Kate Oldham did not come onto the scene quietly; it was as if she had been there all along. During the 2024-25 season, Oldham had her fair share of success, with a U.S. Championship victory, her World Cup debut that led to a top-20 right out of the gate, top-15 results at the Junior World Ski Championships and a spot on the coveted World Championships women's team. For Oldham, this was always part of the plan. 

Growing up in Colorado, training with the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club—a program that produces some of the world's best snowsports athletes—it was only a matter of time before Oldham was representing the stars and stripes on the circuit. Now, a recent graduate from Montana State University, Oldham is a full-time professional ski racer, training out of Bozeman, MT with the Bridger Ski Foundation Pro Team. With her first nod to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team this 2025-26 season and a summer of training behind her, we are excited to see what Oldham achieves, with a heavy race calendar just over two months away. 

Oldham is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

Q: What initially drew you to the sport of cross country skiing?

A: My parents introduced me to skiing, and I was hooked by the structure and challenges of cross country training, something that still draws me to the sport today. Growing up in Colorado, I was lucky to be surrounded by beautiful places every day, and now ski racing gives me the chance to travel to incredible destinations that keep me motivated and grateful.

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals? 

A: When I was younger, my dream was to qualify for Junior Nationals. I remember my freshman year of high school; it was my ultimate goal, and achieving it felt like such a huge milestone in my development as a junior. Later in high school, my goals shifted to qualifying for international trips like the Scandinavian Cup and World Juniors, both of which play pivotal roles in an athlete’s growth.

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?

A: My biggest accomplishment so far has been qualifying for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. It has opened doors to incredible travel and racing opportunities, but even more importantly, it’s connected me with people who have offered invaluable expertise, guidance and genuine kindness.

Q: What is your ultimate goal? 

A: My ultimate goal is to have a fulfilling ski career that I’m proud to walk away from happy, healthy and still loving the sport. I want to carry that love of skiing forever and be in a position to give back to the community that has shaped my life in such profound ways.

Q: Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport?

A: Sam Benzing is one of my heroes! Sam was one of my coaches at Montana State University during my senior year and was an incredible source of support while I navigated my first year on the World Cup, my first World Championships and my final NCAA season. She embodies unconditional support and encouraged me to follow my own unique path, not just as an athlete, but as a person and as a lifelong lover of skiing.

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?

A: If I were to win $5,000 in prize money, I would use it to support my life in Bozeman, where I love living and have access to excellent training resources. This may not be the flashiest answer, but as an American cross country skier without a salary, chasing my dream of representing the U.S. internationally means finding creative ways to fund essentials like rent, high-quality nutrition and training expenses.

Q: Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?

A: Yes, my weekly routine naturally creates a structure around spending. Training, grocery shopping and filling up my gas tank all happen on a set rhythm, which helps me keep track of what I need and where my money goes.

I set aside a small portion of every paycheck into a simple IRA, allowing me to build my retirement fund gradually over time.

Follow Kate on her social media channels. 

The best freestyle aerials skiers in the U.S. took to the air at the Utah Olympic Park on Saturday, Aug. 23rd, in front of an incredible hometown crowd, where Kaila Kuhn and Quinn Dehlinger both stood at the top of the podium. 

This year's event featured over 40 athletes from around the country, ranging from Olympic champions to the best up-and-coming development athletes. The day started with the qualification round, where each athlete had two chances to put down their best jump, and their top score was used to rank them toward the final. The top 12 men and women advanced to the final round. Kuhn qualified in the top spot for the women, and Chris Lillis led the way for the men. 

Despite the wind, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes stayed strong in the finals. Kuhn threw a beautiful full full full, scoring 107.32 to put her ahead of teammate Winter Vinecki to maintain her winning position. Vinecki finished second, followed by Dani Loeb in third. On the men’s side, Lillis stepped up the difficulty, throwing a full double full double full to earn a huge 130.05 points, a huge improvement from qualifications. However, Dehlinger came out swinging in the finals and threw a hurricane, a full triple full full to take the lead and finish on top. Teammate Connor Curran completed the podium in third place. 

“This is one of the best summers of training I’ve had to date, and right now I’m just working on increasing my degree of difficulty,” said Kuhn. “The plan we have set is working, so I’m just going to try to keep moving in that same direction.”

“I’m feeling good,” said Dehlinger after his win. “It [the win] is showing that the work that I’ve been putting in earlier in the summer has been paying off.”

Next up, the team has a few weeks off from the pools for some relaxation and a focus on strength and conditioning before they start jumping again in September. 

Greetings Eastern Region! 

Save the date for our Fall 2025 Committee Meetings

When: 
October 17th & 18th, 2025

Where:
Lake Placid Olympic and Para-olympic Training Center and virtual on ZOOM

Schedule of events: 

October 17th, 2025

• 9am-12pm: Eastern Development committee meeting (EDC) 
• 1pm-4pm: Eastern Children's committee meeting  (ECC) 

Saturday October 18th, 2025

• 9am-12pm: Eastern Alpine competition committee (EACC) Fall meeting OPTC Adirondack Room

Sincerely,
Martin, Spencer, Roger, Dani

Martin Guyer
Eastern Regional Alpine Director

Please reach out directly for virtual meeting links

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Cody Winters has steadily risen through the ranks of international competition on the FIS World Cup circuit in both snowboard cross and alpine snowboard disciplines. The Steamboat Springs native made his Olympic debut at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in the men’s parallel giant slalom and has his eyes set on making history in 2026 by becoming the first American to compete in both alpine snowboard and snowboard cross disciplines in one Olympic Winter Games.

The 2024-25 season was the strongest of Winter’s career thus far, earning his first World Cup podium in both parallel slalom and snowboard cross events only a few weeks apart. At the 2025 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, Winters delivered solid individual performances in both disciplines, placing fifth in parallel giant slalom and advancing through the snowboard cross qualification rounds.

Winters’ is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

We caught up with Winters to dive into his background, reflect on a season of milestones, and look ahead to his goals for 2025-26.

Q: What initially drew you to the sport?
CODY WINTERS: Family, snowboarding started out as a family adventure for me. My dad and brother are the ones who taught me to do it. It’s how we spent our winter weekends as a family.

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals?
CW: My only goal was to be better than my older brother 😂 still working on that one and he retired 7 years ago. 

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
CW: Getting a podium in and two different disciplines within a month of each other. 

Q: What is your ultimate goal?
CW: To be a true professional snowboarder and make a living off of my true passion 

Q: Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport.
CW: Inside the sport of snowboarding, I draw inspiration across all the different disciplines. Some of my heroes include Jeremy Jones, Terii Hawkinson, Danny Davis. Benjamin Carl, and Eliot GrondIn. Outside of the sport, some of my heroes include Kobe Bryant, David Goggins, & the Dwane the Rock Johnson.

Questions sponsored by Zion's Bank.

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?
CW: I invest it all  back into snowboarding from buying flights paying for hotels, ski passes and hiring a coach. I can make $5000 move pretty quick.

Q: Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?
CW: No but I want to start, one of my new years resolutions was too have better organization of my spending. 

Q: What’s one money habit you follow?
CW: "Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” - Benjamin Franklin ... and "Don't spend money you don't have"

Keep up with Cody on Instagram HERE!

The best freestyle aerial skiers in the U.S. will battle it out at the 2025 U.S. Freestyle Ultimate Airwave at the Utah Olympic Park on Aug. 23rd.

The competition will take place at the UOP water ramps, where freestyle athletes learn to progress their skills in the warmer months to prepare for on-snow training. 

The free event, running from 12:45 pm-5 pm on Aug. 23rd, will feature the majority of the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team aerials athletes, including Olympic gold medalists Chris Lillis and Justin Schoenefeld, along with 2025 world champions Kaila Kuhn and Quinn Dehlinger. 

Qualification begins at 12:45 pm, where the top 12 finishers for men and women will advance. Finals are set to begin at 4:10 pm. 

Following the FIS event will be the Flying Ace Allstars show on the water ramps - a unique opportunity to watch the U.S. athletes showcase world-class tricks to the public, in a thrilling show format. Come to the U.S. Freestyle Ultimate Airwave competition and stay for the Flying Ace Allstars! 

Tickets are required to attend the Flying Ace show. More information on the U.S. Freestyle Ultimate Airwave competition and the Flying Ace show can be found on FIS and the UOP.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USPA to offer High Quality Flexible Education to U.S. Ski & Snowboard Athletes

Elkins, N.H. – US Performance Academy is thrilled to announce that it has become an Official Online Academic Partner of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding.

"Our athletes spend a lot of time on travel and competition,” said Trisha Worthington, Chief Revenue & Philanthropy Officer at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “USPA's high quality, rigorous and flexible education aligns perfectly with their needs. In addition to USPA’s excellent education, this partnership offers our members exclusive discounts on tuition, collegiate eligibility guidance, and lifetime college counselling.”

USPA will offer online seminars to U.S. Ski & Snowboard members and attend select U.S. Ski & Snowboard events to provide in-person expert guidance from Family Advisors.

“USPA is thrilled to partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard. We have many junior skiers and snowboarders that currently attend USPA, and we know that our flexibility and custom support are a great benefit to competitive skiers and snowboarders. At USPA, school goes wherever your travel schedule goes, and our accredited program and experienced learning coaches ensure student athletes don’t have to choose between pursuing their dreams and pursuing their education,” said Aileen Hawkins, CEO of Inspired Online Schools USA.

USPA Elite’s unique online learning model empowers motivated student-athletes to train, travel, and compete at the highest levels in their chosen sport. Unlike other online schools, USPA is fully accredited and NCAA approved. It offers flexible school schedules, academic calendars, and a comprehensive support system for students in grades 6-12. Through this partnership, young athletes can pursue their goals in sport without compromising their education.

To learn more about USPA, visit www.gouspa.org/USSS.

Register for a virtual Open House or Connect with a USPA Family Advisor.

Follow USPA on social media:
Instagram: @usperformanceacademy
Facebook: www.facebook.com/USPerformanceAcademy

Media Contact: Esther Clark, esther.clark@inspiredonlineschools.com

About US Performance Academy
USPA Live is open for enrollment with online classes starting August 2025, beginning with grades 6-10. USPA Elite is open for enrolment for middle and high school athletes and performers in grades 6-12. Through a comprehensive educational support program, USPA's teachers, learning coaches, counselors, and coaches create a community where online education and performance intersect with a human connection. For more information, visit: www.gouspa.org

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic National Governing Body of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Started in 1905, the organization now represents nearly 240 elite skiers and snowboarders competing on 10 teams: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, snowboard, freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping, Para alpine and Para snowboard. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

Prep Period Conditioning!

Our inaugural East “RDP” Conditioning Project this week was awesome! Big thanks to:

• GMVS for hosting, housing us, letting us use their high performance facilities

• BMA Coach Brennan Smith for coming and helping support the project

• Burke, GMVS, Waterville Valley, and Bretton Woods for letting us steal (and support!) a few of our region’s top male and female athletes for a few days

• The ATHLETES!!! for attending, putting in the effort, and asking fantastic questions and soaking it all in!

• Barbara Ann Cochran (Olympic Gold medalist!) for an awesome sport psychology session - such incredible, authentic perspective!

• Paula Moltzan for leading by example, putting in the work! … and also pointing us to a killer hike on a beautiful Vermont day!

• Professor Ryan Cochran Seigle for sharing his experience through an honest, organic conversation with these promising development athletes

Short, sweet, local. In three days we got a lot done with a group of young up and coming Eastern men and women from YOB 2006 through 2009. Fitness testing, volleyball, trunk and mobility, gorgeous and intense Green Mountain hiking, sport psychology, weight lifting education and application, force plate testing, and interactive, personal conversation with Olympic and World Cup wisdom.

Our East staff collaborated to organize this project and make it happen “on the ground”.

Whether you are part of one of our regional high performance centers or a grass roots program, take from this summary what you will, but in general I (RK) encourage the following:

• We have a LOT to offer within our region.

• Enjoy and make the most of your time ON snow. Volume on two planks on white frozen crystals of H20 adds value. And is FUN!!!

• Enjoy and make the most of your time OFF the snow. Attention to fitness and athleticism in the gym and in other sports helps you build a foundation for success ON SNOW. It helps not only physically, but also mentally. When you do the work, when you are prepared (with your conditioning, your tuning, your nutrition, your sleep, etc.), it builds your confidence and helps you face the variables that are outside your control. Apply it to what you love (skiing) and it will become intuition for life in other contexts.

Keep making the most of your summer months!

Cheers,

Roger, Martin, Daniel and Spencer

Stifel U.S. Ski Team alpine skier Hunter Salani is making his mark on the professional circuit. A Colorado native and standout from Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, Salani had a breakout 2024-25 season with the national team, highlighted by a bronze medal in the Team Combined event at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships.

A rising star in multiple disciplines, Salani continues to push the limits of his potential. This fall, he will take the next step in his journey both academically and athletically, enrolling at the University of Colorado Boulder and joining the CU Buffs ski team.

Salani is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

We caught up with Salani to dive into his background, reflect on a season of milestones, and look ahead to his goals for 2025-26.

Q: What initially drew you to this sport?
HUNTER SALANI: During my first couple of years at the ski club, we would freeski in the mornings and begin to train gates in the afternoon. I loved free skiing, but when I would train gates, I fell in love with it. I thoroughly enjoyed skiing around the gates with my small giant slalom skis on and I became obsessed really fast. 

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals?
HS:  After I realized I was very talented on skis I started to think about goals. When you are young doing a sport you don't think about goals you are just doing it and having fun. When it hit me that I could go places in skiing, I set out goals. A huge goal of mine is to race on the World Cup. The World Cup is the pinnacle of ski racing and to compete would be amazing.

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
HS: My biggest accomplishment came last year at the Junior World Championships. During the super-G and slalom combine Stanley Buzek and I earned bronze. This was such an amazing experience and to do it with my teammate Stanley was special. 

Q: What is your ultimate goal?
HS: My ultimate goal is to win World Cups. Aside from that, I would love to grow the sport and be a good mentor to the next generation. I looked up to ski racers when I was young and they were a huge part in my success. I want to be the person young skiers look up to and get inspired to race. 

Q: Who are your heroes?
HS: My heroes are Anthony Edwards and Bode Miller. Anthony Edwards has the mindset I strive to gain, he wants to be the best and he wants to beat everyone he goes against. He also does not care what other people think - he is just being himself. What  I loved about Bode was he was also fearless when it came to skiing, especially downhill.

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?
HS: I would save the money and spend it very carefully. I also have stocks right now so I would probably put some of it into those. 

Q: Do you have a budget or follow a spending structure?
HS: I don't have a budget, but I try to spend my money carefully. Since I am not working right now it is important to not blow through all my money. My grandfather is very good at saving his money and I have learned a lot from him. 

Q: What’s one money habit you follow?

HS: I try not to spend a lot of money on food, especially when it is not necessary. Food can add up very quickly, so I try to eat in when I can.

Follow Hunter on social media here