The 2019-20 Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team has kicked off their final prep period camp at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain, Colorado with hard snow, sunshine and bluebird days. The conditions have made for both a picturesque and productive setting as U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announces the 2019-20 Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, featuring Olympic champions Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety as well as a lot of depth and up-and-coming talent.  

The season kicked off yet again in Sölden, Austria on Oct. 26-27 with women’s and men’s giant slalom races. Mikaela opened the season with a bang, and quite the show as she fought for second place by just .06 behind the 17-year-old kiwi Alice Robinson - who scored her first World Cup victory. Alice became the youngest athlete since Mikaela seven years ago to win a World Cup. This was Mikaela’s best result at Sölden since 2016 when she was second, and is just one stop on a very long journey that has Mikaela skiing in six disciplines. Nina O’Brien scored a career-best 21st, showing that all of that hard work in the prep period has paid off. 

For the first time in three seasons, the weather cooperated and the men were able to race in Sölden. And what a race it was! The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team had the best collective team result in years, with Tommy Ford grabbing a career-best fourth, Ted on his heels in fifth, and Ryan Cochran-Siegle in 11th. This bodes well for the Team as they head into their final prep period camp at Copper Mountain. 

Speaking of Copper, the training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain has been better than it’s been in the eight years of the partnership. With cold temperatures and snow guns a’ blazin’ - winter is here and it’s here to stay! The full Team descends upon Copper on November 6, but Mikaela and the women’s tech team have been training for the last week, and the conditions have been supreme - including extremely productive top-to-bottom super-G training for the reigning super-G titleholder,  Mikaela. The venue hasn’t seen top-to-bottom training this early in years. 

Mikaela, along with American slalom star/teammate Paula Moltzan will lead the crew as they head to Levi, Finland for the World Cup slalom kickoff, which will also feature Luke Winters on the men’s side. From there, all eyes are on the North American tour, starting with the women’s tech series in Killington, Vermont - where athletes have been welcomed into the finish by record-breaking crowds the last three seasons - and the men’s speed kickoff in Lake Louise, Canada on Thanksgiving weekend. 

First, let's get you acquainted with the TV broadcast schedule. 

It’s not an Olympic year or a World Championship year...so while many may say “HO-HUM,” the hardcore fans know that this is actually - in many ways - the most exciting season. Why, you may ask? Because a non-Olympic, non-World Championship year means there’s time for athletes to experiment a bit with the schedule. Will Mikaela ski more speed events? Will traditionally speed-focused athletes, who have bridged speed/tech in the past, ski more giant slalom events? 

During - and after - the 2018-19 season, the FIS Ski World Cup circuit said many goodbyes, including stars like the seemingly unbeatable Austrian Marcel Hirscher, Viking god Aksel Lund Svindal, German heartthrob Felix Neureuther, and the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team’s own Queen of Speed Lindsey Vonn - the winningest female ski racer of all time. As such, everyone is asking who will emerge as the next star, alongside the likes of Mikaela...and it will certainly be an action-packed season in that regard. Will France’s Alexis Pinturault or Norway’s fiery Henrik Kristoffersen rise to the top, in the wake of Marcel’s retirement? Will kiwi giant slalom specialist/phenom Alice Robinson - at just 17-years-young - be able to maintain consistency at the top, after her second place in Andorra last year and her first victory in Sölden this year? With Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec and Italy’s Sofia Goggia fully healthy heading into the season, what will the speed disciplines look like on the women’s side? Will the tallest man on the circuit - Bryce Bennett - taste the podium? 

Most certainly, all eyes will be on 24-year-old double Olympic champion, five-time World Champion, and reigning slalom, giant slalom, super-G and overall champion Mikaela Shiffrin. There may be no Olympics or World Championships this year, but Mikaela’s focus will be on trying to strike the tricky balance of skiing all six disciplines without burnout in that grueling January tech series heading into speed events. In 2019, she realized her goal to win the giant slalom globe, she surprised even herself with super-G dominance both at FIS Ski World Championships and on the World Cup circuit, and now she’ll look to simply find more balance. In 2019, Mikaela shattered records seemingly every weekend, including Vreni Schneider’s season win record, which was 14. In fact, she blew that out of the water with 17 victories in one season. And so it may seem hard to top 2019 for Mikaela. Good thing she is not driven by the numbers, and is therefore not expecting to top 2019 although, she says, “anything is considered 'impossible' until someone achieves it, so who knows?!”. She is aiming to find balance and continue to strive for the perfect turn. 

With 60 career World Cup victories, Mikaela brings 40 slalom victories into Levi - tied with the Swede great Ingemar Stenmark. A win in Levi would have her breaking yet another record: most slalom World Cup victories - male or female. Does she know she’s about to break another record? Honestly, unlikely. However, Mikaela knows she’s got tough competition. Mikaela, Paula, and Nina are joined by the young Squaw Valley duo of AJ Hurt and Keely Cashman, who are two to watch this season too. Switching gears to speed, Alice McKennis and Jackie Wiles - who were both sidelined due to injury in 2019 - will return to competition and join their teammate and Junior Worlds downhill champion Alice Merryweather on the mountain. They’ll look to find their dominating ways once again, having been the fastest women’s downhill team in the world in 2018. 

On the men’s side, Olympic champion Ted Ligety showed at Sölden that he still has the speed to hang with the top dogs and the young guns. Tommy is podium-hunting in his cool, calm, and collected style, and we are confident he’ll bring it home this winter. On the speed side, big man duo Bryce Bennett and veteran Steven Nyman will look once again to find the consistency they’ve seen in recent seasons. Bryce finished last season ranked seventh in the world, and was just off the podium numerous times - not just at his favorite track of Val Gardena, Italy - but on other real-deal downhills like Bormio, Italy - which resembled a vertical ice hockey rink last year - and the classic Lauberhorn at Wengen, Switzerland. No one-trick pony here, folks! To put it quite simply, he knows he has what it takes to stand on the top step.  

Last season was the first season back from injury for 2015 World Championships downhill silver medalist Travis Ganong. This year, with a full prep period under his belt, he’s healthy, strong, and fired up heading into the season. Ryan Cochran-Siegle has been training a high volume of speed events in the prep period and his natural gift paired with his intense focus is a winning combo, while Jared Goldberg will look to pick up where he left off in Kvitfjell, Norway - with a top-10, his best finish all season. Double Junior Worlds Champ River Radamus, Junior World Championships medalists Luke Winters and Ben Ritchie, and 2019 NorAm Overall Champion Kyle Negomir are the up-and-comers to keep an eye on this season. Keep in mind that the American men's team - which included many of these guys, and a cast of characters on the Development Team - was the best in the world last year at FIS Ski Junior World Championships in Val di Fassa, Italy.  

“We are all looking forward to a great season with this newly named team,” said Alpine Director Jesse Hunt. “We have experienced athletes who are leading this team, combined with young hard-charging athletes, and proven talents returning from injury. The team worked hard on the fundamentals this preparation period with the goal to re-emerge as a team bound for the top...the Sölden World Cup was a great start to the journey.”

A highlight of the 2019-20 season will be the first of two alpine Olympic test events in Beijing. The men test out the Olympic track in Beijing this winter, as they stage men’s downhill and super-G World Cup races on Feb. 15-16, 2020. According to Olympic course designer Bernhard Russi, the track should be about 1 minute, 55 seconds, and equate more to Sochi’s Olympic course than the 2018 Olympic track in PyeongChang. The women will follow with their speed test event at Yanqing in 2021. Additionally, this year will feature the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, starting on January 9, 2020. The 2020 Youth Olympic Games will showcase some of the best youth talents in winter sport across the world, and U.S. nominations will be shared in December. 

2019-20 Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team 
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

A TEAM
Men
Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 7/14/1992)
Tommy Ford (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; 3/20/1989)
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 7/14/1988)
Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 8/31/1984)
Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard/Sundance Ski Team; 2/12/1982)

Women
Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho; Rowmark Ski Academy; 1/19/1996)
Alice McKennis (New Castle, Colo.; Sunlight Winter Sports Club/Rowmark Ski Academy; 8/18/1989)
Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; 8/17/1988)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 3/13/1995)
Jacqueline Wiles (Aurora, Ore.; White Pass Ski Club; 7/13/1992)

B TEAM
Men
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.; Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club; 3/27/1992)
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation; 6/15/1991)
Brian McLaughlin (Waitsfield, Vt.; Dartmouth College/Green Mountain Valley School; 6/24/1993)
Sam Morse (Carrabassett Valley, Maine; Carrabassett Valley Academy; 5/27/1996)
Kyle Negomir (Littleton, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 10/3/1998)
River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 2/12/1998)
Ben Ritchie (Waitsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley School; 9/5/2000)
Luke Winters (Gresham, Ore.; Sugar Bowl Academy; 4/2/1997)

Women
Keely Cashman (Strawberry, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 4/4/1999)
AJ Hurt (Carnelian Bay, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 12/5/2000)
Alice Merryweather (Hingham, Mass.; Attitash Race Team/Stratton Mountain School; 10/5/1996)
Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake, Minn.; University of Vermont/Buck Hill Ski Team/Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; 4/7/1994)
Nina O’Brien (Edwards, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Squaw Valley Ski Team; 11/29/1997)

C TEAM
Men
Cooper Cornelius (Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski Club; 6/20/1999)
Bridger Gile (Aspen, Colo., Aspen Valley Ski Club and Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 10/15/1999)*
George Steffey (Lyme, N.H.; Stratton Mountain School; 8/8/1997)

Women
Abi Jewett (Ripton, Vt.; Green Mountain Valley School; 1/10/2000)
Katie Hensien (Redmond, Wash.; Rowmark Ski Academy; 12/1/1999)
Galena Wardle (Aspen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; 4/24/1998)

DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Men
Jacob Dilling (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, 10/19/1999)*
Kellen Kinsella (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 8/7/2001)*
Isaiah Nelson (Wayzata, MN.; Buck Hill Ski Racing Club; 4/3/2001)
Jack Smith (Sun Valley, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 4/24/2001)*

Women
Lauren Macuga (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 7/4/2002)*
Ainsley Proffit (St. Louis, MO; Sugar Bowl Ski Team & Academy; 3/21/2001)
Emma Resnick (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 7/23/2003)*
Alix Wilkinson (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 8/2/2000)*
Zoe Zimmermann (Gilford, N.H.; Burke Mountain Academy; 5/16/2002)

*Newly named to the U.S. Ski Team

2019-20 ALPINE STAFF
Alpine Director: Jesse Hunt
Alpine Development Director: Chip Knight
Alpine Communications Manager: Megan Harrod
Alpine World Cup Medical Coordinator: Gillian Bower
Alpine Europa Cup Medical Coordinator: David Quammen

MEN
Team Manager: Gwynn Watkins

Men’s World Cup Speed
Head Coach: Randy Pelkey
Assistant Coach: Scotty Veenis
Assistant Coach: Urban Planinsek
Assistant Coach: Chris Beckmann
Fischer Ski Service: Leo Mussi
Physiotherapist: Sam Eiler

Men’s World Cup Technical
Head Coach: Forest Carey
Assistant Coach: Ian Garner
Assistant Coach/Strength and Conditioning Coach: Will Courtney
Assistant Coach (Slalom): Ryan Wilson
Head Ski Service: Alex Martin

Men’s Europa Cup
Head Coach: Matt Underhill
Assistant Coach: Josh Benge
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Michael Bingaman
Ski Service: Max Lamb

Men’s Development
Head Coach: Sasha Rearick

WOMEN
Head Coach: Paul Kristofic
Team Manager: Colleen Jamieson

Women’s World Cup Speed
World Cup Speed Head Coach: Chip White
Assistant Coach: Karin Harjo
Assistant Coach: Alex Hoedlmoser
Assistant Coach: Daniel Dejori 
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Bob Poehling
Physiotherapist: Torey Anderson

Women’s World Cup Technical/Speed 
Mikaela Shiffrin
Coach: Mike Day
Coach/Strength and Conditioning Coach: Jeff Lackie
Atomic Ski Service: Johann Stroebl
Physiotherapist: Regan Dewhirst

Women’s World Cup Technical and Europa Cup
Head Coach: Magnus Andersson
Assistant Coach: Kris Shampeny
Assistant Coach: Katie Twible

Women’s Development
Head Coach: Marjan Cernigoj

Follow the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team on Social Media:
Instagram: @usskiteam
Facebook: @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter: @usskiteam
Hashtag: #LandRoverUSAlpineSkiTeam

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STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports Group and U.S. Ski & Snowboard have renewed their media rights agreement through the 2021-22 season, both parties announced today. Under the agreement, NBC Sports will present 40+ hours of coverage of U.S. Ski & Snowboard events across NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and its subscription service NBC Sports Gold. NBC Sports and U.S. Ski and Snowboard have been partners since 1998.

Coverage will include seven U.S.-based events for the next three seasons: including the FIS Alpine World Cup events at Killington, Vt, for the women, and Beaver Creek, Colo., for the men; FIS Freestyle World Cup events at Copper Mountain, Colo., Mammoth Mountain, Calif., and Deer Valley, Utah; and two new events – the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover in Atlanta, and the FIS Cross Country World Cup in Minneapolis.

“We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with U.S. Ski and Snowboard, featuring some of the world’s fastest, most creative, and gravity-defying athletes,” said Gary Quinn, Vice President, Programming, NBC Sports Group. “And any time these exciting competitions are happening across some of America’s greatest resort destinations, fans will be able to watch whenever, and wherever, they want.”

“We are thrilled to extend our agreement with longstanding partner NBC Sports through the 2021-22 season,” said Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO. “Our relationship with NBC Sports is a valuable platform to be able to share our sports and athletes with fans across the nation as they prepare for Beijing 2022. We have an amazing season ahead and between the HomeLight Killington Cup – which has drawn record numbers on the World Cup circuit in both attendance and viewership – as well as new events on the calendar like the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover, and the FIS Coop Cross Country World Cup in Minneapolis, we have a big opportunity to share the excitement with the world through the eyes of NBC Sports.”

2019-20 SEASON
For the 2019-20 season, 12 hours of coverage will be presented on NBC, 21.5 on NBCSN, and 10 on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA.

Coverage begins on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with a live presentation of the first run of the women’s slalom at the HomeLight Killington Cup in Killington, Vt.. Coverage on NBC begins shortly thereafter with the second women’s slalom run at 3:30 p.m. ET. Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA begins its U.S. Ski & Snowboard coverage on Saturday, Dec. 7, with the Xfinity Birds of Prey men’s downhill from Beaver Creek, Colo., at 1 pm ET.

The full NBC schedule is available on the WATCH tab at USSkiandSnowboard.org

All coverage on NBC and NBCSN will live stream via authentication on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Coverage airing on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will live stream on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and the Olympic Channel app.

NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer product – will also stream all U.S. Ski & Snowboard events via “Snow Pass,” which provides fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports. Click here for more information.

NOTE: NBC Sports’ entire alpine schedule for the 2019-20 season, including international FIS events, will be released soon. Click here for NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2019-20 FIS Snowboarding World Cup schedule.

Release courtesy of NBC. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the 2019-20 U.S. Snowboard Team today, featuring seven Olympic medalists, including snowboardcross athletes Lindsey Jacobellis and Alex Deibold, slopestyle athletes Red Gerard, Kyle Mack, and Jamie Anderson, as well as halfpipe athletes Arielle Gold and Chloe Kim. Kim has elected to not compete this season in order to attend the prestigious Princeton University, but will remain a member of the U.S. Snowboard Team throughout her hiatus.

“Our U.S. Team riders have been on snow in training camps throughout the off-season and look more prepared than ever as we get into the competition season,” said U.S Freeski and Snowboard Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “Between athletes putting time on airbags, in the gym, and on-snow, this season has all the ingredients to be one of the most successful yet.”

This is no easy task, as the 2018-19 season had no shortage of milestones with athletes earning seven podiums at the 2019 FIS Snowboard World Championships, five podiums across two Junior World Championships, 20 podiums at World Cup events, and 12 podiums at elite level events including the U.S. Open, Dew Tour and X Games. Moving into the 2019-20 season, the U.S. Snowboard Team will field 32 pro-level and 15 rookie and development level riders. Last season, these rookies collected an impressive five Junior World Championship medals. In addition, the 2018 U.S. Snowboard Junior World Championship team won the FIS Marc Hodler Trophy awarded to the winningest nation at the event. 

“Across the teams, we have an incredible group of riders,” said U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “It’s not only due to their talent and skill set, but their personalities and unique qualities that allow the U.S. Snowboard Team to strive to be the best in the world. With a stacked competition schedule, I look forward to seeing what we will accomplish this season.”

The 2019-20 season features a packed schedule of elite-level competition including the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain Dec. 11-14, the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover Dec. 20-21 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, Ga., and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Jan. 29-Feb.1. In addition, invited athletes will also participate in X Games, Dew Tour, and the U.S. Open of snowboarding. 

To support our athletes throughout their busy competition schedule, the U.S. Snowboard Team has retained a world-class coaching staff. However, there are some changes. After being with the organization for 17 years, Jeff Archibald stepped down as snowboardcross coach after one of the most successful seasons yet, including two unforgettable victories. Mick Dierdorff won the snowboardcross title at the 2019 FIS World Championships at Solitude Mountain Resort and became the first American man to win a snowboardcross World Championship title in 14 years. He then teamed up with Jacobellis to take gold in the new mixed team snowboardcross event, which will make its Olympic debut in 2022. Archibald leaves the organization with family on the top of mind and will be replaced by Rob Fagan. As a former snowboardcross athlete and Olympian, Fagan is well suited for his new position. 

“The snowboardcross athletes are coming off a great on snow camp at Saas Fee and many of them were able to achieve personal records in the gym this fall,” said Snowboardcross Head Coach Peter Foley. “Also, It’s awesome to have Rob Fagan coaching with us. It went really well at our Whistler and Saas Fee camps and he is developing a great working relationship with the athletes. He’s been competing and coaching at the highest levels of the sport and we are lucky to have his wealth of knowledge and insight as a part of the team. We have a couple more good training blocks to go before the first World Cup,  but we are really excited to get racing again and see what we can do against the rest of the world.”

U.S. Snowboard Team
2019-20 Team Nominations
(Hometown; Club; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE
PRO TEAM
Men
Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Big Mountain West Series; 3/31/95)
Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/30/98)
Toby Miller (Mammoth Lakes, Calif; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/14/00)
Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/17/93)
Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/99)
Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/3/98)

Women
Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/23/00)
Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/4/96)
Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/22/00)

ROOKIE TEAM
Men
Jack Coyne (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 01/17/2002)
Jason Wolle (Winter Park, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/30/99)
Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.; Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/17/99)

Women
Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 10/10/03)

SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR
PRO TEAM
Men
Chris Corning (Arvada, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/7/99)
Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/29/00)
Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/3/01)
Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/22/98)
Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.; Great Lakes Snow Series; 9/6/97)
Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska; Auburn Ski Club; Big Alaska Series; 10/23/92)
Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.; Kirk’s Camp; Rocky Mountain Series: 12/18/00)
Sean Fitzsimons (Hood River, Ore.; Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 9/22/00)

Women
Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.; South Tahoe Series; 9/13/90)
Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.; Southern Vermont Series; 9/11/97)
Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; Tahoe Series; 8/2/00)

ROOKIE TEAM
Men
Jake Canter (Evergreen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen Snowmass Series; 7/19/03)
Dusty Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/2/03)

Women
Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 1/27/02)
Ty Schnorrbusch (Monroe Township, N.J.; Tom Anderson, Rocky Mountain Series 5/15/02)
Courtney Rummel (West Bend, Wisc.; Adam Junio; Midwest Best Series; 11/12/03)
Addie Gardner (Riegelsville, Penn.; Maine Mountain Series; 2/19/2002)

SNOWBOARDCROSS
Men
Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/30/91)
Jake Vedder (Pinckney, Mich.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/16/98)
Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.; Superior Series; 12/17/81)
Alex Deibold (Manchester, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 5/8/86)
Hagen Kearney (Norwood, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/6/91)
Senna Leith (Vail, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/8/97)
Nate Holland (Sandpoint, Idaho; North Tahoe Series; 11/8/78)

Women
Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/19/85)
Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/24/92)
Rosie Mancari (Anchorage, Alaska; Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club; Big Alaska Series; 1/22/94)

DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Men
Mikey LaCroix (Shrewsbury, Mass.; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Maine Mountain Series; 7/12/98)

Women
Meghan Tierney (Edwards, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/15/97)
Stacy Gaskill (Golden, Colo.; Winter Park Snowboard Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/21/00)
Livia Molodyh (Hubbard, Ore.; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Mt. Hood Series; 6/30/99)

ALPINE
AJ Muss (Rumson, N.J.; Rocky Mountain Series; 12/15/1994)

2019-20 Snowboard & Freeski Staff
Snowboard & Freeski Director: Jeremy Forster
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Team Manager: Jess Tamez
Snowboardcross Team Manager: Alexis Williams
Snowboard & Freeski Team Communications Manager: Andrew Gauthier
Snowboard & Freeski Sports Development Senior Manager: Ashley Deibold
Snowboard, Freeski, and Freestyle Sports Development Coordinator: Elise Saarela

Medical & Sports Science Staff
High Performance Dietitian: Allen Tran
Senior Sports Psychologist, USOC: Alex Cohen
Clinical Specialist: David Quammen
Clinical Specialist: Jen Kimball
Freeski Halfpipe Team Physical Therapist: Jill Radzinski
Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air Team Physical Therapist: Sara Chavez
Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Athletic Trainer: Ben Quigley
Snowboard Halfpipe Team Physical Therapist: Emilie Whittemore
Snowboardcross Athletic Development Manager: Tschana Schiller
Snowboard and Freeski Athletic Development Coach: Matthew Voss
Aerials and Freeski Athletic Development Coach: Houston Deck

Snowboard
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Ramirez (Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team)
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Dave Reynolds (Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation Snowboard Team)
Slopestyle Wax Tech: Bryan Taylor
Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Rick Bower
Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Rick Shimpeno
Halfpipe Wax Tech: Parker Rockwood
Slopestyle/Big Air National Development Coach: Nichole Mason (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Halfpipe National Development Team Coach: JJ Thomas
Snowboardcross Head Coach: Peter Foley
Snowboardcross Coach: Rob Fagan
 

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Alex Hall, a.ka. A-Hall, kicked off his FIS competition season in style on Sunday earning his first World Cup big air victory in Modena, Italy.

“It feels good to end up on the top of the podium,” said Alex. “Our qualifiers were crazy rainy, but it cleared up for finals. The jump was really good and everyone killed it. It’s always fun to make finals and ski in front of an amazing crowd with all my friends here in Italy. It was an amazing evening.”

Fresh off collecting his second X Games gold at the Norway stadium big air event in September, Hall was able to keep the momentum moving into Modena. Alex held the lead throughout the entire competition. He landed all three of his runs, two of which scored in the 90’s and each with a unique variation of rotation and grabs. Alex flawlessly landed a left double cork 1620 cuban on run one, followed by a switch left double cork 1440 seatbelt to cuban on run two. Holding the top spot moving into run three, he would have the luxury of watching all riders drop before him. On his third and final run, knowing he had the win in the bag, Alex executed a perfect double tail grab for a very energetic Italian crowd. 

Alex’s win puts him in the top spot on the FIS Freeski World Cup Big Air leaderboard. In addition, his win is an improvement from his second-place finish at last year’s Modena Skipass Big Air. Although Alex has collected two World Cup slopestyle wins, Modena is his first World Cup win in big air. It’s not even December and Alex has two elite international big air wins in his back pocket.

Alex’s U.S. Freeski teammate Colby Stevenson also put on a great display of freeskiing including a beautiful left double cork 1440. Colby briefly moved into fourth place after his final run, but finished the competition in sixth place. 

Resembling an almost identical podium from 2018, last year’s winner Birk Ruud from Norway finished second, and Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli finished in third. For the women, Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud won the event, followed by Swiss teammate Giulia Tanno in second, and Canada’s Dara Howell in third. 

It was a beautiful night for competition in Modena Italy to kick-off the World Cup freeski big air circuit. World Cup big air competition continues for U.S. Snowboard and Freeski athletes at Air + Style Beijing Dec. 12-14, followed by the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, Ga. 

RESULTS
Men’s freeski big air
Women’s freeski big air 

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Six-time FIS Crystal Globe winner Chris Corning finished third to retain the number one spot on the FIS World Cup Big Air leaderboard in front of yet another phenomenal Italian crowd. 

“I love coming here to Italy,” said Chris. “It’s always a good time and the jump is always super fun. I’m happy to be here. The in-run was bumpy tonight, but I landed all my runs, which I have not done in a while. I am happy about how things turned out and am looking forward to coming back next year.”

After some precipitation throughout the week, the skies cleared Saturday night for the final round of snowboard big air competition at the Modena Skipass World Cup in Italy. Chris came out of the gate strong with a flat spin frontside 1440 melon finding the sweet spot on the landing. After his first run, he gave an immediate shout out to the wax techs for dialing in his speed. On run two, Chris put together a beautiful backside triple cork 1440 melon. Moving into his third and final run, he had spun two different directions, was already in podium contention, and would now be dropping at the bottom of the order with the new event format reseeding the riders prior to their last run.

Last year, Chris was in a very similar position and decided to try the quad cork 1800, which has won him back to back Winter Game NZ big air World Cups, but he ran out of real estate. With a sense of déjà vu lingering, Chris decided against attempting the quad, likely due to the smaller size of the jump. He dropped in and landed a backside triple 1620 melon, completing three completely different tricks on each of his runs. He would have to settle for third and his second consecutive podium in Modena. 

Although Chris didn’t attempt the quad again, he opened up the door to be the first person to land a quad cork 1800 on a scaffold big air jump at the final stop of the FIS Snowboard World Cup Tour at the upcoming Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 20-21. 

Chris was not the only one that put on a show for the Italian fans. U.S Snowboard teammate Judd Henkes kicked off the event as the first rider to drop and held nothing back landing a backside triple 1620 mute. Instead of celebrating in the finish corral, Judd reached into his jacket pocket and illustrated his team comradery holding up a sign reading “heal up fast Addie,” referring to his U.S. Snowboard Teammate Addie Gardner who sustained in injury during training earlier in the week. Judd went on to land a switch backside 1260 mute, but would finish outside the podium in a respectable fifth place.

Canadian Nicolas LaFrambois earned his first World Cup victory followed by fellow Canadian teammate Mark Mcmorris in second. For the women, Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi earned her second consecutive victory at the Modena Skipass big air followed by Canada’s Brook Voigt in second and Austria’s Anna Gasser in third. 

Competition continues in at the Modena Skipass Big Air tomorrow with freeski World Cup competition. Tune in live and catch all the action below. 

RESULTS
Men’s snowboard big air
Women’s snowboard big air 

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HOW TO WATCH

FREESKI
Sunday, Nov. 3
11:00 a.m. (EST) - Skipass World Cup, Modena, ITA, - Olympic Channel-TV, Olympic Channel, and NBC Sports Gold

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow

All streams will be available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Gold) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard continues its mission of supporting the development of young freestyle athletes in announcing the domestic stops for the 2019-2020 Freestyle NorAm Tour and Freestyle Selections. Up and coming American athletes seeking to make it onto the U.S. Ski Team will have the opportunity to prove themselves at these competitions. 

The Freestyle NorAm Tour is the second-highest level of competition in the United States and is designed to prepare athletes to compete on the World Cup circuit. Stops include venues in the United States as well as Canada. Winners of the NorAm Tour may earn a spot on the U.S. Ski Team for both moguls and aerials, as well as personal World Cup starts for the following season. Young guns who perform well at U.S. Freestyle Selections will be in contention for domestic World Cup starts, and will have the opportunity to ski under the lights on Champion-maker, Champion ski run at Deer Valley Resort during the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International February 6-8, 2020. These events are an integral part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard freestyle skiing developmental pipeline.

“With the support of our member clubs and world-class resort partners we are able to provide young freestyle athletes the best competition experience possible,” said Ashley Deibold, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Sport Development Senior Manager. “Putting on NorAm and Selections events is important in identifying talent coming up the pipeline as well as progressing the sport of freestyle skiing forward by providing competition opportunities below the World Cup level. We look forward to an exciting and fun year of moguls and aerials skiing!”

For information on domestic Freestyle NorAm tour stops, please visit usskiandsnowboard.org. 

Aerials: 
NorAm / U.S. Selections
December 20 & 21, 2019
Utah Olympic Park, Park City, Utah

NorAm
February 14 & 15, 2020
Utah Olympic Park, Park City, Utah

NorAm
March 7 & 8, 2020
Bristol Mountain, N.Y.

Aerials U.S. Championships
March 14, 2020
Bristol Mountain, N.Y.

Moguls:
U.S. Selections
January 9, 11 & 12, 2020
Steamboat Ski Resort, CO 

NorAm 
February 12 & 13, 2020
Deer Valley Resort, Utah

NorAm
March 7 & 9, 2020
Killington Ski Resort, Vt.

Moguls U.S. Championships
March 21 & 22, 2020
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Calif.

 ​​​​

Fall means one thing for the worldwide moguls community: Zermatt. The moguls course at Zermatt, Switzerland, is the only course available in the world from late September through late October. 

For more than 20 years Zermatt has hosted moguls training, and each fall athletes and coaches from around the globe converge on its piste. “It’s a unique environment,” explained U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Moguls Coach Matt Gnoza. “It’s the first opportunity to get a look at what the other nations have been doing, what they’ve been jumping. It’s always exciting training on the same venue. We’re all working together to prep that camp, but also training to compete against each other. It’s kind of like the first day of school - you’re genuinely happy to see everyone.” There is a sense of comradery amongst the world’s fiercest moguls competitors.

Not only does the global moguls community converge at Zermatt, but so does the U.S. Team’s training. The Team has been implementing some new-to-moguls techniques such as variation training and external cueing, coloring outside of the moguls’ lines a little. Instead of a militant progression, Gnoza and his staff have focused on the athletes’ ability to be flexible and not having them so boxed in that they can only perform one or two combinations. 

“This Zermatt camp I felt more prepared than ever before,” reflected Hannah Soar. “I was physically and mentally ready to tackle one of the most challenging mogul courses we ski all season. I was able to ski top to bottom runs at about a 95% completion rate while training combinations of back full, cork 7, cork 7 tail grab, back truck, and back tuck. The team was determined to make the most of training, raising the level of intensity and focus to make the best of the blocks.”

Zermatt marks the point in the training process where athletes start to fine-tune their run combinations. Athletes were tasked with mixing up their top and bottom airs to get a feel for what worked for them. Staff timed different combinations to see which were faster, looking for consistency and a run pattern. 

“That process was really enjoyable this year and seemed like an easier task than in years past,” said Gnoza. “We could mix up the ask of what athletes jumped on the top and bottom. No matter what trick someone performed on top we were still seeing good skiing on the way in and exiting from the jumps. It was very rewarding for the staff and the athletes in the sense that you knew the training approach was starting to work and starting to click.” 

“In terms of skiing I found some new cues such as using a taller stance and weight shift,” explained Alex Lewis. “On the jumping side, I fixed my takeoffs on my back full and cork 10. I’m stoked that these improvements worked on a difficult course and I’m stoked to continue to improve heading into Sweden and the first competitions of the year.”

The moguls team heads next to Sweden for their final training block before World Cup season gets underway with the FIS Open Freestyle in Idrefjäll November 23 and 24, and moguls’ first World Cup competition in Ruka, Finland December 7. 

Follow the U.S. Moguls Team on social
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Twitter: @usskiteam

This Dec. 20-21, Atlanta’s SunTrust Park will transform into a ski and snowboard destination for the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover. We are not talking about a chairlift serviced resort, or a backcountry powder-filled peak, but rather a 15-story steel structure covered in snow featuring a massive kicker designed to launch the world’s best freeskiers and snowboarders for international World Cup big air competition. 

So the question is, why Atlanta? Why build a ski slope in a city that doesn’t always embrace the snow? In a January 2017 article in Curbed Atlanta, the mere presence of snow was referred to as “the devil’s dandruff,” yet here we are just 50 days out from Olympic snowboard gold medalists Jamie Andreson and Red Gerard dropping in at SunTrust Park with hopes of topping a World Cup podium. So again...why Atlanta? 

The answer is multifaceted and U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw explained it best. 

“I think there are three major components,” said Shaw. “First of all, the Braves are an extraordinary and visionary organization. Also, to bring the event to an amazing venue like SunTrust Park is an exceptional opportunity. On top of that, Atlanta is one of the top sports capitals of the world with elite professional teams, a strong fan base, and home to the 1996 Summer Olympics. So in a way, we are bringing the Olympic spirit back to Atlanta!”

Atlanta may not average significant snowfall, but that’s not important in this case. What matters is the existence of the competitive spirit and culture of sport that drives successful sporting events - something Atlanta has in spades. Atlanta doesn’t just have a rich Olympic history from hosting the 1996 Olympic Summer Games but continues to invest in its teams and marquee events. Atlanta hosted Superbowl LIII and is home to professional baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and lacrosse teams, as well as a large running and tennis community. Atlanta is also the home of the College Football Hall of Fame and will host the 2020 NCAA Final Four. Clearly, athletics is at the heart of Atlanta’s culture. 

If that’s not enough to make Atlanta a strong contender to host the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover, what about a state of the art venue in SunTrust Park? SunTrust Park boasts the fastest WiFi service of any stadium in the country, as well as a serious lineup of video, lighting and sound effects. The 41,149-seat SunTrust Park has 800 WiFi hotspots, plus another 300 in the adjacent mixed-use development. Freeski and snowboard fans are known to consume content, especially in real-time, and the new technology at SunTrust Park will certainly deliver for spectators. The “BravesVision” video board, which is 121-feet wide and 64-feet tall, will catch all of the action, allowing fans to re-experience and playback the amazing feats that occur over the two days of intense competition. 

Together, the Braves, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Atlanta community, as well as freeski and snowboard athletes from across the globe will look to rekindle the Olympic spirit for three days of training and competition at the cutting edge SunTrust Park. However, this time around it won’t be Muhammad Ali lighting the torch at opening ceremonies, but the world’s biggest names in snowboarding and freeskiing lighting up SunTrust Park with their jaw-dropping performances. 

 Tickets on sale now at Braves.com/visabigair
 More information at usskiandsnowboard.org/visabigair
 

The snow has started to fall in Summit County and the athletes of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team just kicked off FIS Ski World Cup action in Sölden, Austria, with their best collective team result in a long time. The men and women’s speed teams have wrapped up their camps in the southern hemisphere recently and training in North America will soon commence as the world-class U.S. Ski Team Speed Center opens in early November at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

To celebrate the upcoming season, and for the third year in a row, we're opening the doors on Saturday, November 10th for 50 fans to come to a private meet-and-greet with the U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes training at Copper. For each winner, we'll provide bibs to be signed, as well as U.S. Ski Team stickers and pins. 

To enter:

1. Follow @usskiteam and @coppermtn on Instagram (we’ll be checking!)
2. Like this photo we've posted
3. Tag a friend you’d like to join you for the event, and share a question you have for your favorite U.S. Ski Team athlete.

We’ll pick the winners on November 8, and see you at Copper Mountain!

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IN ORDER TO ENTER THIS CONTEST YOU MUST AGREE TO ALL THE RULES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS LISTED BELOW:

1. No Purchase Necessary To Enter Or Win. A Purchase Will Not Increase Your Chances Of Winning.

To Enter: Like the U.S. Ski Team and Copper Mountain’s Instagram pages and submit a comment tagging one other Instagram account, including a question you have for the Team. 1. The sweepstakes is open between October 30 and November 8, 2019. Limit one entry per person. 2. Drawings: 50 winners will be selected in random drawings from among all eligible entries received, by the U.S. Ski Team and Copper Mountain, whose decisions in all matters relating to this sweepstakes are final. Winners will be notified via both public and private message, and instructed on how to receive their prize. Should winner not comply with instructions in a timely manner, alternate winners may be selected. Odds of winning are dependent upon the total number of eligible entries received. 3. Prizes: Entrance into a private autograph signing session with U.S. Ski Team athletes. Prizes may not be transferred or redeemed for cash. No substitution for prizes. Each winner is solely responsible for all applicable Federal, State, and local taxes on the value of his/her prize. 4. Eligibility: the sweepstakes is open to all entrants. If under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must be present at venue. Must provide own transportation to specified venue. Void where prohibited by law or regulation. Not open to employees and their families of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Copper Mountain, their subsidiaries, affiliates, participating retailers, prize suppliers, advertising and production agencies. All Federal, State, and local laws and regulations apply. 5. Limitation of Liability: sponsor and judging organization are not responsible for typographical errors in any sweepstakes related materials; for technical, hardware, software, or telephone failures of any kind; or for lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions that may limit or interfere with a participant’s ability to take part in the sweepstakes. Entrants agree that the Sponsor, its promotional partners, related companies, agencies, respective employees or officers shall not be liable for losses, injury, death, damages or costs of any kind resulting from participation in this sweepstakes or acceptance of or use or misuse of a prize or parts thereof. By entering, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules. 6. Disclaimer of Correspondence: we value your privacy. We do not sell or provide any of the information you provide us to unaffiliated companies, marketers, magazines or any other unaffiliated third parties. By officially entering you consent to be contacted by U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Copper Mountain and/or our affiliates to include (but not limited to) the prize providers.
 
If you do not wish to accept these Terms & Conditions do not enter the contest. Your data will not be saved.

Thanks to a unique partnership with World Cup Supply Inc. (WCS) and its European partner SPM, U.S. Ski Team athletes and U.S. Ski & Snowboard events will continue to have the on-hill equipment and safety-related support needed for the next four years.

“World Cup Supply is an important partner for our organization and we are thrilled to have them in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family for the next four years,” said Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO. “Through this partnership we are able to produce safe and high-quality domestic events from the grassroots levels through to World Cup competitions for our athletes as we prepare for Beijing 2022. World Cup Supply is committed to safe ski and snowboard competition all over the world and we are fortunate to have their continued support.” 

As part of the agreement, WCS will supply gates, panels, safety fencing and other on-hill and event equipment for key domestic World Cup, NorAm and National Level events in alpine, snowboard, freeski, freestyle and cross country. WCS and SPM will provide thousands of gates and hundreds of panels annually for all Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team training and events domestically and in Europe. WCS will provide training bibs for all Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes and air pads for domestic alpine World Cup and National Championships events. In addition, WCS will serve at the Official On-Hill Equipment Supplier for all NASTAR events. 

WCS is committed to athlete and spectator safety, offering race and event safety training and education as well as developing educational safety related videos for clubs and volunteers to help prevent on-hill injuries.

“Our primary goal for our long-term partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard is to ensure the athletes have what they need to train and be safe on the hill,” said Brad Williams, World Cup Supply, Inc. President. “The renewed agreement certainly accomplishes this goal and continues the partnership that began in 2006. The combination of high quality SPM products and a commitment from WCS to provide the best service possible, helps reduce the burden and stress associated with managing equipment and allows coaches and athletes to focus on the things that really matter to them.”