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Yukon freestyle skier Etienne Geoffry-Gagnon鈥檚 season has come to an end after he competed in two world cup slopestyle events in Aspen, Colorado, and then Silvaplana, Switzerland.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a season like no other for Geoffroy-Gagnon. It was filled with uncertainty and lacked the consistency of events like the season鈥檚 past.

Geoffroy-Gagnon vied in Aspen on March 18, where he finished 13th in qualifying but did not make it to the finals. His overall placing was 20th.

He got the call that he鈥檇 be competing in Colorado shortly before the event commenced. This, he said, put him at a big disadvantage.

鈥淚 flew in and did one day of training,鈥� said Geoffroy-Gagnon. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get to ski the course a lot and that was a big disadvantage. Aspen is always tough, it is on par with (Mount) Sima.

鈥淚 was there for two days and got maybe 10 laps in total. That鈥檚 not much at all, it was pretty challenging.鈥�

Despite the challenges, Geoffroy-Gagnon still managed to land his run in qualifications.

鈥淚 put a run down and got an 82 but that wasn鈥檛 enough for finals,鈥� he said. 鈥淪till, it landed me in the top 20.鈥�

He had a short turn-around before he made the trip across the Atlantic to Switzerland.

Geoffroy-Gagnon skied in Silvaplana on March 26th 鈥� once again in slopestyle. While there, he finished 10th in qualifications but missed out on the finals.

His overall position was 18th. Geoffroy-Gagnon believed the score he got in qualifications, had he been in heat two, would have landed him in the finals.

鈥淚t (Silvaplana) was the hardest course of the season,鈥� said Geoffroy-Gagnon. 鈥淚 put down a run how I wanted to do. You don鈥檛 always get the points you want but it is a judged sport. It鈥檚 not always fair but that is sports.

鈥淚 was happy to be healthy and go out there and put down a run. It was disappointing to not make the finals.鈥�

Geoffroy-Gagnon is back in Whitehorse now, completing the mandatory two-week self-isolation. Now that he is back home, he has had time to reflect on how the season has gone.

鈥淭his season was a s鈥攖-show,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just happy to have a spot on the team for next year, although my Canadian ranking did go down.

鈥淭he courses I liked were cancelled. There was no France, Italy, Mammoth (California), or Calgary, it was difficult.鈥�

Last year, before the COVID-19 pandemic came into full swing, Geoffroy-Gagnon saw the best results of his world cup career, all top 10 finishes, at those courses.

Before the Aspen world cup contest, the World Championships, which had originally been slated for Calgary, were hosted at the same venue. Geoffroy-Gagnon did not get the invite to compete there.

鈥淣ot making the World Championships was hard on my confidence,鈥� Geoffroy-Gagnon said. 鈥淭he start of the season didn鈥檛 go how I wanted it to go, but again, it isn鈥檛 always fair but that is sports.

鈥淚 would have liked to have done more and shown what I got.鈥�

Once a season gets underway, Geoffroy-Gagnon said it is non-stop. With all the waiting, he said it made this season tough.

鈥淭his season was hard,鈥� he said. 鈥淯sually you are on the road and it is go-go-go. There was a lot of sitting around, waiting.

鈥淵ou鈥檇 go to an event and it wouldn鈥檛 go your way and you鈥檇 have to think about it, a lot.鈥�

Without the usual structure, Geoffroy-Gagnon said he felt lost at times.

鈥淚n other seasons, through February and March you鈥檇 be in a different place,鈥� said Geoffroy-Gagnon. 鈥淭his year, I felt like I was floating around and not on the slopes as much, not prepping.

鈥淚 was not the best athlete I could be, it was weird to not train and it was weird to have two contests (Aspen, Silvaplana) come out of nowhere.鈥�

Despite the challenges, Geoffroy-Gagnon is taking things in stride.

鈥淭his was a big learning experience,鈥� said Geoffroy-Gagnon. 鈥淚鈥檒l still have events at the end of this year before the Olympics. The year has flown by but I am going to learn as much as I can from it.

鈥淚鈥檓 not in the top four Canadians at the moment. Next year, I鈥檓 really going to have to go for it.鈥�

Geoffroy-Gagnon is now back in Whitehorse. He is hoping that after his self-isolation is over, there will still be snow at Mount Sima so he can get some more runs in before it is all gone.

As for the summer鈥檚 training plan, Geoffroy-Gagnon said that is still up in the air.

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure yet what the plan is,鈥� said Geoffroy-Gagnon. 鈥淲e will see what the team wants to do in putting a plan together.鈥�

For now, he said he is going to enjoy his time at home.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to work on getting healthy and establishing a routine,鈥� said Geoffroy-Gagnon. 鈥淚鈥檒l get in the gym and focus on the spots that I can control.

鈥淚 just want to get back and enjoy skiing again.鈥�

Geoffroy-Gagnon鈥檚 first competition of the season happened in Stubai, Austria in November. There, he hit all his runs but did not qualify for finals finishing in 30th.

By his own admission, the Stubai contest did not go how he had planned.

鈥淚t didn鈥檛 go how I wanted,鈥滸eoffroy-Gagnon told the Star in January. 鈥淚 was bummed about it.鈥�

The second competition of the season was January 7-8 in Kreischberg, Austria 鈥� this time in the big air contest.

He placed 37 in the event, but he was happy with that performance. Big air, he said is not his focus instead he focuses more so on slopestyle.

鈥淚 skied super-well and I am happy,鈥� said Geoffroy-Gagnon in January.

鈥淚 landed all three of my jumps. I landed the best two tricks that I have done.鈥�

Geoffroy-Gagnon would have competed in World Championships in Calgary at the Winsport鈥檚 Canada Olympic Park.

But on Jan. 20 they were announced as cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.