Charlie Mickel, representing Durango, Colorado, will be competing in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics in Mogul Skiing and Dual Moguls.

Mogul skiing is a high-intensity discipline judged on three criteria: turns, air, and speed. As competitors navigate a steep, bumped course, they must launch off two jumps. The winner is the athlete who can go the “biggest” on the jumps, maintain the fastest speed, and keep perfect turning form throughout. Dual Moguls follows the same criteria, but with the added pressure of racing a competitor head-to-head down the course.

Charlie trained with the Durango Winter Sports Club and grew up skiing the bumps at Purgatory. I had the chance to ask him a few questions while he was in Cortina preparing for this week’s events.

Q&A with Charlie Mickel

Q: At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a professional mogul skier? A: I think from a very early age I dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion—and I still do. But I really began visualizing it and wanting it after watching the Olympics in 2014 when I was nine years old.

Q: How many hours a week do you train? A: It depends on my schedule. When we are at a competition, it’s probably a maximum of five hours of workload per day. With one day off per week, it totals roughly 30 hours.

Q: What is your favorite pre-competition food? A: Swedish Fish and Gatorade!

Q: What is your favorite run at Purgatory? A: I’m going to have to say Lower Bull Run.

Q: Which Olympic events are you most excited to watch? A: My roommate and good friend in Park City skis Big Air, so I’m looking forward to watching him kill it!

How to Watch

Charlie will compete on Tuesday, February 10th, in the Moguls Qualifiers, followed by the Dual Moguls on February 14th/15th. Make sure to catch the replays to support our Durango skier! You can follow his journey on Instagram @Charlie_Mickel1.