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"Kaya Turski is quickly becoming the next big female star of winter sports due to her 1st place finish in the Women's Slopestyle event at the 2010 Winter X Games. The freestyle skier blew everyone... Kaya Turski is quickly becoming the next big female star of winter sports due to her 1st place finish in the Women's Slopestyle event at the 2010 Winter X Games. The freestyle skier blew everyone away with her dominating performance, landing the highest score in the history of the event, and outscoring the second place winner by 11 points! But off the slopes Kaya is just like any other low-key 20 year old--read on to learn more about the rising superstar.\n\nWhen and why did you start skiing?My dad taught me to ski when I was about 3 years old. I kept at it until I was 8 and then I started to rollerblade. When I was 16, the rollerblading industry was going very slow and it was tough to get any support and at that point something drew me back to skiing. Felix Rioux from my shop sponsor, D-Structure, hooked me up with some Salomon skis and I gave it a try. I decided to go out west to Whistler, BC in January of 2006 to see how much fun I could have with it and I completely fell in love with the sport. The rest is history!\n\nWhat do you love about your sport?I love the freedom that comes along with it. Since I've become a professional skier I've traveled to the most amazing places and met some great people. Traveling often to foreign countries and working with my sponsors has taught me to be very independent. It's an amazing feeling to think that I am traveling to New Zealand, Switzerland, France, and other amazing countries, trying out different foods, skiing different mountains, meeting new people, and it's all for my job! It's amazing! How did it feel to win the gold medal of the Winter X Games? How huge was this win for you?I was completely elated and the feeling was surreal. Ever since I heard about the X-Games as a little girl it's been a dream of mine to be a competitor and win the gold medal. Winning this was definitely one of my major goals in life and now that I have the gold, it's all about adding more to my repertoire.\n\nWhat music do you listen to on your runs?I like to listen to a lot of Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and The Game. I like rap a lot because it's got a good beat and it gets me really amped to ski.\n\nWhat do you wear when you're not skiing?I like skinny jeans and cute boots. These days, I've been rocking moccassin boots or some pink moon boots because they keep me nice and warm. I like big sweaters, kind of \"sac\" style. Just really comfortable and cute!\n\nWhat's your favorite gear to ski in?Well, my favorite skis are the Salomon Mai Tai women's park ski, my favorite outerwear is the Orage Kaya jacket, and some matching pants, usually a little on the bigger side for comfort in the air, and of course my Redbull hat to add a little bit of style to my head! For eyewear, I use my Oakley a-frames or crowbars, they've got the best lenses ever, and to rock out to my music I'm using my Skullcandy Icon headphones. What are your must-have beauty products?First off, I always have my Chapstick with SPF with me because it's so useful for those sunny and really cold days on the mountain. And I love Clinique mascara, foundation, powder, and lip gloss for when I go out!\n\nWhat advice do you have for other young female athletes?Well, in the extreme sports world, women are no doubt outnumbered by men. My advice would be to not get discouraged if you feel alone or if the boys are giving you a hard time. Embrace the fact that you're a girl and don't give up! Work hard for your dreams and believe in them and they will come true in time. Deep down, I always felt like I would get to the X-Games one day and never gave up on that dream. Lo and behold, I made it and I think with hard work and perseverance, anyone can do it.\n\n-Tanzy Alfred, Beauty &amp;amp; Health Intern"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/qa-with-sports-star-kaya-turski>