At 18 years old, Tess Johnson (Vail, Colo.) is the youngest American freestyle athlete to medal at a World Championships after upsetting Kazakhstan's Yulia Galysheva to clinch the bronze medal at the 2019 Dual Moguls World Championships at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. Nominated to the U.S. Ski Team when she was only 14, Johnson has never let age be the number that defines her, she leaves that to her results.

 

 

 

 

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Bronze at World Champs babyyy!🥉🔥 So incredible sharing the podium with @jaekauf & @wilsfreestyle

A post shared by Tess (@_tessjohnson) on Feb 10, 2019 at 8:55pm PST

In her four years on the team, she’s skied three full FIS Freestyle World Cup tours; earned three World Cup podiums, including one win; skied for Team USA at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and earned a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships. “It doesn’t matter how old you are because really what matters is what you can do on your skis,” she says.

Her parents taught her to ski at two years old. By age eight, she loved jumping and trying new tricks, and wanted to compete in slopestyle. Ironically, Tess Johnson, the athlete to set the precedent for nominating young athletes to the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, was too young to join Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s slopestyle program and ended up in “Bumps and Jumps” instead. She began competing that same year and under the wings of coaches Riley Campbell and John Dowling, proved a real talent on the mogul field.

Several veteran moguls athletes retired from the U.S. Ski Team in 2015, including Hannah Kearney, Eliza Outtrim and Heather McPhie, providing an opportunity for new talent to join. “I remember getting the call from Matt [Gnoza, Head Moguls Coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard] and just being so shocked,” she said. “I had done well that year and my timing was just really good because of those retirements. There was a spot open and I was next in line. Matt really believes in developing young athletes and giving them opportunities on the World Cup and national stage, which I think is amazing. I’m really grateful that he believed in me from the start without even really knowing me at that point.”

The moguls World Cup tour is condensed into four short months and spans over three continents. Learning the courses and adjusting to cultural differences is key. The more experience a skier has on the tour, the greater their athletic potential becomes. This was her third full tour and was her best season yet, finishing fifth overall.

“My breakthrough as an athlete followed competing in the Olympics. Competing in the Olympics gave me a lot of confidence and helped me realize I am capable of winning. So I did just that in the next World Cup [following the Olympics] in Japan, I earned my first win and podium. I carried that momentum into the 18-19 prep period and by the time Ruka [Finland, the first 18-19 World Cup] came around, I was ready to strike.”

 

 

 

 

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Still on cloud nine...✨ Thank you to these badass ladies for being the best teammates I could ask for. So stoked to represent the USA alongside you guys!

A post shared by Tess (@_tessjohnson) on Mar 5, 2018 at 5:30pm PST

The 18-19 season was one for the books for Johnson, starting out on the podium in Ruka, earning another podium in Lake Placid, N.Y., and medaling at her first World Championship appearance. She is driven by her passion for moguls skiing and her competitive nature, an attitude that serves her well on the road. “In the heart of winter, when we’re competing and traveling, that’s my favorite time of the year. It’s very intense but it’s also fun.”

Although being one of the youngest members of her team, she has grown into one of its leaders. She serves as the athlete liaison for moguls to the organization, a role she earned by a team vote. As athlete liaison, she meets periodically with members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s leadership team to discuss the athlete experience, ideas, and improvements. “I kind of wasn't expecting to get it because of my age,” she said. “But I think that just validates that age doesn’t automatically preclude you from having a voice.”

This past winter she partnered with a program based in Vail, Colo., called Girl PowHER, an organization that empowers young girls ages 10-12 physically, mentally and socially through group activities and sports. During the small break between competition and prep season, she worked with some of the girls directly, sharing her experiences being an elite athlete while balancing graduating high school. Johnson hopes in sharing her story that she empowers more young girls to pursue their dream, no matter what obstacles they believe stand in their way.

 

 

 

 

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So happy to announce my new partnership with Girl PowHER, a program of @youthpower365 . Their mission of empowering young women mentally, physically, and emotionally is something that is very close to my heart, and I can’t wait to see where this goes. #GirlPowHER 💜

A post shared by Tess (@_tessjohnson) on Feb 28, 2019 at 5:21pm PST

“The program aligns with our teams values that we’ve created this past season, especially the women’s team. We are role models for each other, lifting each other up and pushing each other to be the best versions of ourselves. They've helped me recognize the importance of teamwork and camaraderie while building my character. I think I can take what I’ve learned from my teammates and take it to these girls. Every girl has something great to offer the world, sometimes it just takes another girl to help her realize that.”

 

 

 

 

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To all the badass chicks who lift each other up, Happy International Women’s Day! 💜

A post shared by Tess (@_tessjohnson) on Mar 8, 2019 at 1:41pm PST

Tess may not have had the typical teenage experience, she became an Olympian before a high school graduate, but in following her passion she also found her platform as a role model. “I think that getting on the team at such a young age helped me gain this confidence that I have right now to use my voice.”

Follow Tess Johnson’s journey via Instagram @_tessjohnson

During the competition season the seven teams that comprise U.S. Ski & Snowboard each criss-cross the globe competing for podiums. There is little opportunity for cross-team interaction, even though these athletes all represent the same organization. However, the spring prep period provides opportunity for teams to exchange ideas when training camps overlap. Recently the moguls team and the men’s alpine development camp both trained at U.S. Ski & Snowboard official training site at Squaw Valley, Calif. and were able to capitalize on skiing collaborations.

Moguls skiing is a freestyle discipline, and grew out of a desire to challenge the alpine system of doing things when the sport first took off in the 1960s and 70s. Although moguls and alpine skiers may not see eye to eye when it comes to their preferred way of getting down the course - carving around gates versus turning around bumps; flying in a tuck versus getting inverted - there is a lot that both disciplines can learn from each other.

The practice of cross training, or utilizing different forms of exercise, is known for creating and maintaining a high level of fitness. The same principle can be applied in skiing: the more proficient a skier is in varying conditions, the stronger they are overall. In having moguls athletes train on alpine courses and alpine athletes train on moguls courses, skiers are able to challenge their specific skill set. This builds stronger, more well-rounded skiers, which makes a difference during competition when courses and snow conditions vary.

The moguls team utilized the alpine team’s slalom roller terrain features as well as their gate and brushes skills courses. “The courses work on all the skills needed to become a proficient, all-around skier: balance, rotary movements, edging and pressure,” explained U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Head Moguls Coach, Matt Gnoza. “I know my athletes can ski the bumps well, but taking them out of their comfort zone and placing them in an alpine skill course was a welcome challenge for them.”

Head Men’s Development Coach Sasha Rearick is known by athletes for his unconventional approach to teaching fundamentals of the sport. In fact, last year while in Squaw Valley, Rearick said his alpine development team athletes did some work with the moguls team, taking a couple of runs through the moguls. This year, it was a more structured collaboration with Gnoza and the moguls athletes.

“The moguls skiers would come over for a few runs and would run through our stubbies/brush courses, and we’d go over and ski the mogul track,” Rearick said. “One day we took the entire group over and Tess Johnson and Casey Andringa gave us a general scope of what they were working on, and gave us some advice on how to ski in the mogul track. I was concerned that we’d mess the track up, but they assured us it would be OK. From there, I had selected a couple of guys each day to go and join the moguls team for a couple of hours.”

To the untrained eye, alpine and moguls skiing looks radically different. Moguls athletes ski a line down a mogul field, with a top and bottom air; alpine athletes compete in six different disciplines - parallel slalom, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill and alpine combined - with courses set where gates are close together and more technical (slalom and giant slalom) to courses where gates are farther apart known as “speed disciplines” (super-G and downhill). In alpine, the fastest one down wins. However, when breaking down basic parts of the technique needed to be proficient in either discipline, similarities appear.

Beyond that, Rearick noted that it’s important for his alpine athletes to be able to express themselves in a variety of ways when they’re skiing - from slalom to downhill, off-piste skiing,and moguls as well. “I want to make sure that everyone has the skills to express themselves in their own way. The common thread between all of these types of skiing is a good athletic stance and balance, so our first goal is to broaden that base. Secondly, the ability to keep the skis on the snow in moguls skiing is really challenging, and it’s a skill set needed in alpine ski racing - especially slalom skiing.”

Alpine athletes did this moguls skiing leading up to the slalom block, working on keeping the skis on the snow and flexion/extension as the key area of focus to maintain that pressure to control the skis and keep them on the snow. “Rounding out the fundamentals for alpine ski racing,” Rearick added, “are the pole plant and, finally, upper body discipline. These skills are accentuated in moguls skiing and make for a much more precise moguls skier.”

“Training with the alpine team provided an opportunity to compare notes with their coaching staff,” said Gnoza. “Both disciplines’ courses provide ample opportunity to work on ankle flexion in different ways, which is important in both alpine and moguls skiing. It was fun to compare notes and drills on having a quiet upper body, which moguls skiers are very good at, and the alpine team was working on.”

Rearick echoed Gnoza’s sentiments, “It was cool to talk with the coaches about what they’re working on and how they’re working on it; their precision in their sport is remarkable. The simplicity of the sport is much more focused - but because of that, they have to be really specific with their feedback. That level of detail - two inches this or that way - was fascinating to be around as a coach and to see that level of detail being applied in high-level athletics was just incredible.”

Alpine athletes - like Isaiah Nelson (Wayzata, Minn.) who transitioned from the moguls back to slalom training - improved their upper body position and precision of pole plants. That was a huge positive for Rearick with the crossover training.

“It was such a pleasure to work alongside the men’s alpine development camp,” said Gnoza. “Having the athletes and coaches working together toward a common vision of becoming best in the world was very exciting to be part of. I think everyone left that camp feeling that while working alone we can get things accomplished, but working together we can accomplish so much more.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard welcomes back Joe Discoe to the organization as the Moguls World Cup Technical Coach. Discoe, a former moguls national team athlete, joined the moguls coaching staff June 1.

“I am thrilled that Joe Discoe has accepted our offer to be the Technical Moguls Coach for the U.S. Moguls Team,” said Matt Gnoza, head moguls coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Joe is a proven coach in the moguls skiing world and brings a wealth of experience to our team. He came to us as a highly-regarded candidate, and from speaking with him throughout the hiring process, we found him to be very knowledgeable, driven, and deserving of this opportunity. He is a highly respected and a hardworking individual who has a full appreciation for the sport. His ability to communicate and relate to both young and veteran athletes was a huge plus for us. As a former athlete with the U.S. Ski Team, Joe understands the pressures of World Cup skiing and will be able to relate well to the athletes.”

Discoe brings a wealth of experience to his new position. He started his coaching career while an elite athlete, coaching for Fly Freestyle during the summer prep period when not training himself. Most recently Discoe coached for Park City Ski & Snowboard. He also served as an Olympic coach for the German National moguls team at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Discoe grew up in Ridgeway, Colo., and skied with Telluride Ski & Snowboard Club. He was nominated to the U.S. Ski Team for the 2008-09 season and made the move to Park City, Utah, which has been home ever since. He competed for eight years, retiring in 2016. He will now coach several of his previous teammates, including Brad Wilson (Butte, Mont.), Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.) and Tom Rowley (Long Beach, Calif.), as well as work alongside his former coach and now boss, Matt Gnoza. Discoe brings a welcome and unique perspective to the moguls coaching staff, as he has experience competing inverted tricks, which weren’t allowed when Gnoza was competing.

Coaching has always felt natural for Discoe. As an athlete he had a good feel for correcting his skiing and cites his second job coaching for making him a better competitor. He looks forward to getting integrated with the team during this summer’s prep period before World Cup competition kicks off in Ruka, Finland, in December.

“I’m excited to be able to come back to the team I strove to be on and then competed with for eight years,” said Discoe. “It’s fun being back in this atmosphere and working with the most elite people in our sport.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the National Governing Body (NGB) of Olympic ski and snowboard sports in the USA, and Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and part of POWDR, have solidified a two-year agreement for Vermont’s Killington Resort to host the FIS Ski World Cup. Killington’s place on the 2019 World Cup calendar has been confirmed by the International Ski Federation (FIS). HomeLight will be the title sponsor for the next World Cup at Killington, which will take place November 30-December 1, 2019, Thanksgiving weekend.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is eager to "Bring it home," as this year marks the first year that HomeLight, the San Francisco-based real estate technology company, will be the title sponsor for the World Cup at Killington, the Homelight Killington Cup. This event will be the only domestic stop on the World Cup tour for the women of the U.S. Ski Team, including two-time Olympic gold medalist and global superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (Edwards, Colo.). The highly anticipated event signals the beginning of the ski season for many fans.

As with the past three years of the FIS Ski World Cup, the proposed 2019 and 2020 races at Killington will be broadcast worldwide to more than 60 nations, along with national broadcast coverage across the U.S. The event has drawn an increasing number of spectators who converge in Killington each year to cheer on racers from around the world. Peaking at 40,000 spectators last year, the event is anticipated to bring millions of dollars in economic impact to the Killington Region and the state of Vermont.

“Establishing another multi-year World Cup schedule here at Killington is an incredible opportunity for the resort and the surrounding community. I continue to be blown away by the sheer size of the crowds, and their enthusiasm leads me to believe that we’ll continue to see large numbers of spectators to watch the fastest female ski racers in the world take on the Superstar trail,” says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort.

“We use every cold period in October and November to build a world-class race venue on Superstar, and getting the job done early in the season showcases Killington’s state-of-the-art snowmaking system as an industry-leading powerhouse while also setting us up to offer the longest season in the East. In fact, we skied into June this season for the second time in three years.”

The World Cup includes women’s giant slalom and slalom races, attracting athletes such as Shiffrin, who has emerged victorious in slalom each of the last three years at Killington, for the hat trick. "The Killington World Cup has been a highlight of mine on the World Cup tour the last three seasons,” said Shiffrin. “In 2018 we – all of us together – set a new precedent for ski racing internationally, boasting the largest World Cup crowd for women on the entire circuit. To get that hat trick slalom victory in front of thousands of screaming fans at home is something I will never, ever forget. I'm looking forward to once again competing on home soil."

Tickets for the 2019 HomeLight Killington Cup will go on sale in August. Stay tuned to Killington and U.S. Ski & Snowboard channels for more information.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has had a long relationship with POWDR producing World Cup and Grand Prix events at other POWDR resorts including Copper Mountain, and the collaboration for Killington’s World Cup the past three years solidified “The Beast of the East” as a strong venue for World Cup alpine ski racing to continue on the East coast.

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About HomeLight
HomeLight empowers people to make smarter decisions when buying or selling a home. Since launching in 2010, HomeLight has connected thousands of clients with top local real estate agents, investors and online resources. With offices in San Francisco, Seattle and Phoenix, HomeLight conducts business nationwide. HomeLight is backed by Zeev Ventures, Menlo Ventures, SGVC, Citi Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Crosslink Capital, Montage Ventures, GV, Innovation Endeavors and more. For more information, visit www.homelight.com.

About Killington Resort
Killington Resort is a four-season destination sitting on 3,000 acres in the heart of Central Vermont’s Green Mountains. Killington boasts 92 miles of diverse snow sports terrain spread across six peaks including Pico Mountain, and served by the most expansive lift network and snowmaking system in Eastern North America. After the snow melts, Killington features an 18-hole championship golf course, the family-friendly Snowshed Adventure Center, 35 miles of mountain biking trails and 15 miles of hiking trails. The seemingly infinite après, dining, and lodging options have made Killington a world-class destination for East Coast skiers and riders for over 55 years. Killington is part of the POWDR adventure lifestyle portfolio. Visit www.killington.com for more information and discover more of what The Beast offers with and #beast365.

Following the conclusion of the International Ski Federation (FIS) Council Meetings, the 2019-20 competition calendar for all ski and snowboard sports that fall under the jurisdiction of FIS has been announced. For U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in America, this means that the following event dates are now confirmed:

ALPINE
First up is the HomeLight Killington Cup, taking place November 30-December 1, 2019, Thanksgiving weekend in Killington, Vt., and once again bringing the best women’s technical alpine skiers in the world together with entertaining concerts, movie screenings and more. This will mark the fourth year Killington has hosted the World Cup, and with spectator numbers peaking at 40,000 last year, “The Beast of the East” has been solidified as the perfect venue for World Cup alpine ski racing to continue on the East coast.

The following weekend, the event ranked as the number one overall stop on the World Cup tour by the athletes and coaches, the Xfinity Birds of Prey FIS Ski World Cup at Beaver Creek, Colo., where super-G, downhill, and giant slalom races are scheduled for December 6-8, 2019. The festivities of the week celebrate “Where Winter Begins” in North America and include live music, beer tastings, ski films, parties, sponsor activation and much more in the heart of Beaver Creek Village on what is dubbed “Birds of Prey Way.”

CROSS COUNTRY
A major highlight of the FIS Cross Country World Cup season on American soil will be the Fastenal Parallel 45 Winter Festival, taking place over four days in March 2020 in Minneapolis, Minn., including a music festival, extreme spectator events, panel discussions, and culminating with the first FIS Cross Country World Cup event held in the U.S. in 19 years. The event, a freestyle sprint on Tuesday, March 17 will also be included in a mini-sprint tour combined with Quebec City the previous weekend, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of fans to support the U.S. Cross Country Team whose reputation continues to grow since Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall’s historic first Olympic cross country gold medal in South Korea in February 2018.

FREESKI & SNOWBOARD
Freeski and snowboard athletes from around the world will unite to kick off the FIS World Cup halfpipe season at Copper Mountain, Colo., December 11-14. The 2019 U.S. Grand Prix at Copper will mark eleven years of collaboration hosting events between U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Copper Mountain. In addition, skiers and riders will head to Mammoth Mountain, Calif., an official training site of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, from January 29-February 1 to compete in slopestyle and halfpipe World Cup competition in Mammoth’s acclaimed Unbound Terrain Park. Additionally, a major freeski and snowboard World Cup event will be added to the U.S. calendar in the coming weeks as details are solidified.

FREESTYLE
The Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in Utah will take place February 6-8, 2020, marking 20 years of elite freestyle competition for the lauded freestyle skiing World Cup stop, a favorite among athletes and spectators. Three nights of competition, including moguls, aerials and dual moguls, will take place under the lights at night as thousands of fans gather beneath the competition venues.

“Fans of ski and snowboard sports have a lot to look forward to in the coming season, especially here in the US,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We have the Cross Country World Cup coming back to America for the first time in nearly 20 years with the event in Minneapolis in March. That is going to be an awesome event, giving Jessie Diggins, Sophie Caldwell, Sadie Bjornsen and their teammates the opportunity to race at World Cup level on home soil for the first time in their careers, in front of thousands of people.

"The calendar also confirms the dates of the Killington World Cup alpine event, Mikaela Shiffrin’s home race and the best-attended race on the women’s World Cup calendar, and the mighty Beaver Creek Birds of Prey World Cup, one of the greatest tests for the men in their alpine season," Shaw added. "Also, the freestyle night events at Deer Valley will be taking place in what is now firmly established as the showcase for moguls and aerials competition worldwide. Finally, we have more news to come about a very exciting event our team is working on for freeski and snowboard athletes. Stay tuned for more details on that. Overall, we have so much to look forward to - bring on the winter!"

FIS Ski Junior World Ski Championships slalom silver medalist Ben Ritchie (Waitsfield, Vt.) and 2019 World Junior Ski Championships teammate Claire Thomas (Salt Lake City, Utah) have been chosen as the 2019 recipients of the Eastern Ski Writers Golden Ski Award.

Each season the most promising male and female junior alpine racers in the Eastern U.S. have been recognized by the North American Snowsports Journalist Association—East (NASJA-E) with the Golden Ski Award. For the first time this year, the award will be presented by the New England Ski Museum at a reception at the Museum in Franconia Notch on Friday, June 21, from 5 to 7 pm.

This will be Ritchie's second Golden Ski Award. Ritchie has been a top performer in the Eastern Region for many seasons, highlighted by his last two seasons with the U.S. Ski Team where he progressed from the D team to the B team. He has raced his way to being ranked 67th in the world overall for slalom and first worldwide for his age. Ritchie went on to achieve a silver medal at the Junior World Ski Championships and was third overall in the NorAm slalom standings. Ritchie is an exciting skier to watch attack a course and his coaches are looking forward to seeing him take his skill and hard work to the next level.

Thomas had an amazing season for the Dartmouth College Ski Team that was highlighted with her trip to the Junior World Ski Championships in Pozza Di Fassa, Italy. Her collegiate season resulted in top six standings in both slalom and giant slalom on the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) circuit; that speed translated to the NORAM circuit where she finished 11th in the giant slalom standings. Her success on the collegiate and NORAM circuit led to her being ranked in the top 100 in the world for giant slalom and 9th for her age. Thomas' career is on an exciting trajectory and she will be a fun skier to watch in seasons to come.

The Golden Ski Award was first presented to the top junior male and female skiers in the East in 1969, the year after the modern World Cup circuit started. The award was conceived by the Eastern Ski Writers’ Association that year and was exhibited in the offices of the U.S. Eastern Amateur Ski Association, then in Littleton, New Hampshire. After the presentation in 1975, the Golden Ski was somehow misplaced, likely as a result of a relocation of the USEASA headquarters. In 2007, a New England Ski Museum member came across the original Golden Ski trophy in a Lake Placid office and donated it to the Museum. The Eastern Ski Writers

Association, later renamed NASJA-East, revitalized the honor and presented it for a decade beginning in 2008 at the Museum’s spring exhibit opening reception. When NASJA-East voted to disband in 2018, the New England Ski Museum’s board of directors elected to continue awarding the Golden Ski rather than let it lapse a second time. The origin of the award will be remembered in the title ‘Eastern Ski Writers Golden Ski Award.’

“The Golden Ski Award is the oldest honor given to junior alpine ski racers that exist today,” says Jim Gregory, Chair of the New England Ski Museum’s Golden Ski Award Committee. “We are proud this year to honor two extraordinary athletes, Claire Thomas, and two-time winner Ben Ritchie, and we look forward to watching them pursue their goals and set the bar even higher in the sport we all love so much.”

Winners of the Golden Ski Award have gone on to World Cup podiums and even to Olympic gold, and now many of the names on the award, perhaps obscure when they were originally announced as juniors, are well-known in ski racing circles. 

GOLDEN SKI AWARD RECIPIENTS:
1969: Tyler Palmer, Karen Middleton
1970: Charles Bent, Karen Middleton
1971: Rod Taylor, Judy McNealus
1972: Laurent Gaudin, Jody Palmer 
1973: Jerry McNealus, No female winner
1974: No award
1975: Scott Light, Holly Flanders
1976-2007: Award lost
2008: Bump Heldman, Julia Ford
2009: Nolan Kasper, Julia Ford
2010: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Julia Ford
2011: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Mikaela Shiffrin
2012: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Mikaela Shiffrin
2013: Kieffer Christianson, Mikaela Shiffrin
2014: Sam Morse, Alice Merryweather
2015: Drew Duffy, Nina O’Brien
2016: Ben Ritchie, Cecily Decker
2017: George Steffey, Patricia Mangan
2018: Jimmy Krupka, Abigail Jewett
2019: Ben Ritchie, Claire Thomas

Release courtesy of Jim Gregory, Chair: Eastern Ski Writers Golden Ski Award. 

Fitness, technique, and speed are key attributes to becoming a world-class cross country skier. But culture, laughter, and fun are what make a great team! Fortunately, all those attributes came together May 18-31, as the U.S. Cross Country Team hosted its first on-snow camp of the season in Bend, Ore., at the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center.

“The camp had an increased level of excitement and humor with the addition of some new athletes,” noted U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Cross Country Coach Chris Grover.

This year’s team features a number of new faces, especially on the development team, with six new athletes, and a new coach, Bernie Nelson, who joined U.S. Ski & Snowboard as the development team coach last month. “Bend camp was our first athletic project with Bernie Nelson officially part of our coaching team,” Grover said, “and she impressed her colleagues with her enthusiasm, knowledge, and work ethic; she is already an amazing addition to our staff.”

“It’s been so much fun getting to know our new development team and seeing how the team culture molds itself each year,” said 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.), who posted a number of off-the-cuff interviews with her new teammates on Instagram. “The atmosphere and team spirit have been incredible and I think this will be a really fun year!”

 

 

 

 

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Meet the D-Team, part 2! Starring the fabulous @lukejageryo @noel.keeffe & @novie.mccabe 💪🏼

A post shared by Jessie Diggins (@jessiediggins) on May 24, 2019 at 1:01pm PDT

Zak Ketterson (Marquette, Mich.), a two-time NCAA All-American at Northern Michigan University, is one of the new faces on the team this year, and he came away from the Bend camp with a greater understanding of what it takes to achieve success at the next level of his career.

“This camp has been an amazing experience for me,” said Ketterson. “It is the first time that I have had the opportunity to train alongside veteran U.S. Ski Team athletes…and it has been very motivating to learn from the other skiers here. These types of camps will make me a better skier in the future.

“Last summer, I trained almost entirely alone,” Ketterson continued. “When you train by yourself, it is difficult to know your strengths and weaknesses because you only have yourself as a benchmark. Now that I have been able to train with so many top athletes, I realize that there are areas that I need to improve. This is super exciting for me because it gives me ideas for what to work on in my future training.”

Much like Ketterson, eight-time U.S. Champion Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury, Vt.), a new member on the B Team this season, also learned to pump up the intensity being around her new teammates.

“One thing I'll take away (from the camp) is the concept of really bringing the focus and intensity to key workouts, such as intervals and strength,” she said. “Most of my fellow U.S. Ski Team teammates do a great job of bringing the intensity to the hard sessions, and it's something I'd like to emulate more in the future.”

While the athletes brought the intensity, Mt. Bachelor served up excellent snow and trail conditions, thanks to 350 inches of snowfall this season. “Mt. Bachelor provided great grooming of nearly 40 km of trails daily and we had excellent snow coverage,” Grover said. “We feel like we accomplished almost all of our athletic, technical and team culture goals for the camp. Each athlete brought a lot of professionalism, focus, and enthusiasm to the daily training.”

Following the first camp of the season, a number of athletes return to their home base for the month of June to continue preparations for the 19-20 season. “I’ll head back east to Stratton (Vermont) for a solid block of training with my SMST2 teammates,” Diggins said. “Then at the end of June, I’ll join the women of the Norwegian National Team for one of their team camps.”

For Novie McCabe (Winthrop, Wash.), Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks, Alaska), Johnny Hagenbuch (Ketchum, Idaho) and Noel Keefe (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), they are off to Park City, Utah, June 16-19, for U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s annual #OneTeam Rookie Camp. The U.S. Cross Country Team will also host additional camps throughout the summer, including Norway, New Zealand, Park City and Lake Placid, N.Y. In addition, many club camps will also include U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athletes over the summer, offering additional opportunities for athletes to prep for the 2019-20 season, but most importantly, the opportunity to push and learn from each other.

“The one thing I will take away from (Bend) camp is that it is important for the best skiers in the country to get together once in a while to share ideas and learn from one another,” Ketterson said. “I have been very pleased with the openness and friendliness of both the coaches and athletes at this camp. Every skier has his strengths and weaknesses, but between every skier on the U.S. Ski Team we all have things we can learn from one another.”  
 

Mikaela Shiffrin (Edwards, Colo.) is used to going fast on the mountain - like 80+ mph fast. However, this week she spent some time with a group of men and women who are used to going a little bit faster: the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilots. And by "a little bit" we're talking about 450-700 mph fast.

Shiffrin was invited by the U.S. Air Force Academy to represent the Class of 2019 and join the Thunderbirds - the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - for a ride-along on Tuesday, May 27th. When Shiffrin received the invite she "Couldn't pass that opportunity up...it's been a lifelong dream of mine to experience that kind of speed and feel how next level nine g-forces feel." At most, alpine ski racing athletes experience somewhere in the realm of 3.5 Gs - more than space shuttle astronauts endure during launch. 

Shiffrin has won two Olympic gold medals, Olympic silver, she's the reigning three-time overall FIS Ski World Cup champion, has won 60 World Cup victories at just 24-years-old, and her accolades go on and on. But, what happened on Tuesday for Shiffrin? “The most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced,” the two-time Olympic champion said, nearly breathless, after her flight. 

Shiffrin joined the Thunderbirds, riding in and even flying an F-16D twin-seat trainer aircraft out of Peterson Air Force Base in her native Colorado. She said that the trained pilots perform a series of about eight maneuvers at 450 to 500 mph that make up their show "profile." Shiffrin was invited by the U.S. Air Force Academy as part of their efforts to create a strong, long-lasting relationship with Team USA/the United States Olympic Committee to connect elite athletes with U.S. military because of their obvious parallels in discipline, determination, excellence, grit, and beyond.

Laurie Wilson, the primary public affairs contact for U.S. Air Force Academy spearheaded this initiative, noting that it made sense, being that the location was Colorado Springs, Colorado - known as "Olympic City, USA." She also had mentioned that Shiffrin was the first Olympic champion in recent history to receive an invite. 

Shiffrin's excitement level was at an all-time high prior to the flight, as she was getting fitted for her flight suit, G-suit, helmet, mask, and learning about the safety protocol, oxygen, breathing techniques, and - of course - the courtesy barf bags provided. Flying for about 45 minutes, and making it through an entire show profile, said co-pilot Major Jason "Flack" Markzon (a.k.a. Thunderbird #8) - who was quite impressed - Shiffrin had the experience of a lifetime. She even was able to fly the plane herself, and coined a new maneuver known as "Wiggles" - slalom in the sky.

As a result, the other Thunderbirds pilots agreed that her "Call Sign" - nicknames given to each pilot - would be just that: Wiggles. Actually, Markzon's reply to the suggestion - made by U.S. Ski & Snowboard - was "I love it. Let's make it official when we all go skiing together. Deal?" And then, of course we invited them all to the HomeLight Killington Cup World Cup tech series in November. 

Following the landing when Shiffrin finally hit solid ground, she was surprised at how out of sorts her body felt, feeling dizzy and light-headed. Fellow Thunderbirds pilots told her it was normal as your body goes "What the heck just happened to me?" when you're out of nine Gs, landing safely on the ground. 

“You can’t breathe at that much force,” Shiffrin said after pulling nine Gs herself. “So you have to do the tiniest little breaths. During flight it felt like my shoulders kind of fell out of the sockets with such high g-forces. It's crazy. When we first took off and were flying through the clouds, it's the most beautiful thing. It's indescribable. You realize when you're flying through clouds just how fast you're going. I’m so dizzy. My knees are shaking.”

Following the flight, Shiffrin visited the U.S. Air Force Academy campus and was invited to the Superintendent's - Lt. General Jay B. Silveria - office. Silveria is a fan of skiing himself, and had invited current and former U.S. Air Force Academy ski team athletes to meet and visit with Shiffrin. 

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds' job is publicity and awareness for the U.S. Air Force. Shiffrin joined the Thunderbirds during a routine practice for Thursday's U.S. Air Force Academy commencement fly-over demonstration. 

Stay tuned for an edit of Shiffrin's flight experience. 

CAVTAT, Croatia – The International Ski Federation (FIS) has honored longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard communications professional Tom Kelly with its FIS Journalist Award. Kelly was recognized for his longstanding role in the sport as a spokesperson for U.S. athletes and leadership with the FIS Public Relations and Mass Media Committee.

Kelly, who retired from his role as FIS PR and Mass Media chairman a year ago, was recognized during the annual meeting of the federation in Croatia. Kelly was nominated for the award by the FIS committee directly and wins the FIS Journalist Award not only for his enthusiasm in promoting ski sport and 32 years of service within U.S. Ski & Snowboard but also for 14 years of strong and visionary leadership within the Committee. Kelly stepped down from his committee role and was named an honorary member by the FIS Council.

Last month Kelly was inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame. In his role with FIS, Kelly had long been an advocate for the award to recognize journalists and broadcasters for their work in telling the story of the sport. He is the 19th American recipient of the award, which dates back to 1996.

“This was quite an unexpected recognition and very much appreciated,” said Kelly. “I take great pride in the role I have been able to play with FIS through the PR and Mass Media Committee.”

The award is presented each year by FIS to journalists and broadcasters around the world. The American recipients are a who’s who of writers, photographers, producers and broadcasters who have worked to bring stories of the sport to the public.

While retired from his role at U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Kelly remains active in Olympic sport as a communications consultant and public speaker.

FIS JOURNALIST AWARD
U.S. Recipients

2018 – Tom Kelly, U.S. Ski & Snowboard (presented in May 2019)
2017 – Christin Cooper, NBC (presented in Mar. 2018)
2016 – Peter Graves, Sports broadcaster and announcer
2015 – Steve Porino, NBC
2014 – John Dakin, Vail Valley Foundation (presented in Feb. 2015)
2013 – John Meyer, Denver Post
2012 – Jonathan Selkowitz, Photographer
2011 – Tim Ryan, NBC
2010 – Hank McKee, Ski Racing
2010 – Paul Robbins, Freelance Journalist
2008 – Mike Clark, Associated Press
2007 – Gary Black, Ski Racing
2002 – Peter Diamond, NBC
2002 – Joe Jay Jalbert, Jalbert Productions
2001 – Anita Verschoth, Sports Illustrated
1999 – Charlie Meyers, Denver Post
1998 – John Fry, Ski Magazine
1997 – Bob Beattie, ABC/ESPN
1996 – William Oscar Johnson, Sports Illustrated

U.S. Ski & Snowboard went behind the scenes of the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard spring training camp in Mammoth Mountain, California to see what coaching strategy and goal setting is all about. Now, we turn the page and look through the lens of our U.S. Rookie Team athletes.

U.S. Freeski Rookie Team athletes Hunter Carey (Winter Park, Colo.) and Hanna Faulhaber (Carbondale, Colo.) as well as U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team Athletes Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Addie Gardner (Riegelsville, Penn.) were kind enough to share their thoughts on Mammoth Spring Camp amidst a busy training schedule. As new members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, there are new emotions and expectations that each athlete must manage while on snow at camp.

However, before athletes headed to Mammoth, an official training site for U.S. Ski & Snowboard, they discovered they made the U.S. Freeski & Snowboard Team and their reactions were priceless.

“I was super excited when I first got the call,” said Faulhaber. “I immediately started to think about all the cool and different opportunities that this nomination opens up for me.”

For Gardner, it was a special moment for the whole family.

“I was beyond excited,” she said. “I think my parents were initially more excited than me! I worked very hard this past season and it was amazing to see it pay off through my team nomination.”

Making the team is just the beginning of what will be a very exciting ride for these new U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes. Almost immediately following the nomination announcement, U.S. Rookie Team athletes were invited to Mammoth Spring Training Camp where they are introduced to coaches and teammates, many of which are revered by the new young skiers and riders.  

“Bobby Brown (Denver, Colo.) was someone I always looked up to,” said Carey. “He used to make Youtube videos of his normal ski days and it just looked so fun. Bobby was a major influence that made me to ski the rest of my life.”

Brown, an alumnus, and legend of the U.S. Freeski Team, recently stepped back from competition, but his influence lives on through the new young athletes of the U.S. Freeski Rookie Team. Carey was not the only one influenced by U.S. Ski & Snowboard Pro Athletes.

“Growing up I would always watch the X Games and any other event that I could find that included the halfpipe,” said Faulhaber. “The two main skiers that I would watch during these events were Torin Yater-Wallace (Basalt, Colo.) and Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.). It is such a cool experience at Mammoth Spring Camp to not only have great coaches but also ski with people that you have looked up to for your whole life.”

Riders on the U.S. Snowboard Pro Team have also left a lasting impression with the Rookies.

“Jamie Anderson has dominated the sport for so long and I always look forward to watching her creative approach in contests,” said Gardner. “I never thought the day would come where I would be riding and training with her. It’s crazy! When I am riding with the pros it seems like no big deal at the moment, but once I stop and think, I can’t help but smile and think about how lucky I am to be here with the best in the world.”

Returning U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member Maud is still in awe of the riders she gets to share the slopes with day in day out at Mammoth Spring Camp.

“I have always looked up to Maddie Mastro, Chase Blackwell, and Ryan Wachendorfer,” she said. “Maddie has been a huge inspiration and a great big sister to me. Chase and Ryan are super cool and I think they have great style as well. Kelly Clark is another person I look up to. She has had such a huge influence in women's snowboarding and she gives back to the sport by supporting up and coming athletes. Growing up, I looked up to all of the people that are now my teammates. It is very surreal.”

Carey, Faulhaber, Gardner, and Maud share a similar excitement for the new opportunities granted by earning their spot on the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Rookie Teams. Despite some challenging weather with over 30 inches of snow in May at Mammoth, the young skiers and riders continue to make the most of every opportunity.

“Mammoth has been pretty snowy, but we have had good days and it has been really fun,” said Carey.” I have been hitting the airbags a lot which is really helpful for learning new tricks. Also, participating in activities on and off the hill with the pros is a really crazy feeling.”

Faulhaber also has been making the most of her time at Mammoth camp.

“My experience with the team at Mammoth has been amazing,” she said. “There are many things that I loved about the trip to Mammoth. Everybody on the team is super supportive of each other and the camp was very well organized. I’m excited I was able to learn some new tricks while I was there.”

Gardner’s highlight of Camp thus far has been taking advantage of the world-class terrain at Mammoth’s Unbound Terrain Park.

“My favorite part of the camp has been the terrain parks,” she said. “Mammoth always has great features up. Not only do I get to ride, but I love watching my teammates throw down on the jumps.”

Maud claims Mammoth has her home mountain and has not wasted any time taking advantage of all the mountain has to offer. From riding terrain that fosters progression to ripping powder when the opportunity presents itself, Mammoth has continued to deliver for this hometown rider.

“Mammoth camp has been good so far,” she said. “I was glad to get a trick back that I had difficulty with this past season. Also, it has just been great to be back at my home mountain and even sneaking in a few powder runs in May!”

Its clear athletes are definitely enjoying U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Mammoth Spring Camp. However, the reality is there is work to be done. In the words of Head Freeski and Snowboard Coach Mike Jankowski, “camp is about a lot of relationship building, goal setting, and discovering how we are going to get there. It’s not just about the goal, but about the path.” The Rookies of the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Rookie Team definitely are on the right path with clear goals and all the resources necessary to help them reach them.

Carey, Faulhaber, Gardner, and Maud all share similar goals of progressing, being a supportive teammate, locking in solid results throughout the season, and ultimately competing in their sports largest events such as X Games, Dew Tour, and the Olympics. However, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are encouraged not just to be successful athletes, but also learn the tools to succeed in life. After only one year with the U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team, Maud has a strong grasp on the big picture.

“I have been doing online school for three years and I love it, she said. “Right now I am trying to complete my sophomore year. School has definitely taught me time management. I had to learn to travel and compete while being a full-time high school student. In addition to succeeding in competition, I also want to inspire others to become more involved with the sport of snowboarding. I want young girls to consider snowboarding as a sport, and not just something to do on a vacation. Eventually, I want to go to college and study business, and one day work in the snowboard industry creating gear that is not only stylish but functional and environmentally friendly.”

Maud alongside Carey, Gardner, and Faulhaber are great examples of what it means to be a U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete. It’s not just about being the best you can be on snow, but also as a teammate, a person, and a member of the freeski and snowboard community. The Rookie Team class of 2019-20 encompasses all these values and only will continue to grow. Keep an eye on these athletes alongside the rest of the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Rookie Team this season and you will not be disappointed. This includes the remainder of Mammoth Spring Camp where every day has offered a list of new achievements and milestones.

Mammoth Spring Training Camp will continue through June 2 as members of the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Teams cycle through for their fair share of training. Be sure to follow all the Mammoth Camp highlights at the accounts below.

FOLLOW MAMMOTH SPRING CAMP
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