Hunter Wonders, an athlete on the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team has formally announced his retirement from World Cup ski racing. 

Wonders grew up in Alaska, along with several other members of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. He has always been a skier, whether that's on the skinny skis or on the wider planks in the Alaskan backcountry. When he isn’t training or representing his country on the international ski stage, Wonders loves to bike, hike, backcountry ski and fitting for his last name, hunt. He’s a competitive canoe racer, his nickname is ‘Wonderboy’ and one of his favorite memories was the feeling he had after finishing the first 50k at a spring series race. 

Wonders has been a fixture in the cross country community for years, joining the Alaska Pacific University program as a junior and making the move to the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in 2020, making his World Cup debut on Jan. 23, 2021 in the 30k skiathlon in Lahti, Finland. He raced in countless races at various levels including National Championships, Nor-Am Cups, U23 World Ski Championships, Youth Olympic Winter Games, World Cups and World Championships. Throughout his years racing, he was no stranger to representing his country on the world's stage. 

His career highlights are endless. In 2018, Wonders was a member of the silver medal-winning 4x5k Junior World Championships men’s relay team and in 2020, was second at the U.S. National Championships in the classic sprint. On the World Cup level, the highest level of the sport, Wonders was in the top-30 consistently, had a career-best 11th place in the 2022-23 Tour de Ski and as the the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Head Coach Matt Whitcomb said, “re-established men’s elite skiing in the U.S. as an international force.”

“While Hunter is retiring from the World Cup at a relatively young age, he made international noise with breakthrough World Cup races this past season,” said Whitcomb. “He is on an expanding, yet still limited list of male athletes who have hit the top-20 in a distance World Cup. This past season, Hunter posted an 11th and a 16th in 10k events. Beyond Hunter’s power value as a skier, I will miss his human side. He is consistently one of the most helpful people I’ve ever met, constantly volunteering for side jobs to help the coaches or his fellow athletes. He’s the guy logging extra hours doing dishes at a team camp, or helping coaches refuel a fleet of vehicles before a travel day. These little things say a lot about a person, and whomever lands him next will be lucky. I have nothing but huge respect and appreciation for Hunter.”

“Hunter burst on the scene as a junior and contributed a critical leg in the men’s silver relay medal at the World Junior Champs in 2018,” said the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Program Director Chris Grover. “As a senior athlete, he steadily climbed the World Cup ranks, securing starts and representing the USA at two World Championships, Oberstdorf and Planica. In the 2022-23 season, Hunter broke through to another level with his first top-20 results, including an 11th place in the 10k classic in Oberstdorf. Hunter has been an incredible teammate and friend and he will be greatly missed in the program, but we are also excited to see where his next adventures take him!”

Off the snow, Wonders is successful in many other ways. Just days ago, he hit another milestone and successfully took his first solo flight in Alaska. Wonders was one of the athletes awarded the Take Flight Textron Aviation U.S. Ski & Snowboard Training Scholarship and is actively working towards his Private Pilot License. When on the road, you could find him studying to become a pilot in-between World Cup races. 

Even though he is taking a step back from World Cup ski racing, we can be sure to see him around the ski trails. Congratulations on your World Cup career, Hunter! 

2014 Olympic bronze medalist Alex Deibold has announced his retirement from competitive snowboardcross.

A native Vermonter, 36-year-old Deibold has been snowboarding since the age of four. He attended Stratton Mountain School with fellow teammate Lindsey Jacobellis, and U.S. Snowboard Team halfpipe alums Danny Davis and Louie Vito.

Deibold was first named to the U.S. Snowboard Team in 2004. He made his first FIS World Cup appearance in Furano, Japan in 2007, and spent the last 17 years competing at the highest levels. Along the way, Deibold found himself on the World Cup podium six times, and represented the United States five times at the World Championships.

His most memorable result came in 2014, at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. After missing the cut for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Team, Deibold still found a way to be a part of the action, joining the team staff as a wax technician. Just four years later, he’d move from the wax room to the start gate, bringing home Team USA’s lone snowboardcross medal in Sochi. He battled it out and walked away with bronze. Reflecting on his experience of going from technician to Olympic medalist, Deibold told Team USA’s Lawrence Murray, “it was grueling work but it was a situation that I’m grateful for. I remembered what it was like to be there, and to stand on the podium…and wrap the flag around myself, all that sacrifice and hard work were more than worth it.”

He had a strong 2021-22 season, ultimately earning a spot on the 2022 Beijing Olympic Team. However, his plans were derailed when he suffered a major crash at the Cortina d’Ampezzo World Cup just five days before the Opening Ceremonies, leaving him in the hospital with a head injury and ultimately unable to join his teammates in Beijing. His teammates felt his absence sharply, and vowed to compete in his honor. Jake Vedder, who traveled to Beijing in Deibold’s place, said at the time, “I’m really trying to represent Alex and his whole family and do the best I can for him. Because this was 100% his spot. He deserved to be here.”

Outside of the start gate, Deibold has always been known for his passion for the environment and the outdoors, his work ethic and his leadership. He has served on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors as an athlete representative since 2021 and was an Athlete Role Model at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games. “Alex has had an incredible career, both on and off the hill,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “His leadership and advocacy for athletes, his teammates and all those involved in the sport is something we will always be grateful for, and all of us at U.S. Ski & Snowboard wish him the best on his well-earned retirement. Congratulations on such an incredible career, Alex!”

His teammates will miss his advice and friendship, both on and off the race course. “Deibold was always a teammate that I knew I could talk to about anything. For myself as a younger athlete coming up, he always brought comfort to our team as one of the more experienced athletes,” said U.S. Snowboard Team athlete Senna Leith. “Whether I was wondering about a line choice on a course, or a career-based question outside of snowboarding, Deibold always had a plethora of knowledge he was willing to share and do so in an extremely friendly manner. It’s hard to find an athlete more professional and well rounded, and I am super thankful for all of the years and great memories on tour that we shared together.”

But don’t expect Deibold to take it easy in retirement. He’s chasing new adventures with Protect Our Winters, a non-profit focusing on legislation regarding climate change and looking forward to spending time on the mountain as a mentor to young snowboarders, and as a father.

“I’m both excited and terrified for the next chapter. I want to explore the mountains at home more, in a way I haven’t been able to while traveling, training, and competing,” said Deibold. “I still love snowboarding as much as ever, and I’m hoping I can try and give back to the community that has shaped my life. I’m grateful to be working for Protect Our Winters, hoping I can support some of our development riders domestically, and stoked to just be a dad and continue to introduce my daughter to the mountains.”

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team has announced key staffing changes for the upcoming 2023-24 season across both the men’s and women’s teams. 

“I am really excited about the coaching staff we have now,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Anouk Patty. “We’ve made key changes bringing in proven, world class coaches that will further our strides towards a high performing culture and drive performance.”

MEN

New to the 2023-24 season, Mark Tilston will be leading the charge as head men’s alpine coach. Tilston has a decorated background in coaching: He coached the national teams for Scotland (Snowsport Scotland) and Britain (GB Snowsport), served as performance director of GB Snowsport, was head coach of the GB Snowsport at the Vancouver Olympics and most recently served as the men’s head coach for Alpine Canada from 2020 to 2023 where his athletes had tremendous success at the Olympics, World Championships and the World Cup circuit.

 In addition to Tilston, Burkhard Schaffer will be heading to the men’s speed team as head coach. Burkhard has been coaching at the highest level for 25 years, leading World Cup speed teams in Austria, Slovenia and Canada. He is no stranger to the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team—he was assistant coach with the women’s U.S. World Cup speed team last season.

“Mark and Burkhard will be excellent additions to the men’s team,” said Riml. “Their history speaks for itself and we are excited to see what success comes to our team with these additions.”

Florian Scheiber will also be joining the speed team as an assistant coach. Scheiber comes with recent World Cup speed experience as a member of the Austrian national team for eight years. He won a Junior World Championship medal in giant slalom, the Europa Cup overall title in 2009 and finished in the top 25 for super-G and downhill World Cup standings in 2013. He most recently served as assistant coach for the Austrian World Cup women’s speed team.

WOMEN

On the women’s World Cup team, there will be a few new additions as well. Rudi Soulard will be joining the women’s World Cup tech team as an assistant coach. Soulard joins the organization with a long list of experience including his most recent stint as the head slalom coach for the French women’s team. In his coaching experience, Soulard saw multiple World Championships medals, Olympic medals and globes. Soulard is not new to the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team, having held the position of head men’s tech coach from 2008 to 2010.

The women’s World Cup speed team will also see new staff. Alex Hoedlmoser will join the team as head women’s World Cup speed coach. Hoedlmoser previously worked with the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team as a coach on the Europa Cup team, the World Cup downhill team, head coach of the women’s program, and assistant coach for Lindsey Vonn from 2017 to the end of Vonn's career.  Hoedlmoser was the U.S. Alpine team's longest-tenured coach before he left last season. He was most recently serving as head coach to the Austrian women’s speed team. 

Daniel Dejori will also be re-joining the women’s speed team as assistant coach, after serving in the role from 2018 through 2022. Dejori most recently served as assistant coach with the Austrian women’s World Cup speed team. 

Previously announced, former Alpine Canada Head Coach Karin Harjo has also taken over as Mikaela Shiffrin’s coach. 

“We have very strong leadership and a tremendous amount of experience on the women’s team,” added Riml. “Together with the existing staff we are in a great position to achieve our goals and build a winning team.”

 A full staff announcement will be released this fall, in tandem with the official Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement.

Moguls officially closed their 2022-23 competitive season with the Snowbird FIS Open with moguls on Friday and dual moguls on Saturday. The events drew participation from the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, American club-level athletes and international competitors. 

 

 

 

 

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Snowbird’s freestyle history extends back to 1976 when the resort hosted the Professional Freestyle Association’s World Championships. Snowbird has hosted a regional freestyle event annually since 1981, 13 U.S. Freestyle Moguls Selections events, 12 Freestyle Moguls NorAms, three U.S. National Freestyle Moguls Junior Championships and 4 U.S. Championships. The resort is also home to Wasatch Freestyle, which can trace its history back to 1988.

Elizabeth Lemley won Friday’s event, Sami Worthington took second and Abby McLarnon (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) took third. Korea’s Daeyoon Jung won the men’s event, Dylan Marcellini took second and Ryan Tam (Olympic Valley Freestyle Team) skied to third.

On Saturday Lulu Shaffer (Park City Ski & Snowboard) dueled it out to beat the field and come in first for dual moguls, McLarnon took second and Worthington came in third. Marcellini beat Jung in the Big Final to come in first. Jung came in second and Jack Petrone (Killington Mountain School) came in third. 

"I never really felt so much emotion before, it was just so rewarding to finally see all of my hard work through my rehab pay off," said Worthington of her first competition back from injury, and as a Stifel U.S. Ski Team member. "These results will give me a lot of confidence and motivation going into the prep season. I know what I am capable of now."

RESULTS
Women’s Moguls
Men’s Moguls
Women’s Dual Moguls
Men’s Dual Moguls 

Former U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete and Olympian Jeremy Nobis passed away Wednesday morning, April 19, 2023 in Cedar City, Utah at the age of 52.

Nobis was a storied ski racer. He attended Vermont’s Green Mountain Valley School and made the U.S. Alpine Ski Team in the late 1980s. He won two World Junior Championships at 1988 and 1989, before competing in tech events on the World Cup circuit through 1995. He attended the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, racing in the giant slalom and slalom and finished ninth in the GS. 

Post-ski racing, Nobis switched to big mountain skiing, where he became known for skiing lines down some of the steepest runs around the world and was dubbed “The Icon.” He was featured in a number of Warren Miller, Teton Gravity Research and Matchstick Productions movies throughout his career. He also had a pro model ski designed by Dynastar and helped design new skis for the then burgeoning freeskiing culture.

He is the brother of Shannon Nobis, who also skied for the U.S. Alpine Ski Team at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and ski community. Mental health resources are available here.

Guy Slattery, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, has been named to the second annual Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50 List, a testament to his unique marketing approach and mindset in Olympic sports marketing. The award highlights 50 marketing chiefs who are acting today and building for tomorrow, including industry leaders in world-renowned companies like Tak Alavi of Spotify, Lorenzo Bertelli of Prada, Mike Ferris of The North Face, Carla Hassan of JPMorgan Chase and many more. 

Before joining the team, Slattery was the former CMO and President of Television at VICE Media Group, where he built and led the team that launched the Emmy award-winning television network VICELAND. Before VICE, he was the Executive Vice President of Marketing at A&E Networks, primarily responsible for all marketing, creative and brand strategy at A&E and HISTORY. 

Slattery joined U.S. Ski & Snowboard in 2022 and has already brought the brand and sport into a broader market and lifestyle space. In the last year, he was key in bringing in Outside in as a broadcast partner, expanding the partnership with NBC, introduced key initiatives that focus on women's empowerment (HERoic) and climate change and helped launch the ground-breaking partnership with Kappa - to name a few. 

His work has elevated the U.S. Ski & Snowboard brand to new heights and brought the sports to a wider audience, connecting them to culture and relevant issues in innovative ways. 

Read more from Forbes.

Park City, UTAH (April 13, 2023) - Ashley Caldwell, Chris Lillis and Justin Schoenefeld were honored as the 2022 Olympic Team of the Year by the annual Governor’s State of Sport Awards held Thursday evening. Caldwell, Lillis and Schoenefeld are the 2022 Olympic champions in Mixed Team Aerials, which made its Olympic debut at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games Beijing. 

“I’m incredibly honored to be recognized by the Governor's office and the state of Utah as part of the Olympic Team of the Year,” said Caldwell. “Utah is one of the most successful states in winter sports and it is incredible to be named among such incredible athletes. Utah is dedicated to outdoor recreation at the highest level, and I would never have been as successful without Utah’s passion for sport!”

At the event, the focus was on more than just the award winners. In the middle of the program, the most decorated American winter Olympian, Apolo Ohno; 29-time Paralympic medalist, Jessica Long; and three-time Olympic champion, Shaun White hosted a panel to talk about mental health in sport. The three olympians shared their own personal experiences and addressed the stigma that is associated with mental health in athletes. 

Mixed Team Aerials has three athletes per nation, with at least one per gender, competing for combined scores to determine the podium. Team USA won the event, outscoring China for the gold medal. Lillis’ quintuple twisting triple backflip set an Olympic record for highest score ever given in aerial skiing at the Games. 

Since 2012, the Governor’s State of Sport Awards has honored Utah’s finest athletes, teams, coaches, events and sport icons. Although not native to Utah, Caldwell, Lillils and Schoenefeld call the state home. The deep tradition of winter sport and Olympism in Utah have provided the backdrop for their success on the world stage. Training venues such as the USANA Center of Excellence and the Spence Eccles Olympic Freestyle Pool at Utah Olympic Park were crucial in the trio’s quest to Olympic glory. Opportunities to compete on an Olympic course at Deer Valley each winter season also provided invaluable experience at the World Cup and World Championship level. 

“This is a great honor for Ashley, Justin and I to share,” said Lillis. “We love training in our home of Park City, Utah, and are grateful for the community for providing us with the opportunity to live our Olympic dream.”

“I am deeply honored to receive the Utah Olympic Team of the Year award,” said Schoenefeld. “This recognition means a lot to me, and I am grateful for the three of us to be considered for the award. Utah has played a crucial role in my skiing career, as it claims some of the best training facilities in the world. The world class facilities I use for training provided the perfect environment for me to develop into the freestyle skier I am today. It is an honor to represent Utah and the United States as a professional skier, and I look forward to continuing to compete at the highest level in freestyle aerial skiing.”

“The annual Governor’s State of Sport Awards is a long-standing tradition we are proud to be part of,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “I was fortunate enough to witness Ashley, Chris and Justin’s historic gold medal in person. Those three are incredible athletes and friends, and it was a beautiful display of athleticism and teamwork. There is so much that goes on and builds up before those very few minutes on snow. Utah’s established tradition of supporting athletes at all levels allows us to go and represent the U.S. in great fashion on the world stage. We are appreciative of this community and its continued commitment to our athletes.”

The freestyle team was included among a list of storied winners, including Paralympic alpine skier Matthew Brewer as Adaptive Athlete of the Year and the University of Utah ski team as Team of the Year. For a full list of 2022 honorees, please visit utahsportscommission.com.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete and two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin, the winningest alpine skier of all time, was named to TIME's 100 Most Influential People list in the 'Pioneer' category. 

This prestigious list of individuals recognizes those who have made a significant impact and inspired others around the world through their craft. The recognition reflects Shiffrin's hard work, dedication and achievements in the sport of alpine skiing and highlights her impact beyond skiing. Other notable people in this year's Time 100 list include President Joe Biden, soccer star Lionel Messi, Beyoncé, tennis player and friend of Mikaela Shiffrin Iga Swiatek, King Charles and many more. 

This season, Shiffrin became the most decorated alpine skier of all time, surpassing the women's record of 82 wins held by former teammate Lindsey Vonn before passing Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup victories, a record set 34 years ago. 

At the end of her remarkable season, Shiffrin now has 88 World Cup victories, 17 global medals including Olympic Games and World Championships medals, 15 crystal globes through 13 seasons, 53 World Cup slalom wins, 21 giant slalom wins and 138 career podiums. Shiffrin also won her fifth overall FIS crystal globe in the 2022-23 season, as well as her second giant slalom globe and seventh slalom globe - marking her as the most dominant woman alpine skier on the World Cup. 

"I can’t even put into words what an honor it is to be a part of TIME’s list of 100 Most Influential People," Shiffrin said in a personal Instagram post. "But I’d be remiss to not acknowledge everyone around me who has made this possible. This sport takes us across the world, competing in many different time zones with a lot of gear as we chase snow and deal with the ever-changing variables of weather, travel, winter conditions and beyond…my support team is the only way I’d be able to do this at all, let alone getting to the top step of the World Cup podium 88 times. These achievements really would never have been possible without my family, team, sponsors, and all of the fans of the sport of alpine ski racing. So, this honor is as much yours as it is my own…and I’ll celebrate you all."

"We are thrilled for Mikaela being named to TIME 100's most influential list," said Sophie Goldschmidt President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. "She may be widely known for her impressive athletic achievements, but she is also known for being an exceptional teammate and person. She is supportive and encouraging to others and has also helped to create a culture of hard work, dedication and excellence. This accomplishment is very well-deserved and we are so proud of her!"

Read more from TIME, written by former teammate Lindsey Vonn. 

On the final day of the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships presented by Stifel, Tommy Ford took home the national men’s giant slalom title.

“I had a more consistent run from top to bottom and I know how fast these other guys are skiing so I am happy to get in front of them,” said Ford. “I love racing here, the town, the people, it makes ski racing fun because the people love it. Shoutout to SVSEF for putting on a great event.”

It was a very cold start to the day, with temperatures in the teens. But the sun was out making for a blue bird finish to the week-long series. The course set on run one was turny with soft snow underneath, making it a challenge for many of the racers. George Steffey took the lead on the first run, with global racing teammate Brian McLaughlin close behind in second, and Tommy Ford in third.

On run two, the sun was fully overhead, the temperatures increased, and the set was again, very technical and turny for the racers. Several skiers had very strong second runs, moving up in the standings. In the end, it was a very tight race with mere tenths separating fourth from first. Tommy Ford ultimately took home the win, moving up from third place. Brian McLaughlin took second, and River Radamus squeezed past Steffey for third place.

“It feels alright, I did not execute my first run, I skied a little too aggressive, we are not used to these conditions, but I knew that if I wanted a chance at the win I needed to leave it all out there so I pushed as hard as I could,” said Radamus. “I wanted George to win it so bummed to see him fall short but happy for Tommy and Brian,” said Radamus.

McLaughlin commented that he is happy with his result, but itching for more, ready for next season. 

“This will be the fourth time I have gotten second at nationals so I need a little more consistency,” said Mclaughlin. “Its been a long season, lots of travel so I am excited for the off season.”

This race marks the end of the ski race season for many of the racers, now they will rest and prep for the next season to come.

RESULTS

Men's giant slalom

On Tuesday’s giant slalom U.S. Alpine Championships race, Paula Moltzan skied away with the win.

“This Is my first ever national giant slalom title so it’s fun and I am happy to be here,” said Moltzan.  “It is a nice feeling to be done I am ready for the summer and it’s so nice to be here in Sun Valley. I think they did the best they could with the conditions and recent snow here, so it has overall been a good few races.”

The 2023 Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships presented by Stifel giant slalom race was met with clear blue skies, sunshine, and fast skiers that charged down the course. The courses were difficult, with shorter distance between the gates, making for a technical race.

“It was super tight and turny and got bumpy so I think we are all pretty tired, it was a battle the whole way down,” said second place finisher, Tricia Mangan.

After run one the NorAm Overall winner, Mary Bocock, was sitting in first place by just under half a second. Moltzan in second, and Lauren Macuga in third. But, come run two, the top three got shook up. Mangan secured a very fast second run bumping her all the way to second place in the race, and Australian and NCAA racer for the University of Utah, Katie Parker, took third place.

“This is my first giant slalom finish of the year so it is awesome to do it here,” said Mangan.

U.S. nationals has one more day in Sun Valley, it will end on Wednesday with the men’s giant slalom.

RESULTS

Women's giant slalom