If only Kaia Andal could ski to Utah.
She will hop on a soaring piano instead.
She will soon be out on the nordic track at famed Utah cross-country facility Soldier Hollow, site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. She is actively training at her hometown Otway Nordic Ski Centre, site of the 2015 Canada Winter Games and 2005 Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships.
But in between those locations is about 2,100 km she has to somehow travel. Her destination is the World Junior Trials competitions starting Jan 2. If she qualifies through those races, she would stay in Utah for the main World Junior events starting Jan. 30. As one of northern B.C.'s proven elite teen skiing athletes, Andal has a legitimate shot at representing Canada.
She is also one of northern B.C.'s proven elite teen talents in the field of music. She hopes that the distance between her Prince George training and Utah dreams can be summed up, at least partially, by her fingers flying between the 88 spaces from low A to high C.
Andal is holding a solo piano recital on Saturday to raise funds for the ski events. It means she has to juggle school, rehearsals and training all at the same time.
"It's easier, since I'm home-schooled. I don't have to work it all around hours spent in a classroom," said Andal, 17.
"My ski training is usually in the evening. The toughest time, I think, are when I have to travel for skiing to Vernon, Kamloops, Whistler, Kelowna, and competitions are held here in P.G., too. When those happen, I'm gone for three or four days from practicing the piano. I probably don't compensate-practice as much as I should but if it is close to a concert or festival, I definitely work at it more."
Some of her recent highlights include being chosen to be a soloist last year for the Northern Orchestra (on the violin, no less, a completely different instrument), she has four concerts per year as part of that ensemble, and she also enters several categories of the Prince George Music Festival and some of the festivals held in neighbouring towns. She also scored high marks in August on her Grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music piano exam, which is the highest level a pianist can attain without going into the pedagogy programs.
"I have never done a solo concert before, so this is a little scary but really fun," Andal said.
"It's all piano, no violin. I'm playing some of my favorite pieces I've done over the past four years. Three of them are by my favourite composer, a Canadian woman named Alexina Louie. She writes modern music which I think is most fun to play. I'm covering almost every era in this concert. I'm not playing any baroque pieces, but just about every other one from classically old to new. There will be some Mozart, some Brahms, some Chopin, and even one I wrote."
Her piano teacher, Lori Elder, has been putting Andal through the paces to get ready for the solo show. Her ski coach Graeme Moore is meanwhile setting her on course for her two best nordic events, the 7.5km and 10km distances using skate-ski and classical techniques.
She hopes there are some practical benefits to this dual-track life she's leading.
"I tend to get nervous in front of people," she said. "But that doesn't happen when I play piano. Maybe I can use that to help me keep calm and focused for ski racing."
The Caledonia Nordic Ski Club's skiers do fundraising activities as a team, sometimes, but all the best ones who have to travel must raise their own funds somehow for these provincial, national and international opportunities. Part of the benefit of attaining Canada Winter Games host status is having world-class facilities, excellent coaching and a motivated pool of athletes from this region who are set for high places on elite podiums.
"I knew this was something I could do to raise funds, and it wasn't something I had ever seen anyone else do, so it was unique but yeah, a little daunting. But it's happening," Andal said.
The Saturday concert happens at 7 p.m. at the Prince George Conservatory of Music/St. Andrew's United Church. Tickets are by donation and any financial support for Andal's athletic endeavors is greatly appreciated.
