Sam watched him for a second, then glanced up as the next rider was announced.Becky.
“She’s going to go big,” she said to Leo, her stomach twisted as he nodded. “And it’s her downfall.”
Leo looked at her, then over at Becky where she stood at the drop-in.
“Dad’s trained her well, but she isn’t clean enough.” Sam nodded toward Becky, who was checking her helmet strap.
Leo rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, damn, you’re right. She’ll have the height, but … it won’t be enough.”
Sam nodded unhappily toward Becky. “First hit: huge method air—massive but simple, and the crowd will love it. But it’ll lack complexity.”
Leo’s brow furrowed. “I never really thought of it that way.”
“Next, double cork 1080,” Sam continued, almost reluctantly, her voice calm. “Clean in the air, but the landing—not so clean. She’ll push for a backside 1260—again it won’t be clean. Finally, the moment that might work: she’s gonna go for a frontside 1440.” She glanced atLeo, catching the flash of realization in his eyes as he turned to face her.
“She’ll land it, but not well.” Sam stared at her brother. “And the judges will dock her for it. And that’s why she won’t take the gold.” She let that sink in for a beat. “That’s what he’s told her to do, that’s what he thinks it takes to win this competition. But he’s wrong, Leo. And Becky will pay the price and there’s not a thing we can do about it.”
Sam turned away as Becky dropped in, her heart pounding. Becky deserved better. She was a brilliant and instinctive snowboarder, but she had to learn to trust her own gut and not listen to so many opinions sometimes. A shiver ran down Sam’s spine as Gabe’s commentary called out Becky’s tricks. She’d predicted the entire run, to a T.
Pulling herself up tall, she applauded for Becky, knowing that every eye in the place was on her. Becky’s score was good, but not good enough for gold. Sam’s heart sank for Becky—she’d been led to believe she’d take the gold, but she hadn’t. And she wasn’t in any other events. That had been her last chance, as it was for Sam. As it was for her biggest rival, Harper, who was next up, and more than ready to take her chance for the gold. Sam lowered her chin and watched as Harper got ready to go.
Harper dropped in, in her trademark calm and methodical way. Sam barely noticed herself speaking, predicting Harper’s every move. “Backside 900, clean.” Her fingers twitched. “Switch frontside 720, solid.” She hitched her board higher in her arms. “McTwist … Frontside 1080 to finish.” She blinked as Gabe’s commentary followed hers, almost word for word.
Leo looked at her in amazement. “You do realize that’s kind of freaky, right?”
Sam barely heard him.Harper’s run was good, really good. Safe, yes, controlled and precise, pure Harper.A stampede of nerves trampled across her stomach. “Freaky? No, Leo, it’s not freaky—it’s keeping it real. Wish me luck, bro.”
“You don’t need my luck.” Leo grinned. He shook his head. “You need to listen to your gut, Sam. That was amazing.”
She nodded at him, then strode away, her pulse thrumming. It was her turn now.Time to show them all.
The top of the run was quiet. Sam adjusted her goggles and glanced down to the crowd below. Finn’s luminous orange hat glowed under the bright lights, and she smiled. She glanced back at Leo. His face was a mess of contradictions. His brows were pulled tight, his lips pressed into a line, but his eyes were steady and locked on her. He nodded slightly, but she saw it. Then he nodded again, this time more surely. And her heart swelled. Nodding gently at him, she turned confidently back to the moment. Drawing the sharp, cold air deep into her lungs, she felt the world fall away from her. The cameras, the crowd, her father—all disappeared. Her nerves settled as a huge smile broke across her face.Fun. That was what this was all about. She was here to have fun, and if that meant winning too, well so be it. She exhaled. Snow started to fall, huge featherlike flakes drifting in slow motion around her, catching the floodlights and dancing on the slightest breeze. Sam’s breath swirled away from her, like smoke. It was just her and the halfpipe now.
She dropped in.
The familiar rush hit instantly—the sharpness of the air on her face, her board slicing through the snow. This was where she was meant to be. She launched into her first trick, a backside 900, clean as hell. The moment she landed she felt it in her bones—this was it.
She barely registered a moment after that, the pipe stretched in front of her, a playground waiting for her next joyful move. She spun into a switch frontside 1080, tweaking it just enough to make it hers. The crowd roared. Gabe’s commentary was electric. She was doing it her way, hitting the tricks with Becky’s recklessnessandHarper’s precision—but adding her own personality to it. She let herself play with it, throwing in a McTwist so smooth she felt like she was carving the sky. The snow fell heavier now, dusting her goggles. She embraced it—it was pure magic!
The last trick loomed. She bent her knees, loving the strength she could feel in every cell of her body. She surged upwards, engaging her core and front leg as Leo’s advice spun in her head. Time slowed. The crowd held its breath. A frontside 1440. But not just any 1440. She tweaked it midair, added alittleextra style, alittleextra joy, alittleextra Sam—and she brought it home clean. She landed so effortlessly it was like she’d never even left the ground.
And she knew. Knew before the scores came in, before the crowd could react, and before Gabe’s excited commentary blasted from the speakers.
She’d done it. She’d taken the gold.
Suddenly the noise was deafening. The crowd screaming as the scores flashed on the screen. But none of it mattered.Sam flung her goggles and helmet aside while frantically unclipping her feet from her board. She bolted across the snow as if electrified—straight for Finn.
He ran toward her, stopping as she flung herself hard into his arms. Finn’s hat flew into the air as they tumbled to the ground, a soft mound of snow breaking their fall. Laughing, Sam sat up first, then straddled Finn. She grabbed the front of his jacket and yanked him closer, crashing her lips against his. His hair was soft and his arms tight around her as the crowd cheered. She deepened their kiss, loving how warm his lips were, how he tasted of mint and chocolate, and howdamn goodit felt to let everyone see that she loved him. Finn squeezed her waist as he pulled back. His face lit up.
“About time.” He winked.
“Don’t I know it,” Sam said, breathless.
“You looked like you were having fun out there.”
“I was—”
Before she could say another word, the world around them came rushing back—the roaring crowd, the flash of cameras, the dazzling floodlights, and the fact that they were half-buried in the snow. And then, through the speakers, Gabe’s voice cut in, barely controlling his laugher.
