Mastering It is a summer series that profiles Canadians who push beyond being merely skilled, striving instead for mastery in their fields.
For moguls skiing legend Mikaël Kingsbury, one of his most groundbreaking ideas came in the same place many of his best ones do—while lying in bed.
For years, the toughest moguls jump capped at 1080 degrees, or three spins. Already a world champion, Kingsbury wondered why not four? His answer was the cork 1440: taking off backward, flipping and spinning four times, then landing while hurtling downhill at 40 kph. It was a theoretical move, but nobody had ever attempted it. One quiet July night in 2015, Kingsbury decided he would. “I’m just lying there, thinking about it,” he recalled. “The next day, I tried it on the trampoline.”
Working first on trampolines, then water ramps, Kingsbury mapped out the trick in just two months. But he waited more than four years before unveiling it in competition. He was patient, biding his time until conditions were perfect December 2019 in Japan, where he executed it cleanly on the world stage.
Though others now attempt the 1440, it remains his signature move, tied to his remarkable sense of spatial awareness. “If you throw me in the air blindfolded, I’ll always land on my feet,” says Kingsbury, an Olympic gold medallist. He admits it’s hard to explain how he pulls it off—it’s more instinct than thought.
Watching him break down the mechanics is like seeing Yoda speak in riddles: “It’s think and do, but more do than think.” Or, “Your takeoff is the result of your landing.” For Kingsbury, the body simply knows.
Now, with another Olympics on the horizon, he’s considering whether to bring back the 1440 or perhaps attempt the next leap, a double cork 1440, adding two backflips to the four spins. Whether he’s serious or teasing rivals is anyone’s guess.
One thing’s clear: even at 33, Kingsbury hasn’t stopped dreaming. “I’m always dreaming,” he says. “It’s not just for kids or athletes. I still dream about my sport.”
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