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Okanagan freestyle skier awarded Olympic training grant

Jordan Kober of Penticton recognized for Olympic potential
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Jordan Kober gets air on this jump in a moguls competition. Photo courtesy of Canadian Olympic Committee

The Kober name continues to draw attention on the moguls circuit these days.

Penticton’s Jordan Kober, 21, has joined another of the nation’s prestigious athletic clubs, being named this week as one of 55 young Canadian athletes from both summer and winter sports selected by Petro-Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) to receive Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE) Program grants.

Related: Olympic dreams come true for South Okanagan coach

Kober’s father, Rob, is the coach of the Canadian men’s moguls squad, whose team member Mikaël Kingsbury, won a gold medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.

His older brother Josh is a first-year coach of the B.C. moguls team of which his younger sister Chloe is a member.

Jordan is currently recovering from a knee injury he suffered in 2017. Prior to getting hurt, he had three top-10 finishes on the Nor-Am Cup circuit.

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Jordan was also among a group of athletes selected by Freestyle Canada for its NextGen group that was announced in October 2017.

The announcement was made by Freestyle Canada with the athletes competing mainly on the North American circuit, with some having a chance to attend select World Cup events.

With the recent announcement, athletes and their coaches are awarded a $10,000 FACE grant to help them with their journey ($5,000 directly to the athlete and $5,000 to their coach).

Related: Kober cutting a groove as moguls coach

Kober’s coach is Guillaume Turgeon of Quebec, who heads the NexGen Mogul Institute Team.

FACE grants are often used for training, equipment and travel expenses.

Past recipients include Olympic and Paralympic medallists Patrick Chan, Hayley Wickenheiser, Rosie MacLennan, Mark Tewksbury, Kaitlyn Lawes, Marielle Thompson Mac Marcoux (GOLD, Para alpine skiing) and Nicholas Gill.

Recent FACE grant recipients participating at the recent 2018 Winter Olympic Games include Kim McRae (luge), Cendrine Browne (cross-country ski), Mirela Rahneva (skeleton), Gabrielle Daleman (figure skating), Mélodie Daoust (women’s hockey) and Chris Spring (bobsled).

According to a news release, since 1988, FACE grants have supported more than 3,000 athletes and coaches by providing more than $11 million in financial support.

In addition to providing financial support, FACE athletes and coaches are invited to an annual summit to learn from Olympians, and Paralympians, and receive advice on media training, public speaking and personal-brand development.

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Jordan Kober (left) with his father Rob during Olympic team training at Apex Mountain Resort earlier this year. Mark Brett/Western News
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Jordan Kober of Penticton competing in a moguls competition. Photo courtesy Canadian Olympic Committee