2018-19 Snowboard and Freeski Staff Adds Depth

The U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Teams have announced their staff for the 2018-19 season, which continues with the FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup big air in Modena, Italy on Nov 3.

The U.S Freeski & Snowboard Team welcomes Ashley Deibold as halfpipe, slopestyle, big air, and parallel giant slalom sport development manager. As a longtime industry veteran and 2012 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Domestic Coach of the Year, she is ready for the challenge ahead. Deibold has large shoes to fill replacing Abbi Nyberg, who recently left the organization after 17 years to spend more time with her young family.

“I am very excited to return to an industry I have so much passion for,” said Deibold. “Helping athletes achieve their dreams is a joyful way to spend my days. I feel very lucky to be in this position. Although Abbi is irreplaceable, I look forward to the opportunity and challenge of carrying on and expanding upon the amazing work she has done."

Additionally, Katie Fieguth shifts her role as freestyle program manager to sport development manager for snowboardcross and skicross along with moguls and aerials.

Continuing on the theme of athlete development, other notable changes within the coaching staff are focused on the rookie teams. Nichole Mason has joined U.S. Ski & Snowboard as snowboard national development coach for slopestyle and big air. Mason joins U.S. Ski & Snowboard following five years of coaching at Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club, where she was the 2017 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Domestic Coach of the Year, and Development Coach of the year.

“Being hired onto the U.S, Ski & Snowboard Team felt like a huge recognition for the work I have put into all the athletes over the years,” said Mason. “I am now in a position to give back and watch them go from rookies to professionals and hopefully onto the Olympic Team.”

Furthermore, the rookie teams continue to add new faces with the addition of Dave Euler and Jeremie Livingston. Euler, formally the head freeskiing coach at Team Park City United, will serve as the freeski slopestyle and big air national development team coach. Also, Livingston, formally head freeskiing coach at the Winter Park Competition Center, will serve as the freeski halfpipe national development team coach.

Last but not least, JJ Thomas, Shaun White’s coach throughout the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and 2002 Olympic halfpipe bronze medalist joins U.S. Ski & Snowboard as the snowboard halfpipe national development team coach, adding another layer of depth and experience to the staff.

“I’m very excited to officially be part of the U.S. Snowboard Team,” said Thomas. “The team has supported me through my career as an athlete and now as a coach. I knew it was the right step for me to become an official member of the program. The support that they offer on and off the snow is unmatched.”

Following the Modena World Cup, U.S. Freeski Team athletes will head to the Stubai World Cup slopestyle competition Nov 22-24, while U.S. Snowboard Team athletes will move onto Beijing, China for the Air & Style Big Air World Cup event Nov 23-24. Both teams then head to Copper Mountain, Colo. for the first halfpipe competition of the season at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Dec. 6-8, which also serves as a FIS World Cup event. The FIS World Cup snowboardcross season kicks off in Montafon, Austria, Dec. 14-16 and alpine snowboarding in St. Moritz, Switzerland Dec. 8-9.

2018-19 Snowboard & Freeski Staff

Snowboard and Freeski Director: Jeremy Forster
Snowboard and Freeski Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Team Manager: Jess Luscinski
Snowboardcross Team Manager: Alexis Williams
Snowboard & Freeski Team Communications Manager: Andrew Gauthier
Sport Development Leader- HP/SS&BA/PGS: Ashley Deibold
Sport Development Manager - MO/AE/SBX/SX: Katie Fieguth

Medical & Sports Science Staff

High Performance Dietitian: Allen Tran
Senior Sports Psychologist, USOC: Alex Cohen
Clinical Specialist: David Quammen
Clinical Specialist: Jen Kimball
Freeski Slopestyle Team Physical Therapist: Carly Brooks
Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Athletic Trainer: Jason Switzer
Snowboardcross Athletic Development Manager: Tschana Schiller
Freeski Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air and Aerials Athletic Development Coach: Brett Kelly
Snowboard Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Athletic Development Coach: Matthew Voss

Snowboard

Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Ramirez (Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team)
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: David Reynolds (Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation Snowboard Team)
Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Rick Bower
Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Rick Shimpeno
Slopestyle/Big Air National Development Coach: Nichole Mason (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Halfpipe National Development Team Coach: JJ Thomas
Snowboardcross Head Coach: Peter Foley
Snowboardcross Coach: Jeff Archibald

Freeski

Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Slopestyle Pro Team Head Coach: Skogen Sprang
Slopestyle Pro Team Coach: DJ Montigny (Killington Mountain School)
Slopestyle Coach/Technician: Dave Coombs
Halfpipe National Development Team Coach: Jeremie Livingston (Winter Park Competition Center)
Slopestyle/Big Air National Development Team Coach: Dave Euler (Team Park City United)
Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Andrew Woods
Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Mike Riddle