Vancouver Island slopes gain new lustre with skier's freestyle gold

On the heels of her gold-medal performancethis week, Vancouver Island freestyle skier Cassie Sharpeis rumoured to be among the Canadian athletesbeing considered as a potential flag-bearerforSunday's closing ceremonies.

Sharpedominated the women'shalfpipeTuesday in Pyeongchang, South Korea, wherenoother competitortopped her best two runs.

ForMike Manara, the director of sports for Mount Washington Alpine Resort near Comox, B.C. where Sharpe grew up on the slopes her achievement demonstrates the potential for athletes to excel outsidethe majorsports training centres.

"Being somebody from a small town and maybe not the biggest mountain in British Columbia," Manara told On the Island's KhalilAkhtar, "it just shows that no matter where you come from there's an opportunity, if you put your mind to it, to succeed and do quite well."

Sharpe was one of fourVancouver Island athletes on theCanadian ski andsnowboardteam at thePyeongchang Olympics.

They included women's snowboard cross athlete CarleBrenneman, men's freestyle skier Teal Harle, and snowboarderSpencer O'Brien.

O'Brienwas raised in Alert Bay and Courtenayand developed her skills at Mount Cain and Mount Washington.

She placed ninthin the inaugural Olympic women's snowboard big air final on Thursday in Pyeongchang,scoringa combined 113.25 points over her three runs.

Manara said O'Brien's result wasn't surprising because she acknowledged she was struggling a bit before the final.

"At the same time, too, I think she's got a great story," he said.

"The level of competition she competes in is quite extreme, so you're going to have some days when you're going to be maybe sitting a little higher and some a little lower, but for the debut in this event I think she did a heck of a job."

Manarasaid discussions areunderway inComoxabout plans for a celebration towelcomeSharpe back from Pyeongchang.

Sharpe will have 'huge impact' on sport

Hecounts himselfluckythat he was able to follow Sharpe's progress as she grew up around Mount Washington, workingher way through different levels of competition and overcoming a "fair share" of injuries.

"She may not quite realize it yet, but she's done so much for women and sport, putting the halfpipe on the main stage," Manara said.

"Some ofthose younger people, once they realize the magnitude of what she's done, I think it will have a huge impact."

With files from CBC Radio One's On the Island.