PARK CITY — It was one of those moments a person would want to savor long after the celebration ended.
It is fortuitous, then, that Heather McPhie won her first World Cup in her home town.
"This is so exciting," she said, wiping away tears. "To win my first at Deer Valley, at home, sleeping in my own bed. My parents, friends, I have a lot of support here today."
That support translated into her first victory, which actually turned out to be a first-place tie with Canada's Jennifer Heil in the first of two mogul World Cup competitions Thursday as part of the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley. Both women scored 24.59 and, after going through the tie-break criteria, they were still tied, so judges awarded both women a first-place finish. Shannon Bahrke, who won an Olympic silver medal on the same course in 2002, finished third with a score of 24.18.
The fact that McPhie shared the top spot did not diminish her joy.
A former gymnast who is originally from Bozeman, Mont., McPhie is known as one of the hardest-working members of the mogul team.
"Heather has consistently improved," said freestyle head coach Jeff Wintersteen. "The women have been tough this year. The whole group has been really skiing well. It's very exciting for those who are on top, and it's heartbreaking for those who are on the cusp."
Bahrke said she had a feeling she was going to have a breakthrough on her favorite course.
"I just felt like today was my day," she said with a fist pump. "I am so happy to be on the podium with this good of a team and at this time. Until today, I was one of the last girls on the team."
She was thrilled to find her way onto the podium on a course that she has had a lot of success skiing.
"This is my course, darn it!" she said, laughing. "It really means a lot to me. I'm just going to keep plugging away."
Bahrke is originally from Tahoe City, Calif., but she now lives in Salt Lake City and started a business, Silver Bean Coffee, a couple of years ago in Utah. (She even sells a Heather McPhie blend.) She said the sport has changed immensely since she broke onto the scene in 1999.
"For one thing, we wear helmets now," she said of how mogul skiing has evolved. "And we couldn't do inverted tricks then. But really the biggest change is the speed at which we are doing it. It's increased so much. It's just crazy. It's a totally different sport."
Bahrke said she felt "an immense" amount of pressure this season as most people assume the two-time Olympian is already going to the games for sure.
"Everybody says, 'Oh, you're going,' and I have to say, 'Not yet,' " she said. "That's been the hardest thing for me."
While depth is great for the coaches, fans and the development of the sport, it can be tough for some of the athletes, as just four men and four women will earn the right to represent the U.S. in Vancouver next month. Hannah Kearney has already earned one of those spots; the other three women's positions are up for grabs.
"Everybody is skiing great," said Michelle Rourke, who was one of eight U.S. women to qualify for the finals, which consist of the top 16 scores. Such depth "is helpful if you're in it for the long haul. It will make you a better skier. It's almost nostalgic for me because this is definitely my last year. Every time I go out there, I just try to lay down my best run."
Seven of the 16 men who qualified for the finals were from the U.S. Team. Australia's Dale Begg-Smith, who is originally from Canada, won the event by more than a point with a score of 26.12. Guilbaut Colas of France was second with a score of 25.48, and Dmitriy Reiherd from Kazakhstan was third with 25.10.
While Begg-Smith declined to talk to reporters about his winning run, others gave him kudos.
"Dale just crushed it," said Patrick Deneen, the top U.S. finisher with fourth place and a score of 24.85. "He won by a mile."
Mogul skiers get another chance at the Champion Run on Saturday night. The world's best aerial skiers compete tonight at 8 p.m.
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com