Under 23 Questions with Koby Vargas

In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Championships and U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 18-year-old Koby Vargas, of the Park City Nordic Ski Club, who’s representing the U.S. at his third Junior Worlds.

On Tuesday, Vargas finished 37th in the individual normal hill/10-kilometer Gundersen, the first nordic-combined competition of 2017 Junior Worlds at his home base in Park City, Utah.

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“My full name is Koby Vargas, but you can call me Pablo. I was born in Steamboat Springs, Colo., raised in Steamboat Springs, and one thing you should know about my hometown is it’s pretty neat.

I started skiing when I was 20 months old and jumping when I was five, thanks to my mom. I currently train in Park City, Utah, with PCNSC [Park City Nordic Ski Club].

If I’m not skiing, you might find me sitting alone watching Netflix. If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be the Justin Bieber: ‘First Step 2 Forever’.

One of the things I’m most excited about for U23/Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow is the home course advantage. One race I’m especially targeting there is whatever my coach starts me in.

The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was ‘just draft in’ — Alex Miller. One of the best race memories I have was anchoring the team event at my first World Juniors in Almaty.

If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Benjamin Berend.

If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be attempting to improve the sport of Nordic Combined in the U.S.

I’m missing zero of school to be here, and my teachers are probably thinking, ‘Didn’t he graduate last year?‘

You can follow me on Instagram @kobyvargas and Twitter @kvargaskoby and check out @us_noco_underground.”