The 2019-20 season provided the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team with a number of top World Cup and World Championship results, and a fair share of disappointment with the season cut short due to COVID-19.

“Overall, the season was a mixture of excitement and quite a bit of disappointment at the end, due to the cancellation of events,” U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Program Director Chris Grover said. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember all the great parts of the season in the face of the loss of the North American World Cups, given that most of the U.S. athletes were hyper-focused on racing well at home.”

Indeed, the cancellation of the Fastenal Parallel 45 Festival, which was set to host the first FIS Cross Country World Cup in the United States in 19 years, was a huge disappointment. In addition, Canada also cancelled World Cup events in Quebec City and Canmore, Alberta. But while the season didn’t provide the storybook ending everyone had hoped, the opening World Cup weekend in Ruka, Finland, did spark significant excitement as Sadie Maubet Bjornsen finished third in the season-opening classic sprint, and fourth in the 10k classic to become the first American athlete to wear the overall World Cup yellow leader’s bib.

 

 

 

 

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Missed the podium by 1 painfully close second, but walked away with the yellow @fiscrosscountry World Cup overall leader bib, so no complaints. The season is still young, but I will save this bib forever, and hope to meet it again one day. I have also been told I’m the first American to wear the overall yellow bib since Bill Koch in 1982, so cheers to setting new highs for even more exciting times to come 💃🏻 📸: @nordicfocus

A post shared by Sadie Maubet Bjornsen (@sbjornsen) on Nov 30, 2019 at 5:20am PST

Sadie’s Ruka podium was also the first of nine World Cup podiums for Americans throughout the season and certainly got the team off to a quick start. Jessie Diggins scored the third-fastest time-of-day in the Ruka 10k freestyle pursuit - the first of her five individual World Cup podiums for the 2019-20 season.

The following weekend in Lillehammer, Norway, Jessie scored her second World Cup podium of the season, finishing second in the skiathlon, and setting the stage for perhaps the World Cup highlight of the season - a second-place women’s team relay result from the following day. Jessie teamed up with Sadie, Sophie Caldwell, and Rosie Brennan to match the best U.S. Team relay result in World Cup history.

“It is always an incredible day when we land on the podium as a team,” Sadie said. “Putting four perfect legs together is a huge achievement, which is why winning a team medal is so special. It has been a few years since our group has stood on the podium for the 4x5k relay, so we were quite excited!”

Capitalizing on the Lillehammer success, the U.S. women had scored three-straight World Cup events with an American athlete (or team) on the podium. Moving on to Davos, Switzerland, Sophie improved the American’s top-three streak to four when she finished third in the freestyle sprint. The next day, Jessie continued the streak to five-straight races, finishing third in the 10k freestyle. On to Planica, Slovenia, Julia Kern picked up her first career World Cup podium, and improved the U.S. women’s podium streak to six straight, outsprinting Sophie for a third-place finish. Unfortunately, the World Cup podium streak ended at six, but more impressively, the U.S. women have scored 15 top-10 individual and team results through the first four World Cup events of the season.

However, the quick start to the season did have its drawbacks. “One conversation we are having with each of our veteran athletes is how to manage the overall load of the season,” Chris said. “These athletes need to find time away from the World Cup for training and to reconnect with family and friends in order to be prepared to ski fast. This remains one of our biggest hurdles in performance. USA athletes are training quite well in the winter, but the disconnect from their home communities can gradually wear them down.”

Unfortunately, while her teammates were battling for top World Cup results to kick off the season, a nagging cold forced Hailey Swirbul onto the sidelines, but she made the best of it by cheering on her teammates. This wasn’t how she imagined her first season on the World Cup tour kicking off. But she put that disappointment behind her when she earned her first career World Cup points, finishing 30th in the freestyle sprint in Davos. The next day, she finished 21st in the 10k freestyle before returning to the U.S. for the L.L. Bean U.S. Championships where she picked up her first three-career U.S. titles. When she returned to the World Cup Tour in Sweden, she picked up two more top-30 results, including a career-best 13th in a 10k classic pursuit in Ostersund.

Little did we know that the final races of the season would provide the greatest highlight of the season. With the novel coronavirus expanding its worldwide spread, the Junior and U23 World Championships in Germany were able to host all events before a worldwide travel ban went into effect. Fortunately, for the U.S. Team, the athletes peaked at just the right time, coming away with 10 total medals, including gold for the junior men’s relay team and silver for the junior women’s relay team. Gus Schumacher also took the gold - the first by an American - in the junior men’s 10k classic, and Julia rebounded from a mid-season leg injury to take bronze in the U23 freestyle sprint.

“The Junior/U23 World Champs were certainly the main highlight, and specifically the junior relays, followed by the exciting new formats of the Ski Tour 2020 and probably the women’s team performance in World Cup Period 1, including the second-place relay finish in Lillehammer,” Chris reflected. 

As the long season wore on, Jessie’s third-place and Sophie’s fourth-place classic sprint finish in Oberstdorf, Germany, in late January, unfortunately, provided the last podium performance of the long World Cup season. Most of the U.S. athletes returned to America the first week of March to rest and sharpen their fitness for the final three World Cup events in North America. However, the pandemic, unfortunately, robbed them of the opportunity to shine in front of the home-country crowd. 

Davis U.S. Cross Country Team 2019-20 Highlights:

• Women’s Team Relay second in Lillehammer World Cup - ties best USA finish
• Sadie Maubet Bjornsen wears World Cup Leader’s bib -  first ever by an American
• Junior men defend World Championships relay gold
• Junior women take silver in World Championships relay
• Gus Schumacher wins Junior World Championships 10k - first ever by an American
• Julia Kern’s first World Cup podium - Planica, Slovenia
• Julia earns U23 World Championships freestyle sprint bronze medal
• Three Americans in top 15 overall Tour de Ski 
• JC Schoonmaker scores World Cup points in his first-ever World Cup appearance
• Will Koch and Kendall Kramer win bronze medals at the Youth Olympics
• Hailey Swirbul scores World Cup points in all four disciplines - skate, classic, distance, sprint)

The 2019-20 season was a positive step in the right direction for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, with 15 FIS Ski World Cup podiums, one Junior World Championship medal, and seven NorAm titles. Perhaps nothing wowed more than the two podiums on home turf by Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin at the HomeLight Killington Cup and Xfinity Birds of Prey victor Tommy Ford.

It was a solid start to the season for both the women’s and men’s teams that established a foundation for progress for the entire squad. That said, alpine athletes battled with challenging weather, shortened courses, unexpected accidents and a global pandemic that cut the season short. Even so, there are many positives to take away and focus on as the athletes showed insurmountable grit and perseverance in the face of adversity. 

“The ’19-20 season started strong at the Soelden World Cup GS, with three U.S. Ski Team athletes in the top five; Mikaela, Tommy and Ted (Ligety),” noted Alpine Director Jesse Hunt. “This weekend performance followed with victories by Mikaela in Levi and Killington, and Tommy in Beaver Creek made it clear that teams were firing in both genders and there was nothing more satisfying than demonstrating that in front of the hometown crowds.”

With the best start to a season in years, the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team hopped the pond to Europe, finding more strength and consistency. “When the team went to Europe, the men’s speed team consistently put up points by establishing five skiers in the top-30 and ultimately landing four athletes in the top-20 in the end of season standings—a feat not achieved as far back as 1967 when the FIS Ski World Cup began,” said Jesse. “At the development level, the NorAm titles were dominated by American athletes who secured 10 of 14—with seven of those 10 coming from U.S. Ski Team athletes. The abrupt end to the season due to the coronavirus left many opportunities hanging, and an unceremonious end for a developing and upward-trending U.S. Alpine Ski Team.”

Let’s start with the men, led by a trio of Olympians with impressive results from the World Cup kickoff in Soelden, Austria: Tommy, Ted Ligety, and Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished fourth, fifth, and 11th, respectively. With six top-15 results, four top-five results, two podiums, and a massive victory by .80 seconds at Beaver Creek, Colo., Tommy had his career-best season to lead the team.

With challenging conditions all season long in giant slalom, Tommy stayed calm when it mattered most. In Yuzawa Naeba Japan, when most athletes struggled on the dead, springlike snow, Tommy channeled his Pacific Northwest upbringing (shoutout to Mt. Bachelor) and moved from 10th first run to third for his second-career podium. When all was said and done, he landed in fifth in the world in giant slalom. With a more focused giant slalom schedule, Ted had a consistent and solid season, finishing ranked 12th in the world.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle really stepped it up this season, proving his multi-event talent. In 26 World Cup starts across five disciplines (parallel, giant slalom, alpine combined, super-G and downhill), Ryan had 22 top-30 results—scoring in every discipline. What was really impressive was Ryan’s touch on the speed boards. He skied into a career-best sixth place in Beaver Creek and then bested that in Bormio with a fifth place in the alpine combined. He was solid all season, finishing ranked 14th in the world in downhill, and 20th in both super-G and giant slalom. “RCS” is looking to bring that intensity into the World Championship year, and we can’t wait to watch.

The men’s speed team had more depth than ever before, with four athletes finishing in the top-20 in the world in downhill for the first time ever: Travis Ganong (13th), RCS (14th), Bryce Bennett (16th) and Steven Nyman (20th). Travis narrowly missed the podium, with two top-five results in downhill, and ended up ranked 12th in the super-G standings. Bryce laid down solid results once he found his flow in the new year, grabbing four top-15s and two top-10s—including his best-ever finish at Kitzbuehel, in eighth-place. That was after he wore jorts, a jean vest, and an American flag as a cape to the bib draw in front of thousands of roaring fans and then chose bib 1 with undeniable confidence. The crowd went WILD. Jared Goldberg had nine top-30 results, and two top-20s in downhill and ended the season with a Europa Cup victory.

With three women’s speed team athletes—Breezy Johnson, Alice McKennis, and Jackie Wiles— returning from significant knee/leg injuries, it was a rebuilding year. Alice started things off with a bang in Lake Louise, Canada, grabbing a top-10 in downhill. In just her third start back from back-to-back knee injuries, Breezy grabbed a top-five in Bankso, Bulgaria, just behind her teammate Mikaela in fourth. Despite missing almost half of the season, she ended up ranked 20th in the world in downhill. Alice Merryweather was a consistent point-scorer in downhill, super-G, and alpine combined this year, grabbing three top-15 results, and a career-best 14th in super-G. The whole team will look to come back strong in 2020-21, and ready for their favorite venue: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy for World Championships.

Nina O'Brien had a breakthrough season, scoring points in seven starts across three disciplines (slalom, giant slalom, and parallel). The highlight for Nina was her career-best 11th in the Sestriere, Italy parallel giant slalom debut. Nina proved that she can hang with the best in the world in multiple disciplines, and it was great to see multiple Americans in the second run on numerous occasions on the women's tech side. She and teammate Paula Moltzan, who struggled with some back pain this season but still put down fast splits and some solid results in slalom, will look to build on that momentum, along with Mikaela. 

Then, there was Mikaela’s season. Certainly not 2018-19’s season, but still equally—if not more—impressive. Mikaela won six World cup races across four disciplines and podiumed in 13 of 19 starts. In Levi, Finland, she became the winningest slalom skier of all time, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark with 41 slalom victories. She finished the season with two more victories, bringing her career-win total to 43 slalom victories—tied for most discipline wins among women with former teammate Lindsey Vonn. 

With her massive 1.36-second margin giant slalom win in Lienz, Austria, Mikaela made history yet again as she earned 63rd World Cup victory, surpassing Austrian Annemarie Moser-Pröll into fourth on the all-time win list behind Marcel Hirscher (67), Lindsey (82) and Ingemar Stenmark (86). Across men and women, she tied Slovakia's Petra Vlhova and France's Alexis Pinturault for most World Cup victories, with six wins.

In a near-perfect weekend in late January, with her mother and father there to witness her brilliance, Mikaela was first, fourth, and first, in two downhills and a super-G on a speed track she had never been down before, in Bansko, Bulgaria - amassing 250 points on the weekend. Her win tally? Career victory number 66, just one shy of Marcel’s 67 victories. Despite missing nine races due to her father's unexpected and tragic passing, Mikaela ended up second in the overall standings, second in the slalom standings (by just 20 points), third in the giant slalom standings, fifth in the downhill standings, and seventh in super-G standings. For the fourth-straight season, (again, despite missing nine races), Mikaela was the top earner in prize money on the World Cup circuit, among the men and women.

At the development level, it was a Youth Olympic Games year at Lausanne, Switzerland, where the Americans, including Emma Resnick, put down some solid results, landing just off the podium in fourth in giant slalom, followed by Nicola Rountree-Williams in eighth. Though World Juniors at Narvik, Norway, were cut short due to the coronavirus outbreak, Keely Cashman led the way with three top-10 results, including bronze in the alpine combined. She also won the NorAm overall and downhill titles. AJ Hurt finished in sixth just behind Keely in the super-G at Worlds, and multiple NorAm podiums under her belt.

For the men, Bridger Gile took home the NorAm overall, alpine combined and giant slalom titles, while Ben Ritchie grabbed the slalom title, and Kyle Negomir the super-G title—each securing World Cup start rights for next season. Ben and Kyle each got more starts on the World Cup this season, making good progress forward, along with their teammate Luke Winters, who put the Americans back on the map for slalom with showing glimpses of brilliance and proving he can hang with the big dogs. Though he had a challenging winter, River Radamus grabbed a top-15 in Alta Badia, Italy's parallel giant slalom, finishing in 14th. It’s a trending progression for this crew, and they’re looking forward to putting the pieces of the puzzle together in 2020-21.

The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team will look to build on the foundation laid in the 2019-20 season, in hopes of bringing medal-contending athletes to the Cortina 2021 World Championships through to the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 and beyond. Buckle up and get excited, the 2020-21 season will be one for the ages. 

Relive all the top moments of the year with the videos below!

Goggles for Docs is an effort to get used or new ski goggles into the hands of healthcare workers who currently have no eye protection as they treat COVID-19 patients.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is a drop off location for those local to the Park City or Utah area. We will be taking donations until the need tapers or is met. There will be a receptacle located outside of our front entrance for those interested/able to donate.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
1 Victory Lane
Park City, UT 84060

How it Works

Select a State: You will be directed to a google sheet for the specific state you choose. You can click through tabs at the bottom for each hospital in that state that has opted in.

Select a Hospital: Check the top of the sheet, if the % of the required goggles has exceeded 100%, pick another hospital. Share the love.

Enter Info: From there just add you info, the number of goggles that you are willing to commit (make sure you do this because YOU are the inventory control!) Once you are done...share.

Prepare: Prepare the goggles for donation by following these guidelines.

Mail: Mail (preferably overnight ship) the goggles to your hospital of choice.

Drop Off: There are drop-off locations listed on the site, but using a drop-off will slow down health care workers on the front lines, from getting the goggles they need.

Spread the Word: As COVID-19 moves through each region, more and more goggles will be needed.

The biggest takeaway from the season for Hailey Swirbul was about perspective. Whether it meant making the repetitive European breakfasts more enjoyable or being a better teammate, there was something to be gained from not focusing on the greater successes.

“The most important thing I learned throughout this whole year is to focus on the small victories. I’ve been thinking about this a lot actually, because it’s really easy to get caught up in a big result,” Swirbul said. “It’s easy to lose perspective about the small victories and the small motivations along the way and wondering why you’re not winning world juniors, like some of these people around us are. I think that was really important for me and I was able to focus on something small.”

Swirbul, a 2016 Basalt High School graduate, recently wrapped up her second season with the U.S. cross-country ski team. The 2019-20 winter came with a lot more challenges, including many more World Cup starts. Swirbul started four World Cup races in her rookie campaign last winter, three coming in the Quebec finals.

Read the Full Story at AspenTimes.com

As with the completion of any season, there are always changes to staff and rosters moving forward, and the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is no exception. This past season brought many successes, and unfortunately an abrupt end to the season.

With those many successes this season, the hardest part was not having the opportunity to celebrate, or wish a fond farewell to each other, especially the two departing staff members - development team coach Bernie Nelson, and World Cup service tech Jean-Pascal Laurin. Both of them are highly respected and will be missed tremendously by the athletes and staff. 

While Bernie’s tenure was just one season with the team, she left a lasting impression on the staff and athletes, as she brought strong leadership, passion, and youthful energy to the U.S. Ski Team.  

“I feel super lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Bernie this past year,” said Novie McCabe, a member of the silver-medal winning Junior World Championship Team. “I learned so much from her in a pretty short amount of time. She took the time to get to know everyone on the team, as an athlete and a person and was happy to support each of us in whatever way we needed. 

“Sometimes it can be a bit hard to feel like a team with everyone living in different corners of the country, but Bernie helped give us a feeling of solidarity by presenting opportunities for us to feel like we were working as a team and helping each other reach our goals,” Novie continued. “This had a profound impact on the team atmosphere, which was very positive and supportive. I think Bernie taught us all a lot this year about what it means to be there for your teammates, and how important it is to strive to be the best person that you can be if you want to succeed as an athlete.”

“I think the biggest thing that shows how important Bernie has been for us is that before she came, I didn't really think that I needed another full-time coach,” said 2020 Junior World Champion Gus Schumacher. “However, after working with her, I've realized how important having another person so invested in you can be. She put her heart and soul into this job...and made so many strong connections while coaching the team, I think mostly due to her ability to listen and hear what we as athletes need. I’m very sad to see her leave the team, but I’m happy she’s making the right decision for herself, and happy that I got to know her.”

On the World Cup side, JP brought a huge smile, witty personality and an incredible work ethic to the ski tech staff. He is stepping down from his post to dedicate more time to his quickly booming farming operation, and he will certainly be missed.

“In the five years I worked along with JP, there wasn't a day he showed up without a smile,” noted Sadie Maubet Bjornsen. “With any high-level athletics, expectations, and nerves have an ability to zap the joy from the experience. With JP around, it was a guarantee that he was going to ensure his athletes were enjoying the process no matter the result.”

“JP was a huge asset to our team and fit in perfectly as soon as he began working with us,” added Sophie Cladwell. “You could always count on JP to meet you at the wax truck with a smile poking out from underneath his mustache. He kept the atmosphere light and happy while making some fast skis on top of that!”

“JP has been a critical catalyst in our World Cup service program, helping us move the needle on our glide program significantly, and always leading with hard work, innovation, and humor,” said Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Program Director Chris Grover. “Many times, we have had the fastest skis in the field. JP was instrumental in helping Kikkan and Jessie win the gold in Pyeongchang, and in achieving so many milestones in USA ski racing in the past years. In many ways, JP has also embodied the spirit of our service team, we are so sad to lose him, although we know we will see him in the coming seasons.”

With Chris stepping up to the cross country program director position at the beginning of the 2019-20 season, Matt Whitcomb has been tapped to take over the head coach position that Chris also held throughout the past season.

“I’m very excited to see Matt take on the role of head coach for the Cross Country Team,” Chris said. “Matt has 14 years of experience with the U.S. Ski Team, and he has been a leader within our program at every level, as our Head Development Coach, as our Women’s Team Coach, and as a World Cup Coach, his knowledge of every element of the sport is world-class and his enthusiasm for the progress of USA athletes at every level is contagious. After 10 years in the Head Coach position, I am looking forward to sharing even more of the leadership duties with Matt.”

“For nearly 15 years Matt has been a coach, friend, mentor, and leader to the many athletes and staff members who have been a part of the national team,” added Simi Hamilton, who recently announced he will compete at least one more season on the World Cup level. “(His) passion for this sport like no one else I’ve ever seen and a knack for instilling that same passion in the athletes who are lucky enough to be coached by him. I can say without a doubt that if Matt had not been around as a coach when I was growing up, there is little chance that I would have continued to race past the collegiate level. He has been inspiring me to dream big and work as hard as possible to realize those dreams for the last 20 years of my life, and I can’t imagine anyone more deserving or better suited to be named head coach.”

“I’m honored to accept the role Chris Grover has held since 2010, and I am thankful he’ll continue working in a leadership position as the team’s director,” Matt said. “A huge asset for our team is that we see long careers, for both athletes and staff. This longevity says it all: We have an environment that seeks to promote well-being. That’s why I keep coming back. It has me as motivated as I was 14 years ago to work hard for my teammates and the U.S. ski community.”

The 2019-20 season can’t be defined by one or two riders dominating the professional circuit. The star-studded line up of the U.S. Snowboard Team boasted 13 riders earning elite-level podiums. The men and women of the U.S. Snowboard Team continued to prove their status as a diverse and talented group of competitors across FIS World Cup and elite-level competition. The U.S. Snowboard Team earned 19 FIS World Cup podiums, as well as 12 podiums across X Games, Dew Tour, and the U.S. Open. 

The first athlete to find success for the U.S. Snowboard Team was Chris Corning. His hard work during off-season training camps and in the gym put him in a position to kick off the season on a high note. He took to the big air circuit with a sense of drive and mental toughness that’s difficult to imitate by his fellow competitors. Chris wasted no time defending his title in August at the Winter Games NZ World Cup by landing his signature backside quad cork 1800 melon grab on his second run. 

Chris carried this momentum into November and the heart of the FIS Big Air World Cup circuit where he earned a pair of third-place finishes in Modena, Italy, and Beijing, China. Moving into the Visa Big Air Presented by Land Rover, the final World Cup big air of the season and the first-ever internationally sanctioned snowsports event in the southeast, Chris was the FIS Big Air Cup Standings leader, just ahead of Canada’s Nicolas Laframboise. In a perfect storybook ending Chris stepped up on his last run to deliver the first-ever quad cork 1800 on a scaffold big air jump and take the victory, just one position ahead of Laframboise in second place. Chris’s win secured him the big air Crystal Globe. 

Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard also found early success at the Winter Games NZ big air earning second-place before linking together a series of impressive slopestyle results at all four of competitive snowboarding’s most prestigious events. Reminiscent of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, Red won the Dew Tour on his last run. Red also earned second-place at the Laax Open in Switzerland, as well as third place at Colorado’s X Games Aspen 2020 and the U.S. Open at Vail. However, Red wasn’t the only U.S. Snowboard Team athlete to step onto the podium at the Open.
 

With the world watching and memories of the late Jake Burton Carpenter flowing through the minds of fans and athletes alike, U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member Dusty Henricksen took to the slopestyle course at the U.S. Open and made snowboarding history. Coming into finals as the first-place qualifier, Dusty landed the first-ever backside quad cork 1800 in slopestyle competition to close out his run and take second-place. Dusty also claimed victories at the Youth Olympic Games (slopestyle) and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. (slopestyle) to solidify a breakthrough season for the 17-year-old. Dusty would finish third overall in the FIS Slopestyle Cup Standings and on top of the NorAm slopestyle and big air rankings. 

U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Judd Henkes also found the podium this season earning two third-place finishes at the Laax Open and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth. Judd calls Mammoth Mountain home, so it’s no surprise he found the podium there for the second consecutive year.

For the women of the U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Team, Jamie Anderson set the bar. Although Jamie struggled early in the season in big air competition, those performances were quickly forgotten as she reached the podium in every competition she entered for the remainder of the season until the final event at X Games Norway 2020. Having podiumed in every X Games slopestyle event she has ever participated in, Jamie remained podium-perfect at X Games Aspen 2020 with a gold medal in snowboard slopestyle. She went on to win the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix slopestyle at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. with her friends and family looking on in the finish corral. She then won her 11th Dew Tour Slopestyle Championship. Finally, Jamie earned her fourth consecutive contest victory with her eighth U.S. Open slopestyle title, dedicating her win to the late Jake Burton Carpenter.
 

In addition, in an industry that continues to place importance on film and aspects of snowboarding adjacent to the contest scene, Jamie was named Women’s Rider of the Year at the first annual SNOWBOARDER Awards. Jamie put her heart and soul into her film Unconditional and it paid dividends. Another film highlighted at the SNOWBOARDER Awards was JOY, starring Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard and U.S. Snowboard Team alumni Sage Kotsenburg and Ben Ferguson. Appearances included U.S. Snowboard Team member Hailey Langland and team alumni Danny Davis, Brock Crouch, Nik Baden, and Gabe Ferguson. JOY was named "Movie of the Year." U.S. Snowboard Team member Luke Winkelmann was crowned "Men’s Fan Favorite."

Back to competition, U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Julia Marino collected a marquee win at the 2020 Laax Open. After finishing fourth two years in a row, Julia put down a beautiful first run including a backside 900 that she only learned a week before at a team camp in Park City. Julia also earned bronze at X Games Norway 2019 in big air. 

In halfpipe, Maddie Mastro led the way collecting podiums at both editions of the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo. and Mammoth Mountain, Calif. However, at Mammoth, she had a special treat for her home resort crowd, stomping her double crippler for the first time in competition since her win at the 2019 U.S. Open. Maddie also earned third place at the Secret Garden, China World Cup and second at the Dew Tour modified superpipe, where her style and creativity set her apart from the rest of the field. 
 

For the men, it was Taylor Gold who carried the spark throughout the season. Taylor joined Mastro on the podium at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, landing a signature trick of his own, a double Michalchuk 1080, dubbed the “Chuck Taylor” by teammate Chase Josey. Taylor landed the Chuck Taylor for the first time ever in halfpipe competition at the Laax Open earlier in the season, where he finished in third place and his huge amplitude, unmatched style, and textbook execution lit up the crowd. Taylor finished seventh in the FIS Cup Standings. For the past five years, he has been battling back from a shattered knee cap, but Taylor is back on top and the field is on notice. 

Even with a collection of top-three finishes from Maddie and Taylor, the highlight of the season for the U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Team had to be the American sweep of the inaugural men’s superpipe session at X Games Aspen. Any snowboarder will tell you, the sport is not only about winning, but the pure joy of riding with style and having fun, and that’s just what this event was about. Taylor and teammates Toby Miller and Jake Pates took to the superpipe and laid down a sequence of hand plants, lip tricks, gator rolls, and tricks that were mesmerizing to watch. It resulted in Taylor earning the gold, Jake Pates the silver, and Toby taking home the bronze, proving not only can U.S. riders reach the podium, but also put on a show. 

In snowboardcross, three-time olympian Faye Gulini led the way for the U.S., finishing fifth overall in the FIS Cup Standings. Faye finished in the top-10 in every race she entered. With the final race in Veysonnaz, Switzerland canceled due to Covid-19 precautions, Faye missed her chance to finish the season with a victory. Her strong results and confidence throughout the season pointed to finishing on a high note. Nonetheless, Faye joined two of her U.S. Snowboardcross teammates on the podium with a third-place finish at the Big White, Canada World Cup. Olympic medalist Alex Deibold and first-year pro team member Senna Leith also finished in third during the two-race program. 
 

In the Europa Cup, U.S. development group rider Meghan Tierney topped the Cup Standings with a first and second-place finish at Isola 2000 in France, as well as a third-place finish in the last race of the year in Grasgehren, Germany. For the men, Mikey LaCroix dominated the Nor-Am circuit earning podiums at all four races he entered. Meghan and Mikey’s performances mark their most successful season yet as they each consistently reached the podium throughout the season. 

When looking back on a season, performances on the World Cup level are important, but not the whole picture. In a sport that progresses at a rapid pace, the athlete pipeline is critical to developing the future. The future of the U.S. Snowboard Team looks to be a bright one, highlighted by rookie team riders taking to the NorAm circuit and finding success across each discipline. U.S. Rookie Team members Dusty Henricksen and Ty Schnorrbusch claimed the slopestyle and big air titles. U.S. Rookie Team member Tessa Maud claimed the halfpipe title for the women, while teammates Jack Coyne, Lucas Foster, and Jason Wolle, all finished in the top-10. In snowboardcross, development group rider Mikey LaCroix earned the top spot. Meanwhile, the women swept the top three spots with American Anna Miller in first, and development group riders Livia Molodyh and Stacey Gaskill in second and third respectively. 

The 2019-20 season brought a level of success across all disciplines, for both men and women, and pro and rookie team athletes. Just as personal style and diversity are respected within the snowboard industry, the U.S. Snowboard Team also fosters a culture in which everyone’s differences create an environment that leads to collective team success. From Red Gerard to Faye Gulini, the skill sets and qualities that make up the U.S. Snowboard Team are unique, but necessary to foster an environment of progression and winning. This culture is in place at U.S. Ski & Snowboard as we take one step closer to the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

Relive all the top moments of the year with the videos below!
 

Olympic champion, winningest female alpine ski racer of all time and Land Rover Ambassador Lindsey Vonn's HBO documentary, Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season, has been nominated for two sports Emmy awards. 

Known as the most decorated female alpine skier of all time, Lindsey intimately recounts her final season in this feature-length documentary, with a look back at her transcendent career, from child prodigy with humble beginnings at Buck Hill, Minn. to the Olympic champion and winningest female alpine ski racer. 

Teton Gravity Research, widely recognized as one of the premier documentary production companies in the outdoor action, adventure, and exploration space, had a camera crew embedded with Lindsey and the U.S. Ski Team throughout the winter months, capturing the final, intimate moments of her skiing journey.

The documentary is up for two Emmy Awards, each in good company, in the following categories: 

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (All Eyes on Us) FOX/FS1/FS2/FOX Deportes
ESPN (There’s No Place Like Sports) ESPN
Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season (Trailer [Teton Gravity Research]) HBO
Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston (Trailer) Showtime
Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon ([NASCAR Productions/DLP Media Group]) FS1

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK
24/7 (Kelly Slater) HBO
The Dawn Wall ([Red Bull Media House/Sender Films]) Netflix
Inside the NFL (Shots Of The Year [NFL Films]) Showtime
Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season ([Teton Gravity Research]) HBO
Super Bowl LIV (Next 100 [72andSunny/Prettybird]) FOX

If you’re looking for something to watch while in quarantine, check out her powerful story on HBO, HBO On Demand, HBO GO, HBO NOW and partners’ streaming platforms.

Every winter ushers in new athletes, challenges and triumphs, and the 2019-20 competition season was no exception. The men and women of the U.S. Freeski Team found success across World Cup, Youth Olympic, and elite-level competition, once again solidifying the U.S. as a serious contender at the highest level of slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air freeskiing. The U.S. Freeski Team earned 20 FIS World Cup podiums, 12 podiums at X Games and Dew Tour, as well as five Youth Olympic Games medals. 

Although 17 different athletes collected top-three finishes this season on the professional circuit, a few names rise to the top with consistently strong performances throughout the winter.

Following an impressive 2018-19 season, pro team member Alex Hall picked up right where he left off, immediately stringing together three-consecutive wins in big air at X Games Norway 2019; the Modena, Italy World Cup; and perhaps his pinnacle win of the season at the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover in Atlanta, Ga. Alex executed a walk-off switch left double 1800 Buick to win the event and leave his legacy at SunTrust Park. He finished second overall in the FIS Big Air Cup Standings. 
 

Alex was able to top three big air podiums before the New Year, prior to setting his sights on the slopestyle course. He went on to earn three more podiums at the debut of Dew Tour at Copper Mountain Colo. (slopestyle) as well as X Games Norway 2020 (knuckle huck and slopestyle) at Hafjell Resort. In addition, Alex also found the spotlight as the focal point of multiple film projects including Magma (filmed with teammate Hunter Hess) and Faction’s feature-length film The Collective. His well-rounded approach to freeskiing earned him the prestigious title of the 2020 Newschoolers Skier of the Year. Alex capitalized on every element of his craft including big air, slopestyle, rail-jams, film, and even the new X Games knuckle huck event. 

Also excelling from the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air Team was Colby Stevenson, who gained a new level of confidence in 2020, which materialized into numerous podiums. Colby collected top-three finishes across three different World Cup slopestyle events including Seiser Alm, Italy; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. With the final World Cup slopestyle of the season in Silvaplana, Switzerland canceled due to Covid-19 precautions, Colby ended his season in second-place overall, but the top American, in the FIS Slopestyle Cup Standings. Teammates Deven Fagan, Cody LaPlante, and Nick Goepper all joined Colby in the top-10 finishing second, seventh, ninth, and 10th respectively. 
 

Outside of World Cup competition, Colby made history at X Games Aspen 2020 by becoming the first X Games rookie to win gold in freeski slopestyle. Not only did Colby earn gold as his first X Games medal, but he doubled up by winning the inaugural ski knuckle huck event to complete his rock star X Games debut. 

Other notable performances from the men of the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air Team included rookie team athletes Deven Fagan and Cody LaPlante, each earning their first-ever World Cup podiums. Deven took third-place on home soil at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. stomping a 1440 with authority on the last jump. Cody thrived in Europe rounding out the podium in third-place in Font Romeu, France, where he beat out a slew of Olympians and World Champions. Not only did Cody hold his own against an incredibly strong field, but he also did it in his first slopestyle competition back from ACL and meniscus surgery.

Speaking of comebacks, Cody wasn’t the only one to work his way back from rehab. No one did it better than Whitefish, Mont. local Maggie Voisin. Maggie decided to make her comeback from ACL surgery at the biggest event of the year: X Games Aspen. As Maggie’s fan’s and teammates watched her drop into the slopestyle course at Buttermilk Mountain, any lingering doubt that she had fully recovered quickly dissipated and her streak began. She gradually improved in every X Games competition for the remainder of the season earning bronze in Aspen slopestyle, silver in Norway’s big air, and gold in Norway’s slopestyle. However, Maggie’s post-recovery accomplishments were not limited to X Games. She also collected podiums at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix and Dew Tour. Her success was a direct result of her work ethic and drive to be back at the top of the sport. To close out the season in Norway, Maggie stomped a beautiful double cork 1260 safety as the perfect cherry on top of an amazing comeback contest season.
 

Also representing the women of the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Team was Caroline Claire, who won the Seiser Alm, Italy, World Cup slopestyle. She stomped a switch double cork 900 and took home her third podium in three years at Seiser Alm. Caroline also earned the Newschoolers Breakthrough Award. The all-female segment in The Collective was named the "Ladies Choice Best Female Edit," in which Caroline had a significant part. In addition, although she did not reach the World Cup podium, rookie team member Marin Hamill finished second overall in the FIS Cup Standings, a remarkable accomplishment for the 18-year-old. 

U.S. Freeski athletes continued to display their grit in the halfpipe with multiple athletes rebounding from injury. Both Olympic medalists David Wise and Brita Sigourney wasted no time finding their way back to the podium, each earning second-place at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo. David was returning from a broken femur and Brita from a tibia and fibula spiral fracture. Although on a different recovery timeline, Lyman Currier found the podium again for the first time following an ACL injury in 2014. He earned two third-place finishes at the Secret Garden, China, and Mammoth Grand Prix World Cups. 

However, throughout the entire season, it was veteran Aaron Blunck who took the reins. Aaron finished in the top-three at five of the seven events he entered, displaying pure dominance and poise. Although his season was full of highlights, none compared to his winning performance at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., where all three of his runs would have won the event. Head freeski judge Steele Spence described Aaron's runs as, “three of the best pipe runs of all time. They were the hardest runs and he executed them perfectly.” Aaron’s consistency would earn him the FIS Halfpipe Crystal Globe and his second X Games Aspen medal. 

Alex Ferreira would earn X Games Aspen gold and became the first Aspen local to ever win back-to-back gold medals in any X Games discipline. In addition, fellow Colorado local Birk Irving also continued to prove himself as a contender, claiming podiums at the first and last halfpipe World Cups of the season. To kick off the season, Birk won the Winter Games NZ landing a never-been-done double-cork-720 that defied gravity. Birk closed out the season at the Calgary Rodeo World Cup in Canada with a third-place. 
 

Although the 2019-20 season was cut short, fans around the world had the chance to experience the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 in Switzerland, where young American freeskiers thrived and made their presence known. Combined, U.S. Freeski athletes earned five medals (two bronze, two silver, one gold). U.S. Rookie Team members Hunter Carey and Hanna Faulhaber earned second and third respectively in the halfpipe. Teammate Hunter Henderson took third in slopestyle, while pro team member Kiernan took home a gold in slopestyle and a silver in big air. 

After strong performances by the rookies at the Youth Olympic Games, it’s no surprise that they also topped the NorAm Cup Standings. Hunter Henderson and Rell Harwood claimed the NorAm slopestyle and big air titles, while Hanna took home the halfpipe title. 

The 2019-20 professional freeski competition season resulted in success at every level across all disciplines for U.S. athletes. There is no question as to the depth and breadth of the U.S. Freeski Team moving into the first of two Olympic selection years. The U.S. Freeski Team is primed and on track to set the tone as we take one step closer to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic season.

Relive all the top moments of the year with the videos below!
 

Feel free to make fun of Simi Hamilton for becoming the old man who refused to hang it up. He won’t mind, as he did the same when he was younger. Of course, there is a drive behind the Aspen Olympian’s desire to keep going that is worth noting.

“I’m turning into one of those people I always kind of made fun of a little bit,” Hamilton joked. “I felt like I learned a lot of things about my body and my mind this year where I can kind of tweak a lot of things this coming training season and put in a really good next year. I’m psyched about giving it one more shot.”

Hamilton, 32, is an Aspen native and longtime fixture on the U.S. cross-country ski team. After time at Middlebury College in Vermont, Hamilton went on to compete in three Winter Olympic Games (2010, 2014, 2018) and every world championship since 2011.

Read the Full Story at AspenTimes.com

The United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) is currently hosting the 2020 USASA National Championships Relief Auction through April 8 to help bridge the financial gap created by the loss of this year's event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The USASA National Championships traditionally serve as a key revenue source that has driven the mission and vision of the USASA for over 30 years. With the longevity and future of USASA in jeopardy, the organization is asking for community support in their time of need.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA have been working together to support freeskiing and snowboarding for more than 20 years, creating opportunities for athletes, coaches, and judges. USASA produces more than 500 events at 120 resorts through its 32 unique series that engages the culture and community of both sports. In addition to the hosting of events, USASA also provides an education structure for the development of coaches, officials and judges in the U.S. hosted through in-person clinics and social outreach. Moreover, the USASA National Championships are part of a robust pipeline that carries athletes from USASA regional events all the way up to Olympic level competition. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard relies on organizations like USASA to connect the freeski and snowboard grassroots pipeline to the elite level, thereby increasing interest, participation, and securing the future of the sports we love. The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative impacts globally on the well-being of individuals and businesses across the world. USASA is no exception to the challenging environment we all must confront in light of this unprecedented time. To view products and learn more about the auction, visit the link below. 

Visit The 2020 USASA National Championships Relief Auction