When the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships kick off Feb. 1, it will mark the first time since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games that Utah - The State of Sport - has hosted so many athletes for a World Class event. In this three-part series, we talk to a number of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes expected to compete in the upcoming World Champs, and their thoughts on competing on home soil, in front of family and friends, the pressure to exceed expectations, and their overall view of what the World Championships mean to them.
Slopestyle, Halfpipe and Big Air at Park City Mountain
Freeski legend, the Sochi Olympic Games freeski slopestyle silver medalist Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.) looks forward to another opportunity to ski on a big international stage. “The World Champs in Park City are huge for me,” she said. “It’s like the Olympics again, it’s another chance to present my best skiing and hopefully stomp the run of my life.”
Logan has been skiing the slopestyle course and halfpipe at Park City Mountain since moving to Park City in 2011. Most international freeskiers and snowboarders cannot say the same. “The Park City halfpipe is always so nice, cut perfectly, the jumps are always great in the park,” Logan commented. “It’s where I ride when I’m not in competition.”
She notes her advantage in one of life’s simple pleasures, “I get to sleep in my own bed,” said Logan. “I will get to come back to my home without having the stress of traveling or sleeping in a strange place. It makes you feel as comfortable as possible. I think all that adds up to being confident and skiing well.”
Logan has put roots down in the Park City area which in many ways offers a sense of confidence going into the competition. She recently purchased two acres of land in Tollgate Canyon on the outskirts of town.
“Being able to make Park City my home and have a future here is really exciting,” she said. “I love Park City, from the mountains to the summer activities there’s always something to do. Also, given I travel a good amount, the airport being right down the hill is very convenient.”
It’s very clear that Logan isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but does knowing everyone and having loved ones around create unwanted pressure or responsibility?
“It’s definitely an advantage, I consider my friends my family in Park City. Most of my family is back east and my brothers are traveling, but I have been taken in by a lot of good people and spend all the holidays with them and it really has become home. The fact that I will have the chance to compete in front of this extended family gives me goosebumps. You want to do well in order to show them their support is making it happen and helping me reach my goals.”
- Devin Logan, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team
Logan believes the U.S. will improve on the team’s performance at the past Olympics. “I think the U.S. will do better than in PyeongChang,” she said. “We came away with a lot of medals on the snowboard and freeski teams but I think that coming off of that success with momentum, plus having the World Champs in Park CIty, that will all be really beneficial.”
Confidence is high, but there are serious international competitors in every discipline and U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are aware of what lies ahead. Despite the fact that U.S. athletes are familiar with the host venues, the terrain and will generally feel at home throughout the 10-day competition, international competitors are coming to win. Logan listed off some international rivals, but thinking out loud and being a true team player, she had a rebuttal for each of her own comments.
“In big air, the Norwegians are really impressive, but we are also really good and have people like Alex Hall, Mac Forehand and Caroline Claire who keep getting better. In slopestyle, the Norwegians and the Swedish are very talented, but we also have Nick Goepper coming off a silver in slopestyle in (PyeongChang). Also, McRae Williams is hungry after not having the best result in PyeongChang. Colby Stevenson and Joss Christensen are also from Park City and will be looking to do well in their hometown. On the girls’ side, Maggie Voisin and Julia Krass are doing doubles now, they are going to bring the heat.”
Logan’s thoughts on international competition reference Norway’s Oystein Braaten, Birk Ruud, and Johanne Killi as well as Sweden’s Henrik Harlaut, Jesper Tjader, Oscar Wester and Emma Dahlstrom. Not to mention the Switzerland powerhouse including PyeongChang Olympic gold and silver medalists Sarah Hoefflin, Mathilde Gremaud and Andri Ragettli. Isabel Atkin from Great Britain is also very much a contender. In addition, U.S. athletes can’t forget their friends to the north with Canadian phenoms Alex Beaulieu-Marchand and Evan McEachran gunning for medals.
Speaking to halfpipe, Logan said, “Canada is also very strong as well as the French, but so is the U.S. with Aaron Blunck, Alex Ferreira, David Wise, Brita Sigourney, and Maddie Bowman.”
Strong Canadian competitors in the halfpipe include Olympic gold medalist Cassie Sharpe, as well as Simon D’Artois and Noah Bowman.
One thing that is clear from Logan’s comments is that like the Olympics, the World Championships are bigger than just one athlete. It’s about the team and even the sport as a whole. Logan not only recognized this, but has taken it upon herself to make the bright future of her teammates and the sport of freeskiing priority one. While she wants to perform, there is a much bigger goal on her mind.
“I put pressure on myself to do well,” she said. ”Who doesn’t want to win and stand on top of the podium? But, regardless if I make the team or not, I’m going to be there cheering on my teammates. I like to help mold the young athletes because now I’m the veteran and I have been through this for so long. If I can pass on some wisdom and experience to help others be successful in their career, that’s even better. It’s all about pushing the sport and making it grow. That’s what I want to see.”
Although Logan is looking out for her teammates and freeskiing, her love of competition will always shine through. “As much as I feel I can provide to these young athletes, they return the favor,” she said. “They push me and light that fire because I know I have more in the tank and feel I have more to offer. Another World Champs medal would definitely be nice and I will do my best to make that happen.”
HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Preliminary broadcast schedule, subject to change
Streaming schedule TBA
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast
Friday, Feb. 1
1:00 p.m. - Men and women's snowboardcross finals - NBCSN
Saturday, Feb. 2
3:00 p.m. - Men and women’s skicross finals - Olympic Channel
8:30 p.m. - Men and women’s skicross finals - NBCSN*
Sunday, Feb. 3
1:00 a.m. - Men and women’s freeski big air finals - NBCSN**
1:00 p.m. - Team snowboardcross - Olympic Channel
4:00 p.m.- Team snowboardcross - NBCSN*
Monday, Feb. 4
3:00 p.m. - Parallel snowboard giant slalom - Olympic Channel
7:00 p.m. - Parallel snowboard giant slalom - NBCSN*
Tuesday, Feb. 5
3:00 p.m. - Parallel snowboard slalom - NBCSN
9:00 p.m. - Men and women’s snowboard big air - NBCSN
Wednesday, Feb. 6
3:00 p.m. - Men and women’s freeski slopestyle finals - NBCSN
9:00 p.m. - Men and women’s aerials - Olympic Channel
11:30 p.m. - Men and women’s aerials - NBCSN*
Thursday, Feb. 7
9:00 p.m. - Team aerials - NBCSN
Friday, Feb. 8
1:00 p.m. - Men and women’s snowboard halfpipe - NBCSN
9:00 p.m. - Men and women’s moguls - NBCSN
Sunday, Feb. 10
2:00 a.m. - Men and women’s dual moguls - NBCSN**
1:00 p.m. - Men and women’s snowboard slopestyle - Olympic Channel
3:00 p.m. - Men and women’s snowboard slopestyle - NBC*
Monday, Feb. 11
10:30 p.m. - Women’s freeski halfpipe finals - NBCSN**
