DOING IT ALL

We shouldn’t be surprised by Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger’s big season; it’s just the latest accomplishment in her multi-act ski career.

Lusti has already lived three or four different skier’s dreams. Raised on the slopes of Panorama by parents who ran a ski shop, she learned to ski early and fast. She ascended the racing ranks all the way to the Torino Olympics before a handful of knee surgeries gave her pause and steered her into the powder. Focusing on backcountry next, she worked hard to become a certified ACMG Ski Guide. The freeski world took notice of how well and fast she skied, so Lusti climbed that ladder to sponsors, cover shots and a nomination for Female Skier of the Year at the 2019 Powder Awards. As she humbly puts it, “My path continues to evolve and progress.”

With travel curtailed last year, she focused on technical ski descents in B.C., where her natural ability to go fast needed to be suppressed in favour of precision. Last winter alone, she skied five significant first descents, placing her at or right near the top of active ski mountaineers in Canada. What facet of skiing will she dominate next? Check out her first descents and new adventures on Lusti’s Instagram.

_KEVIN HJERTAAS