By Debra Downey, Senior Editor

Ancaster teen Mikey Ciccarelli continues to turn heads on the snowboarding circuit.

Last week Mikey finished sixth in halfpipe and eighth in slopestyle at the 2013 FIS Junior World Championships in Turkey. He followed that up with a fifth place at the Canadian National Championships in slopestyle. At the awards ceremony last Saturday night, Mikey picked up the Neil Daffern Award For Excellence in snowboarding.

On Monday, he was on his way to Denver to train, then on Friday, March 22, he flies to Spain for the FIS World finals in Slopestyle. From Spain, Mikey is off to Pittsburgh to Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania, then on April 5 and 6, he is in Mont St Sauveur, Que., for Ride Shake Down Big Air contest.

Mikey then returns to Ancaster for a few days to write an exam, before climbing aboard a plane bound for Whistler, B.C., and the Shred Show Championships, April 15-21.

Mikey started skiing at age three, switched to snowboarding after gently persuading his parents for their approval. He is already a veteran of Grand Prix, U.S. and Canadian Open events, where he has competed against some of the world’s top boarders.

At the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Austria, Mikey won gold in slopestyle and finished fourth in the halfpipe. In slopestyle, Mikey was the only competitor to successfully execute a backside 1080 leg cork. The jump includes three full aerial rotations.