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A skier's inspiration (subh)Rockport teen finds strength after father's passing

By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff writer
Published: June 2, 2008

ROCKPORT — Competing for the first time at the Junior Olympic Games last year was one of the happiest moments of Kyle Keating's life.

Not only had the freestyle skier impressed enough judges throughout the season to punch his ticket to the games, he got to experience the prestigious event with the man he idolized, — his mentor, best friend, hero and father — Kirk Keating.

It was March 2007, and despite the devastating diagnosis a month earlier — doctors had informed Kirk he had a grade four brain tumor — the 16-year-old Rockport High School sophomore could never have imagined the games would be his father's last opportunity to watch his son compete.

"That was the last time he got to see me ski," Keating recalls now. "It was a special moment."

It's a moment Keating still thinks about before every downhill run or series of aerial tricks.

"I always think about (my father) when I'm competing," he said. "Right before I'm about to drop into my run, I think about him and say to myself that I'm going to do this run, and do it well, for him."

Just over a year after being diagnosed, Kirk Keating — a beloved Rockport citizen and the assistant fire chief — succumbed to brain cancer on March 27; he was only 47 years old.

At just 2 years old, Kyle was already leading his father down the slopes of Wachusett Mountain; it was there that the father-son duo would ski feet apart from each other, attached only by a leash and child harness. At the time, the elder Keating was a ski instructor at Wachusett.

Later Kirk became a ski coach of a young group of racers known as Mitey Mites at Waterville Valley ski resort in New Hampshire's White Mountains. He continued to coach right up until his cancer diagnosis.

"Most of the stuff I learned at the beginning was from him," Keating said. "I feel that if I didn't start at such a young age, I wouldn't be where I am today."

According to Kyle's mother, Ann, despite the personal tragedy, skiing remains a way of life for her son and 11-year-old daughter, Olivia.

"Kyle had such a great season this year considering it was a very difficult year for the family," she said. "Kirk was a big influence in Kyle's life and is why Kyle began skiing. It was very important to Kirk that his illness didn't hold Kyle or Olivia back from skiing."

Kyle did have another great season, he earned his second consecutive trip to the games this March, held in Steamboat Springs, Colo., competing only weeks before his father died.

"I didn't have much of an approach to dealing with it," Kyle said. "I love to ski and be out there and I know that's what (my father) would want me to be doing. I had a lot of friends who helped me also."

Keating said he did better this year than in his first appearance at the games, but added conditions were rough, therefore making it difficult to get into one's groove.

Keating skis more than 70 days a year on average. Many of those days are spent in the snow-capped mountains of northern New Hampshire.

Every January through March since the seventh grade, Keating has left the warm hallways of Rockport High/Middle School in order to attend Waterville Valley Academy.

This year, the academy presented Keating with a scholarship to attend.

"When his dad was diagnosed in February 2007 with (the tumor), we knew we were not able to send him," Ann Keating said. "That's when the academy approached us about Kyle attending on scholarship. It was amazing and completely unexpected."

Keating, who hopes to one day compete in the increasingly popular X-Games, just recently picked up sponsorship from Line brand skis. Though he plays golf at the high school, he said he enjoys skiing above all other sports because it's infinitely challenging.

"It's not the same for everyone. With skiing and freestyling, you have your own style and do different tricks," he said. "You always keep progressing."

Keating has had his fair share of bumps and bruises along the way. The multiple concussions weren't too bad, but rupturing his spleen during the first week of training at the Olympic center in Lake Placid, N.Y., forced Keating to drop high school soccer and re-evaluate his approach to jumping off ramps.

"The first time I got back on skis and started to (perform) jumps, I thought about it a little bit," he said. "It wasn't too bad, but I still haven't gotten back to 'ramping' yet."

Kyle may not be attempting the ramps again quite yet, but when he does, it's safe to say his father will still somehow be watching.

Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.

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