Category: Minneapolis, Minnesota Local News

With the clock ticking on the final curtain at Minneapolis’ Cowles Center for Dance and Performing Arts, which is set to go dark at the end of March, Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre demonstrated Saturday and Sunday why the venue is so important to the Twin Cities in the first place.

With a captivating story, flashy solos, lush design and collaborative exploration, the company’s “The Conference of the Birds,” based on the ancient Persian poem by Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar, is the kind of grand work that shines on the Cowles’ majestic stage and facilities.

Speaking before Saturday’s show, Zorongo’s artistic director Susana di Palma noted that beyond being a dance and performing venue, Cowles also has an educational program where she has taught for 15 years. The show featured a flamenco dance performed by students from FAIR school, whom di Palma has been working with this winter. The young dancers, dressed in colorful suits and skirts, performed a festive work called, “Di Mi Nombre.”

In “Conference of the Birds,” a trio of three musicians packed a powerful punch as accompaniment to the movement, with music composition by guitarist Juanito Pascual, and flute and singing by Alfonso Cid. José Moreno did double duty as percussionist and dancer, dominating the stage with his forceful, exuberant footwork and intoxicating stage charisma in several solo pieces.

Di Palma teamed up with Darrius Strong for the choreograpy, infusing the flamenco aesthetic with Strong’s singular movement style.

Stylistically, Strong often brings influences of contemporary and modern dance, West African movement, hip-hop and a narrative focus to his work. Those layers were all seen in this production — mostly through his own dancing as the Hoopoe, whom the other birds elected as their leader. At times, the layers showed up in the movements by other dancers as well.

Zorongo’s ensemble was a forceful bunch. An early scene showed the birds protesting the long journey their new leader proposed. Strong matched each bird’s personality and energy, enticing them to join on the planned endeavor.

Once the journey began, a series of solo dances marked the seven valleys the birds passed through as they shed layers of dogma, reason, worldly knowledge, desires and attachments. They performed the solos in front of animated projections by Jonathan Thunder. The artist’s work highlighted the essence of each valley with bold colors and movement, with the dancers’ silhouettes merging nicely with the images.

At the end of the show,” the birds realized what they were seeking was themselves all along. It’s an apt message for the crisis the Twin Cities’ dance community finds itself in, with the imminent closure of the Minneapolis landmark along with other funding struggles.

Zorongo drove home this message by concluding the performance without a curtain call. Instead it chose to have the birds exit out the aisles as they had arrived, with a note in the program inviting the audience to follow them.

A man was shot to death and another was seriously wounded in an attempted robbery Friday afternoon in Minneapolis, police said.

Marlo Randy Phillips, 27, of Minneapolis was killed in the alley of a small apartment building in the 2400 block of Golden Valley Road, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office.

Minneapolis police said Phillips was shot after he and a second man approached a Mercedes sedan with the driver and his 2-year-old child inside. The sedan fled.

Officers found Phillips wounded and lying in the alley about 3:40 p.m.. Police and paramedics provided medical aid, but he died at the scene.

The Mercedes driver, meanwhile, arrived at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale with potentially life-threatening injuries. His car had been damaged by gunfire, but his child was not hurt. Police were investigating whether shots were fired from inside the car.

The other man at the shooting scene — identified as a 21-year-old — was arrested on probable cause and booked into Hennepin County jail.

“I am grateful for the outstanding police work of our responding Minneapolis police officers,” Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a statement. “They took quick action and attempted to save a life while also making an arrest of a gunman and recovering handguns.

An ice skater portraying the character Belle was injured during a “Disney on Ice” show Saturday at Target Center in Minneapolis.

The skater fell at the 11 a.m. show while performing a lift during a pair skating portion of the routine, according to a statement from Feld Entertainment, the company that produces the show.

The performer was taken to a local hospital. Her condition was not immediately available.

Company officials said they appreciated “the well wishes from our fans as our team member recovers.”

Shows at Target Center will continue as planned through Sunday.

Picture a mountain village in Europe, the site of a World Cup cross-country skiing event. A pristine blanket of snow coats trees and rooftops. Spectators cradle cups of hot chocolate in mitten-clad hands, as athletes glide past on a perfectly groomed track.

That’s the postcard version, anyway. In the era of climate change, the reality is often less idyllic.

“When it’s warm and wet, the snow can be really dirty,” said Zak Ketterson, a skier from Bloomington who competes on the World Cup tour. “There are a lot of rocks and dirt and sticks. Sometimes there are ruts on the course where you sink in up to your ankles.

“You go to places where it’s supposed to be a winter wonderland, and it’s just mud and grass everywhere. Climate change is hard for us to ignore because it’s right in our faces.”

Organizers of next weekend’s Loppet Cup hoped a classic Minnesota winter would greet the first World Cup cross-country races held in the United States since 2001. Instead, they’ve gotten record warmth and precious little snow, requiring a major effort to keep the courses in good shape for the sprint and 10-kilometer races at Theodore Wirth Park.

That’s become a distressingly familiar scenario for people who make their living on ice and snow. Athletes like Ketterson and Olympic champion Jessie Diggins of Afton regularly see the impact of climate change in races affected by poor snow conditions, cancellations and safety issues.

As the problem grows, winter sports organizations are becoming increasingly concerned about their future. The International Olympic Committee said last year that by 2040, only 10 countries will have the climate necessary to host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The past four Winter Games have had to make artificial snow at venues because there wasn’t enough natural snow for competition.

“Preliminary [studies] already show that we need to adapt the Olympic Winter Games, given the impact of climate change,” IOC President Thomas Bach said last October. “In collaboration with the winter sports community, we need to look for solutions for the future.”

Organizations and individuals that rely on winter are stepping up efforts to protect it. Diggins is among many athletes lobbying for legislation to curb climate change. Venues ranging from World Cup hosts to local ski hills have made sustainability part of their mission, knowing their survival depends on it.

That will be reflected at the Loppet Cup. The Loppet Foundation, which is hosting the races, will hold a “Climate Conversation” panel discussion after Sunday’s 10k with environmentalist and author Bill McKibben. Xcel Energy will power the event with wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles and reusable cups will be used.

Claire Wilson, executive director of the Loppet Foundation, said the organization is constantly discussing how to deal with climate change. Like the World Cup athletes, she’s getting a close-up view of the fallout.

“When I moved here 20 years ago, you could ski all winter long,” Wilson said. “Maybe even a different venue every day because we groomed so many trails in this area. This winter, not one natural snow trail was groomed all winter. It’s heartbreaking.”

Relying on artificial snow

Ketterson and Diggins said cross-country conditions in Europe have been generally good this season. Still, a Tour de Ski stage race in Toblach, Italy, had to alter its course because of skimpy snow cover in January.

The World Cup tour for Alpine skiing has fared worse, with races in Germany and France canceled because of rain or warm weather. Last season, warmth or low snow caused the cancellation of seven of the first eight World Cup Alpine races. Temperatures topped 50 degrees at last year’s Tour de Ski stages in Oberstdorf, Germany.

At Wirth Park, the Loppet Foundation has had to push back the start of its cross-country ski programs from late November into mid-to-late December, and Wilson said the trails are now “completely dependent” on man-made snow.

When Diggins was a kid, she used to build massive snow forts in her yard. By the time she was in high school, she recalled, there were years when her team had to travel to ski on artificial snow.

“I remember being bummed out even then, and kind of worried and concerned,” she said. “Now, I’m seeing the impact on the World Cup.

“In order to even bid for a World Cup now, you have to be able to make snow. Even in February, they can’t count on natural snow. That’s wild to me. But that’s really indicative of how much our winters have changed.”

In 2022, a team led by Canada’s University of Waterloo studied climate change in 21 previous host cities for the Winter Olympics. It projected that, without a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gases, only one — Sapporo, Japan — would be able to hold fair and safe competition in Olympic snow sports by the end of this century. If the benchmarks of the Paris Climate Agreement were achieved, eight cities would have the proper climate.

Ketterson said some historic World Cup venues are “throwing in the towel,” dropping their races because of unreliable conditions. Events are moving to higher altitudes to increase the chances of having quality snow.

The hazards of warm-weather racing go beyond event cancellations and venue shifts. At the 2014 Sochi Games, Diggins raced in a tank top, without a hat or gloves, and still became dehydrated and overheated.

Man-made snow tends to be icier, which can cause more falls — and more injuries, because athletes are landing on a harder surface. In warm, wet conditions, proper ski selection and waxing become trickier, making equipment a significant factor in the outcome.

“[Bad snow] can be less safe,” Ketterson said. “It becomes really hard to balance because you’re sinking in so deep. And we’ve had some World Cups where there was so much trash in the snow that a pair of skis gets destroyed just by one race.”

Athletes turned advocates

Climate change has economic implications, too. Wilson said the Loppet Foundation will take “a big hit” financially this year, with its outdoor recreation programs diminished by the lack of snow.

Given the growing unpredictability of Minnesota’s winters, the foundation is adjusting its financial model, adding more activities that aren’t dependent upon the weather.

“We’re looking to incorporate more nature-based programming and things like yoga,” Wilson said. “If the amount of time on snow is only going to be a month or two per year, our model can’t be that we generate all our revenue in the winter months.”

The economic impact can extend to entire communities. Snow sports are a multibillion-dollar industry in the U.S., and there are mountain towns that depend on the jobs and revenue generated by busy ski areas.

With the stakes so high, advocacy groups, snow sports organizations and individuals are joining forces. U.S. Ski & Snowboard recently introduced Easy Green, which promotes sustainability and increased awareness of climate change. Many American athletes are involved with Protect Our Winters, a group that lobbies for climate legislation.

Diggins, a board member of Protect Our Winters, has spoken at the U.S. Capitol and addressed the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.

“They’re agreeing on both sides of the aisle that, ‘Yes, this is a problem,’ ” she said. ” ‘Yes, it’s man-made. And yes, we have to fix it.’ They don’t always agree on how, but it’s really cool that we’re even at this stage where we’re having these talks.”

Wilson is confident the Wirth Park courses will provide a quality surface for the Loppet Cup, even if they don’t reflect the snow-globe atmosphere she pictured. Diggins sees opportunity, if not beauty, in this brown winter.

The event puts World Cup cross-country skiing on an American stage for the first time in 23 years. With about 35,000 people watching at Wirth Park and more tuning in via livestream, Diggins hopes they will be motivated to think about climate change and inspired to act.

“Everyone at these races cares about winter,” she said. “This is a reminder that we can’t take it for granted. All these little kids who will be fired up by these races, we want them to have a chance to ski themselves when they’re older. That’s why this is so important.”

The case against state trooper Ryan Londregan may look on paper like a redux of high-profile trials that dominated headlines in Minnesota in recent years: A white law enforcement officer is accused of using excessive force during a routine traffic stop, killing Ricky Cobb II, a Black man.

But this one is different.

Londregan, 27, will be tried under a new state statute, revised after George Floyd’s killing, that sets a higher bar for when law enforcement is legally permitted to use lethal force.

The trial also will take place in a new legal environment. Londregan is the first officer charged by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, a former chief public defender who campaigned in the wake of Floyd’s murder on a promise to hold law enforcement liable if they break the law.

In the early days of what’s likely to be a lengthy pretrial process, the trooper’s defense team is targeting Moriarty’s politics. At Londegran’s first court appearance last month, dozens of troopers gathered outside to protest against the charges. Assembling in the shadow of the courthouse, they waved signs reading: “Shame On You Moriarty.”

The scene resembled other protests at the courthouse over the past eight years, when activists carried signs demanding a recall of then Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. Except, in the past, protesters accused Freeman of being too reluctant to hold police to the same standard as normal citizens. Now the protesters were law enforcement agents, and their objection to Moriarty was the opposite.

“Together we understand the difficulties of the profession,” said Mike LeDoux, president of the Minnesota State Patrol Troopers Association, who was among Londregan’s supporters. “Now more than ever, officers are wondering if they will be supported in a use-of-force case. And I think that’s what you’re seeing here.”

Training, new law

The case against Londregan focuses largely on a 10-second window during an early-morning traffic stop last July. Londregan arrived 20 minutes after two troopers had pulled Cobb over for driving without lights. Cobb was wanted for an alleged violation of a domestic order for protection, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office issued a 72-hour request to pick him up. The request, which is not a warrant but grants law enforcement probable cause to detain a person, was set to expire later that morning.

The troopers ordered Cobb out of the vehicle. Cobb shifted into drive, took his foot off the brake and let it roll forward. Londregan pulled his gun. “Get out of the car now,” he shouted, as the other trooper grabbed at Cobb, whose foot again came off the brake. Cobb’s car lurched forward and crashed a short distance down the road. He died on the scene.

From the passenger’s side, Londregan fired two shots into Cobb’s torso within “several tenths of a second” after shouting the word “now,” according to charges.

Prosecutors say Londregan’s actions did not follow the law, which stipulates a threat must meet a three-prong threshold to warrant deadly force: it can be articulated by the officer with “specificity;” it’s “reasonably likely to occur” if the officer doesn’t act; and it must be addressed through “deadly force without unreasonable delay.” Trooper policy says that agents should not shoot at a moving car “except when deadly force is authorized,” and troopers should avoid situations in which a vehicle can be used as a deadly weapon, according to the charging affidavit.

“Trooper Londregan did not follow his training,” Moriarty said after announcing the murder, manslaughter and assault charges. “Ricky Cobb II should be alive today.”

Training likely will be a critical factor as the case moves forward, said Josh Esmay, lawyer for Minneapolis-based Legal Rights Center. Officers generally are trained not to fire at moving cars, but these situations aren’t always clear cut.

“How does that play out when you and your partner are half in and half out of a vehicle that just got put into drive and you have seconds to make a decision on whether to use force?” Esmay said. “I think that question is going to be at the heart of the case.”

Rachel Moran, who teaches the new use-of-deadly-force statute to her law students at University of St. Thomas, said it might be difficult for Londregan to prove in court that shooting into the car would reasonably prevent death or bodily harm.

The other trooper acknowledged to prosecutors that shooting Cobb didn’t prevent the car from dragging him, according to charges.

“It could have placed the other trooper in greater danger,” Moran said.

Yet a conviction is far from guaranteed, said Paul Applebaum, a civil rights and criminal defense lawyer. Londregan’s attorneys will present to the jury the “sliding calculus” that troopers face when assessing threats from strangers on the side of a dark road.

He predicted Londregan will testify at trial, and the case will come down to whether jurors empathize with his perspective of the stop.

“I’m telling you, this case is going to be won or lost on the composition of the jury,” Applebaum said.

Officer charges more common

While still relatively rare, prosecutions against law enforcement agents for on-duty killings are becoming more common in Minnesota.

The first in the state’s modern history occurred in 2016, when Ramsey County prosecutors charged St. Anthony Officer Jeronimo Yanez for shooting Philando Castile during a traffic stop. The charges said Castile had been “respectful and compliant” during the brief exchange, and that Yanez had no reason to fire into the car. A jury found Yanez not guilty in a trial in which the defense focused on the officer’s perception of a threat during the stop.

Six officers have since been charged and found guilty for cases of deadly force, not including Londregan. Only one, Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter, was tried under the new state statute. But the law wasn’t a major factor in Potter’s case, said Moran, as her defense claimed she accidentally fired her gun instead of a TASER. Many of those cases drew crowds of protesters to the streets — and occasionally outside prosecutors’ homes — to demand they hold officers accountable.

Tapping into a larger debate over policing in America, Londregan attorney Chris Madel has called his client’s prosecution emblematic of open season on law enforcement. Madel said his client is a hero for his actions during the stop — repeatedly emphasizing Cobb’s criminal record in court filings and public statements — and “100% innocent.”

“Given this environment, please consider: Why does Minneapolis have such a difficult time attracting and retaining police officers? More directly, who is going to be a police officer?” he said in an email response to a request for an interview, in which he decried at length what he called unfair Star Tribune coverage of the case. “Not me. I thank God every day that there are heroes like trooper Ryan protecting all of us from gun-toting, women-beating felons like Ricky Cobb.”

LeDoux, a veteran trooper, called Cobb’s death “tragic.” He said no law enforcement agent wants to use deadly force, but they are asked to make quick decisions in difficult situations, and they expect the public to “protect the protectors” when a stop ends badly.

“If you get ejected from a motor vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, you’re probably guaranteed to suffer great bodily harm or death,” he said.

Moriarty’s office declined to be interviewed for this story. “We have not and will not try this case through the media and will continue doing the work necessary to prepare the case for trial,” county attorney spokesman Nicholas Kimball said. “We are deeply committed to ensuring a fair process for everyone involved. At the scheduling conference Friday we will engage the court and defense in a discussion of our expectation that all parties do everything in their power to ensure a fair trial.”

Rick Petry, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, rejected the claim that Moriarty’s office is treating Londregan more harshly. Londregan was booked two weeks after charges and spent less than an hour in jail.

“Most people would just have to sit [in jail] until their day in court came,” Petry said. “[Londregan] is getting special treatment, way different than the average person facing the same type of crime.”

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A discussion with Casey Riley, PhD, Chair of Global Contemporary Art and Curator of Photography and New Media, Mia

Don’t miss this exhibit of Gordon Parks’ photographs of Ella Watson, taken in the early 1940s, at Mia until June 23, 2024. We talked to Casey Riley, who curated the show – she gave us historical background on Parks, his unique partnership with Ella Watson, and the enduring relevance of this series.

Q:  For people unfamiliar with Gordon Parks and his work, can you provide a brief background on him and his significance in the world of photography?

Dr. Casey RileyA:  The Gordon Parks Foundation has a wealth of information on the artist, so please allow me to quote directly from their excellent biography on Parks, who as they note was not only one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, but also a humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice. Parks’ photographic legacy is plainly evident in the exceptional body of work he created from the early 1940s into the 2000s, the contents of which document American life and culture by centering matters of race, poverty, civil rights, and urban life. Per the Foundation’s website, “Parks was also a distinguished composer, author, and filmmaker [he directed Shaft!] who interacted with many of the leading people of his era—from politicians and artists to athletes and celebrities.

Born into poverty and segregation in Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1912, Parks was drawn to photography as a young man when he saw images of migrant workers taken by Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographers in a magazine. After buying a camera at a pawnshop, he taught himself how to use it. Despite his lack of professional training, he won the Julius Rosenwald Fellowship in 1942; this led to a position with the photography section of the FSA in Washington, D.C., and, later, the Office of War Information (OWI). Working for these agencies, which were then chronicling the nation’s social conditions, Parks quickly developed a personal style that would make him among the most celebrated photographers of his era. His extraordinary pictures allowed him to break the color line in professional photography while he created remarkably expressive images that consistently explored the social and economic impact of poverty, racism, and other forms of discrimination.”

Q:  Please tell us about the unique collaboration between Gordon Parks and Ella Watson.

A:  When Parks arrived in Washington, D.C. to work with Roy Stryker in the Historical Section of the Farm Security Administration, he was eager to document the community as he had done in Chicago. What he did not anticipate were the challenges he would face as a Black man in the nation’s capital, where racial segregation and discrimination were commonplace. Knowing the situation all too well, Stryker suggested that Parks begin by exploring Washington without his camera. Unfortunately, Parks found bigotry everywhere. He was turned away by restaurants, kicked out of theaters, and denied service at a respected department store where he attempted to buy a winter coat. Parks was crushed–and filled with righteous anger. “In this radiant, historic place,” he lamented, “racism was rampant” (Half Past Autumn, 1997).

Gordon Parks, Self-Portrait (detail), 1941, gelatin silver print. Courtesy of The Gordon Parks Foundation. Taken at age 28, when Parks was living in Chicago.

To his credit, Parks channeled his disillusionment into creative potential. He returned to FSA headquarters, where Stryker recommended that he begin his project closer to home. Upon leaving Stryker’s office, Parks approached the Black woman who was cleaning the hallway outside. Her name was Ella Watson, and their conversation about her life story riveted him. Parks eventually asked if he could take Watson’s picture. She agreed, and for several weeks afterward gave him primary access to her everyday life: at home, at church, and in her neighborhood. The resulting photographs–about 90 in all, of which we selected 59 for the exhibition at Mia–reveal the depth and breadth of Watson’s experiences and commitments as the matriarch of a household that included four children, a church deaconess, and a Federal employee. It’s a multifaceted portrait that reveals much more than the difficulties of her life, which were many; she emerges as a central figure in the life of that city, and of the nation.

Q:  Roy Stryker of the Farm Security Administration thought American Gothic was an indictment of America and could lead to the firing of all the photographers on staff. However, he encouraged Parks to continue photographing Watson. When was this body of work published? What was the reaction from the public?

A:  That’s correct. When Parks showed “American Gothic” to Stryker, he was warned that its publication could cost them their jobs. Since the FSA was a government agency, and needed to maintain a certain editorial distance from subjects that could be seen as “political,” Stryker felt that the image was too provocative for the congressmen who funded the agency. Despite being taken in 1942, the photo remained unpublished until 1948, when Parks became the first Black staff photographer at LIFE magazine. The portrait became famous only in the 1960s, when many people were ready to accept its commentary on American racism.

Q:  In what ways do you believe Gordon Parks’ work remains relevant in contemporary society?

A:  Gordon Parks’ legacy extends across American visual culture – his work has inspired many contemporary artists, including Hank Willis Thomas, who contributed to the publication accompanying the show. As an artist who cared deeply about social justice and devoted his practice to it, his work resonates deeply with contemporary audiences.

Q:  Will Mia provide educational programs or tours for this exhibition?

A:  Absolutely – we are honored to host this work in Minneapolis, and to have partnered with the amazing folks at the Gordon Parks Foundation to realize this project. In terms of programming, and to complement the exhibition, celebrated photographer LaToya Ruby Frazer will share her perspective on Gordon Parks and Ella Watson in conversation with me on Wednesday, March 14, in a program that is co-sponsored by Mia’s Friends of the Institute. Philip Brookman and I co-edited the publication that accompanies the show; you can purchase advance copies from the Store at Mia!

Q:  How may we follow news about Gordon Parks’ creative life?

A:  I think the best resource is The Gordon Parks Foundation to stay up to date on his life and legacy.

Minnesotan Jessie Diggins will race for Team USA in her home state for the first time.

It’s a long-awaited return to the United States for the World Cup of cross-country skiing, which was last held as an event in the United States 20 years ago. But it comes in the middle of a Minnesota winter that’s set records for its mild temperatures.

Artificial snowmakers and dump trucks allowed the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to soldier on with its World Cup competition. The two-day event is scheduled to take place at Theodore Wirth Park on Feb. 17 and 18.

It’s the first time in two decades such a large skiing competition has been held stateside.

“We made 7 kilometers’ worth of ski trail that’s about 2 feet deep, so we made a significant amount of snow in a short period of time,” said Claire Wilson, executive director of the Loppet Foundation.

More than 150 athletes from 21 countries will compete in front of a sold-out crowd, with limited VIP tickets still available.

Much of the artificial snow is already out on the track and Wilson said her team is confident about making more as temperatures are expected to drop into the 30s this weekend.

Skiers are accustomed to both freezing temperatures and 50-degree weather and prepared for whatever conditions take place on race day. Kristen Bourne and other Team USA coaches splash skiers with water when the weather is warm and make race suit adjustments to combat the heat.

“Athletes are great at adapting to the different weather conditions, so it doesn’t necessarily affect the effort they put out on the trail,” Bourne said.

Snow conditions affect the type of equipment athletes use. Bourne said ski selection is “imperative” for an athlete’s performance on the track.

“Race results are generally very tight, and quite a bit of time can be lost if the ski doesn’t fit the snow conditions,” Bourne said.

World Cup athletes typically have around 40 different pairs of skis to choose from.

Athletes will work with their coaching staff to test the skis until the moments leading up to the race before they make their final selection.

“It’s a very orchestrated (process),” said Chris Harvey, head coach for Loppet Nordic Racing.

The Loppet Cup will be the first time Diggins, a three-time Olympic medalist, races in her home state. Her 300th World Cup is happening this weekend at the Alberta World Cup in Canmore, Canada. In Minneapolis, she’ll get the opportunity to race in the place where it all started.

The Minnesota skier defaulted to her family’s VHS tapes to watch professional skiing.

“Some of those tapes were three years old, but I would still watch them with my family because that was the only way to watch World Cups,” Diggins said.

Diggins is excited to race in front of the same people who supported her skiing career. The event will give children the chance to see the world’s best skiers live and help bring the sport to a different audience.

Athletes train full-time 11 months out of the year with one month being minimal training, but still doing some training in the off-season. The athletes’ personal schedules revolve around their training, so it requires significant dedication to the 24/7 lifestyle.

“I think this World Cup is going to help legitimize the sport in the States because we’re always trying to grow it, and I think this will be a big boost for us,” Diggins said.