Canadian freestyle skier star Mikael Kingsbury is juggling both moguls and fatherhood.
The 32-year-old Olympic and world champion from Deux-Montagnes, Que., opens his World Cup season Saturday in Ruka, Finland, with partner Laurence Mongeon and their infant son Henrik in tow. Henrik was born Aug. 25.
"It changes your life, that's for sure," Kingsbury said Tuesday from Ruka in a media conference call. "Get used to waking up in the middle of the night, but at the same time, it is the most beautiful thing in the world.
"It brings a beautiful balance to my career."
While Kingsbury acknowledges there are great hockey players named Henrik, he says the inspiration for the name was his niece liking a boy named Henrik in her kindergarten class.
"I always liked the name anyway," Kingsbury said. "Laurence and I agree it fits his face.
"I didn't ski as much this summer because I wanted to be home and I wanted to be present. We're five weeks on the road for the start of this season, so I couldn't see myself doing five weeks without seeing my kid.
"I would have missed my family too much, so I brought them on the road for three weeks."
Regarded as the most dominant moguls skier of all time, the Canadian achieved another significant milestone last season when he surpassed Swedish alpine skier Ingemar Stenmark for the most all-time World Cup victories by a male athlete in any ski discipline.
Kingsbury embarks on his 16th World Cup season with a career 90 victories. He's finished in the medals in 129 of 151 career World Cup starts.
But while Kingsbury claimed last season's dual moguls crown, Japan's Ikuma Horishima challenged Kingsbury's reign by claiming his first crystal globe in moguls.
"The mindset is still the same. The goals are still the same," Kingsbury said. "Coming into the season, I want to focus on one race at a time. That's how you get to a crystal globe.
"The main focus is being consistent, staying healthy to start the season, try to get the momentum of the start and stay healthy until the end of this season.
"I usually start strong, and I can finish very strong, and that's how you win crystal globes."
Kingsbury won an Olympic moguls gold medal in 2018 and silver in both 2014 and 2022. Dual moguls makes its Olympic debut in 2026 in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
Kingsbury has swept both moguls and dual moguls gold medals in three straight world championships. He'll attempt the double a fourth time March 18-21 in Engadin, Switzerland.
"Henrik and my family now are my priority and skiing comes second, but I know I can still win," Kingsbury said.
"It's going to be different. My family is going to be home and it might be a bit more difficult, but at the same time I see a lot of positive in being a dad. I feel way more relaxed on the mountain."
One secret to Kingsbury's success has been his durability. His only major injury hiccup so far was fracturing two vertebrae in his back training in Ruka ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Kingsbury sat out the first three World Cups and won the fourth upon return to action. He's closer to the end of his career than the beginning, so quality training, not quantity, is important to him.
"As I get older, I cannot do too much, but I've got to do the right amount and make sure I can peak in 2026," he explained. "The challenge is going to be the best dad I can and the best skier I can and try to manage in the middle. It's never going to be perfect, but I'm to do as best as I can and make sure I'm ready in 2026.
"I feel fortunate for all the team (members) that I have around me, teammates, and all the coaches and staff that are working with me. They're going to make my life easy when it's going to be difficult."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
