encouraged to try new tricks by my coach and teammates. I am also influenced by what I see guys doing at comps.

What/ Who inspired you to ski?

I am inspired as an athlete by Lyman Currier. He came from my ski area and made the Olympic Team this year in pipe. He has progressed really quick and is good in pipe as well as slope. He’s just a really nice guy who has always encouraged me.

I got into skiing because it is what my family does. Both my mom and dad love to ski. My dad’s on ski patrol at Winter Park. I have a little sister, Svea, who also competes in pipe and slope. When we have time together, it’s what we do. Living in Winter Park we have snow most of the year so our free time is spent building jumps in the yard and it’s always been like that.

What are your proudest moments/ accomplishments in 2013/2014?

-Getting a Top 10 finish in Aspen Open

-Getting on the podium at 2 Revolution tours

-Getting ranked 1st in pipe in USASA Rocky Mountain Series in Open Class

-Winning Junior Nationals Overall in Pipe

-Getting an invite to Junior Worlds in Valmalenco, Italy

What part of your riding are you looking to improve upon most this season?

I want to do some new doubles in slope and get my doubles in the pipe. I also want to work on slope more since I have been focusing so much on pipe lately.

Have you had to overcome any challenges that made skiing an obstacle at times? (i.e. Injuries, support)

Yes, last year I had a broken knee cap that kept me out for a lot of last year. I began this ski season coming off a broken Tibia and Fibula that I got my second day at Hood last summer. I wasn’t cleared to ski from the broken leg until December, and it took me a while to get my flexibility and strength back. That was a really hard time for me.

What is your daily routine and how do you prepare yourself for a day of skiing?

I get up and work on my online school before I leave. I hit the rail in my yard a bit to warm up. I usually think about the goals I want to achieve that day while walking up to the ski area. I usually ski until 4 each day then hit my rails in the yard once I get home. I work on my online at night too.

Where would you like to see yourself in the next few years?

I hope I am competing in Grand Prix and Dew Tour events soon. I would love to make it to the X-Games and my ultimate goal is to go to the 2018 Olympics in Korea.

When I'm not skiing you can find me ______________________?

Fishing or downhill biking in Winter Park.

Who would you like to thank?

I would like to thank my parents for always believing in me. I also want to thank my sponsors like K2 Skis who has been with me since I was 7 years old. I am also grateful to you guys at Monster for supporting me so much this year. My other sponsors are Smith, Saga Outerwear, Full Tilt, Marker, Woodward, and my home mountain of Winter Park especially Bob Holmes who has also been behind me since I first started competing. Finally, my coach Jeremie Livingston and Seedog who helps me off the snow. 

Follow Birk:

Instagram: @birkirving