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The Adventurous Andringa Brothers

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
November, 7 2018
Andringa Brothers
These two were so dedicated to moguls skiing that they lived in a pop-up camper during the entire summer of 2017. (Jesse Andringa)

U.S. Moguls Team skiers, Casey and Jesse Andringa (Boulder, Colo.) are not your average athletes. These brothers have a unique story on how they were named to the U.S. Ski Team, as well as a unique mode of transportation en route. 

Growing up in Boulder, Colo., and traveling to Winter Park and Vail to train, Casey and Jesse have been passionate about skiing for as long as they can remember.

“We have been balancing skiing and school our whole lives. Last year was our first full year off school to just focus on skiing.”
    - Jesse Andringa 

In May 2017, the Andringas’ father bought them a pop-up camper which they promptly drove to Steamboat Springs where they lived in their new pop-up home. Casey and Jesse trained intensely at Steamboat Resort in hopes of making the U.S. Ski Team. “Our dad bought us a popup camper to save money,” said Jesse, “so really we were just camping up in the mountains and training the whole summer.”  
 
Yes, you read that right. These two were so dedicated to moguls skiing that they lived in a pop-up camper during the entire summer of 2017.  

“The hard thing about skiing is it’s so time-consuming, but there isn’t a lot of money in it,” admitted Casey. “Our parents were going to help us with rent wherever we were going to live and to offset those costs I jokingly said ‘You know, what about instead of renting a place somewhere we just get a popup camper and we just live in the woods for free…’ I was 80-percent kidding and then, like, three weeks later my dad calls me up and told me he found our home for the summer.”     

Determined, Casey and Jesse trained throughout the summer in Steamboat with Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s moguls team. They also “went rogue” by adding their own training regimen into their schedule. “We would go to the high school track, run sprints and do obstacle courses for hours,” said Casey.  

With a diet of oatmeal for breakfast, showering in the gym they paid a membership at whenever they could (with no towels), and going to bed at 9:30 p.m. each night, the Andringa brothers lived a rugged life in the summer of 2017.

But all that hard work paid off when both Andringa brothers were officially named to the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team in April of 2018. Jesse has been on the Freestyle team for a year and podiumed in NorAm events during the 2018 season. Casey has been on the team for a year and a half, and competed in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea, coming close to the podium with a fifth-place finish. 

The two brothers have been working hard this summer as well, but their living and training conditions are slightly different. “We have an apartment in Park City now, which is a new thing for us,” laughed Casey. “We still do the camper living on road trips, but we have upgraded a bit.”  

In addition to an actual home, these two are overwhelmed with the facilities they are provided as U.S. Ski Team members. “We have PTs with us all the time, and strength coaches who are arguably the best in the world,” said Casey. 

“We have a nutritionist, a cook, and a structured regimen,” added Jesse.  

With state-of-the-art facilities and staff, the Freestyle Ski Team’s training is vigorous: strength training at the Center of Excellence, summer training camps in Mount Hood, Ore., and water ramping sessions at the Utah Olympic Park. “Essentially you have four weeks of hard work at a time, then a week off, and you repeat that all summer,” reflected Jesse.  

When they aren’t hitting the gym or shredding the slopes, Jesse and Casey can be found surfing the coasts of Oregon and California. The brothers got into surfing about three years ago and get in at least 20 days a year. 

“Every day off we have when we are up at Mount Hood, we drive two and a half hours to go to the beach and surf,” commented Casey. “Instead of sitting there and dwelling on what you did wrong or right in training, we just go to the beach and totally let go of it all and surf. When you come back you are fresh and ready to work hard again.”  

In addition to being seasoned campers, surfers and skiers, the Andringa brothers also have a passion for sharing their experiences visually through photography. “I realized that we are going to the most beautiful and incredible places in the world, so I might as well try to document it,” said Casey. He hopes to continue with photography and is currently pursuing capturing photos for different companies in order to help offset expenses. He is selling prints to the public as well, in an effort to raise more funds for them both. Jesse also has a talented eye and takes his film camera wherever he goes.   

With summer training winding down and winter training gearing up, these two have high goals for this upcoming season. “My goal would be to get all the World Cup starts and make some finals and super finals,” noted Jesse. 

Casey wants to “get to the podium. Fifth place is cool and all but I’m ready for more.” With new tricks up both of their sleeves, Casey and Jesse are hoping to impress everyone this season.

The Adventurous Casey and Jesse Andringa are two names to watch out for. Follow along in their adventures on Instagram: Casey @butteredt0ast and Jesse @jesse_barre.