130 million people in the world can ski, flying down slopes and creating billowing clouds of soft snow in their wake. However, numbers of those that advance to mogul skiing are slim, let alone those that advance to Olympic standard.
Mogul skiing is a timed freestyle skiing competition on a steep and moguled course where athletes are judged by their ability to execute technical turns, aerial manoeuvres and speed. Mogul skiing has been a medal event in the Winter Olympics since 1992 and the course includes two small jumps where upright or inverted tricks are performed.
Andi Naude learnt to ski from the age of four and by the time she turned 22 she was competing at the Winter Olympics as a mogul skier.
Usually in women’s mogul skiing the jumps performed are 360 or a backflip but Naude explained that she wanted to push that. Naude trained and managed to perform a Back Full, a back flip and a 360 rotation combined, which is a much harder jump then what is usually performed by women.
“In my last year of skiing at the world cup I competed with that trick every single competition which I thought was pretty cool,” Andi explained.
Canadian born Naude’s journey began at age four when she was brought up going to the local ski hill at the Apex Mountain Resort. Five years later, her neighbour conceived her to join her local ski club and then she eventually qualified for the provisional team.
Andi spent six years doing World Cup, competing in over 60 competitions and managed to get on the podium 10 times, being awarded both silver and bronze medals.
Andi explained: “I liked to be first out in the morning and last off of the hill. I just really liked working hard and being around friends and just sort of pushing myself. I was fortunate that my family didn’t push me in any way. They were always supporting me and were always there to help me if I had any issues.”
The 2013 World Championship in Voss, Norway was particularly memorable for Andi Naude.
“It was kinda embarrassing but it’s funny now”, Naude said, “but yeah my pants fell down when I was skiing a run”.
Fortunately, she was able to have a second try as it was only the qualification round.
The following year, Andi Naude missed the 2014 Olympic Games qualification by one spot which she explained was “probably the hardest thing I ever had to overcome”.
Andi added: “I was absolutely crushed. It was just so close and then it just slipped through my fingers but, at the end of the day, I think that that was the best thing to ever happen to me. I knew how badly I wanted to go to the Games and to achieve that goal so I worked even harder from 2014 to 2018 to really make that dream come true.”
Naude had her Olympic debut at Pyeongchang-gun, China in 2018 where she was the top Canadian in the qualification round, advancing to the six-woman super final. Naude was unable to complete her third run, leading her to come 6th overall.
“It was incredible,” Andi said, “At the end of the day, it didn’t matter what my performance was necessarily, it was just being there and being a part of that was so special and I was so honoured to be there.”
When asked what accomplishments she was most proud of, Andi said: “To be honest, I think it’s just more being able to have been a part of such a strong national team. I pride myself on the fact that I was trying to push the sport in terms of the jumping degree of difficulty for the women’s side.”
Naude completed the Back Full trick every single competition in her final year at the World Cup.
Naude explained that although it didn’t lead to “any gold medals” it was just something that she “felt very happy with” as she was trying “to push the sport and inspire the future generations to do the same.”
Following the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, and after being on the National team for six years competing full time, Naude knew that she needed to take a year off so she decided to apply to vet school to see if she could get in.
Andi received her acceptance letter from the Royal Veterinary College in London at the 2018 Olympic Games. She didn’t retire officially until her first year of university was complete and she realised that she loved it.
“I was good to walk away from the sport that I had spent my whole life doing.”
Whenever Naude has a chance she tries to give back to her community by spending a couple of days at the local ski club coaching and hanging out with them whenever she’s home.
When asked for any words of advice or encouragement, Andi said “I think as long as you love doing it and that’s what you’re happy doing, don’t set any limits to it. Just take it day by day and always try and do your best. Work 110% towards a goal of yours and you will absolutely be able to reach it.”
