Ski slopes beware: Kristi Leskinen could melt Everest

At the same time that America was being introduced to the booze-and-sex-soaked world of skiing through the 1984 cinema classic Hot Dog. . . The Movie! , Kristi Leskinen was taking her first tumble down Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs slopes. Fast forward two decades and Hot Dog star David Naughton finds himself doing voiceovers for Korean animated flicks. Kristi, meanwhile, rules the world of freestyle skiing. Recognized as one of the world’s top female “jibbers” (think doing life endangering snowboarding tricks on plump skis), Kristi was the first woman ever to pull a rodeo 720—two rotations, head pointed to the earth.

“When you’re upside down and panicking,” Kristi says, “there are a lot of things that can go wrong.”

At this month’s Winter X Games in Aspen, CO, the 23-year-old Union Town, PA, native will throw down in the competition’s first female SuperPipe event. It’ll be her chance to show male slope-monkeys that her legs are good for more than simply looking at.

“I get some shit from the guys once in a while,” she says, “but I’ve learned to ignore them.”

When people see you at the chalet, do they assume you’re someone’s ski bunny as opposed to a top athlete?
All the time. In the beginning, people would think I was a groupie when I went to contests. It made me uncomfortable at first, but now I laugh when someone asks whose girlfriend I am.

So how dangerous is spinning around upside down on skis?
Very. But snowmobiling is much gnarlier. I once rolled a 500-pound snowmobile down a hill—thankfully I got out of the way before I was crushed. I also skydive, bungee jump, wakeboard, surf and ride dirt bikes. I’ve never had any serious injuries while skiing, but our career span is only a few years long because we work our bodies so hard.

Which part of your body gets the most attention?
I have big lips. When I was younger, people would make fun of them; now people have collagen implants to make their lips look like mine. Guys tell me my lips are good for kissing, but I’m sure that’s not all they’re thinking.

You must be happy with what skiing has done for the rest of you, too.
I like my stomach because I have abs. I also have good boobs. Guys seem to like that. I draw attention when I’m not buried in ski clothes.

How do you relax in your hot tub after a hard day on the slopes?
In a bathing suit. I come from a conservative family. When I was young, I never got into that stuff because it meant trouble. My dad is 6-foot-8 and a judge and he collects knives and guns. He definitely scared the boys away. He still does.

How much of a chance would a guy with rental skis have of dating you?
Not much at all. He’d never be able to catch up with me. With guys, I’m picky—I know what I want. It’s a tall order and if you don’t have it, I’ll find out pretty quickly.

Can you share any advice on how an FHM reader can get it on in a gondola this ski season without falling off? I’m pleading the fifth on that one. There’s an unwritten rule of the mountain: What goes on in a gondola stays in the gondola.