On day two of the U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen Highlands, it was an international giant slalom podium, with University of Denver's Tobias Kogler (Austria) in first, University of Utah’s Joachim Bakken Lien (Norway), and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete and hometown Aspen boy, Bridger Gile, in third. 

It was another early morning for the athletes, staff, and race organizers, and the conditions were challenging. Though the temperatures were cooler than on Monday, the wind took the moisture out of the snow, causing issues for the salt to do its job and firm up the surface. Several athletes came through the finish after second run gassed, referencing the tough conditions and “dead snow.”

Giant slalom favorite River Radamus ran into trouble on the first run, getting bounced by the terrain and ending up in 16th after the first run. Gile had the fastest first run, followed by Kogler .47 seconds back, and Middlebury College’s Erik Arvidsson, .54 off Gile’s pace. With softer snow and a groove forming during the second run, athletes were challenged to push on the surface and get power out of the turn. 

It was a tight race for the podium, with Kogler taking the victory, Bakken Lien in second by a mere eight one-hundredths of a second, and Gile in third, .19 seconds off Kogler. Isaiah Nelson, who was the fastest junior on the day, moved up from sixth to land in fourth, tied with the University of New Hampshire’s Patrick Kenney, .47 seconds off Kogler’s pace. Arvidsson moved back to sixth. 

“COVID kind of prevented me from going over to Austria [for Nationals]...and I was stoked that it is here in Aspen—great hill, love that hill, skied here before—and perfect conditions,” said Kogler. Following NCAAs, Kogler kept the momentum going to U.S. Alpine Championships. "We just kept the race rhythm...we did NCAAs, never stopped training, did some FIS races, and then a week ago we got a new coach—he got us all fired up and that was the last bit of energy I needed." This was Kogler's final race of the season. 

Gile, who is just off of a long winter in Europe with his first full FIS Ski World Cup schedule, was the fastest American. Though the conditions were challenging, Gile is stoked to finish the season at home in Aspen. "The course was pretty long...I'd say I'm pretty beat from the season in general, at least it's warm weather, so that's nice and makes it easier to be outside," he said. "But, it makes the snow softer...they did their best to keep it as hard as they could, but it's pretty hot out—and I think that makes the course more tiring as well. It's fun to ski. First run was good...last run I struggled with having fast first runs, so at least this year I had fast first runs. I think I need to work on my fitness because second run I crashed and I couldn't go any faster...It's a good way to end the season knowing you need to get stronger because you work out harder in the summer."

After traveling all winter in Europe, Gile is elated to be at home in Aspen and for the ability to sleep in his own bed. "It's amazing to ski in my own bed," he added. "Honestly, skiing and racing while sleeping in my own bed feels weird...I feel uncomfortable not sleeping in a hotel room before a race. I know the town, I know good places to eat, and so it just makes coming home after a long season and a long race today...to be able to chill out in your own house is awesome." Gile will ski in the alpine combined and the downhill. 

The three fastest juniors for the day were Nelson, followed by Burke Mountain Academy's (BMA) Oliver Morgan and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Jack Smith. Following his near-podium performance, Nelson commented, "The conditions were not very good, especially on the first run. Running eight was sweet, but the snow was pretty inconsistent and I couldn't get into the flow of it, I kept pinching off the turns. So the second run I knew I had to go deep and it actually worked out because that next course was even more space so it exaggerated the need to go deep."

Nelson is working to attack both runs, and he's finding that balance. "I definitely attacked really hard...last night in our meeting we talked about the aggression of that second run mentality and skiing like you have time to make up, and I need to figure out how to do that first run because that's something I didn't do the past two days, but I really liked the way I attacked that second run," he added. "I was happy to move up and almost get on the overall podium, which would have been super cool." Nelson will ski the alpine combined and downhill to finish off his 2020-21 season. 

Looking back to one year ago when 2020 U.S. Alpine Tech Championships were slated to take place at Aspen, it's a miracle the event is able to happen at all this season. Despite the fact that there are no spectators and limited media at the event, there is a sense of gratitude for the ability to race at all. Fans can follow the action via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Up next for the men is alpine combined on Wednesday, headlined by Jared Goldberg, Arvidsson, Radamus, Nelson, among others. 

The 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen is contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the local organizing committee, and Aspen Snowmass are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities. 

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom

2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen - Event Schedule
Wednesday, April 7, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Men
Friday, April 9, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Saturday, April 10, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Sunday, April 11, Downhill National Championships, Men/Women
Tuesday, April 13, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Women
Thursday, April 15, Giant Slalom National Championships, Women
Friday, April 16, Slalom National Championships, Women

Media:
Virtual Media Hub

Media Contacts:
Aspen Snowmass
Tucker Vest Burton, (970) 300-7020, tvestburton@aspensnowmass.com  

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Megan Harrod, (435) 714-9393, megan.harrod@usskiandsnowboard.org

Under the sunshine at Aspen Highlands, Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete and 2021 World Junior Slalom Champion Ben Ritchie emerged victorious at the slalom kickoff of the U.S. Alpine Championships. Middlebury College's Erik Arvidsson was second, and Garret Driller rounded out the podium in third. 

Due to the forecasted warm weather, organizers made the decision to move the program up, with an early 7:30 a.m. first run start. The decision proved to be a good move, as the sun burned through the clouds at the end of the second run, roasting the surface. The course crew did a great job with the conditions considering the temperatures, and the surface was surprisingly solid and skiable. 

"This morning we all thought that it was going to be one of the worst races of the year, but the snow is way better than I would ever expect it would have been...even with the warm weather," commented the 20-year-old Ritchie. "So, hopefully, it will stay like that through the week."

It was a tricky, offset first run set that kept the athletes on their toes and turning all the way down. It also meant there were a lot of DNFs—33 to be exact, including World Cup mainstay Jett Seymour. Aspen local Bridger Gile also went out first run, having run into trouble at the bottom of the course, straddling. After the first run, Luke Winters was in first by .45 seconds over Arvidsson, with Greece's AJ Ginnis in third, .51 off the Winters' pace. 

As the sun burned through the clouds second run, the surface started to soften slightly, and 18 more athletes DNFed, including Ginnis, as well as Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes Isaiah Nelson (in sixth after first run) and Winters. Ritchie had the fastest second run time to take the victory by a nearly one-second margin (.84) over Arvidsson, with Driller 1.35 off Ritchie's pace in third. 

After a successful season over in Europe, headlined by his first Europa Cup slalom victory, a top-15 (13th place) result at World Championships, and a World Junior Championships gold medal in slalom, the national slalom title was the icing on the cake to Ritchie's season. 

"It's definitely been a really different season than I would have ever expected—had its weird moments with COVID and ups and downs with results," reflected Ritchie. "But, I think throughout the whole year I made a really solid, steady increase in my racing performance in skiing, which eventually turned out to have some good results at World Juniors, World Championships, and some good skiing here and there. I'm happy with the progress I made this year...it's nice to finish with a Nationals win—I've never won before—and I'm excited for what next year holds."

The 2016 World Junior downhill champ Arvidsson, who had a strong season in Europe, with three Europa Cup downhill top-five results including two victories and an eighth place at the FIS Ski World Cup downhill in Saalbach, Austria—his first World Cup points—will be one to watch the entire week at U.S. Alpine Championships, with his best events yet to come. 

The three fastest juniors for the day were Ritchie—who is in his final year as a junior, followed by University of Utah's Wilhelm Normannseth, and Australian Henry Heaydon. 

Looking back to one year ago when 2020 U.S. Alpine Tech Championships were slated to take place at Aspen, it's a miracle the event is able to happen at all this season. Despite the fact that there are no spectators and limited media at the event, there is a sense of gratitude for the ability to race at all. Fans can follow the action via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Up next for the men is giant slalom on Tuesday, headlined by Colorado native River Radamus. 

The 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen is contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the local organizing committee, and Aspen Snowmass are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities. 

RESULTS
Men's slalom

2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen - Event Schedule
Tuesday, April 6, Giant Slalom National Championships, Men
Wednesday, April 7, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Men
Friday, April 9, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Saturday, April 10, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Sunday, April 11, Downhill National Championships, Men/Women
Tuesday, April 13, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Women
Thursday, April 15, Giant Slalom National Championships, Women
Friday, April 16, Slalom National Championships, Women

Media:

Virtual Media Hub

Media Contacts:

Aspen Snowmass
Tucker Vest Burton, (970) 300-7020, tvestburton@aspensnowmass.com  

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Megan Harrod, (435) 714-9393, megan.harrod@usskiandsnowboard.org

The 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships will kick off on Monday with men's slalom for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team and will run through April 16th at Aspen Highlands. The event will include men’s and women’s downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and alpine combined.

The U.S. Alpine Championships will take place after Highlands has closed for public skiing this season and restrictions will be in place to ensure compliance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols. This means no spectators and limited media will be invited to the event. 

While FIS Ski World Cup mainstays like Breezy Johnson, Mikaela Shiffrin, Paula Moltzan, Jackie Wiles, Bryce Bennett, and Travis Ganong will be getting some much-needed R&R, tackling sponsor shoots, equipment testing, and/or hitting the gym in preparation for the 2021-22 Olympic season, regular World Cup point scorers such as Nina O'Brien, Bella Wright, Laurenne Ross, AJ Hurt, Ben Ritchie, Luke Winters, and Jared Goldberg will headline the event in Aspen.

Katie Hensien, Jett Seymour, Sam Morse, and Middlebury College athlete Erik Arvidsson—who had a breakout year on the World Cup highlighted by an eighth-place in downhill at the World Cup in Saalbach, Austria as well as two Europa Cup downhill victories—are also expected to compete. 

Aspen was originally set to host the 2021 NorAm Cup Finals from April 5-16, though COVID-19 and travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada forced the removal of the event from the schedule. Aspen was quick to step up, expressing interest in hosting the U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen. 

The 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen is contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the local organizing committee, and Aspen Snowmass are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities. 

2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen - (Revised) Event Schedule
Monday, April 5, Slalom National Championships, Men
Tuesday, April 6, Giant Slalom National Championships, Men
Wednesday, April 7, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Men
Friday, April 9, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Sunday, April 11, (Two-Run) Downhill National Championships, Men/Women
Tuesday, April 13, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Women
Thursday, April 15, Giant Slalom National Championships, Women
Friday, April 16, Slalom National Championships, Women

Media Contacts:
Aspen Snowmass
Tucker Vest Burton, (970) 300-7020, tvestburton@aspensnowmass.com  

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Megan Harrod, (435) 714-9393, megan.harrod@usskiandsnowboard.org

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is honored to announce that due to the success of the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund (JSARF) and support from the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, the organization will make a one-time COVID-19 hardship payment of $1300 to every named 2020-21 national team athlete. 

The JSARF was created to honor Jeff Shiffrin’s life and legacy in collaboration with the Shiffrin family and a group of generous donors (six families). The fund has contributed to U.S. Ski & Snowboard in sustaining its training and competition schedule as many funding sources were impacted due to COVID-19. This has translated into one of the most successful seasons in history, with 103 podiums, including 27 victories, across all sports which is a direct result of the consistent funding.

“The Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund was able to help us support and sustain athlete funding during the COVID downturn we experienced this year,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We are thrilled to be able to award athletes this one-time payment. Many of our athletes have faced a personal loss of income and an impeded earning power due to a reduction in events and other opportunities this season. We know this payment may not make up for every missed opportunity, but we hope that it can alleviate some of the financial hardship.”

“We are so grateful to have had the ability and opportunity to train and compete this year,” added Shaw. “Going into this winter we did not know if we were even going to have a season. Because of the support of our generous donors with initiatives such as the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund, we were able to keep our athletes on snow and achieved some amazing results. All of our athletes exemplified resiliency this year and I can think of no better way to honor Jeff’s memory than by supporting our athletes in their pursuit of excellence.”

Better days are still ahead, and the thrill and challenge of athletes’ Olympic dreams are worth fighting for. 

For more information about the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund, visit keeptheflamealive.org.

In an essay written for Outside Magazine on the topic of legacy, Olympic champion and winningest female alpine ski racer of all-time, Lindsey Vonn, says former teammate and Olympian Breezy Johnson is America's next great downhiller. 

Johnson, who grabbed her first FIS Ski World Cup podium in the downhill at Val d'Isere, France in December, and then went on to grab three more consecutive third-place results, had the best season of her career during the 2020-21 season, ending up ranked fourth in the downhill standings. 

In the essay, Vonn reflects on her career and the meaning of "legacy,"

When you retire from a career as a professional athlete, the most common question people ask is: What is your legacy? That’s an incredibly hard question to answer, but I will try now to find the words.

I met my idol, Picabo Street, when I was nine years old. She was signing autographs at a ski shop in Minnesota. After just two minutes with her, I knew that I wanted to become an Olympian. Little did either of us know that nine years later we would be racing together in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. 

This winter, nearly two decades later, I asked her the same question I have struggled to answer. To my surprise, she said: “You. You are my legacy.” I admit we shared a few tears as we acknowledged the impact we had on each other. 

She goes on to talk about teammate Johnson, and the bright future she has in the sport. 

There are many incredible women in the field right now, but one who I am most excited to watch grow is Breezy Johnson, a 25-year-old from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, who nabbed her first spot on a World Cup podium in December at Val d’Isère, France. 

Johnson Stats

• Career-first World Cup podium, Val d’Isere, France (Dec. 2020). From there, she scored three more consecutive third-place finishes.
• In six downhill starts, she was top five in five starts and only DNFed once
• Despite a big mistake at Cortina in DH, she ended up ninth…but was gunning for the win
• Finished the season with a career-best super-G result of 10th in Val di Fassa, Italy
• She ended up ranked fourth in the world in downhill – her best-ever ranking

Vonn closes with, "Legacy is not what you leave behind, it is how you help push others forward."

Read the full article on OutsideOnline.com

Following what was possibly the most memorable and grit-filled season of her career, two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin stayed in Europe to test equipment in Austria with Atomic immediately following World Cup Finals—a vital opportunity she missed out on after the 2020 season ended abruptly. It was time to get back to work, and Shiffrin is more motivated than ever before. 

Of course, this is something her competitors should be a bit concerned about because despite the tragic year she endured compounded with COVID setbacks, and only one-third of her normal preparation heading into the season, Shiffrin still walked away with 10 podiums in 16 FIS Ski World Cup starts, including three victories, four World Championship medals and records to boot. And yet, fans and the media speculated that the Shiffrin of the past was no longer. 

Mikaela Shiffrin 2020-21 Stats:

• 10 podiums in 16 FIS Ski World Cup starts, including three victories (worst finish sixth)
• Surpassed legend Marcel Hirscher's 67 career victories and ending the season with 69 World Cup victories—third on the all-time World Cup win list behind former teammate Lindsey Vonn (82), and Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86) 
• Second in the world in the giant slalom and slalom standings, and fourth in the overall standings 
• Leader on the World Cup circuit for average World Cup points per race (67.2 points over Swiss Lara Gut's 57.1 points in second) 
• Snagged her 44th career World Cup slalom victory, breaking the women's record for most wins in a single discipline (Stenmark holds the record with 46 in giant slalom)
• Four world championships medals at Cortina 2021 (career-best world champs)
• First skier—male or female—to win four medals at the world championships in 14 years
• Tied with Sweden's Anja Paerson for the most World Championships medals by a woman in the modern era (11)
• Most decorated American alpine skier in World Championships history (11 medals)
• Most World Championship gold medals for American alpine skier (6 gold)
• First American winner of the women’s combined since Tamara McKinney won it in 1989 at the worlds in Vail
• Lara Gut-Behrami beat Mikaela Shiffrin in giant slalom by 0.02 sec, the smallest margin of victory in a giant slalom in world championship history

For anyone else, these numbers would have been an absolute dream, but Shiffrin has shown the world what it's like to be on top so consistently that her 2020-21 results were met with criticism. For Shiffrin, though, not returning to the sport she loved so much after all that occurred in the last 14 months was a very real consideration. Taking that into account, her results deserve to be applauded over and over, and over again. Shiffrin caught up with The New York Time's Bill Pennington after the season to talk shop and make sure people know that she's still very much here, and she's still doing it.

The article reads, 

“It’s true it wasn’t as good a year as I’ve had in the past,” she said, adding that many people around the world, not just ski racers, could say the same thing about the previous 12 months. “But when I look back at this season I’ll be proud. I didn’t even know if there was going to be a World Cup or if I was emotionally ready for it. Then I was injured as the racing was starting, and in bed and not training. I felt like I was playing catch-up.”

Ultimately, her 300-day layoff and atypical results have provided Shiffrin with something significant as the 2022 Beijing Olympics approach: new incentive.

“I’m motivated from what was lacking this year,” Shiffrin, 26, said. “There’s some missing pieces. That’s one of my biggest goals — to get those back.”

So, spending extra time in Europe to equipment test was a no-brainer for the more-motivated-than-ever Shiffrin, who tested both boots and dozens of pairs of skis with Atomic in Kühtai, Austria. What is perhaps most motivating for Shiffrin is the level of depth and consistency across the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team. She noted that the energy throughout the Team has been better than she's ever experienced in her career. 

Shiffrin is encouraged that the focus on American Olympic ski racing prospects will be more diffuse than it was in 2018, when attention was reserved almost exclusively for her and the now-retired Vonn. Several of Shiffrin’s American teammates had breakout performances this winter, including Paula Moltzan, 26, who placed in the top 10 of the last three World Cup slalom races of the season. Moltzan’s teammate, Nina O’Brien, 23, finished 17th in the season-long giant slalom standings.

In December, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, the son of the 1972 Olympic Alpine gold medalist Barbara Cochran, became the first American man to win a World Cup super-G in 15 years.

“The team has shown a level of depth and consistency,” Shiffrin said, “that I haven’t experienced in my career.”

The 2021-22 season will undoubtedly give fans a lot to get excited about, as the Team had the strongest collective result in years heading into the Olympic season. 

Read the Full New York Times Article

U.S. Snowboard Team member and seven-time FIS Crystal Globe Winner Chris Corning closed out his season with a third-place finish on Sunday at the World Cup finals in Silvaplana, Switzerland. 

“This one means a lot to me,” said Corning. “I have had a tough couple contests that haven’t really gone my way. I have landed runs, but haven’t gotten the results I wanted. I’m stoked I was able to make it happen at the last contest of the season. My goal was to make finals and anything that came after was a bonus, so I’m really grateful.”

Corning stomped his first run that included a solid and controlled rail section, a cab 1620, a backside flat spin 1440, a backside triple cork 1440, and a beautiful 50/50 backside rodeo out. Corning would have likely improved on his second run if it wasn't for a minor mistake on the last fail feature. 

Corning’s podium marks his first top-three finish in only two World Cup starts this season. Despite a limited competition season, the result carries significant weight as it relates to the U.S. Snowboard Olympic Team selection criteria, tacking on critical points towards the rankings pathway (World Snowboard Points List), one of two routes to secure an Olympic team nomination. The other route being podium performances at designated U.S. Olympic tryout events.

Corning didn’t sugarcoat the fact he was looking forward to the off-season. Anyone that follows him, knows he loves his summer activities.  

“I’m ready to relax,” he said. “I’m stoked to ride dirt bikes, wakeboard, attend the Mammoth Camp in May with my teammates, and really just unwind ahead of what will be another crazy season.”

U.S. Snowboard Teammate Dusty Henricksen put down his first run to finish fifth. His run included a bit of successful improvisation in the rail section taking him into the jump section where he landed a switch backside 1080, switch backside 1260, as well as a casual backside triple cork on the final jump. Teammate Brock Crouch finished just behind Henricksen in sixth place landing his second run, where he showcased his creative approach to the course as one of the few riders to utilize the final quarterpipe feature. 

Norway’s Markus Kleveand continued his dominance winning the event and securing the FIS Slopestyle and Overall Crystal Globes. Kleveland won two of three slopestyle World Cups this season in addition to claiming the FIS World Championships slopestyle title. Canada’s Liam Brearley was second.

For the women, Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi and Kokomo Murase went one-two, followed by Australia’s Tess Coady in third. 

Four U.S. Men finished in the top-10 of the FIS World Cup slopestyle standings including Dusty Henricksen in fifth, Red Gerard in sixth, Chris Corning in seventh, and Brock Crouch in ninth. For the women, Jamie Anderson finished fourth and Hailey Langland sixth. 

A legacy event on the FIS Freeski World Cup circuit, Silvaplana has proven itself time and time again over the past decade to be one of the most unique and creative slopestyle venues in the world. After a successful event to close out the 2020-21 season, riders will be fiending to return in the future. 
 

WATCH REPLAY ON PEACOCK
 

RESULTS
Men’s snowboard slopestyle
Women’s snowboard slopestyle
 

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

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Under cloudy skies and with consistent wind, U.S. Freeski Team member Colby Stevenson persevered to cap off a shortened, but stellar 2020-21 season with a victory at the FIS World Cup slopestyle finals in Silvaplana Switzerland, securing both the slopestyle and park and pipe overall Crystal Globes. 

“It all happened pretty fast,” said Stevenson. “We didn’t have many events this year and it was a little weird coming into the season just not knowing if competitions were going to happen. It’s a dream come true to win a globe after coming in second last season, especially with the last World Cup being canceled. I’m just on top of the world right now to have closed out the season with two wins and land a run today and take the globe.”

Stevenson was very close to snagging the slopestyle globe last season but finished second behind Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli. This season, coming into the final event rocking and the golden bib, he was able to finish the job claiming a pair of World Cup titles. Despite challenging conditions, Stevenson didn’t let off the gas with some of the most technical and stylish skiing to grace the course throughout the day.

After his first run, he held down the top spot leading into his second drop, Stevenson didn’t relax, improving on his second run exhibiting tremendous confidence. Stevenson’s skiing included a switch 1620, a massive 1440, and next-level technicality on the rails. 

In classic A-Hall fashion, Alex Hall’s runs included difficult jump tricks, unique grab combinations, and a little extra flavor on the final rail feature with a stylish butter on the landing. Hall would finish third at the event and fifth in the FIS Slopestyle Cup standings.

Hall and Stevenson are close friends, but prior to the 2021 Aspen FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover, where Stevenson and Hall finished second and third respectively, they had never shared a podium. Hall shared his feelings following the event in Aspen on finally getting to share that honor. 

“Colby and I have always talked about being on the podium together,” said Hall. “We have never done it and kind of always have opposite days I feel like, so it’s incredible to finally share a podium with him.”

2018-19 FIS Slopestyle Crystal Globe winner Mac Forehand closed out the season strong finishing in 11th place. Forehand proved with no doubt that he is back from a knee injury sustained at the 2019 Visa Big Air in Atlanta. He displayed creative double grabs and back-to-back 1620’s on his second run. Forehand finished sixth overall in the slopestyle cup standings, marking a very successful return to competition. 

Norway’s Ferdinand Dahl locked in second and U.S. Freeski Team member Willie Borm finished ninth on the day, his best result of the season.

For the women, Rell Harwood and Marin Hamill put on a solid display on behalf of the U.S. Freeski Team landing in fifth and sixth respectively. Harwood put down a solid first run but improved on run two landing a 270 on switch 450 out in the rail section with a solid jump section. Hamill’s second run was representative of her entire season, displaying solid style including double grabs and great flow. As Hamill and Harwood improve their technicality and degree of difficulty, they are sure to be a true threat moving into the 2022 Olympic season.  

France’s Tess Ledeux won the event and claimed the slopestyle as well as the park and pipe overall Crystal Globes. Teammates and Swiss freeskiers Sarah Hoefflin and Mathilde Gremaud finished in second and third place respectively. 

WATCH REPLAY ON PEACOCK

RESULTS
Men’s freeski slopestyle
Women’s freeski slopestyle
 

WORLD CUP STANDINGS
Men’s slopestyle
Women’s slopestyle

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After thick fog caused a course hold at the 2021 Dual Moguls Freestyle National Championships at Snowbird, Kasey Hogg and Joel Hedrick both earned the title of National Champions. Hogg’s career-best finish today adds on to an already impressive second-place finish Thursday in the moguls competition.

Hogg, who skied for Wasatch Freestyle before making the U.S. Ski Team, is no stranger to the course at Snowbird. “This is my home course, so it’s pretty special that I was able to win here. I am used to this course, but it was a little different for Nationals, a little more challenging. It was pretty awesome to walk away with a win.” She added, “It feels really great to end the season on a high note. There were some difficult times this year, but this made it all worth it.”

Hogg shared the podium with fellow U.S. Ski Team athlete, Nessa Dziemian, who finished in second place, and Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Kylie Kariotis, who finished in third. Kenzie Radway finished just off the podium with a Nationals career-best fourth place, Avital Carroll behind her in fifth, Madison Hogg in sixth, Sabrina Cass in ninth place.

On the men’s side, Joel Hedrick won his first National Championship title, adding on to two other wins in this season. Hedrick returned to competition in 2021 after being sidelined by a knee injury in 2018. Speaking on returning after his injury, Hedrick stated, “It feels really good to be back. Having a few wins under my belt this season was huge for me, and I was happy to end it on a good note.”

Wasatch Freestyle's PJ Cass finished second and teammate Cole McDonald rounded out the podium in third. 

Nick Page finished in sixth place after his moguls win Thursday, with Alex Lewis behind him in ninth, and Landon Wendler in 10th.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard World Cup Moguls Coach Joe Discoe has been working with both Hogg and Hedrick this season. “It was a strong performance from both of them. They both skied super solid, super fast, and really did great today.”

Discoe added that he was very grateful to see both days of competition take place this year. “Having an event where the top skiers in the nation are put head to head pushes the younger athletes and shows who the next up and coming skiers will be. It was a great way to end the season.”

The National Championships marked an end to the 2021 season for the U.S. Moguls Freestyle Ski Team. Athletes and coaches are looking forward to getting some much needed rest before getting back to training heading into the 2022 Olympic year.

RESULTS

Women’s Dual Moguls

Men’s Dual Moguls

Olympian and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Breezy Johnson just wrapped the best season of her career, which started with grabbing her career-first FIS Ski World Cup podium in Val d'Isere, France in December, and scoring four consecutive podiums from there. 

In six downhill starts, she was top five in five starts and only DNFed once. Despite a big mistake at FIS Ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, where she was the favorite, she ended up in ninth...but was gunning for the win. She finished the season with a career-best super-G result in 10th at Val di Fassa, Italy, and ended up ranked fourth in the world in downhill—her best-ever ranking. Aside from teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, and former teammate and downhill legend Lindsey Vonn, Johnson is the first American to crack the top five in the women’s World Cup downhill standings in the last five years.

Of course, this success wasn't immediate or easy for the downhiller, who came back during the 2019-20 season after back-to-back knee injuries. Johnson recently caught up with journalist Brian Pinelli for an interview with SKI Magazine about persevering through mental and physical challenges on and off the mountain. 

Johnson reflected on her season, 

I both exceeded and didn’t exceed my expectations. I had big goals that I knew were achievable. I wanted to win a World Cup race and medal at the World Championships and those didn’t happen.

My skiing has improved a lot, even during the season, especially in super-G. I’m in the best place as far as my skiing abilities, so that’s really cool, but it’s obviously hard when you feel like you’re about to win two races, take over the downhill standings, and win the downhill globe. Then you have one bad day and a DNF. But I’m happy with where my skiing is, and I’m ready to work to have it pay off in an even bigger way.

Read the full article on SkiMag.com.