Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — When it came to going big in Friday's upright aerial contest at the Park Smalley Freestyle Complex, nobody in the field of 13 girls came close to reaching Caterina Mader's altitude.

"I just go big for fun," Mader said after her third jump of the day. "It's all for fun -- not the points."

But while the Steamboat Springs skier was focusing on having a good time at dizzying heights, the judges awarding the points were also impressed by her skills.

Mader earned 48.69 points on her first effort (a double twister spread) and then an additional 37.48 points for her second jump (a twister spread) to win the first of two contests Friday with a combined score of 86.17.

Jenny Rose Lee was second at 83.34 and Lauren Rainen was third with 83.01 points.

Mader also topped the field in a one-jump contest that followed. She scored 49.41 points for a double twister spread. Brittany Biebl was second (42.92) and Rainen was third (42.41).

"I was just having fun," Mader said. "I didn't care if I finished in last place, just as long as I went out there and did the best I could and had fun."

Mader said it was only her second day jumping. She is coming off a solid finish in a mogul event a week ago in Breckenridge. She is hoping to keep things rolling today when she takes the mogul course on Voo Doo.

In the men's event it was Steamboat's Charlie MacCarthur taking top honors in the first aerial event with a total of 101.76. He was followed by Andrew Wickes in second (99.96) and Richard Dulude in third (95.34).

Andrew Bennett won the second event. MacCarthur was second and Andrew Duke came in third.