By Gabe Lefkowitz

Junior Max Gal was introduced to skiing by his parents when he was two years old. However, long gone are the days he had trouble going down the bunny hill; he now flies down mountains while racing other skiers in his events: the Super-G, the Giant Slalom, and the Slalom. Gal travels upstate nearly three hours every weekend in order to compete with his team which includes athletes from all over New York. He skis at Hunter Mountain, the second highest peak in the Catskill Mountains. Gal said that skiing competitively “requires a lot of commitment.” His nine-hour practices consist of skiing down the mountain multiple times and weaving through gates over and over again. Gal loves the rush of adrenaline he gets from skiing. He said, “My favorite part is the competitions because they are scary.” During races, mistakes can be perilous. Though they can be intimidating, these competitions pay off: Gal was the 2013 state champion for the Slalom.