She has to ride more than two hours to get to practice, but winning or losing is determined by hundredths of a second.

That's the life of a competitive skier in Butler County.

Larissa Fowler, a sophomore at Moniteau High School, chooses such a life.

"I grew up on skiing," Fowler said. "I'm used to it. I love it."

She's gotten pretty good at it, too.

A member of the Ski Denton race team in Coudersport, Fowler has qualified to compete in the Pennsylvania Alpine Ski Racing Championships in Carbondale for five consecutive years.

That event was held in late February and Fowler finished 29th out of 33 invited girls statewide in the 15 to 19 age group.

Her finish is misleading, however, because skiers compete against time more than against each other.

"As the years go by, fewer and fewer girls stick with competitive skiing because it is so demanding," said Lew Fowler, Larissa's father. "The same kids usually win at these events and the others get frustrated, especially when the travel time to practice is factored in.

"These 33 girls are absolutely the best skiers in the state in this age group."

The first five or six finishers at the meet qualified for Junior Olympics. The next 10 qualified for the East Coast National Finals.

Fowler is among the group to qualify for the first-ever East Coast High School Championships in Central Vermont March 19-21.

"I can't wait to go," she said. "I'm hoping for a good finish, but I just want to have fun and represent Pennsylvania as best I can."

It won't be easy. Fowler will be going against New England area skiers with much more experience and opportunity.

"Skiing is a regular high school sport up there," the elder Fowler said. "It's as common as football or soccer are around here."

Lew Fowler has been a skier for more than 30 years. He has been employed at Ski Denton, was on the ski patrol at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia and is a member of the national ski patrol.

"Our whole family is involved in this sport," he said.

His 12-year-old son Ethan has qualified for state competition before. His other daughter, Aleisha, 8, skis as well.

Larissa Fowler said she began skiing when she was 2. She practices at Ski Denton each weekend and occasionally goes to State College for a two-hour practice on Wednesdays.

Ski Denton is part of the central division of the Pennsylvania Alpine Racing Association.

Competing against teams from Tussey Mountain, Ski Liberty, Ski Roundtop and Whitetail Ski Areas during the regular season, Fowler finished as high as third twice this season and consistently has finished ahead of older girls with more experience.

She competed in the Slalom and Giant Slalom, which involves cutting and turning around poles, at the state meet.

Straight downhill skiers travel approximately 45 miles per hour at this level. Slalom skiers travel 35 miles per hour.

"It comes natural," Fowler said of the speed. "You're just skiing. You don't realize how fast you're going."

Also a right fielder on the Moniteau girls softball team, Fowler is showing no signs of burning out on skiing.

"I'd love to ski race in college," she said. "It's not offered at a lot of schools around here. I know it's a club sport at Penn State."