GMS 7th Grader Shreds At USASA National Championships

By Travis Thayer Jackson Karsteter placed 4th in Rail Jam and 24th in Slopestyle at the USASA National Championships April 7-13. Photo by Tawnya Karsteter. (Greendale, Ind.) – A local middle schooler proved he’s one of the top young skiers in the nation at a recent competition in Colorado. Jackson Karsteter, 13, of Greendale, competed at the USASA National Championships at Copper Mountain, Colorado between April 7-13. Karsteter, a 7th grader at Greendale Middle School, qualified for Nationals by winning USASA SnowOhio Series regional events in Rail Jam and Slopestyle. The qualifying events took place at Mad River Mountain in Zanesfield, Ohio and Snow Trails in Mansfield. At Nationals, Karsteter placed 4th out of 55 kids in Rail Jam and 24th out of 82 in Slopestyle. Jackson Karsteter hits a jump at Copper Mountain, CO. Photo by Tawnya Karsteter. Jackson, who skies at Perfect North Slopes, came into the competition at a disadvantage, considering Perfect’s isn't open year round. Most of the other competitors came from states such as Colorado or Oregon, where skiing happens regularly throughout the year. Perhaps more impressively, Jackson has only been on skies for about three years. According to his dad, Chris, Jackson started snowboarding at a very young age, but made the switch to skies following Lawrenceburg native Nick Goepper’s emergence. At just 13-years-old, Jackson has already dedicated a majority of his life to skiing. He frequently attends camps in Colorado, Oregon and Virginia. He has also had invitations to attend academies and prep schools out west where he could practice on snow on a more permanent basis. Jackson is the son of Chris and Tawnya Karsteter. “We couldn’t be more proud,” said Chris. “He’s shown a love for it and hard work, and it has really paid off. It’s not a fly by night thing.”