Extremist

I'll admit I don't know Hailey that well yet. She's only been in Alaska for a few months. I've missed a lot of UAA Ski Team training sessions this fall due to my rigorous vacation and leisure schedule. And we haven't gone on any road trips together yet. But from my interactions with Hailey thus far, I am getting the impression she is someone who dives fully into her chosen vocation. It seems to me she either commits fully to the thing that she's into, or she doesn't bother wasting any time with it. Maybe I'm wrong about this. But this is my impression so far. 

For one thing, Hailey's got herself a 4.0 GPA in the classroom (like many others on this team). That requires full engagement. Congratulations, Hailey!

(I don't know every ski pole on the market, but I'd recognize those poles anywhere. Those are Kermas with "corrective angle". You don't use Kerma corrective angle poles if you're not serious about your skiing. Classic ski poles for a classic ski jump: the timeless "spread eagle".)

She's way into it now, but Hailey hated cross-country skiing when she was growing up. So there are no photos of her using the misery sticks when she was a young child. But that's not surprising when you consider that Hailey's from Aspen, Colorado. Aspen is famous for its alpine skiing, and home to one of the most iconic ski hills in the USA. It's not the kind of place to look if you're looking for cross-country skiers, so Hailey's kind of an anomaly. (It should be noted here that the best distance skier in America, Noah Hoffman, is from Aspen. And America's best sprinter, Simi Hamilton, is also from Aspen. So it could be argued that the best XC skiers in the USA are from Aspen, Colorado.)