2020-21 U.S. Freeski Team Announced

Twenty-three pro-level and 15 rookie freeskiers are ready to take on a season that will look different from years past. Ski fans and athletes across the world are ready for snow and the return to competition. The U.S. Freeski Team is prepared to give the people what they want as they take on the world’s best with an all-star roster. 

In an unfamiliar world, there will still be familiar faces such as Olympic medalists David Wise, Alex Ferreira, Brita Sigourney, Nick Goepper, Devin Logan, as well as 2020 X Games medalists Alex Hall, Colby Stevenson, and Maggie Voisin. With a hungry group of rookies that continue to push their boundaries, the team dynamic is as strong as ever. 

Although training opportunities were challenging to come by due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there was tremendous success in running training camps at official training sites of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, Ore., The Stomping Grounds Park in Saas Fee, Switzerland, and Copper Mountain, Colo. this off-season. With last season cut short, these opportunities were critical to get athletes on snow and comfortable ahead of entering the competition environment. 

“Our teams are super grateful to have so much solid skiing under our belts from Timberline this summer as well as October on the glaciers in Europe,” said U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “We will be starting the competition season off next week back in Stubai, Austria and could not be more excited to get it going. With this being a World Championship season and having the opportunity to compete at the Olympic venues in China, it adds another layer of stoke across the team.”

The U.S. Freeski Team will kick off their season in Stubai, Austria, Nov. 20-21 with the FIS World Cup slopestyle competition. From there, both the slopestyle and halfpipe teams plan to make their way to Copper Mountain, Colo. for training as well as the first domestic World Cup of the season. The 2020-21 Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix is expected to celebrate its 25th anniversary with halfpipe athletes set to compete from Dec. 16-19 at Copper Mountain, Colo. pending local and state approvals. The second annual Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover is also planned for Copper Mountain from Dec.17-19, pending local and state approvals.

From Feb. 3-6, the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix is set to return to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif. and the famed Unbound Terrain Parks for slopestyle and halfpipe competition, pending local and state approvals. It’s only fitting that on it’s 25th anniversary, there is something special about the grand prix series. The Grand Prix at Mammoth will serve as the first U.S. Freeski Olympic Tryout Event and provides a pathway towards qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Olympic Freeski Team. 

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to host events on home soil this season,” said U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “We are thankful to our Grand Prix host resorts, Copper Mountain and Mammoth Mountain, for their dedication and commitment in working with numerous stakeholders as we continue to navigate this landscape.”

The U.S. Freeski Team will also head to Zhangjiakou, China Feb. 18-28 for the 2021 FIS Freestyle, Freeski, and Snowboard World Championships. Athletes will have the chance to compete at the site of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games as the pinnacle event of the season. At the 2019 edition of the FIS Freestyle, Freeski, and Snowboard World Championships held in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s home state of Utah, Aaron Blunck claimed his second consecutive halfpipe title, alumnas Julia Krass earned silver in big air, as well as Nick Goepper and Brita Sigourney taking bronze in slopestyle and halfpipe respectively. 

NBC’s new streaming platform, Peacock Premium, will live stream the 2020-21 FIS Freeski World Cup this season. NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA and NBC Sports’ digital platforms will also air World Cup coverage all season. Freeski broadcast and streaming listings, including the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air, will be available throughout the season at USSkiandSnowboard.org.
 

2020-21 U.S. Freeski Team 
(Hometown; Club; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE
PRO TEAM
Men

• Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/12/96)
• Alex Ferreira (Aspen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 8/14/94)
• Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Freeride Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/26/99)
• David Wise (Reno, Nev.; 6/30/90)
• Lyman Currier (Boulder, Colo.; Winter Park Freeski Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/28/94)
• Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 10/01/98)
• Taylor Seaton (Avon, Colo.; 7/16/90)
• Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/17/00)
• Cassidy Jarrell (Aspen, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/31/99)

Women

• Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.; Intermountain Series; 1/17/90)
• Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.; Mount Snow Academy; Southern Vermont Series; 2/17/93)
• Annalisa Drew (Andover, Mass.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Southwest Colorado Series; 5/28/93)
• Carly Margulies (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 12/24/97)
• Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 5/26/98)

ROOKIE TEAM
Men

• Hunter Carey (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/12/02
• Connor Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/26/03)
• Dylan Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/29/01)
• Sammy Schuiling (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/16/00)

Women

• Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Freeride Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/02)
• Hanna Faulhaber (Carbondale, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/04/04)
• Riley Jacobs (Oak Creek, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/14/03)

SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR
PRO TEAM
Men

• Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 9/21/98)
• Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/4/01)
• Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 10/3/97)
• Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/14/94)
• Willie Borm (Chaska, Minn.; Midwest Freeskiing Association; 5/21/97)
• Cody LaPlante (Truckee, Calif.; Squaw Valley Freestyle and Freeride Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/15/02)

Women

• Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 12/14/98)
• Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 2/2/00)
• Darian Stevens (Missoula, Mont.; Missoula Freestyle Ski Team; 10/29/96)

ROOKIE TEAM
Men

• Hunter Henderson (Madbury, N.H..; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 12/28/02)
• Richard Thomas (Orono, Minn.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Upper Midwest Snow; 8/16/01)
• Troy Podmilsak (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 8/23/04)

Women

• Rell Harwood (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 6/1/01)
• Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 4/5/01)
• Grace Henderson (Madbury, N.H.; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 4/28/01)
• Bella Bacon (Ellicottville, N.Y.; Agenda Freeski; Western New York Series; 1/29/04)
• Jenna Riccomini (Port Matilda, Penn.; Team Summit Colorado; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/12/04)

2020-21 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

High Performance Staff

• Senior Sports Psychologist, USOC: Alex Cohen
• 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

Freeski

• Slopestyle Pro Team Head Coach: Skogen Sprang
• Slopestyle Pro Team Coach: Dave Euler (Park City Ski & Snowboard)
• Slopestyle Technician: Tanner Keim
• Halfpipe National Development Team Coach: Ryan Carey (Mammoth Mountain)
• Slopestyle/Big Air National Development Team Coach: Ryan Wyble (Park City Ski & Snowboard)
• Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Riddle 
• Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Jeremie Livingston (Winter Park Competition Center)
• Halfpipe Pro Team Technician: Dave Coombs
• Videographer: Richard Mangum

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