Winter Vinecki (Gaylord, Mich.) is no stranger to the spotlight. As an aerial skier for the U.S. Ski Team, she is used to competing under pressure in front of thousands of people. Gaining the confidence to ski down the in-run to perform her aerials jump in training and competition is no small feat, but as an elite athlete, it is Winter’s job. Performing in front of a crowd is a part of Winter’s life both on and off the snow, and it is something the U.S. athlete embraces.

From when she was little, Winter was a multisport athlete. She tried “every sport available to me” but loved running, triathlons and skiing the most. While most kids would have been satisfied with recess activities, Winter ran her first 5k when she was just five years old, her first 10k when she was eight and a 10-miler when she was 10. Winter ran her first marathon at 13 and progressed to competitively competing in triathlons along the way, becoming a two-time IronKids National Triathlon Champion.

Every athlete can point to a reason for competing, why they grind it out every day. For Winter that reason is her dad, Michael. On Michael’s 40th birthday he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of prostate cancer when Winter was just nine years old. “I knew on the day he was diagnosed that I wanted to do something to try to help him, and all men and families affected by prostate cancer.” That’s when Team Winter was formed, now a nonprofit organization for prostate cancer awareness and research, and Winter’s career as a public speaker was born.

“A big part of what I did, in the beginning, was just spreading the message [about prostate cancer] so I began doing a lot of public speaking in talks in our local town and at different triathlons and races that I was a part of.”

Very sadly Michael passed away 10 months after being diagnosed, but that didn’t stop Winter from spreading her message - it just propelled her forward and shifted her focus to using athletics as a platform.

Winter became an IronKids ambassador when she was 11. IronKids was a national triathlon series for kids across the United States, holding races throughout the summer. Every summer weekend for the next three years, Winter traveled around the country, talking to kids and parents about her foundation, her career as a young athlete and the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. “One of the big messages with IronKids was helping children lead a healthy, active and positive lifestyle. I was also hugely into encouraging them to not only race for themselves but for a cause. I loved bringing that into schools and teaching the students tidbits about eating healthy and making smart choices and finding a passion, whatever that might be, whether it’s basketball or knitting or whatever they want.”

As Winter continued to compete in racing, she added to her portfolio of public speaking. Through Team Winter she did a lot of work with the Prostate Cancer Foundation and started speaking for that organization in public. She even spoke at their gala in New York City when she was just ten, in front of distinguished people such as Michael Milken, founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and Whoopi Goldberg. She appeared on the Rachael Ray Show when she was just ten, sharing her story in front of a live studio audience and the millions of viewers tuning in to one of America’s biggest shows at home. Furthermore, Winter spoke at a TEDxSalem event, spreading the message of not letting age define your possibilities, and she was part of a company, Boosterthon, which helps schools raise money through fun runs. As part of their programming, Winter spoke at schools and became her own character for Boosterthon, “I was the ‘Grit It Out’ character for their posters and videos” that were shown to 1.3 million students in 1,900 schools across the country.

Winter realized the more races she ran and won, the more exposure she could garner. She wanted to do something big to honor Michael after he passed and came across an opportunity in the Guinness Book of Records, the youngest person to run a marathon on all seven continents. “I immediately told my mom I wanted to win this record for my dad. I was 10 or 11 at the time, and I really didn't think it would actually happen. But I have the most amazing mom in the world, and we started planning.” Not only did Winter capture the world record before turning 15, but she and her mom also earned the record of first mother-daughter duo to run marathons on all seven continents. Let that sink in…. A young teenager deciding to take on a challenge most adults would not even consider, and not only did Winter achieve that incredible goal, but she also did it with her mom at her side.

Around the time Winter was actively competing in marathons, she found aerials skiing. Winter learned to ski practically from the time she could walk and ski raced at her home mountain, Boyne. Her grandfather, Ed Estelle, taught skiing for almost 60 years, so the sport was in her blood. However, adding the aerial maneuver component to the sport was a whole new challenge for her. “I liked to mess around on our trampoline at home doing flips, and I love skiing, so I thought, ‘Why not try it?’ I came out to Park City and did the Fly Freestyle tryout camp.” Earning a spot to train through the Fly Freestyle scholarship, Winter trained in aerials skiing through the summer of 2012 with coaches Sharlee Strebel and Matt DePeters and ended up moving to Park City that fall.

For a while, Winter remained a multisport athlete, training for marathons while learning to do double flips on snow. In 2016, Winter was named to the U.S. Ski Team after winning the 2015-16 aerials NorAm tour, and since then has taken a step back from competitive running to concentrate on her aerials career.

To date, Team Winter has raised over half a million dollars for prostate cancer research, the majority of which has been donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Although she’s pulled back on bigger events with her organization due to her ski team commitments, Winter and her mom and three brothers (who help run the organization) still raise money through their online store and through other supporters running their own fundraising events. The money raised has had a direct, positive impact on the fight against prostate cancer, helping to develop a new drug to treat metastatic prostate cancer, the disease which Winter’s father, Michael, had. “He never got to use that drug, but knowing that it might be about to help other families is really cool.”

Just as Winter has transitioned from Park City Ski & Snowboard to the U.S. Ski Team, her public speaking career has gone from the assembly halls of schools to auditoriums of thousands of people. “Now I do a lot of speaking with JuicePlus, a whole food based nutrition company I work with. I have spoken on their main stage at several of their conferences, starting when I was 12.” Having just come back from speaking for them in Sacramento to more than 8,000 people, Winter will also speak in Chicago and San Antonio, Texas, with them this summer.

Winter points to the fact that when she’s public speaking, it’s her story, so it comes naturally, and after doing so many speaking engagements in the last 11 years, now more than half her life, Winter says, “I’m pretty used to it. Sometimes I practice beforehand, but it’s my story, so I know it pretty well. I usually have pictures and videos that accompany my talks, and I really just love sharing my story with the audience.”

Looking to the future, Winter knows public speaking will always be a part of her life, if not necessarily her primary career. “Promoting healthy living and sharing my story are things I’ll always be passionate about. As long as there’s a want and need for me to speak, I will continue to get that message out.”

Speaking to a crowd of thousands and skiing down an aerial in-run both conjure feelings of fear and stress for most, but when deciding which is more nerve-wracking, Winter chooses aerials.

“But in both scenarios, you practice a ton and get more and more comfortable doing it. I find ways to overcome the fear and the jitters. As soon as you step on stage or hop-turn at the aerials site, you get in the zone and are ready to go.”

For more information on Team Winter, click here
You can also follow Winter’s journey at wintervinecki.com

The Mammoth Mountain Ski & Snowboard Team has been named the 2018-19 Club of the Year by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Mammoth Mountain is one of over 400 clubs across the country that provide opportunities for aspiring athletes to achieve their dreams. The award will be presented May 16 at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress in Park City, Utah.

In making its selection, the national organization looked at clubs that provided a strong introduction to multiple ski and snowboard sports, as well as development opportunities for advancement. As a Best in the World athletic organization, U.S. Ski & Snowboard provides opportunities for aspiring athletes to achieve their dreams at all levels. But the ability to meet that goal depends on the support and leadership provided at grassroots clubs across the country. Clubs are an essential resource for parents and an introductory point for young athletes to engage in competitive skiing and snowboarding, and clubs provide an invaluable service in helping young athletes take vital steps along the pathway to the top.

Mammoth Mountain, under the leadership of Director of Athletics Pete Korfiatis, has developed one of the premier ski and snowboard programs worldwide, producing both Olympic champions and weekend rippers, continually placing top athletes on U.S. teams. The program provides fundamental skills in a supportive team environment with a focus on personal goals both on and off the snow. One of the keys to the success of the program is the unique partnerships it has developed with the community, including the Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation and Mammoth High School. Additionally, Mammoth Mountain is an official training venue partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, further strengthening the ties between Mammoth Mountain and U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

“As a U.S. Ski & Snowboard Gold Club and High Performance Center, the Mammoth Team is on a continual quest for excellence as we are aware the other clubs and teams across the country are pushing just the same," said Mammoth Director of Athletics Pete Korfiatis. "Mammoth has had a longstanding history of supporting the Olympic movement, whether it’s our home team or U.S. national team athletes. It was a philosophy of our founder, Dave McCoy, and one that still remains within Mammoth Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company. We, as a team, a resort and as a company is honored to receive the award as it’s a first for Club of the Year and Snowboard Club of the Year.”

The program is noted for its depth of tenured coaches with significant competition experience and high level of certification. Mammoth Mountain is a gold level podium club. The program is a past recipient of both Alpine and Freeski Club of the Year, as well as this year’s Snowboard Club of the Year, but it is the first time it has achieved the overall U.S. Ski & Snowboard honor. It is also a regular host for national Project Gold camps as well the National Coaches’ Academy plus both the national team and club training.

“We are fortunate to have so many great clubs providing opportunities for young ski and snowboard athletes. Mammoth Mountain has truly distinguished itself with a high-level program that embraces sport at all levels.”
 - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club Development Manager Ellen Adams.

 

Adaptive: National Sports Center for Disabled

The National Sports Center for the Disabled is one of the largest therapeutic recreation agencies in the world, with deep roots in adaptive skiing. The Center hosted two major races for Para-Alpine Skiing this past season. The Winter Park Open is an early season development race that the national team uses to identify the next generation of athletes while tuning up their performances to be prepared for World Cup and World Championship competition. It also played host to the U.S. and Canadian National Championships for super-G, giant slalom, and slalom. Under the leadership of Competition Director Erik Peterson, the Center has a reputation for hosting great races and supporting athletes.

Alpine: Burke Mountain Academy

Vermont’s Burke Mountain Academy, under the leadership of Head of School Willy Booker, was recognized not only for its own programs but for its partnership with regional and national programming. Burke has aligned its programming with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to extend value across a wide swath of athletes. The club played host to over 44 races this season including Speed Week and other regional training projects, the Eastern Cup Finals and the January U16 National Championships National Performance Series (NPS) including early training for all three national regions. Burke expanded the knowledge of its staff with professional development opportunities as well as maintaining a strong commitment to both coach and official certification.

Burke athletes distinguished themselves with results at U14 and U16 levels regionally and nationally. At the FIS level, Burke had multiple athletes participating in D Team projects with a strong showing in FIS events.

Cross Country: Stratton Mountain School SMS T2

The Stratton Mountain School T2 Elite Team, under the direction of Nordic Program Director Sverre Caldwell and coach Patrick O’Brien, comprises seven members of the U.S. Ski Team including A Team members Jessie Diggins, Sophie Caldwell and Simi Hamilton, along with 2019 U.S. SuperTour overall winner Julia Kern plus Ben Ogden who contributed to the first-ever Junior Worlds gold medal in U.S. history. First-year team member Alayna Sonneysn took a strong win in the American Birkebeiner. SMS T2 has continued to elevate ski performance at every level from the junior through World Cup and has been a strong partner that demonstrates the importance of common goals and collaboration.

Freeski: Waterville Valley BBTS

The fabled Waterville Valley BBTS program has been a longtime strong partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and has now become a rising star in freeski. Under the leadership of  Shuffleton, the club now has five freeski athletes in the top 10 on the NorAm tour with four podiums including two wins across NorAm and Rev Tour events this season and two athletes invited to Junior Worlds. The club has shown a commitment to the sport as a regular event site and a dedicated U.S. Ski & Snowboard training center with a four-season airbag and trampoline center and a dedicated partnership with its host resort. One of the most prestigious clubs in the Eastern USA over the decades, it currently has nearly 400 members with programs for kids up through international competition.

Freestyle: Killington Mountain School

A longtime strong program in freestyle under the leadership of Kris Pepe, Killington Mountain School offers programming for athletes from six years old up through post-graduate with a track record in delivering athletes to the World Cup level. This year Killington enlarged its opportunities for age and ability level training with the addition of youth sessions to summer on-snow and airbag training camps. Killington also stepped up to organize a wide range of events including the Eastern Championships, Killington Klassic Moguls, KMS Four Season Airbag Extravaganza, Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge and more. Killington had three athletes earn spots at Junior Worlds plus five separate moguls athletes with top-10 finishes at U.S. Freestyle Championships among 14 who qualified to compete. The team also had a strong presence in NorAm and divisional competitions. Thanks to its broad programming reach, Killington saw impressive growth in 2019 with 25 new athletes coming into the program.

Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club

A long established nordic club program under the leadership of Olympian Todd Wilson, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports saw its program grow to record levels in 2019 - the largest jumping and nordic combined club in the country. Most notably, the club is showing a strong gender balance with the onset of women’s nordic combined in addition to women’s ski jumping. Steamboat women took titles in U20 ski jumping, U16 men’s and women’s nordic combined as well as men’s and women’s team sprint at U.S. Championships. Steamboat also qualified seven athletes for Junior Worlds. The club also played host to a successful men’s and women’s FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup in December - the first women’s event ever held in the USA.

Snowboard: Mammoth Mountain Ski & Snowboard Team

In addition to its overall Club of the Year title, Mammoth Mountain Ski & Snowboard Team was also recognized as Snowboard Club of the Year. With some of the best training facilities in the world in its innovative Unbound Terrain Parks, Mammoth Mountain has consistently produced some of the top riders in the world including Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim and U.S. Open champion Maddie Mastro, as well as current Rookie Team members Tess Maud and Dusty Hendrickson. It holds a major USASA event each year, providing a proving ground for young riders. Under the leadership of Program Director Ben Wisner, a level 300 coach, the club has a strong focus on coach certification.

As a very successful competition season comes to an end, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes take to the off-season, each with their own unique programs. In a three-part series, we caught up with Olympian and X Games freeski gold medalist Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) and teammates Toby Miller (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.) from the U.S. Snowboard Pro Team to find out how they will mentally and physically regroup for the season to come. Whether battling back from injuries, an inevitable part of performing at the highest level of action sports, or tackling hobbies that are simply impossible to participate in when traveling across the world to compete, every rider has a different outlook on what is the most beneficial approach to their time off snow.

First up, it’s Maggie Voisin who takes us through her plans for the summer ahead.

U.S. Freeski Pro Team – Maggie Voisin

Voisin had a strong 2018-19 season collecting both X Games and Dew Tour podiums. In addition, after spending three weeks on the airbag in Park City in summer 2018, Maggie brought her left side double cork 1260 to elite level competition. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Voisin also reached these milestones without a functional ACL.

“I recently had my left ACL repaired,” said Voisin. “It’s pretty crazy because I had no idea that I was skiing without an ACL. There wasn’t really a specific crash that I can think back to where I would have really hurt my knee, but not knowing, and then finding out the news, it definitely took me by surprise, but I’m all about trying to find the positive, even in bad situations. Injuries are a part of the sport and that’s just the name of the game sometimes. However, I am looking forward to working hard this summer so I can be back on my skis stronger than ever next season!”

By no means is Voisin planning on just “winging” her recovery. With detailed and customized plans from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard medical and training staff, she has a solid plan to get back in competition shape.

“My workouts vary from a mix of plyos, weight lifting, circuits, and cardio,” she said. “I love seeing results in the gym, but it’s refreshing to mix it up too. Outside of the gym I do a lot of pilates as well, which I absolutely love. It’s a different approach to keeping myself strong without lifting heavy weights. It’s a fun challenge for the mind and body, plus it really keeps my whole body feeling absolutely amazing.”

As Maggie mentioned, it’s critical that recovery takes place both inside and outside the gym. Fortunately, she has a strong support system, in particular with her father, that keeps her on track both mentally and physically.

“My dad is the one who gave me my love for the mountains and no matter what season it is, I am drawn to finding new adventures or mountains to climb,” Voisin reflected. “Our days are usually pretty long and by the time we get back to the car, my legs feel ten times heavier than when we started. Although my body is exhausted after climbing, usually for ten-plus hours, I wouldn't trade that feeling of being in the mountains for anything in the world. Every time I go out it’s always a challenge, but I discover something new within myself and around me every time. The outdoors, as they say, are truly the best medicine and every adventure reminds me to stay true to what makes my heart happy.”

Recovering from a busy competition season, in particular, one throughout which Maggie carried such a major injury, is no easy task, but there are often people in your life that make most challenges bearable. These people are called family and Voisin embraces this sentiment from the bottom of her heart.

“I try to spend most of my summer back home in Montana with my family and close friends. Going home has always been the best way for me to reset after a long season.”

However, Maggie Voisin is a professional athlete, an Olympian, an elite level competitor, so completely unplugging is not a reality for the young star. The cell phone will continue to ring, her email inbox will continually fill, and delivering on sponsorship obligations is a must for a   pro athlete. However, these responsibilities can also create great experiences and unique opportunities for someone like Maggie.

“Sometimes I’ll have sponsor obligations to take care of in the summer months and those are always fun, said Voisin. “Last summer I went on a trip to Australia with one of my sponsors and we were getting video and photo content for the company. It feels more like fun than ‘work’.”

Be sure to follow Voisin’s journey of recovery on social media (see accounts below). Although her main focus will be the rehab of her ACL, her adventurous and genuine personality always make for a great follow on social. Whether she’s outside, volunteering for a good cause, or putting in time in the gym, Voisin will be staying busy!

“My main focus this summer will be on my rehab so I can get back on my skis stronger than ever. I’ll be posting a lot of updates on my knee so if you want to check out how I’m progressing definitely follow along on my social media. When I’m not focused on my knee I plan on going on quite a few adventures. Although I won’t be hiking any big peaks this summer, I will be doing a lot of camping, boating, a little bit of traveling, and just getting outside as much as I possibly can. I’m working on figuring out a beach trip or two as well - I’m looking forward to a trip like that and I’ll certainly be posting a lot of fun content. I just bought my first real camera and I’m super excited to play around and learn a thing or two about photography.  Hopefully, I can pick up some skills pretty quick so I can start posting some interesting shots! I’m also passionate about giving back in some way or another and while I have all this time off my skis, I want to utilize that time to volunteer.”

That’s our insight into what one of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s premiere athletes will be up to this summer. Stay tuned for more of the same from Toby Miller and Hailey Langland, and if you aren’t already following Maggie, make sure you do so now by taking a look at the links below.

Happy summer!

MAGGIE VOISIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: @maggiervoisin
Instagram: @maggie_voisin
Twitter: @maggie_voisin
 

Back in September, two-time Olympic Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) traveled to Chicago, Illinois for a Bose commercial shoot. The concept was simple: FOCUS. ON.

As Bose put it, “Mikaela Shiffrin is perhaps the greatest skier of all time. And it’s for one reason—she stays focused better than anyone. Even when there are distractions around her, she has the ability to shut them out and retain her tunnel vision. And QC35s are a big reason why.” Indeed, Shiffrin can often be spotted in team hospitality between runs sporting her Bose QC35 headphones, eyes closed, either visualizing or napping. So it was only natural for Bose to suggest the commercial feature Shiffrin in a loud, crowded place, trying to block the distraction out.

After discussing what a day on the mountain looks like for Shiffrin and how she operates on race day, Bose created a commercial concept that looked like this:

VISUALIZATION

When training, Mikaela uses every moment possible to improve—even when she’s traveling back to the top of the mountain between training runs. This is one of the places she studies film and uses visualization. After watching a clip of a previous run, she’ll close her eyes and picture

herself going through the course. Head, shoulders, arms, hips—even knees and feet all sway as she imagines going through each gate.

THE NOISE PROBLEM

But what happens if she’s not alone on the gondola? And what if those people are really excited? What if they are a group of fun-loving snowboarders/skiers who are loud and proud about enjoying the slopes? And what if the gondola is on the smaller side—causing them to encroach on her personal space?

THE SOLUTION—STEP 1

Mikaela is wearing a pair of QC35s around her neck for this exact reason. She’s not knocked off her focus. She smiles politely and raises the QCs onto her ears. Then, with the flick of her finger, she activates her secret weapon. Bose noise canceling technology magically pushes the noisy distraction far away. The gondola begins to transform and expand into a stretch-gondola. Maybe we see details of windows, walls, bracing, etc. stretching and expanding We could see the surprised and awed reactions of the snowboarders as the wall opposite Mikaela stretches away from her—moving the snowboarders with it. They also would go quiet with awe because of what’s happening.

THE SOLUTION—STEP 2

Canceling noise is only part of the solution. Music sounds great through QC35s. Music begins to play and Mikaela goes back to visualizing. In fact, maybe she’s even standing and physically making the motions of skiing the slalom course. She’s even more focused than before because

the music has moved the snowboarders even further from her universe. How do we know that? Because through the window, we can see legs and snowboard boots dangling from the top of the gondola. But Mikaela only sees herself ripping through the gates.

And there you have it. But...there was one thing missing. Extras...individuals who understood the sport and would want to be involved in such a special shoot. That’s where Ellen Adams, Club Development Manager for U.S. Ski & Snowboard, came into play. Adams was able to tap into our club network to engage Cascade Mountain Junior Race Team - out of Portage, Wisconsin - athletes Reese and Ellie Klemm. The Klemm family then recommended Tallon Cole, who skis for Wilmot Mountain’s race program, located in Wilmot, Wisconsin - just a short drive from Chicago, Illinois, where the commercial shoot was taking place.

We sat down with the Klemm sisters - Reese and Ellie - following the shoot to talk about the experience, and unveil the commercial so they could watch it for the first time.

Megan Harrod, Alpine Communications Manager - U.S. Ski & Snowboard: What was the experience like? Did it meet your expectations?

Ellie Klemm: It was a lot cooler than I expected. I’ve never really done anything like that before. I don’t think a lot of people get the ability to hang out with people like Mikaela, and she’s so much nicer and funny and friendly than you would think a celebrity would be. You think of celebrities and you think they’re going to be stuck up, but she’s such a normal person, joking with us on set, and it was really cool.

Reese Klemm: When Mikaela and her team walked in, my heart did a backflip. I was like, “OH...WOW.” It was so funny because at that point when Mikaela went to get her nails done I was also just chilling and getting my hair done. I was snapchatting everyone on my ski team, like, ‘Hey...guess what?!’ Their reaction was like, “Don’t talk to us...because now I’m jealous and I hate you.” (she laughed)

MH: So how did your friends react when they saw you on Mikaela Shiffrin’s Instagram story?

EK: We had put some stuff on our stories, like “Oh, you know, just hanging out with Mikaela Shiffrin.” And people that I don’t talk to regularly saw on her Instagram that I was there and they said, “Wait...were you on Mikaela Shiffrin’s Instagram page?! Super jealous!” I was like, “Um, yeah, no big deal.”

MH: I know how much work shoots can be - and I believe you were there for about eight hours. Did it feel like hard work?

RK: We got to skip school, so that was awesome. I thought it was SO fun because you don’t ever really get the chance to be in a commercial. I still talk about it, whenever it becomes slightly relevant in conversation to bring up being in the commercial.

After Mikaela and the U.S. Ski Team staff left, the producers said they needed someone to help them, so I became the kind of resident ski expert afterward, and that was really fun. They wanted a shot of Katie’s (the Mikaela stand-in) legs for visualization, and they wanted to have her pretending to visualize a course. Katie wasn’t a skier, so I had to show her how to move and show her how to create angles from left to right as if she were making a turn. The producers were questioning whether or not the power strap went under or over the speed suit. Towards the end, I got to hang out with the production team, and we were having so much fun.

MH: Have you seen the commercial?

EK: No. But we’d love to!

After that, we watched the commercial for the first time. The sisters giggled as they were watching. “I like it. It looks so cool,” Reese said. “I loved the end of the commercial when we were on the gondola,” added Ellie. “And everyone wanted to leave because it was such a long day, but I was thinking ‘I could stay here for the rest of my life. This is SO much fun!’”

That day will undoubtedly be a day these young Central Region athletes will never forget, and one that Shiffrin will carry with her, too, “It was such a fun shoot,” recalled Shiffrin. “First of all, the set was so impressive. Bose had basically created a gondola structure and it actually felt quite real. After I was done shooting, we all took photos together and I had the chance to hang a bit and chat with the talent, especially Reese and Ellie. We followed each other on Instagram and shared some fun behind-the-scenes content from the day. It was fun to meet some fans who shared my passion for the sport!”
 

Following spring planning meetings, the U.S. Alpine Ski Team has announced key staffing additions for the 2019-20 season, which kicks off with initial prep period camps starting this week at official training sites at Squaw Valley and Mammoth Mountain, California.

Alpine Director Jesse Hunt rejoined the U.S. Ski Team in spring 2018, at a key moment, when there was a desire among athletes and staff for a cultural shift within the organization. At the core of Hunt’s goals is the “winning at every level” mantra - one which he implemented successfully in his previous tenure. Under this mantra and the renewed focus on development, the Team saw success at both the elite and the junior level, including NorAm titles, as well as the best performance at FIS Junior World Championships in years - with two gold and two silver medals.

Another key objective for Hunt is hiring quality staff from within the American system and creating a path for development with these coaches at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Headlining this list is Randy Pelkey, who previously worked at U.S. Ski & Snowboard as the head men’s development coach from 2007 to 2017 before taking the role as head coach for the Korean Ski Association’s men’s speed team heading into the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games.

Pelkey will replace longtime U.S. Ski Team coach John “Johno” McBride, who announced in March that he’d chosen to leave in order to spend more time on the ranch in Aspen, Colorado with his family. While Pelkey was in South Korea, he utilized key relationships he built from his U.S. Ski & Snowboard days to create a vital training partnership between the Americans and South Koreans that would be valuable for both parties. 

Having worked for the Western Region for a number of years prior to taking the head men’s development coach role with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Pelkey has significant experience coaching speed, and specifically doing so with many of the current men’s World Cup speed team athletes, including veterans Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) and Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.), as well as World Cup mainstays Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) and Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah). Longtime coaches Scotty Veenis and Josh Applegate - who is also a former U.S. Alpine Ski Team member and men’s tech strength and conditioning coach - will round out the men’s speed coaching staff.  

“This is really a dream job for me,” said Pelkey. “I’m looking forward to being back with many of the athletes I worked with in Western Region as they were coming up through the club system, and honored to work alongside a coaching staff with as much experience as this one. Scotty and Josh bring a great mix of coaching experience, knowledge of competition in speed at an elite level, and a deep understanding of the athletes we’ll be working with.”

On the men’s World Cup tech side, former Park City Ski Team men’s head coach Will Courtney will join Forest Carey and Ian Garner as an assistant coach and strength and conditioning coach, while former Head FIS Alpine Coach at Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Ryan Wilson, will join Carey to support men’s slalom at the World Cup level. Matt Underhill will lead the Europa Cup/NorAm teams on the men’s side. As a former Ski & Snowboard Club Vail coach - and more recently Opportunity Racing coach - Underhill was a key member of the Junior World Championships coaching staff at Val di Fassa, Italy this past season. Underhill will be joined by assistant coach Josh Benge, who returns to the Europa Cup/NorAm level.

On the women’s side, the one key addition will be Katie Twible (formerly Hartman). Twible will join the women’s NorAm coaching staff, having previously served as U16 Head Alpine Coach at Craigleith Ski Club and was an elite level ski racer herself, competing for the University of Colorado. Twible will be a key player at the women’s World Cup technical and Europa Cup level, working with Magnus Andersson and Kris Shampeny, and her experience as both an elite level ski racer and women’s coach will serve her well as she takes on this new role with U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

“I am really excited about our staff changes for the upcoming season,” noted Hunt. “It is never easy to see accomplished coaches move on, but these changes will allow us to better position ourselves for the future. We have recruited some of the most successful young and veteran domestic coaches and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see them step up to the international level. These coaches are knowledgeable, dedicated and - in some cases - already have positive relationships with our athletes that were forged during their development. We are building a positive and professional staff around our athletes.”

The 2019-20 U.S. Alpine Ski Team nominations will be announced in May.

With nine World Cup podiums, including three victories; two Olympic appearances and one crystal globe spanning his 12-year career, aerialist Mac Bohonnon (Madison, Conn.) has decided to hang up his proverbial U.S. Ski Team hat.

Although growing up in a beach town, Mac learned to ski at just eighteen-months-old. The Bohonnons were weekend warriors and would pile into their family Vermont home, along with Mac’s aunt and cousins, to ski Bromley Mountain. After progressing through the mountain’s ski school program, Mac started out in the Alpine program. “I really did not like it,” he reflected. “Although I think the issue was that I was always wearing hand-me-down speedsuits. They were either too tight or too loose.”

Freestyle came casually to Mac at first, he and his brother and cousin would build jumps in their backyard, over the road, on the side of ski runs (much to the chagrin of Bromley’s ski patrol) and would “do all of the things parents hate,” Mac said. When he was about six or seven, Mac remembers his brother and cousin participating in Bromley’s first freestyle program, started by Brian Knowles. “Naturally I wanted to do whatever they were doing,” he added. “I just fell in love with freestyle from there.”

During his time at Bromley, Mac skied everything: moguls, slopestyle and big air (the name then for upright aerials). He started competing regionally in southern Vermont and grew to love the jumping aspect of freestyle. Mac’s brother eventually went to the Holderness School in New Hampshire to ski with the Nick and Wes Preston. The Prestons ran a highly-regarded freestyle program, especially in aerials, and Mac began to go to their Freestyle America camps. He eventually made it to Lake Placid, N.Y., to jump in the pool when he was old enough (at age 12). It was in Lake Placid that Mac learned to do a backflip.

Mac was recruited by Dmitriy Kavunov, the aerials development coach at Lake Placid at the time, who ran a program that would eventually become the Elite Aerial Development Program (EADP), to move to Lake Placid in October 2008.

“Looking back it was pretty crazy. I moved out of my parents house full time just before Thanksgiving of eighth grade. I always wanted to be a moguls skier so I was hesitant to commit to aerials full time. But as soon as I got up there I fell in love with the sport.” - Mac Bohonnon

Mac joined a class of aerial skiers that included Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.), Jon Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.), Mikey Rossi (Long Valley, N.J.), Kiley McKinnon (Madison, Conn.) and Alex Bowen (Springville, N.Y.) who would not only all become his teammates, but his family.

In the summer of 2011 Mac’s aerials career almost came to an end. “I sucked, honestly that’s the only way to put it,” he said. “I was growing like crazy, I think I grew four inches and gained about twenty-five pounds. And I was really crooked, which is not good in aerials.” Mac struggled through the summer, working on correcting his form, but then finding his body had changed again a month later. In September of that year Mac remembers Dmitriy sitting him down and telling him he might want to stick to moguls. “I had already committed to not going to school that year. It’s hard when your coach of three years tells you you’re not cut out and never going to be successful at your sport.” But timing can be everything, and around that same time, Eric Bergoust, new coach for the EADP, stepped in. “He saved my career hands down. Bergy took me on as a kind of project and worked tireless with me.” But the summer of 2011 would always linger with Mac, “I was always a little bit crooked and it was something I always had to work on.”

Mac lived and trained in Lake Placid for four and a half years before he was recruited to the national team at age 16. Although resistant at first, Mac moved to Park City full time the summer of 2012.

Mac was unexpectedly shot into the spotlight during the 2013-14 season, the season he describes as “mind-blowing.” He recalls, “I did my first triples on snow in December 2013, and competed in the Olympics that next February.” Mac and his coach at the time, Joe Davies, had made the conscious decision together to work on fundamentals and stick to harder, double jumps, rather than go for triples during the 2012-13 season. Instead of gunning for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, they would focus on becoming the best for the four years following Sochi, leading into the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

“I had no expectations of going or competing in Sochi,” Mac says. “There were six guys on World Cup that season and I was not one of them. I don’t even think I had any World Cup starts that season.” But fate had other plans and after winning the first two Nor-Am events of the season, Mac earned two World Cup starts for the domestic stops at Deer Valley and Lake Placid - two of the three Olympic qualifying events. The third qualifying event was the Val St. Come World Cup in Quebec, Canada. “It was Friday night: Deer Valley, Tuesday: Canada and then Saturday: Lake Placid. One of the national team members had hurt themselves and bowed out of the Canada event. So at midnight before the team left for Canada, I got the call and bought a ticket.” Mac finished second in Val St. Come, the only podium for the men that year.

Upon returning to Park City, Mac remembers not wanting to get his hopes up about Sochi. Although he had the best results for the men that year, he thought there was no way he’d be chosen. “I was writing a paper for school on Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls - it was terrible - when I got the call from Todd Ossian. He said, ‘Hey Mac, what’s up…’ and then told me I was going to the Olympics and we’d start training in two days.” Mac’s mother was the first person he called with the news, to which she responded “well how in the world are you going to finish high school now?” Mac would go on to graduate from high school a few months after becoming an Olympian.

Mac was the only American male aerialist, and one of only three aerialists to compete for the U.S. (Ashley Caldwell and Emily Cook also represented the United States that year). Mac classified his Sochi experience as unique.

“I could treat it like just another event. I had no expectations for the Games and no one had any expectations of me. I think some people honestly thought it was silly I was there. I didn’t have a chip on my shoulder but I also wanted to prove that I should be there. It was a 10 out of 10 stars for me, I was just this young kid, still in high school, just so excited to be there.” - Mac Bohonnon

The night before his event, Mac did his first quad-twisting triple and took the crash of his lifetime, knocking himself out and bruising his lungs. However, he finished fifth in the Olympic finals, quite an accomplishment for an athlete many thought had no business being there.

In the season that followed, 2014-15, the old guard of the U.S. Aerials Team retired and Mac’s generation had their chance on the World Cup circuit. “We were such a close group and I know that played a big part in my success and our overall success that year. We went on tour with no expectations and just destroyed the competition each weekend. Every week, Kylie, myself or Ashley were on the podium. We just had so much much fun honestly.” The U.S. Aerials Team had a stand out performance that season, winning every piece of crystal possible, claiming the Nations’ Cup, and Mac and Kiley each took home globes for the overall title, as well as Rookie of the Year.

Aerials is as much about mental toughness as it is about athletic ability. “There was nothing that could crack my confidence in 2015. I think the mental side of things was always a strength of mine, which I attribute to Jo Davies. He introduced me to sport psychology and gave me tools to mitigate and deal with stress and fear. Because at no point are you ever really comfortable or complacent doing a tripe on snow.”

The the competition seasons that followed, Mac was unable to match the success of that storybook 2014-15 season. “I don’t feel like I became complacent. I know I trained just as hard and I even thought I got better. I was really happy with how I was jumping. But I just couldn’t compete well and that got frustrating.”

Leading into the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, Mac had high expectations for himself and for his teammates. Unlike his Sochi experience, Mac knew he had the ability to medal, and this time he was going with a team that was more like family, who also had the ability to medal. “Obviously I wanted to win and to do well. And if not me, then my teammates. You want to do well for the sport, for the U.S., for the team, for your coaches. The Olympics are every four years and that’s your time to shine.” Unfortunately, PyeongChang did not go as the U.S. team had hoped, with no Olympic medals in aerials.

After the Olympics, Mac knew he needed to take a step away from aerials and recharge. He decided to take the 2018-19 season off in hopes that his drive and passion he felt for the sport would return. “As I got further from aerials I just began to realize that the spark wasn’t coming back. I was equally as passionate about several other things that I hadn’t capitalized on for so long. And at the end of the day pursuing other passions won out.”

For the first time in eight or nine years, Mac was able to enjoy a ski season (and what a ski season it was in Utah). He skied Alta, which reminds Mac of his home mountain - a place for skiers.

Mac is currently studying at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah in their entrepreneurship program. He’s unsure of what exactly is next for him, which is challenging, but knows he’d like to run his own business one day, among other things.

“Since I was 10 years old I’ve known exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed to do to get there. And now to be in a kind of free for all is a bit intimidating, but gets to be more and more comfortable as I hone in on what I’m good at and what I’m not good at and figure out what brings me joy.” - Mac Bohonnon

Mac admits to holding out hope on returning to the Ski Team for a bit longer than necessary, but as the team is about to start prep on its 2019-20 season, he knew the time had come to close this chapter. “My advice to young aerialists out there is to enjoy it while it lasts. I was lucky to have a long and healthy career and it’s been the highlight of my life, but it felt like it went by in the blink of an eye.” His more direct advice is to not underestimate the mental side of aerials. “We train technical skills, why wouldn’t you train your brain to handle the pressure, to deal with the fear and the emotions? Set routines that make you feel confident.”

Reflecting on his career as an elite aerial skier, Mac can’t single any one person out on having the biggest impact on him. He recognizes his family in supporting him from day one, for always encouraging him to follow his dreams. He’s grateful to the many coaches he’s had: from the Prestons getting him into aerials, to Eric Bergoust for saving his career, to Joe Davies who took him from a pretty good development athlete to the person to beat for a while, to to Matt Saunders and to Todd Ossian who he won the overall title with. “I’ll never be able to thank those coaches enough for all that they did.”

Mac is also thankful for his agent, Sheryl Shade, and the many sponsors he’s enjoyed over the years. Oakley, Full Tilt, Oxess, who provided skis, boots, goggles and glasses, supported him all along, even before he had any major success. He’d like to thank his Olympic sponsors, Coca-Cola and Deloitte, who helped him become a double Olympian. He’s also like to recognize the support of the USOC and of U.S. Ski & Snowboard for the countless years of support. “I feel like I’ve lived in a U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned building since I was twelve.”

You will now most likely find Mac on the golf course, a sport he describes as the most similar to aerials. “People look at me like I have 12 heads when I say that. But golf is a very mental sport. And you can think about your golf swing as your take off in aerials. You’re always having to feel for those micro adjustments, just like in aerials.”

Mac Bohonnon enjoyed four years as an elite athlete on the U.S. Aerials Ski Team. His accomplishments include:

Olympic Experience

• Two-time Olympian (2014, 2018)

• PyeongChang 2018, 17th (aerials)

• Sochi 2014, 5th (aerials)

World Championship Experience

• Most recent: 2017 – 10th (aerials)

• Years of participation: 2015, 2017

• Top finish: 10th – 2017

Other Career Highlights

• 2017 FIS World Cup Standings, 2nd (aerials), 10th (overall)

• 2016 FIS World Cup Standings, 10th (aerials)

• 2015 FIS World Cup Standings, 1st (aerials), 2nd (overall)

• 2014 FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year

• 2013 FIS Junior World Championships, 7th (aerials)

• 2012 FIS Junior World Championships, 5th (aerials)

The U.S. Snowboard Team had nothing short of an extraordinary 2018-19 competition season. Earning seven podiums at the 2019 FIS Snowboard World Championships, five podiums across two Junior World Championships, 20 podiums at a variety of World Cup events, and 12 podiums at elite level events including the US Open, Dew Tour, and X Games, the United States proved themselves once again to be a force to be reckoned with at the highest level of competitive snowboarding.

Once dubbed the future of women’s snowboarding, the current Olympic and World Champion Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.) is clearly the “now” of women’s snowboarding. Kim had herself a record season topping the podium at five out of six events she entered, winning at a rate of 83%. Kim is not just winning at elite level events against the best riders in the world, but she is doing so consistently, winning every major competition she entered from the 2018 X games to the 2019 FIS World Championships, completing over a full year of victories. At only 18 years old, the sky is the limit for this snowboarding champion. The 18-year-old all-star still has yet to land her frontside double cork 1080 in competition, which will take her to a level of riding to a level which is unheard of in the sport of women’s snowboarding. Kim has proven to be one of the best female athletes in the world, a fact summed up as she came into the season as the 2018 Best Female Athlete ESPY award winner.

Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.) is another U.S. rider who made huge strides this season. Mastro finished third in the World Championships halfpipe competition, earning her first World Championship medal of her career and she made history at the Burton U.S. Open by landing the first ever double cork in halfpipe competition with a double crippler. This trick led her to her victory at the U.S. Open, with Chloe Kim in second place. “I can’t even express how happy I am,” Mastro remarked directly after that win. “This is the first contest I have won and for it to be at the U.S. Open is an incredible feeling!”

The men of the U.S. Snowboard Team have also proven themselves this season. Olympic Gold Medalist Red Gerard took the gold at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, as well as at the 2019 Burton U.S. Open Slopestyle finals. Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) also earned his fifth and sixth FIS Crystal Globes in March by winning the snowboard slopestyle and overall titles. In addition, he also landed the first quad cork 1800 in World Cup competition to kick off the season at the Cardrona, New Zealand World Cup big air. Corning’s teammates, Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.), Lyon Farrell (Haiku, HI), and Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, AK), finished in second, third, and fourth respectively in the FIS World Cup slopestyle rankings. Henkes also earned his first World Cup podium to close out the season when he finished in second-place at the Mammoth Grand Prix slopestyle event. To top it all off, Toby Miller (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) earned his first World Cup podium by placing second at the Copper Mountain Grand Prix, proving there’s plenty of runway for the U.S. Snowboard Team as young riders start to break out.

Moving onto snowboardcross, the success of U.S. athletes this season proved the strength and balance of the skilled American Team as both veterans and rookies exceled. 20-year-old B Team athlete Jake Vedder (Pickney, Mich.) claimed second-place and his first World Cup podium in Cervinia, Italy. Pro Team rider Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) won the individual snowboardcross title at the FIS World Championships at Solitude Mountain Resort, becoming World Champion and also grabbing his first top-level international competition victory. He soon became a two-time World Champion when he and Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) won the inaugural mixed team snowboardcross event, which ultimately led them to earning the “Best of February” title from Team USA. This was Jacobellis’ sixth World-Championship title, but if becoming a six-time World Champion wasn’t enough, Jacobellis also achieved and surpassed the milestone of 30 World Cup victories, securing her position as the most dominant female snowboardcross athlete in the history of the sport.

The 2018-19 season offered two different FIS Junior World Championship events: the 2018 Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Championships in Cardona, New Zealand, and the 2019 Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Championships, which took place across five European venues. Combined, U.S. Snowboard athletes earned five medals with Jake Vedder (Pickney, Mich.) and Toby Miller claiming the titles of 2018 Junior World Champion in their respective disciplines of snowboardcross and halfpipe. As previously mentioned, Miller and Vedder went on to earn their first World Cup podiums after succeeding on the proving grounds that is the Junior World Championships. Their performances contributed to the U.S. Junior World Championship Team taking home the 2018 Marc Hodler Trophy, awarded to the best overall nation.

Overall, the U.S. Snowboard team had a total of 45 podiums this season, with 19 of those podiums being first place, among the big air, slopestyle, halfpipe, and snowboardcross disciplines. U.S. riders met and exceeded expectations this season, and had fun while doing it. The U.S. Snowboard Team will only continue to improve as they prepare for the 2022 Olympics In Beijing, China.
 

With her record-breaking season, Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) became the first athlete on the FIS World Cup circuit to top the 1,000,000 CHF mark in prize money.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) always publishes World Cup prize money standings on their website, though the World Cup prize money standings does not include World Championship prize money earnings. As such, FIS recently featured Shiffrin in an article about total prize money standings. 

Shiffrin earned 886,386 Swiss Francs (CHF) for her incredible World Cup season, which saw her grab the most victories in a single season that numbered 17. Added to that amount is Shffirin’s haul at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships last February in Are (SWE), that included gold in super-G and slalom, and bronze in giant slalom, which gave her an additional 114,000 CHF in prize money, allowing her to crack the one-million Swiss Franc mark with 1,000,386 CHF for the season.

According to FIS, equal prize money has always been applied on the FIS Alpine World Cup tour. World Cup organizers typically pay 45,000 CHF per World Cup victory - some venues more and some less - with prize money going down to 30th place, at 500 CHF. Shiffrin sees this as an opportunity to get future generations excited about getting involved in the sport of alpine ski racing. 

It’s a really cool opportunity. I’m extremely proud to be part of a sport where there is no gender pay gap. It’s great, because perhaps it will inspire future generations to take part in this sport that I love so much. From my perspective, equal prize money means there is a demand by the public for both men’s and women’s alpine ski racing. If people want to watch and the sport has fans, that’s ultimately where the money comes from. I feel like we, as athletes, have a responsibility to bring attention to this sport – to make it exciting to watch and bring edgy and fun personalities into it. Just like any sport, ski racing needs these personalities and a high level of competition in order to thrive, and I’m thankful to the fans for following along.

Shiffrin is one of the few remaining multi-discipline skiers on the tour, and the only athlete skiing and winning in all six currently contested disciplines. In fact, in December with her career-first super-G victory, Shiffrin became the first athlete to win in all six disciplines, including parallel slalom. At the mere age of 24, Shiffrin has a lot of future potential. With her record 17 World Cup victories across four disciplines in the 2019 season alone, she has already reached 60 World Cup victories.   

Read the full article on fis-ski.com. 

The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team had a successful and progressive 2018-19 season, earning 13 elite-level medals edit two disciplines. The athletes of both the aerials and moguls team once again faced strong international competition, yet they were able to stay at the top of their game and consistently improved upon their personal bests.

The U.S. Ski Team moguls team had seven FIS Freestyle World Cup podiums over this past season, including two wins from 22-year-old Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.). Kauf’s impressive season landed her in second in the women’s overall World Cup moguls standings, for the second consecutive year.

“I’m really happy with this season. It’s my best season up to date and the most consistent I’ve ever been. It’s been a competitive winter and there’s been a lot of really impressive skiing, so I am truly honored to finish second in the world among such a strong field of women.” - Jaelin Kauf

Kauf isn’t the only woman that pushed her limits this season. Eighteen-year-old Olivia Giaccio (Redding, Conn.) made moguls history when she became the first woman to throw a cork 1080 in moguls competition during the last World Cup event in Kazakhstan. “It was one of my goals this season to be the first woman to complete the trick, so going for that was pretty fun,” says Giaccio. “It’s definitely in my plan to make it a part of my run in future, for sure.”

With Tess Johnson (Vail, Colo.) finished the season with two World Cup podiums and World Championships hardware in her first World Championships appearance. Throughout the season, the U.S. women consistently finished in the top 10 and the U.S. can claim to have the top women’s moguls team in the world.  

On the men’s side, U.S. Freestyle veteran and sport legend Brad Wilson (Butte, Mont.) claimed his second-consecutive World Championships silver medal in the dual event at the resort he now calls home, Deer Valley Resort in Utah, after a nail-biting final run against Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury. Wilson also landed on the podium in third at one of his other favorite World Cup events in Tazawako, Japan. Teammate Casey Andringa (Boulder, Colo.) finished in the top 10 in three World Cup events, and fifth in the World Championships dual event, and both Hunter Bailey (Vail, Colo.) and Jesse Andringa (Boulder, Colo.) had impressive first full seasons on the full World Cup tour, boding well for future competitions.

Overall, two American men and two American women finished in the top 10 in the overall World Cup standings for moguls this season: Jaelin Kauf in second, Tess Johnson in fifth, Brad Wilson in seventh, and Casey Andringa in ninth. The rest of the team improved their positions as well: Olivia Giaccio finished in 11th, Nessa Dziemian (East Hampstead, N.H.) was 12th, Hannah Soar (Somers, Conn.) 18th, Dylan Walczyk (Rochester, N.Y.) 15th, Hunter Bailey 20th, and Jesse Andringa 27th. These results have provided the moguls team with a solid platform to build from for the 2019-20 season and beyond.

Despite growing international competition in the sport, the U.S. aerials team had an impressive season as well. Aerials superstar Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.) finished second and third, respectively, in World Cup events in Shimao Lotus Mountain, China, and her teammate, Eric Loughran (Pelham, N.H.), joined Ashley on the podium, finishing third in China for his first-ever career podium. “It feels so good right now to be on the podium, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Loughran. With three aerials podiums for the season, the future is looking bright for the U.S. Aerials Team.  

Aerialists who were coming back from injury also progressed significantly this season. Winter Vinecki (Gaylord, Mich.), who injured her ACL last season, finished seventh in the overall World Cup standings. Similarly, Chris Lillis (PIttsford, N.Y.), had a great season coming back from injury, finishing ninth overall. Together, Vinecki and Lillis were crowned National Champions at the U.S. National Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. Chris’ brother, Jon (Pittsford, N.Y.), finished 11th, and Justin Schoenfeld (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) finished 10th after his first full season on the World Cup tour. The most impressive standing was from Madison Varmette (Stafford, Va.), who finished sixth overall, after finishing 28th last season. “The overall standings are amazing,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard World Cup Coach, Eric Bergoust, “We didn’t hit our podiums target, but we got a lot of consistent results.”

Overall, the U.S. Freestyle Team accomplished a number of goals this season, including consistent results that help the ongoing goal of building a strong foundation for forthcoming seasons. The U.S. finished second in the overall Nation’s Cup standings for the second-straight year.

“Overall, I am very pleased with how the team performed this winter,” reflects U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Moguls Coach Matt Gnoza. “I am extremely proud of all the athletes. Now they can catch their breath a little, and then the work will start all over again!”
 

The U.S. Cross Country Team continued progressing in the 2018-19 season. With 10 World Cup podiums, one Junior World Championship podium, and multiple U.S. cross country athletes rankings in the top 10 for World Cup sprinting events. 

Jessie Diggins, a crowd favorite and 2018 Olympic gold medalist, podiumed five times in World Cup competitions this season. “The past season was full of its own unique challenges post-Olympics with increased internal and external pressure, but it was a season full of learning to navigate that pressure and re-calibrate for a new Olympic cycle,” says Diggins. “With multiple podiums and ending the season ranked top 10 in the World, I’m satisfied with my season and already looking ahead to where I can improve for next year.”

Sophie Caldwell also had an impressive season, getting onto the podium three times and finishing the season ranked fourth in the World Cup sprint standings. “This past season ended up being one of the strongest seasons I've ever had and I'm looking forward to gearing up for another season of training and racing,” said Caldwell. “It's been an extremely rewarding experience for me to be on the World Cup with some of our younger athletes and to witness them skiing so strongly at World Juniors and U23s. I'm looking forward to the training season, but first it's time for a little physical and mental break this spring.”

Sadie Bjornsen had a personal best this season, reaching her career-first skate sprint podium. “After taking a different approach on the season and focusing the majority of my attention on World Championships this year, I am happy to have given it my absolute best shot,” Bjornsen says. With Bjornsen, Caldwell, and Diggins all on the podium this year, the ladies team has proven their strength.

The men’s all-star athlete this season was Erik Bjornsen, who qualified for the A Team for his progression throughout the season, including a third place finish in the 15k classic pursuit at the World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway. The men competing in Junior World Championships also did extremely well, with the relay team of Luke Jager, Ben Ogden, Johnny Hagenbuch, and Gus Schumacher winning the gold. “I barely missed the individual podium, but the win in the relay was everything that I could ask for! Such a great feeling to have so many strong boys on that team,” remarked Schumacher. He, along with many of his teammates, overall are very happy with their season.  

Although the team has done better with overall world cup standings in the past, they have each worked hard this year and are expected to bring even more next season. It is also expected that many athletes at the development level will advance onto the national team for the next season. “As a community, we can be very proud of the incredible work being done developmentally at the club level, and the improvements in development programming and coaches’ education which have contributed to this step forward,” says Chris Gover, the head coach for Cross Country.

With promising young athletes, distinguished national members, and a lot of summer training ahead, the future is bright for this Cross Country team.