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Ott, Burns Capture USASA National Championship Titles

By Chad Buchholz
April, 2 2019
Podium at Copper
Abby Champagne (left), Lynn Ott (center), and Dana Albers (right) on the podium at the 2019 USASA National Championships PGS Open Class at Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Chad Buchholz - USASA)

Day two of competition at the 2019 USASA National Snowboard Championships at Copper Mountain Resort dawned sunny and cold, and despite the occasional wind gust, it was perfect for another full day of competition.

Monday’s competition line-up was highlighted by giant slalom racing in the Open Class group, where two long-time USASA competitors earned their first Nationals titles, as U.S. Snowboard Team Alumnus Lynn Ott (Bend. Ore.) and Robbert Burns (Mount Shasta, Calif.) were both able to achieve a goal they had been chasing through more than a dozen Nationals showings by taking the 2019 PGS gold medals. Ott and Burns both represented the 2019 U.S. FIS World Championships Team back in February where Burns made finals, but could not find the podium.

At 51-years-old, Ott is a force both on and off the slope, proving that age ain’t nothing but a number with her performance on Monday, while also working tirelessly behind the scenes supporting the future of alpine snowboarding. 

“The Nationals have always been amazing, but it’s always been my little nemesis,” a clearly hyped Ott said just after awards, “No matter what I would do, I would either make a mistake or do something crazy and blow it for myself. But this year I was able to keep it together the entire time and I pulled it off and won the race. Winning today, it was just like…thank god, finally! Perseverance definitely pays off!”

“I’m amazed at how many kids are out here on race boards, I wish I could talk to every single one of them,” Ott went on when asked to describe what she’s hoping to accomplish with her work off the slope, “It’s just proof for anyone who’s like, ‘Oh, alpine snowboarding is dying,’ well, look at all these kids. There’s way too many kids riding alpine boards and loving every minute of it for alpine to be dying.”

Second place and the silver in the ladies’ Open group went to the USA’s current top World Cup rider Abby Champagne (Park City, Utah), while the Netherlands’ Dana Albers made her trip across the pond worthwhile with a third-place finish.

Meanwhile, on the men’s side of things, a rider with even more National Championships starts than Ott finally scored his first win, as Burns earned top honors and the gold medal with a determined performance on the day.

“It’s a little bit like a dream,” Burns smiled, “I’ve been coming to USASA Nationals for 14 years now and this is the first time I’ve made it on to the top step and took first place, so it’s amazing. I had some of my best friends at the top of the course supporting me, and my family still here supporting me 14 years on…it’s awesome. 

“There’s definitely an element of self-efficacy in my win today. That’s something that we try and instill in every kid that comes through USASA, is that belief in yourself that you can accomplish whatever you set out to. No matter where you’re at in your progression you always have the opportunity to win, and that’s maybe the funnest part about it.”

When asked to reflect upon what the USASA has meant to him throughout his snowboard career, 28-year-old Burns was unequivocal in his response.

“USASA has truly been a blessing in my life. It’s been so much fun to be a part of it ever since I was a kid. The reason this community is so great is because it’s built upon families from all across the United States. Those families make up the volunteers, they make up the coaches, they make up the directors, and when we come out to nationals we get to see that family in action. It’s built on family and the most important thing is fun, and that’s the future of our sport. Together we’re a force, and it’s just been growing. I think Chuck would be proud.”

Taking the men’s PGS silver medal was 21-year-old Dylan Udolf (West Hartford, Conn.), while third place went to Canada’s Jacob Farber. 

RESULTS
 

Day 2 Recap

Marino Wins 15th Edition of Grandvalira Total Fight

By Andrew Gauthier
April, 1 2019
Julia Marino at Copper
Julia Marino at the 2017 Toyota U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix snowboard big air finals at Copper Mountain, Colo. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Sarah Brunson)

U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.) finished off her competition season with her second consecutive victory, and first slopestyle win, in the El Tarter Snowpark at the 15th edition Total Fight Masters in Grandvalira, Andorra, Saturday.

“Total Fight was an awesome event,” said Marino. “The conditions were great with warm and sunny weather every day and everyone looked like they were having a great time. It was the perfect end to my competition season and I’m stoked I got the win.”

Marino has had a successful season collecting podiums at four different events, including second-place in slopestyle at Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colo., second-place in slopestyle at the Burton U.S. Open at Vail, Colo., and just before the win in Andorra, first place at the Quebec City, Canada, World Cup. Overall, Julia’s first slopestyle win at the event in Andorra capped off what was a successful season of competition.

Yuka Fujimori of Japan finished second, and Brooke Voigt of Canada closed out the podium in third place.

For the men, U.S. Snowboard Team members, Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii), Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.) and Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.) finished in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Switzerland’s Michael Schaerer won the event, Canada’s superstar Mark McMorris finished second, and Bendik Gjerdalen of Norway finished in third.

Competition will continue at Total Fight as El Tarter Snowpark transforms into the epicenter of the world’s best freeskiers April 4-6 as athletes take to the course in Grandvalira. Returning champion and U.S. Freeski Pro Team member McRae Williams (Park City, Utah) will be looking to defend his title against an elite crew of the world’s best freeskiers. Tune in live Saturday on Facebook Grandvalira to catch all the action.

RESULTS
Men’s snowboard slopestyle

1. Michael Schaerer (Switzerland)
2. Mark McMorris (Canada)
3. Bendik Gjerdalen (Norway)

Women’s snowboard slopestyle
1. Julia Marino (USA)
2. Yuka Fujimori (Japan)
3. Brooke Voigt (Canada)

VIDEO
Julia Marino’s winning run
Snowboard highlights
Full snowboard finals replay

HOW TO WATCH
Live stream available on Facebook

FREESKI
Saturday, April 6.

6:00 a.m. - Men’s and women’s slopestyle - Total Fight Masters - Grandvalira, Andorra - Facebook

SNOWBOARD
Men's and women's slopestyle - full replay
 

Miller, Johnson Win USASA Nationals SBX Open Class Gold

By Chad Buchholz
April, 1 2019
Start Gate
USASA open class snowboardcross athletes dropping in at the 30th Anniversary USASA Nationals. (USASA - Chad Buckholz)

The first day of competition at the 30th anniversary of the USASA National Snowboard Championships went down on Sunday at Copper Mountain Resort, where a typically jam-packed day of riding saw action across all six Nationals venues.

The top-tier Open riders highlighted the day over on the boardercross course, where a strong field duked it out on the tricky Copper track and Anna Miller (Orem, Utah) and U.S. Snowboardcross Development Team member Cole Johnson (Reno, Nev.) took top honors in the respective women’s and men’s fields. 

Last season’s third-overall rider on the Nor-Am circuit, 22-year-old Miller came into competition in Copper fresh off her first full season on the World Cup tour, and on Sunday her rise to the upper echelon of the SBX world was on full display as she put on a dominant performance. 

By the middle of the course in Sunday’s big finals, Miller had opened up a lead of nearly a second over her competitors, and was able to cruise home through the course’s bottom section to claim victory in her first time competing at the Open level in her National Championships career.

“It was awesome out there today,” said Rocky Mountain Series rider Miller at the awards ceremony, “I thought the conditions were really nice and the course was running a little bit smoother than it has been. Getting a good start was important, but if not there was a little room to make some passes down at the bottom. 

“I’ve been doing USASA Nationals since I was 12 years old. I think this is probably my eighth time coming here. Being here and being in this environment I get all this nostalgia, seeing all the young kids like I once was, coming up. It’s really awesome to win here today.”

Second place for the women went to Yoshi Kohlwes (Mill Valley, Calif.), while Katie Wilson (Mchenry, Ill.) rounded out the podium in third, with Felicia Turcotte (Park City, Utah) was the odd-rider-out in fourth place. Meanwhile, seventh place on the day went to a well-known but unexpected name, as halfpipe rider par excellence Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) dropped in on her first ever SBX event and showed that she just might have a future in head-to-head racing if she ever gets tired of the pipe life.

Over on the men’s side it was South Tahoe Series representative Johnson taking the win in what was hotly-contested race that featured a handful of World Cup regulars and a long list of top Nor-Am riders.

The Nor-Am overall SBX winner back in the 2015/16 season and a nine-time Nor-Am race winner, Johnson was able to put down the top time in the seeding run before hitting the finals, where he used strong starts and aggressive lines on the snaking Copper track to lead every heat on his way to the big final.

In the big final he faced his toughest challenge of the day from Paul Kamisky (Davis, Calif.), as the two were neck-and-neck though much of the final run, but eventually Johnson was able to pull away and take the win.

“Awesome riders out here today and I think we had a great day,” smiled Johnson, “I was able to put down a fast time in seeding and then fortunately I was able to get out front in all my heats. Things definitely got a little tighter in the semifinal and finals, but fortunately I was able to keep it on my feet and get across the line out front in the finals.

“I’ve been competing at USASA Nationals since I was 12, so it’s always special to come back here and see all the kids out here having fun. Hopefully I can help keep them stoked.”

Kaminsky held on for second place on the day, while Matthew Mostoller (Johnstown, Penn.) claimed third, and U.S. Snowboardcross Pro Team memberJonathan Cheever (Saugus, Mass.), a regular on the World Cup team, would have to settle for fourth place after crashing in his big final run. 

RESULTS
 

Day 1 Highlights

30th Anniversary of USASA Nationals Hits The Slopes at Copper

By Chad Buchholz
April, 1 2019
opening parade
Over 1,400 USASA members from 40 states marched in the Parade of Athletes as part of USASA's 30th Annual Snowboarding National Championships Opening Ceremonies. (USASA - Chad Buckholz)

The 2019 USASA National Snowboard Championships are set to take to the slopes of Colorado’s Copper Mountain Resort this weekend to begin five jam-packed days of competition, as well over 1000 of the nation’s best amateur riders have gathered to square off in halfpipe, slopestyle, slalom, giant slalom, snowboard cross, and rail jam competitions.

While the USASA National Championships already holds the distinction as the largest such snow-sports event in the world, the 2019 iteration of the event is made extra special by the fact that this season we celebrate 30 years as an organization. And, with the USASA’s dedication to growing snowboarding at a grassroots level by facilitating competitions, fostering a community amongst our members, and helping to build the next generation of leaders and champions, the next 30 years are looking bright. 

In fact, when you look back through the USASA alumni ranks, you’ll find that since the 2006 season every single rider who has gone on to represent the USA in Olympic competition cut their teeth at some point on the USASA level, which goes to highlight just how successful the USASA has been over the past 30 years in helping to teach and aid the next generation of riders.

When you break down this year’s Championships by the numbers, the size and scope of what the event has become over the past 30 years is truly incredible.

Of the USASA’s 5000+ members spread across our 32 regional series, close to 1400 of the top riders from across the country have qualified to compete in Copper. Those riders are divided into age groups from the 7-and-under Ruggies all the way up to Methuselah 60+ category, as well as the top-tier “Open” class, the adaptive and specially abled categories, and all the other age brackets in between, with all groups featuring competitions for both women and men.

There is truly a staggering amount of snowboarding to be done in Copper this week, and excitement on and around the hill is only growing stronger. The six main venues here on site at Copper will play host to over 150 competitions over the coming days, as the 30 different age and ability groups square off for the 450 medals up for grabs. And, in the evenings, a further 24 medals are set to be decided over the course of four evenings’ rail jam events.

This will be the 12th-straight season that Copper has hosted the USASA National Championships, and with an agreement in place to continue hosting the event through to at least 2022, the Championships are in excellent hands in a good home for the foreseeable future.
 

Opening Ceremonies

APU Wins SuperTour Mixed Relay

By Reese Brown
March, 31 2019
Relay Podiu

After a two-year drought, the APU team of Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), Eirk Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.), Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.), and David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska) took the the mixed relay win at the L.L. Bean U.S. Nationals in Presque Isle, Maine. Considered by the athletes as the most important events, the relay did not disappoint, and APU went out charging from the gun.

While basking in the glow of a great win, the team members had this to say:

Sadie Bjornsen – “We had to really attack in all the legs and Stratton is a very dominant team as shown in the last two years, but this is always a fun event because it is so competitive. It looked like with this headwind it was going to be hard to do much damage, but thanks to Erik for changing that.”

Erik Bjornsen – “We are all good friend between Stratton and APU and a lot of us are on the national team and train together, but you show up to the race today and you just glare at those guys and you want to beat them. They are not our friends today.”

Rosie Brennan – “I had a small mishap, it was challenging out there and I just tired to stay as close as possible so Erik could do his thing.”

David Norris – “It was great for Sadie to tag off with such a gap and I tried to ski steady and just enjoy the lead.”

SMS T2 finished second with a team of Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.) Kyle Bratrud (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.) and Simi Hamilton (Apen, Colo.)

“It was a great day for our team, I think we all skied really strong legs, so to be second was a great accomplishment,” said Caldwell.

The battle for third shaped up between APU 2 (Hailey Swirbul, Scott Patterson, Rosie Frankowski and Logan Hanneman) and Craftsbury Green Racing Project (Ida Sargent, Ben Lustgarten, Caitlin Patterson and Akeo Maifeld-Carucci) with the final podium position going to APU 2.

Skiing anchor leg was Hanneman who had this to say, “I led the first half of the first lap and then Akeo passed me. I didn’t have much in the tank, so I was happy to let him lead. On the second lap we saw the Thunder Bay guy coming so Akeo went a little harder, and then on the big hill I went really hard and passed him coming into the rollers before the finish. I was just focused on getting on the podium.”

The event has a well deserved day off Monday leading into the Men’s 50k and Women’s 30k National Championship on Tuesday to end the competition.

RESULTS

Mixed-team relay

 

 

Bjornsen Siblings Win SuperTour Classic Distance

By Reese Brown
March, 30 2019
Erik Bjornsen
Erik Bjronsen leading the men's race on lap two. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Reese Brown)

The Bjornsen siblings, Erik and Sadie, both won the classic distance races at the L.L.Bean SuperTour Finals in Presque Isle, Maine, Saturday.  Following a two-hour start delay to let the course soften after a significant overnight freeze, both siblings skied near the front of their packs the entire race to ski away with the victories.

Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) was in a strong lead group from the beginning of the race which also included second-place finisher Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.), and third place finisher Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska)

“I needed to make sure those young kids didn’t take the win,” said Erik Bjornsen. “It was nice to have a relaxing morning with the crew, but once the race got started it was fun. Fast conditions, but no one was pulling away. I let Simi do some work that last lap and was able to sneak by him for the finish.”

This was Schumacher’s first senior podium. The U23 skier had this to say about his race, “It feels really good to get my first senior podium and everyone is here, so there’s no Asterix by my name. I felt good out there, sometimes I was worried when I was leading knowing other people are going easy, but I think I balanced my energy well and was pushing when I needed to.”

In the women’s 10k classic, Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) went out hard and led the entire race.

“I was coming into lap two and could see that no one wanted to take the lead and so I didn’t want to pull everyone around and decided to make a move and break the draft,” said Bjornsen. “I could tell Rose (Brennan, Park City, Utah) was quite close behind me so I just tried to push really hard like I was in a World cup race and I finally opened the gap a little more and then just sent it home.”

Completing the women’s podium was Brennan in second and Dahria Beatty of Canada in third.

In the junior’s race, the women’s podium included Charlotte Ogden (SMS) in first, followed by Sophia Laukli (SMS) in second and Shaylynn Loewen (National Training Development Center - Thunder Bay) in third.

The men’s junior race was won by Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars) with Ben Ogden (UVM) second and Johnny Hagenbach (Sun Valley SEF) completing the podium.

Looking to Sunday’s mixed-team relay, Sadie Bjornsen had this to say, “tomorrow is the most important race and APU needs to get that title back, it’s been two years. This is why we come to spring series.”  Always an athlete favorite, the mixed team sprint begins at 10 a.m.

RESULTS
Men’s and women’s distance

HOW TO WATCH
All times EDT

Sunday, March 31
10:00 a.m. - Mixed gender/technique relay - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming

Tuesday, April 2
9:00 a.m. - Women’s 30k/junior women’s 20k freestyle mass start - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming
11:15 a.m. - Men’s 50k/junior men’s 30k freestyle mass start - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming

Forehand Claims Crystal Globe, Stevenson Second at Silvaplana

By Andrew Gauthier
March, 30 2019
Mac Forehand
2019 FIS World Cup Slopestyle Champion Mac Forehand (right) with with Canadian Megan Oldham (left) at the Silvaplana, Switzerland World Cup. (FIS Freestyle - Mateusz Kielpinski)

The U.S. Freeski Team concluded the 2018/19 FIS Freeski World Cup season in SIlvaplana, Switzerland on a very creative slopestyle course Saturday at Snowpark Corvatsch as Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah) earned a spot on the podium finishing second and Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) took home the Crystal Globe.

U.S. Rookie Team member and 2019 FIS World Cup Slopestyle Champion Forehand finished 12th and put the cherry on top of what was a breakthrough season for the young freeskier.

“It feels crazy,” said Forehand. “I didn’t think I would have a chance to podium this year, nevermind take home the Crystal Globe at the end of the season. I want to thank all the guys back home at SMS (Stratton Mountain School) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard for supporting me all year long. The Silvaplana World Cup may be the best slopestyle competition that’s ever gone down in my opinion. The course was amazing, the weather was amazing, and I’m hyped with how everything worked out.

Forehand kicked off the season by earning the 2018 Junior World Championship title in big air at Cardrona, New Zealand in August and carried that momentum into the season. Forehand continued his impressive performance into November where he earned his first-ever World Cup podium with a second-place finish in Stubai, Austria. Furthermore, only a few weeks ago, he earned his first-ever World Cup victory at the Mammoth Mountain, California, World Cup.

"I’m so excited, I can’t believe it,” Stevenson said of his second-place finish. “I kept telling myself that this just wasn’t my year as I just haven’t been able to land a run in finals at any other competitions. Maybe because of the weather, maybe because my head game wasn’t there, but this week we have had perfect weather and everyone is skiing at their highest ability. I think just being part of the energy here in Silvaplana contributed to my success. Coming into the competition I just wanted to land my run for me, I didn’t care if I podiumed or won. It was one of the craziest runs I have ever thought of or attempted to do, so to put it together is a blessing. The fact my dad and stepmom are here makes this experience extra special.”

Swiss freeskier Andri Ragettli topped the podium in Silvaplana, followed by Stevenson in second, and Fabian Boesch of Switzerland closing out the podium in third. For the women, Megan Oldham of Canada won the event, Tess Ledeux of France finished second, and Silvia Bertagna of Italy finished third. U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.) finished in a respectable seventh.

The future of the American slopestyle freeskiing is undeniably strong. U.S. Freeski Team members Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah), Stevenson, Forehand, and American Kiernan Fagan are all 21 years old or younger and all finished in the top 10 of the slopestyle World Cup standings. For the women, U.S. Freeski Team members Eileen Gu (San Francisco, Calif.) finished in third, Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.) seventh, and Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt. finished in eighth completing a great season for U.S. freeskiers.

RESULTS
Men’s freeski slopestyle
Women’s freeski slopestyle

WORLD CUP STANDINGS
Men’s freeski slopestyle
Women’s freeski slopestyle

Hamilton, Bjornsen Win SuperTour Finals Sprint

By Reese Brown
March, 29 2019
Simi Hamilton
Simi Hamilton skied to the win in the Presque Isle, Maine Super Tour Finals sprint. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Reese Brown)

Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) and Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.) won the SuperTour Finals sprint in Presque Isle, Maine, Friday. The Nordic Heritage trails are usually considered fun and challenging, but the warm temps certainly took its toll on racers.

“Every heat was hard, and I had to push from the start,” said Hamilton. “I know from the distance races in Quebec City that I am fit right now, and so I know I could ski hard all day. In the final, I just focused on getting to the front and controlling it from there. It was a little soft, but we have had a lot of practice in skiing in that for the last couple of weeks.”

“The course was a bit soft, but we did this exact thing last week in Quebec City, so I felt very practiced and ready out there,” said Bjornsen. “I just tried to lead from the front because I don’t love the tactical decisions you need to make from behind.”

Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) finished second, followed by Canada’s Ritchie Graham in third.

On the women’s side, retiring Ida Sargent (Craftsbury, Vt.) second followed by Julia Kern (Waltham, Ma.) in third.

“It was really fun race for my final race,” said Sargent. “It’s so nice to come back and race with my club teammates after the World Cup and this is a super fun sprint race. I was just trying to have fun out there.”

The SuperTour Finals continue Saturday with mass starts in the men’s 15k classic and a women’s 10k classic.  

RESULTS
Men’s and women’s sprint

HOW TO WATCH
All times EDT

Saturday, March 30
10:00 a.m. - Men’s 15k classic mass start - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming
11:45 a.m. - Women’s 10k classic mass start - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming

Sunday, March 31
10:00 a.m. - Mixed gender/technique relay - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming

Tuesday, April 2
9:00 a.m. - Women’s 30k/junior women’s 20k freestyle mass start - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming
11:15 a.m. - Men’s 50k/junior men’s 30k freestyle mass start - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Streaming

Live Streaming SuperTour Finals From Maine

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
March, 28 2019
SuperTour Finals
The U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour Finals and L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships will be streamed live to fans around the world. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Reese Brown)

Live streaming will bring all the action from this week’s U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour Finals and L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships to fans around the world. CXC TV will produce live streaming coverage available exclusively from U.S. Ski & Snowboard in partnership with Central Cross Country Skiing Friday, March 29 through Tuesday, April 2.

The live stream will be available on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team Facebook channel and the SuperTour Finals page on USSkiandSnowboarg.org.

The event will bring together top athletes from U.S. Ski & Snowboard clubs around the country, vying for titles in the season-long SuperTour as well as national championship medals in both long distance events and relays. Among the field will be top World Cup athletes skiing for their home clubs.

CXC TV has been producing live streaming of all major cross country ski events in America for the few seasons to help grow exposure for the sport, including the U.S. Super Tour, and Junior World Championships. U.S. Ski & Snowboard is providing free coverage of the entire U.S. Ski & Snowboard Super Tour series for the second-straight season.

Action begins Friday, March 29 with freestyle sprints, then shifting to classic distance mass start racing on Saturday, March 30. Sunday, March 31 will be a highlight event with relays as clubs vie for national titles. Medals will be on the line again in long-distance U.S. Championships mass start freestyle Tuesday, April 2 to wrap up the season.

SuperTour and L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championship
Live Streaming Schedule
(all times EDT and subject to change)

Friday, March 29
10:00 a.m. - Women’s freestyle sprint qualifying
10:15 p.m. - Men’s freestyle sprint qualifying
11:30 a.m. - Junior men’s freestyle sprint
12:00 p.m. - Men’s and women’s freestyle sprint finals
12:55 p.m. - Junior women’s freestyle sprint

Saturday, March 30, 2019
10:00 a.m. - Men’s 15k classic mass start
11:45 a.m. - Women’s 10k classic mass start

Sunday, March 31, 2019
10:00 a.m. - Mixed gender/technique relay

Tuesday, April 2, 2019
9:00 a.m. - Women’s 30k/junior women’s 20k freestyle mass start
11:15 a.m. - Men’s 50k/junior men’s 30k freestyle mass start

Snowboard & Freestyle Teams Announced for 2019 Junior World Championships

By Andrew Gauthier
March, 28 2019
Jade Thurgood
Jade Thurgood, who just missed the snowboard big air podium, finishing fourth, at the 2018 FIS Junior Snowboard World Championships, takes another shot April 7-13 in Klappen, Sweden.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has nominated a strong team of young athletes to compete at the 2019 FIS Freestyle and Snowboard Junior World Championships competing this week across four different international venues. The U.S. will be sending 36 snowboarders and 30 skiers to fight for their chance at taking home the coveted Marc Hodler Trophy - awarded to the best overall nation throughout the series.

"We are proud to send a very talented team of athletes to Sweden and Slovenia to compete in the Junior World Championships where we will be vying for the Marc Holder Trophy for the second year running in snowboarding,” said Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, and Parallel Giant Slalom Sport Development Leader Ashley Deibold. “In addition, the athletes will be competing to secure a personal World Cup spot for the 2019-20 season."

The Freestyle and Snowboard Junior World Championships competition began Jan. 26 in Leysin, Switzerland with the halfpipe program. The second round of Junior World Championships competition continues with snowboardcross and skicross in Reiteralm, Austria, March 28-April 2. Next, alpine snowboarders will hit the gates April 2-4 in Rogla, Slovenia, and slopestyle/big air athletes will compete April 7-13 in Klappen, Sweden. Meanwhile, the aerials and moguls athletes are set to compete April 4-6 at Chiesa in Valmalenco, Italy, which has hosted Junior Worlds events five times since 2012.

“The talent exhibited at the junior level from the aerials, moguls, ski and snowboardcross disciplines is very promising,” said Moguls, Aerials, Skicross and Snowboardcross Sport Development Manager Katie Fieguth. “We’re excited to send such a robust group of athletes to compete at these events in Junior Worlds.”

“It’s an incredible opportunity for me to compete with the world's best juniors,” said aerialist Kaila Kuhn (Boyne City, Mich.), “As an athlete, it means the world to me to be competing with such an amazing group of people. I hope this competition will not only bring experience but a spot on the podium!”

The U.S. Snowboard Junior World Championship Team claimed the Marc Hodler Trophy at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Cardrona, New Zealand, but the U.S. freeskiers fell just short behind Russia. With a strong U.S. contingent of young snowboard and freestyle athletes heading to Europe, the 2019 U.S. Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Championships Team will be looking to close the season on a strong note.

“It’s an honor to represent U.S. Ski & Snowboard in Sweden at the Junior World Championships,” said U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah). “It has been a progressive season for me and to wrap it up with a chance to help the team win the Marc Hodler Trophy means a lot. The Junior World Championships are an important event in my season and I hope I can make it to the podium.”

2019 U.S. SNOWBOARD & FREESTYLE JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
(Hometown, Club, USASA Series, Birth Year)

SNOWBOARD
Slopestyle/Big Air
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)
  • Eli McDermott (Wells, Vt.; Maine Mountain Series; 4/23/2002)
  • Will Healy (Riverside, Conn.; Kirk’s Camp; Southern Vermont Series; 3/11/2002)
  • TJ Fitzgerald (West Dover, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 9/14/2001)
  • Alex Atno (Lavallette, N.J.; Kirk’s Camp; Southern Vermont Series; 1/14/2001)

Women

  • Addison Gardner (Riegelsville, Penn.; Maine Mountain Series; 2/19/2002)
  • Courtney Rummel (West Bend, Wisc.; Wisconsin Advanced Ski and Snowboard Program; Midwest Best Series; 11/12/03)
  • Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 1/27/02)
  • Isabella Gomez (Issaquah, Wash.; Stevens Pass Alpine Club; Inland Northwest Series; 9/11/2001)
  • Ty Schnorrbusch (Monroe Township, N.J.; Tom Anderson, Rocky Mountain Series; 1/27/02)
  • Ellie Duchow (Breckenridge, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/15/2002)

Snowboardcross
Men

  • Kurt Hoshino (Huntington Beach, Calif.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/20/2001)
  • Zachary Stewart (Cape Elizabeth, Maine; Carrabassett Valley Academy; Maine Mountain Series; 2/10/2001)
  • Michael Martin (Freeman Township, Maine; Carrabassett Valley Academy; Maine Mountain Series, 3/9/2000)
  • Theodore McLemore (Pittsburgh, Penn.; Carrabassett Valley Academy, Maine Mountain Series; 12/30/2002)
  • Liam Maguire (Bethel, Maine; Maine Mountain Series; 8/2/2000)
  • Benjamin Smith (Shrewsbury, Mass.; Killington Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/3/2002)

Women

  • Emma Downing (Carrabassett Valley, Maine; Carrabassett Valley Academy; Maine Mountain Series; 7/19/2001)
  • Olivia Shively (Jeffersonville, Vt.; Westminster College Snowboard Team; Northern Vermont Series; 2/20/1999)
  • Madeline Lochte-Bono (Durango, Colo.; international Snowboard Training Center; Southwest Colorado Series; 1/7/2003)
  • Montana Braden (Gypsum, Colo.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/26/2000)
  • Payton Bacca (Ketchum, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Big Mountain West Series; 7/12/2001)
  • Helen French (Cumberland, Maine; Gould Academy Competition Programs; Maine Mountain Series; 6/3/2001)

Parallel Slalom & Parallel Giant Slalom
Men

  • Mika Kizuka (Sinking Spring, Penn.; Ski Roundtop Racing Club; Mid Atlantic Series; 1/22/2002)
  • Nate True (Hampstead, N.H.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/12/2000)
  • William Taylor (Wayzata, Minn.; G Team; Upper Midwest Snow Series; 4/12/2001)
  • Cody Winters (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 4/20/2000)
  • Jacob McCarthy (Edina, Minn.; G Team; Upper Midwest Snow Series; 12/27/2000)
  • Winston Vaughan (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 8/23/2001)
  • Tate DePaepe (Eden Prairie, Minn.; G Team; Upper Midwest Snow Series; 5/20/2002)

Women

  • Lily Janousek (Greenwood, Minn.; G Team; Upper Midwest Snow Series; 7/24/2003)
  • Rose Bransford (Minneapolis, Minn.; G Team; Upper Midwest Snow Series; 12/8/2002)
  • Olivia Bellek (Whitehouse Station, N.J.; Catskill Mountain Series; 5/16/2001)
  • Iris Pflum (Minneapolis, Minn.; G Team; Upper Midwest Snow Series; 7/13/2003)
  • Kaiya Kizuka (Sinking Spring, Penn.; Ski Roundtop Racing Club; Mid Atlantic Series; 5/26/1999)

FREESTYLE
Slopestyle/Big Air
Men

  • Kiernan Fagan (Brownfield, Maine; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/18/2002)
  • Deven Fagan (Brownfield, Maine; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/18/2002)
  • Hunter Henderson (Madbury, N.H..; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 12/28/2002)
  • Troy Podmilsak (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 8/23/2004)
  • Rodney Koford (Ogden, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 5/11/2001)
  • Zane Severson (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 3/25/2002)

Women

  • Rell Harwood (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 6/1/01)
  • Grace Henderson (Madbury, N.H.; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 4/28/01)
  • Montana Osinski (Fairfield, Conn.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 4/1/2003)

Skicross
Men

  • Noah Giron (Carson City, Nev.; North Tahoe Series; 9/11/1999)
  • Eli Derrick (Harrisburg, Va.; Carrabassett Valley Academy; Maine Mountain Series; 7/29/2002)
  • Stuart Whittier (Cape Elizabeth, Maine; Carrabassett Valley Academy; Maine Mountain Series; 2/10/2001)
  • Aidan Steffe (Hummelstown, Penn.; Blue Mountain Race Team; Mid Atlantic Series; 7/28/2002)
  • Jake Roney (Laurel Springs, N.J.; Adirondack Series; 7/27/1999)

Moguls
Men

  • Kalman Heims (Westborough, Mass.; Killington Mountain School; 4/10/00)
  • Ian Beauregard (Wilmington, Mass.; Killington Mountain School; 5/12/99)
  • Alex Lewis (Carlisle, Mass.; Killington Mountain School; 11/16/99)
  • Landon Wendler (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 10/12/00)

Women

  • Sabrina Cass (Cheshire, Conn.; Wasatch Freestyle Foundation; 3/27/02)
  • Kai Owens (Vail, Colo.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; 8/16/04)
  • Madison Hogg (Park City, Utah; Wasatch Freestyle Foundation; 2/15/01)
  • Kasey Hogg (Park City, Utah; Wasatch Freestyle Foundation; 1/8/03)

Aerials
Men

  • Quinn Dehlinger (Cincinnati, Ohio; Elite Aerial Development Program; 6/8/02)
  • Derek Krueger (Cincinnati, Ohio; Elite Aerial Development Program; 6/2/03)
  • Cole Kozlowski (Knoxville, Tenn.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 2/5/02)
  • Evan Dermott (Hingham, Mass.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 2/19/04)

Women

  • Kaila Kuhn (Boyne City, Mich.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 4/8/03)
  • Megan Smallhouse (Reno, Nev.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 1/16/01)
  • Tasia Tanner (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 7/26/02)
  • Dani Loeb (Montgomery, Ala.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 8/10/01)

Snowboard Marc Hodler Trophy Standings:
Leysin, Switzerland: HP - Jan. 26 - Complete
Reiteralm, Austria: SBX - April 1-2
Rogla, Slovenia: PGS, PSL - April 2-4
Klappen, Sweden: SS, BA - April 8-13

Freestyle Marc Hodler Trophy Standings:
Leysin, Switzerland: HP - Jan. 26 - Complete
Reiteralm, Austria: SX - March 28
Valmalenco, Italy: MO, AE - April 4-6
Klappen, Sweden: SS, BA - April 7-13