Kaila Kuhn

World Cup Interview

KAILA KUHN | U.S. AERIALS TEAM

Born in nearby Boyne City and raised on the slopes of Boyne Mountain, our hometown favorite, Kaila Kuhn, visited Michigan this summer to spend time with family and friends. We managed to snag a bit of her time away from the fresh waters of Lake Charlevoix to learn more about the upcoming U.S. Aerials Team events and how the pandemic is affecting competitions. 

How have your training and competition schedules changed during the pandemic?

  • "Luckily our training schedule hasn't changed too much due to the pandemic. We had a bit of a later start this year but apart from that, we are still able to train full time. There are certain protocols we have to take in order to participate in any training or competitions including logging our symptoms and recording our temperatures twice a day."

What is a typical day like for you?

  • "A typical day for me starts pretty early. My alarm goes off at 5:45, then I head up to training by about 6:45. We jump in the pool from about 8-10am. After that first session, I usually find myself taking a quick nap or trying to get some of my online school done before we head back up to the jumps in the afternoon and ramp from 1:30-3:30. Next, I typically head to the gym with my coach to do about an hour of training on the trampoline. After that, I do whatever recovery is necessary to prepare me for training the next day!"

What are your goals going into Winter 20/21?  

  • "Every year my biggest goal is to improve myself from the previous season. This year, I managed to get two top-six finishes while competing in world cups. This year, my goals are to continue getting top sixes and hopefully get my first world cup podium! My world ranking is currently 11th, so next year I hope to improve that as well!"

 Are you working on any new techniques? 

  • "As an athlete training all year round. I find myself perfecting a lot of the skills I already know. After doing hundreds of the same skills and perfecting them, I am able to move on to bigger and more difficult skills. This year has been one of those years of perfecting what I've already done. For example, right now I am working on what is called full full. Which are two flips and two twists! As I continue through the rest of the summer, I hope to try some new skills such as a full double full. Which are two flips and three twists!"

What is your favorite thing to do in the summer while home in Boyne City?  

  • "My absolute favorite summer activity to do while I'm home is going wakeboarding!"

When can we cheer for you next?! And what's the best place to keep an eye on upcoming competitions or stream them live? 

  • "This winter is definitely subject to change due to COVID-19. But one of the most exciting competitions of the year actually takes place in Deer Valley, Utah! Thousands of people come up to watch and it's certainly an event you'll regret missing. You can find this event and many others like this on the Olympic Channel and NBC sports gold. You'll find me representing Boyne Mountain!"

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

  • "Believe it or not, this is probably one of the more difficult questions for me to answer. You'd think as an athlete I would be restricted on some crazy diet. But believe me when I say I don't sell myself short when I choose to indulge in some ice cream. My favorite flavor is moose tracks!"

Any plans to hit the slopes of Boyne Mountain this winter? 

  • "As busy as my winter season gets, I still try to make it a priority to get out on the mountain I grew up skiing on! Especially being out with my friends and family, I can't think of a better way to spend some time off!"