There’s an inherent danger to skiing down a mountain with increasing speed, but Biddeford High School skier Curtis Paradis said he tries to not think about what can go wrong during a race.

A year ago, however, Paradis found out what can go wrong, and it landed him in the hospital. One year later, nothing went wrong, as Paradis landed at the top of the podium in the giant slalom at the Class A state championships in February.

Paradis won the state slalom title as a sophomore two years ago, and finished second in the giant slalom the same year.

He never got a chance to defend that slalom title as a junior, as he crashed during his second run in the giant slalom. He was three gates from the finish, and was leading after his first run.

Paradis’ father, Mike, said he saw Curtis spitting up blood on the side of the ski trail. Paradis ended up spending the night in the hospital with a pulmonary contusion.

Paradis said it was “really disappointing” that he fell so close to the finish line, and he initially was upset that he wasn’t going to get a chance to defend his slalom title.

But Paradis said he likes to stay more on the positive side of things. He took his horrific accident in stride.

“I was just thinking, I think it’s time for a change. I need to really improve my physicality and my mentality toward the sport, and really invest some time into getting in shape and studying film,” said Paradis of his mindset after the accident. “Just becoming a better mental ski racer.”

Paradis said he got back on the slopes about a week later, but he was a little hesitant at first. The nerves were still there when he began competing again to start this season. But a more mentally strong skier, Paradis said as soon as you start to think about falling is when you fall.

Paradis didn’t fall during the SMAA season, winning every race and leading every run. He won both the slalom and giant slalom at the SMAA championships, giving him six conference titles for his career.

Paradis got another chance to win a state slalom title at Mt. Abram on Feb. 17, but it was not meant to be ”“ again. Paradis disqualified, denying him another slalom state title.

But Paradis said he didn’t let disappointment consume him. Instead, he decided to bring some positivity to the giant slalom the following day.

He also had some positive reinforcement.

“It was pretty nerve-wracking. I had my whole family there. My grandfather drove down from Madawaska; it was good to see him there,” said Paradis. “I had all the support from my family and friends, and I just felt like I was comfortable.”

Paradis looked comfortable on the slopes, as he dominated both runs, finishing in a combined time of 1:26.31 ”“ 1.27 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

“It was pretty great. There’s not too many people that can feel those kinds of emotions,” Paradis said of his title-winning performance after all the adversity he had faced. “It’s definitely a little bittersweet, but I feel like I finished it off in the best way possible.”

Paradis is done competing at the high school level, but he said he doesn’t think he’s done competing in the sport. He is hoping to ski at Castleton State College in Vermont next year.

“I’m actually really excited for that. I love the sport, and I want to continue on. It’s not like any other sport, really,” said Paradis. “I really enjoy the sport, that’s for sure, and I hope I can ski in the future.”

— Sports Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535 ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.