In sports, a fraction of a second can be the difference between winning or losing a race. Cornwall High School senior Tyler Kolfrat experienced just that, narrowly missing a chance to go to the state ski meet by a tenth of a second. Kolfrat placed 11th in the Section 9 meet and only the top 10 competitors earned the opportunity to compete at the state level.
“I wish I could have done something different, but everyone else earned their place,” Kolfrat said. “I can’t complain about that. I’m glad they got to go.”
Despite missing out on the chance to go to states for the second year in a row, Kolfrat has no regrets. Last year he represented Cornwall as an alternate.
“It was nice to be recognized as one of the better skiers in the section, to go on and see how I compare with the rest of the state. I was an alternate in case anyone got hurt. I got to fore-run which is the person who goes down the course before anyone else to test the waters. When they timed me I was right in the middle of the pack.”
Although it wasn’t an official race, times were recorded for all the fore-runners. Kolfrat knew the pressure was off, but he still wanted to do his best because he wanted to prove he earned a spot there. He ended up going down the slope four times, instead of two, because there were issues with the timer.
Reporting back to his team, he said the course was longer than they’re used to, but the snow conditions were good – not too icy, not too slushy. The longer slope had more gates, so if a skier messed up somewhere, there was still room to improve before the race was over. By the end of the fourth race, Kolfrat noted he had cramps in his legs because the races were run one after the other. The state competitors only raced twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon.
Kolfrat has been skiing since he was about three-years-old, initially learning from his parents who are avid skiers. His father even raced when he was in high school. Kolfrat picked up some pointers from his father including turning earlier around gates or fixing the edging on his skates in order to transition to the next gate faster.
“I liked it because I went really fast,” Kolfrat said of his initial experience. “I thought that was a lot of fun. Back then I didn’t know how to stop well so I fell to the ground as soon as I wanted to stop anywhere. It was a lot of fun because it was the fastest I had ever gone by myself.”
Kolfrat began skiing competitively in ninth grade as a member of the JV team. The following year he was promoted to varsity. He enjoyed the opportunity to race more and compare himself to the senior members of the team.
Kolfrat competes in the slalom and giant slalom – of the two he prefers the former.
“It requires more technique. It’s different than regular skiing which entails wide swooping turns. Slalom is more concise and you have to think on your toes.”
Attending Northeastern to study chemistry, Kolfrat hopes to continue skiing for the university’s club team.
“I think it will be good. It’s a lot of fun. It’s always nice to think you can go that much farther and compete on a national team one day. It’s a nice way to keep in shape.”
The school also has a rowing team, Kolfrat’s summer sport of choice, but he’s unsure if he’ll have time to practice every day and find time for his studies.
Kolfrat has been sailing as long as he’s been skiing. He was introduced to the sport by his father and grandfather. He often competes with his father at the Chelsea Yacht Club in Beacon racing against other members and sometimes with other clubs.
As the skipper, Kolfrat enjoys being in control and making the big decisions. But the role isn’t easy.
“You have to keep your eye on a lot of things – which way the current is going, where the wind is. You have to keep your eye on the sails and where you’re steering.”
