Skiing: She's chilled but always has her sights on winning

Piera Hudson is New Zealand's No1 seed in giant slalom, slalom, super G and super combined and the national champion in these events. Photo / Glenn Taylor

Twenty back-to-back winters would be recipe for a severe bout of depression for many people - but not Hawke's Bay alpine ski racer Piera Hudson.

"This Northern Hemisphere season for me was all about stepping up into events that are at the top level of alpine such as World Cup, Europa Cup, World Championships and not chasing FIS points and world rankings.

"Although I did achieve some personal bests and lower my world ranking in super G, slalom and super combined, so I was pretty pleased with my performance," Hudson said after returning home from her her latest six-month northern hemisphere campaign last weekend.

Havelock North's Hudson, 19, represented New Zealand in 53 international race events throughout the USA, Canada, Scandinavia and Europe. She achieved four podium places in Austria, USA and France and made personal bests in super G, slalom and super combined.

"It is difficult to maintain your form for six months of competition as you are constantly on the road travelling, competing or training, we don't get time off. It's great to be home seeing family and friends and having some rest," Hudson said.

The Jarrod Cunningham Trust supported athlete made her debut at World Cup race level in Maribor, Slovenia and competed at this level again in Are, Sweden. She is the first Kiwi woman to compete on the World Cup circuit since 2010.

Hudson is New Zealand's No1 seed in giant slalom, slalom, super G and super combined and the national champion in these events.

"I am the only women on the NZ Alpine team, so other athletes from Great Britain and Australia who have similar race programmes join our team and we are coached under Jonny Rice who is a New Zealander," Hudson said.

In front of 25,000 spectators Hudson finished 39th in the slalom event in a field of 120 from 70 nationas at the Beaver Creek, USA-hosted world championships in February. Last month in France, Hudson was third in the British Open National Championships which attracted 50 starters and then second in the giant slalom at the British National Junior Championships.

In Austria she was third in a field of 65 in a slalom race in Piesendorf. In December she was second in a 47-strong field in a slalom race at the USA National Junior Championships in Colorado.

Among 105 starters, Hudson was 15th in the North American Cup giant slalom race in Canada. If this was a pre-Winter Olympics qualifying year then Hudson would have ticked a NZOC pre-requisite for an Alpine athlete.

"Hudson is on track to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics if she continues at this pace. To put it in to perspective if she was a resident of any of these ski racing power house nations such as USA, Sweden, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenian Netherlands she would be ranked No 1 for her age group in giant slalom," coach Rice said.

"We are now at the start of a new Olympic cycle and the programme for the next four years will be centred around qualifying for the Olympics in 2018 and doing what is necessary to ensure a high level of performance once they arrive. After a short break she will begin a two month physical training block before the Southern Hemisphere winter begins."

To keep Hudson on snow and representing New Zealand her family and supporters run a fundraising cow hide business called Coastal Cowhides via on-line sales and at fairs throughout New Zealand.