Spinning & Sparring: Stifel U.S. Ski Team and UFC Athletes Work Out at Woodward

On Thursday, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes got together with professional UFC fighters to flip, spin and spare at Woodward Park City.

The pro athletes spent the morning teaching each other tricks and tactics from their respective sports at Park City’s action sports facility and U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner Woodward. The skiers, made up of moguls, aerials and freeski athletes, worked with the fighters to teach them how to flip into foam pits and do tricks on the trampolines, while the fighters coached the skiers through punching, jabbing and kicking. Woodward coaches worked with both teams on their parkour course and took a few athletes skateboarding. There were lots of stunned looks and laughs as the athletes with very different specialties compared their skills and traded techniques.

This was the second year in a row that UFC has worked with U.S. Ski & Snowboard around their Salt Lake City PPV fight. Last year, fighters went off the water ramps at the Utah Olympic Park and spent time at the USANA Center of Excellence, and earlier this summer, number two fighter in the world Justin Gaethje came to the USANA Center of Excellence to try out the ski simulator with Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes.

The day wrapped with gear trades, autographs and new friendships, and the Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes will be cheering on the UFC fighters' teammates in the fights on Saturday. 

Participating athletes in the event are below:

UFC FIGHTERS
Maycee Barber
Miesha Tate
Kelvin Gastelum
Dan Ige
Brendan Allen
Belal Muhammad

STIFEL U.S. SKI TEAM ATHLETES
Quinn Dehlinger (freestyle aerials)
Alex Hall (freeski)
Hunter Hess (freeski)
Chris Lillis (freestyle aerials)
Kai Owens (freestyle moguls)
Nick Page (freestyle moguls)
Winter Vinecki (freestyle aerials)
Tom Wallisch (freeski – alumnus)