U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced their full support for Dexter Paine in his candidacy for the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) Council. 

As a visionary leader with a deep commitment to skiing and snowboarding and its athletes, Paine has been involved in governance at both the national and international levels for decades. He served as a member of the FIS Council Executive Committee from 2014-22 and has acted as an ex-officio honorary member from 2022 to the present. Throughout his time with FIS, Paine focused on transparency, communication and inclusivity, including championing for female representation on the Council, longer terms for athlete representatives and the inclusivity of Paralympic sports. 

Paine currently serves as a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Board of Directors (2021-present), is on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation Board (2002-24) and is actively involved in the Salt Lake City 2034 Olympic Winter Games bid. Previously, Paine was Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors (2006-19) and was on U.S. Biathlon’s Board of Directors (2020-24). He has extensive experience in event delivery as an Executive Committee member of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado and the 2019 Freestyle, Freeski & Snowboard World Championships in Park City, Utah. 

Paine is the chairman at Paine Schwartz Partners and has more than 25 years of investment experience and 35 years in the private equity industry. In addition to his professional achievements, Paine is widely respected for his integrity, vision and dedication to the sport. His collaborative approach and strategic mindset have positioned him as a trusted leader within the skiing and snowboarding community.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors firmly believes that Paine’s extensive experience and unwavering passion make him the ideal person to represent the interests of athletes and federations worldwide, unanimously putting forward his candidacy. 

"Dexter Paine's dedication to the advancement of skiing and snowboarding is unparalleled,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President & CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “His leadership has consistently propelled our sports forward, and we know he will bring that same level of commitment and expertise to the FIS Council. We are proud to endorse Dexter and are confident in his ability to advocate effectively for the interests of athletes and federations around the world."

Gene Sykes, Chairman of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, also voiced his support. "As an organization committed to supporting American athletes on the global stage, we recognize the importance of strong leadership within international federations,” said Sykes.
“Dexter’s proven track record of leadership and advocacy aligns perfectly with the values of the Olympic movement. We fully endorse Dexter's candidacy for the FIS Council and believe he will be an outstanding representative for skiing and snowboarding on the international level."

Olympic champion Kikkan Randall, who has served on the IOC Board, USOPC Board and FIS Council, echoed the sentiments: “Dexter has been an incredible leader and advocate for skiing and snowboarding across all levels. He understands the complex needs of all stakeholders and has always championed the athletes' voices in the process. He brings a wealth of experience, tremendous passion and dedication to making sport fair, safe and positioned for growth. Dexter is well respected across the sports universe and has been an excellent collaborator between organizations. I am proud to endorse Dexter’s candidacy.”

The election for the FIS Council takes place at FIS Congress on June 5, 2024. 

The U.S. Para Snowboard Team ended the season on top in Mt. Sima, where Brenna Huckaby, Noah Elliott and Darian Haynes won, and three more finished on the podium. 

The athletes took on the same dynamic course set from yesterday, where the difficulty was accentuated by the cold weather overnight. The course featured unforgiving, tight turns that could easily take even the best horizontal. 

After the first run, Huckaby, Elliott, and Haynes had the fastest times in their categories, while Mike Minor was second and Zach Miller was third. 

Despite winning their classification in the first run, Huckaby and Elliott both put down electric victory laps to improve on their already winning runs earlier in the day. Elliott put on a banked slalom clinic all day, taking a risky high line that paid off in the end. This is Elliott’s sixth win of the season.

Huckaby won for the seventh time this season in the women’s LL-1/LL-2 event. Dennae Russell ended the season with a fifth place finish, followed by Courtney Godfrey in sixth. Darian Haynes improved upon her results from yesterday in the women’s UL event to finish on top, alongside teammate Peggy Martin in second. 

In the men’s UL event, Mike Minor continued his successful weekend to finish on the podium again in second place. 

Zach Miller earned his fourth podium finish of the season, finishing third in the men’s LL-2 classification. Keith Gabel was right behind, finishing fourth, alongside Evan Strong in fifth and Joe Pleban in seventh. 

The U.S. Para Snowboard Team is up north in Mt. Sima, Yukon, Canada for the final banked slalom World Cup of the season, and it seems the athletes plan to go out with a bang. Brenna Huckaby, Noah Elliott, Mike Minor and Peggy Martin all finished on top. 

Due to weather cancelations, this is only the second banked slalom World Cup, and third banked slalom event this season, the first back in late November in Landgraaf, Netherlands. 

Following a successful run one, the athletes head into run two, running in reverse order of their results from the first run. Brenna Huckaby, Mike Minor and Noah Elliott all had the fastest times in their classes, allowing them to run last, learning from the runs of their competitors

The course was highly technical, with a set created specifically to allow athletes to gain a lot of speed right out of the gate; if the athletes weren’t ready for the speed, they would quickly lose control. 

The course took a beating throughout the day, getting tracked out and developing large ruts and other terrain that the athletes had to navigate. 

Darian Haynes took a fall in run two, allowing Peggy Martin to move ahead and take the win in the women’s UL category. 

In the women’s LL-1/LL-2 event, Brenna Huckaby showed why she is one of the best to ever do it, setting the fastest women’s time of the day. After taking home the snowboard cross Crystal Globe last week, Huckaby is poised to earn the banked slalom and overall globes following tomorrow’s race. Dennae Russell finished fifth, followed by Courtney Godfrey in sixth. Rebecca Johnston did not start. 

Mike Minor led in the first run. With just one rider to go in run two, Minor’s time was overtaken by Maxime Montaggioni of France. With everything on the line, Minor put down one of the fastest and riskiest runs of the day to retake first; his first win and fourth podium of the season. 

Noah Elliott continued his dominant season today, holding on to the lead the entire way to finish on top of the podium in the men’s LL-1 category. Elliott finished third in the overall snowboard cross season standings last week, and currently leads the banked slalom and overall standings. He has the potential to earn both with a clean run tomorrow. 

In the men’s LL-2 class, Zach Miller led the way for the U.S. finishing third, his third podium of the season. Keith Gabel was close behind, finishing fifth, followed by Evan Strong in sixth and Joe Pleban in seventh. 

Tomorrow, the athletes will race the final FIS Para Snowboard World Cup event of the season, banked slalom finals in Mt. Sima. The banked slalom and overall season Crystal Globes will be awarded following the race. Run one is set to begin at 2:15 pm ET followed by run two at 3:15 pm ET. Watch live on Facebook. 

Another day, another slew of podiums for the unstoppable U.S. Para Snowboard Team, including Brenna Huckaby’s fifth win of the season.  

The conditions could not have been better for racing in Big White, British Columbia, Canada. The snow was crisp and clean, the sky was clear, and the temperature hovered around 26 degrees Fahrenheit, a stark contrast from yesterday’s snowy weather.  

Brenna Huckaby faced a tough final but came out victorious for the fifth time this season, her second podium in two days. Courtney Godfrey improved on her result from yesterday, finishing sixth followed by Dennae Russell in seventh in the women’s LL-1/LL-2 classification. 

On the men’s side, Noah Elliott led the way for the U.S. once again, finishing second in the LL-1 event. This is his fifth podium of the season. Colby Fields of Adaptive Action Sports finished sixth in the men’s UL class, moving up from his 10th place finish yesterday. 

Keith Gabel went two for two on the weekend, finishing third again in the men’s LL-2 event, his 61st career World Cup podium. Evan Strong won the small final to finish fifth overall, followed by Zach Miller in seventh and Joe Pleban in ninth. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Brenna Huckaby and Keith Gabel landed back on the podium in the first of two snowboard cross events at the snowboard cross World Cup Finals in Big White, British Columbia, Canada. 

It was a cloudy, cool day with temperatures hovering just below freezing in Big White. This created perfect compact snow conditions for a snowboard cross event. Snow started to fall halfway through the day, covering the icy racing surface with a layer of powder, complicating things for racers. 

The team had a strong showing in the qualification round, sending 10 athletes to the finals. Brenna Huckaby led the women in the semi finals, winning her heat to advance to the big final. Dennae Russell and Courtney Godfrey of Team Utah advanced to the women’s small final.

Ultimately, the women’s LL-1/LL-2 big final was a battle, with Huckaby finishing second overall. This is Huckaby’s fifth podium of the season. Russell finished fifth, followed by Godfrey in seventh. Godfrey is returning from a gnarly fall in Pyhä in February, which forced her to withdraw from the races due to concussion protocol. 

In the stacked men’s LL-2 event, Zach Miller, Keith Gabel, Evan Strong and Joe Pleban advanced to the finals for the United States. Gabel put on a solid performance to make his way onto the podium for the fourth time this season, finishing third overall. Just off the podium was Miller in fourth, Strong in sixth and Pleban in eighth. 

Noah Elliott, the current World Cup overall Crystal Globe leader, was leading in the men’s LL-1 big final until an unfortunate fall took him out of podium contention. He finished fourth on the day. 

In the final event of the day, Mike Minor continued his successful season, finishing fifth in the men’s UL classification. Colby Fields of Adaptive Action Sports took 10th.

Tomorrow, the team is back in action in Big White for the final snowboard cross event of the season, where the snowboard cross Crystal Globes will be awarded. Brenna Huckaby currently leads the women’s LL-2 snowboard cross standings, with 130 points separating her and Romy Tschopp of Switzerland. Noah Elliott is sitting in second place, with the opportunity to take over the standings tomorrow. Qualifications are slated for 2:00 pm ET, with finals at 3:30 pm ET.
 

The U.S. Para Snowboard Team wrapped up their snowboard cross series today, Feb. 23, in Grasgehren, Germany, where Brenna Huckaby (LL1) and Noah Elliott (LL1) went back to back landing on top of the podium.

The wet, mushy snow from yesterday’s warm conditions froze overnight, creating a solid racing surface. However, as the storm rolled in around the course, it became covered it in snow that eventually turned to rain, creating interesting conditions for riders to overcome. 

"The weather was super unpredictable. The first race was super warm with almost slushy snow conditions," said Huckaby. "The second day, it was colder and a bit firmer, which was much better. I think a big part of the sport is being prepared for all conditions, so thankfully, the snow didn’t impact me too much."

While battling the mixed precipitation, Huckaby continued her reign on the circuit, winning her fourth straight snowboard cross World Cup. Right behind her was Kate Delson, who finished third. Delson is an up-and-coming Para snowboard athlete training with Team Utah Snowboarding, the same club Huckaby started her journey with back in 2013. Huckaby posted a photo of Delson on her Instagram story following the race, saying, “P.S. this girl crushes it! So excited for the future of our sport.” Another emerging athlete, Dennae Russell, finished fifth today to round out the U.S. women’s results. "I’m super proud of everyone for showing up and giving their all regardless of the conditions, and I’m excited to see how much the sport progresses this season," said Huckaby.

On the men’s side, Noah Elliott also took home his fourth win of the season. Elliott has won every World Cup event this season that he has started in, an impressive feat considering the depth of competition and transitions between snowboard cross and banked slalom. In the men’s LL2 classification, Keith Gabel landed on the podium for the second time this season in third. Zach Miller was just off the podium in fourth, followed by Evan Strong in sixth and Joe Pleban in ninth. Mike Minor made it to the final in the stacked men’s UL class but finished just off the podium in fourth. 

The team is now traveling to Colere, Italy for two banked slalom races and one snowboard cross event Feb. 28-Mar 3.

RESULTS
Women
Men

It was a victorious day for the U.S. Para Snowboard Team in Grasgehren, Germany as Noah Elliott (LL1) and Brenna Huckaby (LL1) both stood atop the podium for the third time this season. 

The warm, wet weather made for difficult conditions for riders across the board. Huckaby told FIS Para Snow Sports, “you have to be really light on your snowboard, which we don’t see very often. The riding was not what we’re typically used to, but everyone did amazing and gave it their all.”

The U.S. team didn’t seem phased by the conditions. Just behind Huckaby in the women’s LL1-LL2 classification was Kate Delson, who finished in second place, followed by Dennae Russell in fourth. 

On the men’s side, it was a battle in the LL2 event where Zach Miller led the way for the U.S., finishing third in his first snowboard cross World Cup event of the season, an impressive feat after missing the last event in Pyhä, Finland.

"It’s [finishing on the podium] a great feeling, and a huge relief," said Miller. "I had a lot of time between this and the last race I competed in, but I spent it training hard at home so I could hit the ground running once I got here, and I was able to do exactly that." When asked about his preference between snowboard cross (sbx) and banked slalom, Miller said, "I personally do best in banked slalom, however the tactics of SBX, and the sheer excitement of dropping into a race with three other athletes is just so incredible. SBX is so exciting, and today was a great showcase of that! Moving forward, it’s about building on this momentum and making days like this more consistent. Our team is becoming a well-oiled machine because we’ve put a lot of effort into creating a good system, and now it’s about trusting the process and improving every day. As long as we’re doing that, we’ll just keep getting faster"

Just off the podium was Keith Gabel in fifth, followed by Evan Strong in sixth and Joe Pleban in ninth. Rounding out the results was Mike Minor in the Men’s UL classification, finishing seventh. 

The team takes on another snowboard cross event in Grasgehren tomorrow, Feb. 23, before heading to Colere, Italy, for a mix of banked slalom and snowboard cross World Cup events Feb. 28-Mar. 3. 

The U.S. Para Snowboard Team completed their second snowboard cross World Cup event of the season in Pyhä, Finland, Wednesday morning with five athletes on the podium, bringing the podium count for this event to 10 overall. 

It was a freezing, windy day in central Finland, with temperatures hovering around -2 degrees Fahrenheit. Athletes adorned tape across their faces to protect themselves from the environment. 

Brenna Huckaby continued to dominate her field, finishing first once again in the LL1/LL2 classification. Huckaby has podiumed in every World Cup event so far this season. Following behind Huckaby was Dennae Russell, who finished third for the second time this weekend. 

On the men’s side, Mike Schultz (LL1) earned his best result of the season, finishing second.

“The last two weeks in Finland have been a lot of fun with the team and super productive with my performance. With the delayed start to my season, I couldn't be happier with my results after the two World Cup events and bringing home a couple of silver medals,” said Schultz. “Next up, [I am continuing] preparation back in Minnesota for my next World Cup snowboard cross and banked slalom competitions in Italy.” 

Keith Gabel (LL2) also had a season's best performance and first podium.

“I feel boardercross suits my riding style well [vs boarder cross]. I’ve been training hard at my home mountains in Aspen and coaching with the local program, so that’s forced me to rethink some of my riding and make some adjustments,” said Gabel. “My focus moving forward is to continue my progress this season, chipping away at my weaknesses and building on my strengths. The World Cup season is a marathon, and it’s important to focus on the process vs the results.”

Mike Minor also finished third in the UL classification, adding his second podium of the week. Joe Pleban (LL2) finished sixth. 

Looking forward, the team is sticking in Pyhä for a few more weeks to continue training before heading into their next World Cup in Grasgehren, Germany, for two more snowboard cross events Feb. 22-23. 

RESULTS
Women
Men