Words by Rachel Croft:

It was hard to feel nervous standing in the start gate on day one of the Revelstoke 4* FWQ event. I had clicked into my new Nomad 125's for my competition run, but their predecessor, the Gypsies, were waiting in my ski bag, freshly mounted with tech bindings, itching to take me on an adventure in the breathtaking British Columbia backcountry. If I didn't qualify for finals day, I had plans to go touring with friends. I was almost hoping I'd fall.