Young flyers getting ready to join 'force'

It's why cowboys ride bulls or broncs; why skydivers jump out of airplanes; why freestyle aerialists flip and twist upside down on a ski slope. They do it for the adrenaline rush.

None of the mentioned sports are for the faint of heart. It takes individuals who possess a high dose of courage, stamina and a desire to 'live on the edge'.

Calgarian Melissa Prefontaine, 19, is blessed with all those attributes, and is poised to fly her way to the top of Canada's freestyle aerial teams.

Prefontaine only made Alberta's team for the first time last year, but she ended up finishing second in Canada in senior aerials. She captured Canada Games gold medal last year at Corner Brook, Nfld. She represents the future of freestyle flight on the national team.

"We have a lot of talented flyers in Canada," said Mark Schuett, an aerial coach on the Canadian team, "but when Melissa pulls it together in a competition, she is tough to beat at any level.

Prefontaine spent nine of her early years as a gymnast, but the lure of skiing won out as her sport of choice growing up in Grande Prairie. She started competing in freestyle events by the age of 15, doing both aerials and moguls. Two years ago, when she moved to Calgary, she realized aerials were her destiny in the sport and began to dedicate her training to it.

"I just couldn't get enough of the rush I get from flying," says Prefontaine. "There is a certain fear factor there, but I have learned to jump through it, forcing myself to concentrate more and stay relaxed. As my confidence grew over the years, the results also started to come."

Schuett says Prefontaine's hard work and training are paying off in spades. "She has a lot of air sense, thanks to her gymnastics background, which makes her tough to beat in tricks. She throws double twisting double flips that have a high degree of difficulty and she has the knack of really putting it all together on competition days. Podiums and medals are a direct result of her dedication."

Calgary Sun
Tuesday November 30, 1999