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Five Medal Friday at X Games Aspen

By Sadie Texer - Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team
January, 25 2025
Lily Dhawornvej earns career first X Games medal

The world’s best park and pipe athletes returned to the slopes of Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain for the second day of jam-packed X Games action. Friday marked the biggest day of competition, featuring finals of women’s snowboard slopestyle, men’s ski slopestyle, women’s and men’s ski street style, women’s snowboard knuckle huck, women’s ski superpipe, women’s ski big air, men’s snowboard big air and men’s snowboard knuckle huck.

The second day of competition kicked off with women’s snowboard slopestyle final and Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Julia Marino was the lone American in the field of eight. Back in the mix after a year long hiatus from competition due to an injury sustained from X Games practice in 2024, Marino landed her first run out of the gate clean, putting a huge exclamation mark on her highly anticipated return to competition. Her score of 77 was not enough to make the cut after the first two runs but it was exciting to see Marino back in action nonetheless.

“Honestly, I didn’t know if I was going to run it today and I’m so glad I did,” said Marino. “I’m just so happy to be out there and it means a lot to put it down clean after a year away from contest.”

The final was an exciting display of women’s snowboarding, with New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott making history as the first woman to land a triple cork in any ski or snowboard slopestyle run, securing the X Games gold. Japan's Kokomo Murase took the silver and Mia Brooks of Great Britain rounded out the podium with the bronze.

Next up was men’s ski slopestyle and it was a heater. Following the new “playoff” format that debuted this year, the field was cut in half after each athlete took two runs and the scores were wiped clean, leaving the final five with two remaining runs to impress the judges. Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athletes Mac Forehand and Konnor Ralph made the cut. Forehand showed off his technical skills and creativity to win the bronze medal. Ralph, an X Games rookie, finished the contest in fourth. Colby Stevenson ended the day in sixth and Alex Hall took seventh. Luca Harrington of New Zealand secured the win in his first X Games appearance and Andri Ragettli of Switzerland took home the silver.

Friday debuted the inaugural X Games street style competition in Aspen with Americans Rell Harwood, Bella Bacon, Marion Balsamo, Taylor Lundquist and X Games rookie Eleanor Andrews as five of eight competitors. Andrews earned her X Games Aspen invitation by winning the Next X street style competition at Copper Mountain in December. Street style featured two heats of four competitors, the top two continuing on to the final. Harwood and Andrews were in heat two and finished third and fourth in their heat, respectively. Olivia Asselin of Canada took home the gold, Bacon the silver and Balsamo the bronze.

Men’s street style followed up the women and Alex Hall and Colby Stevenson were back again for their third event of the weekend. In heat one, Hall struggled to land his first few runs and finished fourth. Stevenson, in heat two, qualified into the finals and ultimately came out on top with the gold in the inaugural X Games street style competition. He impressed the judges with his consistent clean landings and his switch 270 pretzel 630, earning the fifth X Games gold medal of his career. Stevenson was joined on the podium by the USA’s Tucker FitzSimons in second and Canada’s Evan McEachran in third.

X Games competition continued with women’s snowboard knuckle huck. Making her X Games debut, Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Lily Dhawornvej was set to compete against some of the best and more creative female riders in the game.

Dhawornvej stepped up to the plate and threw a tame dog early on in the competition to put her into the top three early on in the competition. After thirty minutes of non-stop knuckle huck action, the 15-year-old held on to a podium position and earned the bronze medal in her X Games debut. Murase took the gold for the second consecutive year and Brookes the silver, respectively.

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team’s Kate Gray made her first X Games appearance in the women’s superpipe after starting this week as an alternate. Gray was joined by teammates Hanna Faulhaber and Svea Irving. None of the Americans made it through to the finals, but supported their fellow skiers in one of the most talented women’s halfpipe finals to date. Canada’s Cassie Sharpe took home the gold in her first X Games since 2021 and celebrated at the bottom with her daughter. Sharpe was joined by China’s Fanghui Li, earning her first X Games medal with a silver and Canada’s Amy Fraser, who finished third for the second year in a row.

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team’s Grace Henderson and Rell Harwood represented the USA in women’s ski big air. Henderson was originally an alternate, but was called up a few hours before the contest was set to drop for her second X Games appearance. Both Harwood and Henderson put down clean tricks in the playoff round to each earn a spot in the round of finals. Unfortunately, Harwood was unable to put down a clean run and finished the night in fourth. Henderson won her first X Games medal and finished second with a beautiful double 1080 and capped blunt grab. She was joined on the podium by Italy’s Flora Tabanelli in first and France’s Tess Ledeux in third.

Although no Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes dropped in the men’s snowboard big air final, the contest proved to be one of the most entertaining events of the night. Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara made history with the world’s first backside 2160 in competition and fellow countryman Taiga Hasegawa followed him up with the first-ever cab 2160 in competition. Just when the crowd thought they had seen it all, Ogiwara made history once again, landing the world’s first 2340 en route to the gold medal. Hasegawa took the silver and New Zealand’s Rocco Jamieson the bronze.

The men’s snowboard knuckle huck capped off Friday’s competition schedule with Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Dusty Henricksen set to drop. Henricksen showcased his signature sleepy style and made it look easy, throwing a cab 180 double in front of a packed X Games crowd. Henricksen held on to the third place spot throughout the thirty minutes of non-stop knuckle huck action and secured the bronze, marking his fifth career X Games medal and fourth in the discipline. Switzerland’s Patrick Hofmann took home the silver and China’s X Games Rookie Ziyang Wang the gold, making history of his own as the first athlete to compete in both X Games superpipe and knuckle huck.

X Games Aspen 2025 concludes on Saturday with men’s snowboard slopestyle, women’s ski slopestyle, women’s and men’s snowboard street style, women’s snowboard superpipe, men’s ski superpipe and men’s ski big air. Watch live on xgames.com starting at 1:15 p.m. ET.

Dropping the Hammer; Kauf, Page, Giaccio on the Podium in Waterville

By Ryan Odeja - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 24 2025
Jaelin Nick and Olivia smile after waterville moguls
Jaelin Kauf, Nick Page and Olivia Giaccio smile in the finish with their medals at the Toyota Waterville Freestyle Cup in Waterville Valley, NH. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard).

It was a day that dreams are made of in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, where Jaelin Kauf, Nick Page and Olivia Giaccio all landed on the podium at the Toyota Waterville Freestyle Cup in front of their cheering friends, family and hometown crowd. 

“It was really fun to be on the podium with Jae, [it is] always fun to share it with a U.S. teammate, and quite a lot of the time it has been Jaelin so it’s awesome to see her shredding as well and to do that on home soil is incredible,” said Giaccio. “I was excited with my times today so I’m going to look to keep pushing that a little bit more and see what tomorrow will bring.”  

After mixed weather conditions over the last few days, ranging from snow to blistering wind and gorgeous bluebird skies, the bumps on Lower Bobbies run had been well prepared for today’s World Cup events.

In qualification, five U.S. athletes made their World Cup debuts: Reese Chapdelaine, Jack Petrone, Gavin Tobey, Nate Gendron, and Camden Lewis all suited up in World Cup bibs for the first time and gave stellar performances, finishing 24th, 33rd, 37th, 40th and 53rd respectively. 

Dylan Marcellini of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team finished 22nd, followed by Asher Michel in 24th and Charlie Mickel in 34th. On the women’s side in qualifying, Alli Macuga landed in 20th, and Kylie Kariotis in 21st. Seven athletes advanced to finals, Page, Dylan Walczyk, Kauf, Giaccio, Tess Johnson, Kasey Hogg and Kai Owens, and incredible showing for the U.S. team. 

Large fluffy snowflakes began to fall as the athletes warmed up for finals. Walczyk put down two great top-to-bottoms to start the day but missed out on super finals, finishing ninth on the day. Tess Johnson ended 13th, Kasey Hogg 14th, and Kai Owens 15th. 

The long day of competition wrapped in an epic super finals battle with three Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes vying for the podium. Kauf and Giaccio dropped in back to back, each putting down their best runs of the day, perfectly composing their speed, turns and air. Kauf had one of the fastest times of the day, putting herself solidly into second place just behind Perrine Laffont (FRA). Giaccio finished third, earning her third podium of the season and 15th in her career. 

“I made a couple mistakes in my finals run and cleaned it up and did exactly what I wanted to do for that super finals run, so, [I’m] stoked with the run I was able to put down and stoked to share the podium with Olivia,” said Kauf. “We obviously have such a strong women’s team, I don’t think everyone was able to put it together exactly how they wanted to today, there is definitely a lot more that this team is capable of, so hopefully we see that tomorrow.”

Page qualified in the top spot, making him the last competitor to drop, following Mikael Kingsbery, a longtime mentor to Page. The men had trouble in the super finals with multiple crashes, but Page wasn’t phased. With one of the largest air packages of the day, Page skied into second place just behind Kingsbury - his first-ever podium on U.S. soil. 

“That first run that I skied today wasn’t my favorite in qualifying, I knew I needed to step it up and so I was talking to my coaches and said that the rest of the day, I was going to drop the hammer,” said Page. 

Tomorrow is the second dual moguls event of the season, one that won’t disappoint as the top athletes in the world go head to head. Tune in at 2:00 p.m. ET on Outside TV

RESULTS
Women
Men

 

Ski Austria, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Announce Strategic Partnership

By Courtney Harkins
January, 24 2025
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U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Ski Austria, two of the world’s most renowned and successful national ski and snowboard associations, announced a partnership around sports, marketing and commercial opportunities designed to leverage the unique expertise and resources of both organizations to achieve shared goals. It is U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s first commercial partnership with another country’s national ski and snowboard organization. 

The sport-specific aspect includes expanded training opportunities, as well as reciprocal access to world class training facilities for both elite and development-level athletes in Austria and the United States. The collaboration also focuses on sharing expertise, including the exchange of best practices in coaching, athlete development, sport science and performance optimization, as both organizations look to further innovate around sports performance.

From a commercial perspective, both organizations recognize the importance of leveraging their assets to maximize reach and revenue while delivering more value to their partners. Key areas include developing joint marketing initiatives to create shared opportunities for sponsors and media partners, as well as collaborating across social media, streaming platforms and other digital assets to engage a broader global audience, as well as co-creation of potential new events and experiences for athletes and fans.


“We are thrilled to embark on this deeper collaboration with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team,” said Ski Austria CEO Christian Scherer. “By combining our strengths and expertise, we are confident in our ability to create a significant impact, delivering value not only to our athletes but also to our fans and business partners. This partnership reflects our shared ambition to drive innovation and inspire the next generation of skiers and snowboarders worldwide.”

“We are pleased to expand our relationship with Ski Austria,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “Their expertise and excellence are evident, and we know this partnership will improve us both on and off the snow. We share a vision and ambition for the future of snow sports, and I can’t wait to see how we can make improvements together for our stakeholders and fans.”

This strategic partnership marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the relationship between Ski Austria and U.S. Ski & Snowboard. With both organizations’ impressive roster of elite athletes and continuing to host important international competitions, the partnership demonstrates both countries’ commitment to innovation and will further strengthen both organizations’ global presence.

 

Bennett Top 20 in Kitzbühel Super-G

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 24 2025
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Bryce Bennett Top 20 in Kitzbühel super-G. (Getty Images)

On Friday’s super-G in Kitzbühel, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Bryce Bennett led the way in 19th place. It was his best super-G result at this venue. Jared Goldberg was 22nd and Wiley Maple rounded out the points for the U.S. in 29th. 

“I have been skiing good super-G and it was alright, but it was more about trying to figure out the edges,” said Bennett. “It was almost like another training run for me. I’ve been struggling with ice and we tried a new solution today. We are really close and I feel confident to be dialed in for tomorrow.”

After rain overnight in the valley, the surface firmed up nicely for the top of the race. However the sun came in and out throughout the race day, making for a crash-ridden day. The first bib did not finish, which meant Ryan Cochran-Siegle, running bib 2, was the first man to make it down the course. Cochran-Siegle skied a bit conservatively, coupled with a costly mistake which left him out of the top 30. 

With multiple crashes and helicopter evacuations causing course holds throughout the day, it was a long race. The French team was particularly victimized, with former World Cup overall champion Alexis Pinturault suffering a fracture, bone bruise and knee injury. Almost all of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men were stuck in the start gate for a while while the course was fixed. 

“I felt like I pushed through a lot of boundaries mentally with Pinturault being helicoptered away right before I went,” said Goldberg. “I watched a lot of guys go before me lose skis so I knew from inspection that it was going to be pretty gnarly and I was hoping that I would be able to step on the ski and just plow through that stuff.” 

Goldberg's strong performance in 22nd place will give him confidence into Saturday's downhill, a race where he had his best downhill result two years prior.

But the day belonged to Bennett, who stole the show for the U.S., popping in one of his best super-G results and the best super-G finish at Kitzbühel.

The winner of the race was none other than Swiss skier Marco Odermatt for his first win at the venue. In second was Austrian Raphael Haaser and Swiss skier Stefan Rogentin was third. Cochran-Siegle, River Radamus and Kyle Negomir also raced and landed in 32nd, 34th and 39th. Sam Morse did not finish but is OK.

It was clear however that the true Hahnenkamm day is on Saturday for the downhill. The downhill has already sold out of tickets and will surely bring in the lively and electric atmosphere that makes the race iconic. 

“I’ve been enjoying the classic World Cup downhill schedule so you can put all of your eggs in one basket and focus," said Bennett. "Connecting all the sections here top to bottom and carrying speed onto the road is so important. The easy things are key here.”

The race will be live and on-demand on Peacock, and on tape delay on NBC.

RESULTS
Men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, Jan. 25
5:30 a.m. ET - men’s downhill, Kitzbühel, AUT - LIVE on Peacock 

12:30 p.m. ET - men’s downhill, Kitzbühel, AUT - TAPE DELAY on NBC

X Games Gold for Harwood & Hall; Foster takes Fourth

By Sadie Texer - Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team
January, 24 2025
Tereza Korabova, Rell Harwood, Anni Karava during Womens Ski Knuckle Huck Final at 2025 X Games Aspen at Buttermilk in Aspen, CO. ©Tyler Schank/X Games
Tereza Korabova, Rell Harwood, Anni Karava during Womens Ski Knuckle Huck Final at 2025 X Games Aspen at Buttermilk in Aspen, CO. ©Tyler Schank/X Games

X Games Aspen kicked off in full force today with four events - men’s and women’s ski knuckle huck, women’s snowboard big air, and men’s snowboard halfpipe. Athletes returned iconic slopes of Aspen’s Buttermilk venue for one of the biggest weekends in winter sports.

Held in a jam style format, Rell Harwood took home the gold in women’s ski knuckle huck, improving on her second place finish in the same event in 2024. Harwood impressed the judges early and jumped to the top spot with a nose butter 900. Stifel U.S. Freeski teammate Marin Hamill earned her first X Games call up and finished fifth on the day with an impressive switch 360 tail press. Tereza Korabova (CZE) took home the silver and Anni Karava (FIN) the bronze.

Alex Hall also brought home the gold in the men’s knuckle huck. Hall showed us, as always, how creative he can be. His first trick of the night was a turtle roll, which impressed the judges and the crowd. Hall’s last hit of the night was a switch right 360 bring back, cementing his sixth X Games victory and 12th X Games medal. Defending gold medalist Colby Stevenson finished just off the podium in fourth as his switch1080 tail butter to nose butter wasn’t enough to bump Matej Svancer (AUT) and Juho Saastamoinen (FIN) from the podium. 

Next on deck was women’s big air and the X Games debut of the new “playoff and final” format. For all big air, slopestyle and halfpipe competition, eight competitors begin the competition with a series of preliminary runs. The field is cut in half, the scores are reset and the top-four athletes from the playoff round take two more runs, best score counts. Unable to compete this weekend due to injury, three-time X Games medalist and Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s own Hailey Langland took to the booth to commentate the exciting final. Austria’s Anna Gasser landed a switch triple cork 1260 to claim the gold. Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi buchi took home the silver and New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott the bronze.

The highly anticipated men’s superpipe final was the final event of the night and featured three American’s in the field of eight riders. Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Lucas Foster was the top American rider of the night, putting down his signature double ally-oop mctwist on the final hit of his first run. Foster’s first run earned him a spot in the final four and ultimately led to his best X Games finish of his carrer, ending the night just off the podium in fourth place. Joining Foster for the American’s was Okemo Mountain School’s Joey Okesson and X Games rookie Jason Wolle (USA). Wolle ended the night in seventh place and Okesson in eight, dawning a stylish leather jacket on the sub-zero degree Colorado night. Australia’s Scotty James took the win and tied American legend Shaun White’s record of total medal count in the pipe, earning his tenth medal in the discipline. The win marks James’ fourth consecutive gold, slowly creeping up on White’s record of six consecutive pipe wins and only one shy of White’s total pipe gold record of eight. Heavy hitters Yuto Totsuka and Ayumu Hirano rounded out the podium, Totsuka earning silver and Hirano the bronze.

Friday marks X Games Aspen’s biggest day of competition, featuring finals of women’s snowboard slopestyle, men’s ski slopestyle, women’s and men’s ski street style, women’s snowboard knuckle huck, women’s ski superpipe, women’s and men’sski big air and men’s snowboard knuckle huck. Live stream all the action live on Xgames.com starting at 1 p.m. ET or tune in at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN for primetime coverage of the first two days of action.

Click here for updates on schedules, start lists and results.

Cross Country Junior World Championships, U23 Team, U18 Scandinavian Trip Announced 

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
January, 22 2025
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The Stifel U.S. Ski Team announces the World Junior, Under-23 World Championship and U18 Scandinavian Trip cross country teams. Athletes qualified for the championship during the U.S. National Championship races held in Anchorage, AK, earlier this month. The qualification for these teams is based on an overall points scoring system that rates athletes' best two out of three finishes (juniors category) and best two out of four finishes (U23 category) during the championship event. 

The U23 and Junior World Championships team will head to Seefeld, Austria, for a pre-race training camp and then the race venue will take place in Bergamo-Schilpario, Italy, Feb. 3-9, 2025. Athletes will contest multiple events, including a classic sprint, 20k classic mass start, 10k individual skate and a mixed-gender relay, where each team features two men and two women competing in classic and skate disciplines. 

The U18 trip will take place in Gjøvik, Norway, from Feb. 15-24. Four races are part of the championship program, including two sprint and two distance events. 

Our partners at the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) support these trips. 

Championship Staff, Junior World Championships, U23 Championships

Coaches:

Trip Leader & Head Coach: 

  • Greta Anderson, Stifel U.S. Ski Team Coach
  • Bryan Fish, Stifel U.S. Ski Team XC Sport Development Director

Coaches: 

  • Matt Boobar, Stratton Mountain School 
  • Julia Hayes 

Cross Country Service Staff:

  • Head of Service: August Teague, Aspen Valley Ski Club
  • Service: Peter Holmes, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation
  • Service: Ben Higgins, Great Glen Outdoor Center
  • Service: Quinn Lehmkuhl, Tahoe Endurance
  • Service: Tuva Granøien, University Alaska Anchorage
  • Service: Colin Rodgers, Green Mountain Valley School
  • Service: Perry Thomas 

Cross Country Medical Staff:

  • Dr. Jasmine Wiley, MD
  • Elizabeth Smith, Physical Therapist
U.S. World Junior Championship Roster

Women:

  • Sammy Smith – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Hailey, ID
  • Maeve Ingelfinger – Dartmouth Ski Team; Glacier, MT
  • Lena Poduska – Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
  • Neve Gerard – University of Utah, Mount Bachelor Sport Education Foundation; Bend, OR
  • Sydney Drevlow – Loppet Nordic; Twin Cities, MN
  • Nina Schamberger – University of Utah, Summit Nordic Ski Club; Leadville, CO

Men:

  • Jack Leveque – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
  • Murphy Kimball – Stifel US Ski Team & University of Alaska Anchorage & Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
  • Justin Lucas – Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; Anchorage, AK
  • Lucas Wilmot – University of Utah & Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
  • Cole Flowers – University Alaska Fairbanks & Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
  • Benjamin Barbier – Montana State University & Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Steamboat Springs, CO
Under-23 (U23) World Championship Roster

Women:

  • Kendall Kramer – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks, AK
  • Kate Oldham – Montana State University, Aspen Valley Ski Club; Carbondale, CO
  • Sydney Palmer-Leger – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & Stratton Mountain School T2; Park City, UT
  • Emma Strack – Saint Lawrence University; Wilson, VT
  • Nina Seeman – Dartmouth; Hanover, NH

Men:

  • Walker Hall – University of Utah; Winthrop, WA
  • Will Koch – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & CU Boulder & Stratton Mountain School T2; Peru, VT
  • Michael Earnhart – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center;  Anchorage, AK
  • Trey Jones – Stifel U.S. Ski Team & CU Boulder & Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; CO
  • Jack Christner – Middlebury Ski Team; Middlebury, VT
  • Brian Bushey – University of Utah; Montpelier, VT
Championship Staff; U18 Scandinavian Trip

Team Leader & Head Coach:

  • Greta Anderson (Stifel U.S. Ski Team Head Men’s & Women’s Development Coach)

Medical Support:

  • Dr. Katie Eichten (Rails on Trails; Spooner, WI)

Head of Ski Service:

  • Julien Bordes (Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA)

Ski Service Staff:

  • Lydia Youkey (Mount Bachelor Sport Education Foundation; Bend, OR)
  • Etienne Bordes (Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA)
  • Luna Wasson (Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY)
  • Erik Flora (APUNSC; Anchorage, Alaska)
U18 Scandinavian Trip Roster

Women:

  • Niki Johnson – Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA
  • Britta Johnson – Tahoe Endurance; Tahoe, CA
  • Ally Wheeler – Casper Nordic Club; Casper, WY
  • Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre Nordic; Lebanon, NH
  • Tula Higman – Bridger Ski Foundation; Bozeman, MT
  • Lena Poduska – Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
  • Ruth Krebs – Craftsbury Green Racing Project; Craftsbury, VT
  • Mia Stiassny – Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; Girdwood, AK
  • Linnea Ousdigian – Loppet Nordic Racing; Minneapolis, 

Men

  • Nate Struebel – Jackson Hole Ski Club; Wilson, WY
  • Will Bentley – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Breckenridge, CO
  • Quinten Koch – Plain Valley Nordic Team; Leavenworth, WA
  • Noa Kam-Magruder – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
  • Vebjorn Flagstad – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK
  • Oskar Flora – Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; Anchorage, AK
  • Callahan Waters – Bridger Ski Foundation; Bozeman, MT
  • Logan Drevlow – Loppet Nordic; Twin Cities, MN

Jack Leveque – Alaska Winter Stars; Anchorage, AK - qualified for and declined racing on this trip.

Moltzan Podiums in Kronplatz

By Courtney Harkins
January, 21 2025
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Paula Moltzan celebrates her first career podium in Kronplatz, Italy. (Getty Images)

Paula Moltzan skied to her first career giant slalom podium in Kronplatz, Italy, taking third place. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team women followed her up with stellar results: Nina O’Brien in 10th place, AJ Hurt in 13th and Katie Hensien 21st.

"I am not sure how it's possible but I told myself second run that I wanted to ski strong and I gave it my all," said Moltzan. "I made some mistakes but recovered well and I am so happy." 

It was a bright and sunny day in the Dolomites, with just one day of giant slalom for the women. Moltzan punched it into 10th place in a solid first run amongst a packed field of talent, but she knew she still had a chance for a top result. She then threw down a blazing second run to turn in the second fastest second run of the day to sit in podium position.

Though Moltzan had a podium-potential run, Federica Brignone of Italy and Sara Hector of Sweden sat in first and second after first run—an expected outcome by the two giant slalom powerhouses. But New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, who was sitting in fifth place after first run, delivered an outstanding second run to move from fifth place to first by more than a half second. With bated breath, the crowd watched both Hector and Brignone, running second to last and last, DNF in front of the crowd—propelling Robinson to first, Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland to second and Moltzan to third.

Making the podium even sweeter, Moltzan’s family was in the crowd in Kronplatz, waving flags and cheering while wearing USA-branded hockey jerseys.

"My family is here and so it is so special. I think it is a great place to build off for World Championships," said Moltzan. "I think sitting in 10th after first run it is a tough place to move up from so when I had the green light at the end I am very proud of the skiing I did today." 

This achievement adds to Moltzan’s previous World Cup podiums in both parallel and slalom. Her best GS finishes prior were two fifth places at the Stifel Killington Cup and in Semmering, Austria earlier this season. With this result, she also moves into the top seven in the GS rankings, positioning herself as a strong medal contender for the upcoming World Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team was proud of another strong overall showing: It was O’Brien’s third top 10 this season; Hurt continued to show her power with another top 15; and Hensien has been fast and consistent throughout her comeback season, scoring points in every GS she’s started this season.

"I am happy with another top 10 and another solid giant slalom result. I was totally shocked when I came into the green second run because I had some huge mistakes so I am happy and I think it is an amazing day for our team," said O'Brien. 

Elisabeth Bocock, Mary Bocock and Liv Moritz did not make a second run. Mary Bocock was skiing fast and did not finish. It was 20-year-old Moritz’s first World Cup start of her young career.

"I was probably the most nervous I've ever been," said Moritz. "My legs were a bit numb in the start but it was fun and an awesome experience." 

The women’s World Cup season continues this weekend with downhill and super-G events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The tech team will race again in Courchevel next Thursday before the World Champs begin.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team Event During World Economic Forum at Davos Klosters Mountains

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
January, 20 2025
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(left to right) Picabo Street, Daron Rahlves, Lindsey Vonn, Jackie Wiles, Lauren Macuga, Stephanie Cohen, Matthew Prince and Steven Nyman at Davos Klosters Resort. (Davos Klosters)

*Release courtesy of Davos Klosters

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is proud to join global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where we can share our passion for winter sports and the natural beauty of the Swiss alpine.

"As the global community gathers in Davos for the World Economic Forum, we are thrilled to bring U.S. Ski & Snowboard to this extraordinary setting,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President & CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “By taking conversations from boardrooms to the slopes, we’re not only celebrating the beauty of the Swiss Alps but also inspiring fresh perspectives on how we can address global challenges together."

The ski resort Davos Klosters Mountains as a key partner is delighted to provide its facilities, slopes and full support for this extraordinary event. The collaboration has been made possible thanks to the sponsorship and support of Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete and Olympic medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle. Breaking new ground, it is the first time that meetings are held on the slopes rather than in traditional meeting rooms, giving attendees the chance to experience the breathtaking alpine landscape, the 253 kilometers of slopes and the gastronomy of Davos Klosters in an entirely new way.

Davos Klosters Mountains is renowned as one of the world's premier skiing destinations, member of Top of the Alps, offering exceptional slopes across five mountains, spectacular alpine scenery and top-tier facilities. In addition to hosting the WEF, Davos Klosters boasts a rich history in alpine skiing, the iconic Parsenn ski area and vibrant après-ski culture.

"We are proud that our ski areas will serve as the base for this special event, allowing us to present our wonderful ski region to a global audience during the WEF," said Vidal Schertenleib, CEO of Davos Klosters Mountains.

davos

 

 

Brabec Just Misses Podium in Schonach

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
January, 20 2025
Nordic Combined
Alexa Brabec competing in the jumping portion of the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup.

Alexa Brabec raced to a career best finish on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Schonach, Germany.

Brabec had a power jump of 92 meters, landing her in 12th place going into the 5k ski race. She was then able to ski up in a tight race where third to eighth place went back and forth to the finish line. Alexa finished seventh overall, narrowly missing the podium by less than eight seconds. 

On Saturday, Jan. 18, Brabec finished with a new personal best finish in 10th in the individual Gundersen HS100/5k event. Annika Malacinski also cracked the top 20 with an 18th place finish. In the men’s event (HS100/10k), Niklas Malacinski led the U.S. team to a solid 21st place finish, followed by Ben Loomis in 24th, Stephen Schumann in 47th and Erik Lynch in 50th.

In Sunday's individual compact HS100/5k event, Annika Malacinski secured another top 20 result, finishing in 20th place. On the men’s side, Niklas Malacinski delivered the top U.S. result with a 17th place finish, followed by Stephen Schumann in 28th, Erik Lynch in 42nd and Ben Loomis in 49th.

With Brabec’s breakthrough performances and consistent efforts from the entire team, the weekend shows the progress and potential of U.S. athletes on the World Cup circuit. Looking toward the FIS World Ski Championships at the end of February, the U.S. Nordic Combined team is on track for more top finishes and career-best races.  

RESULTS

iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup Wraps with the Mixed Aerials Team Event

By Ryan Odeja - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 19 2025
the crowd at the iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup
The view from the crowd at the iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup in Lake Placid, New York. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

The wind and snow cleared just in time for the mixed aerials team event at the iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup, where the U.S. team aimed to put on a show and try new skills in front of the hometown crowd in Lake Placid. 

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team had two teams of three representing tonight; USA 1 comprised Karenna Elliott, who was the top finisher in last night's competition, Chris Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger. USA 2 was made up of Kaila Kuhn, Justin Schoenefeld and Ian Schoenwald, the first team event of his career. Team events begin with the first athlete from each nation jumping, followed by the second from each country, and the third. The top four teams make it from finals to the super finals. 

Elliott and Kuhn kicked things off for the U.S. Elliott put down another beautiful jump to follow up her sixth-place finish yesterday, and Kuhn threw her first-ever triple on snow in competition, a back lay full full. Her jump was slightly overrotated, and she was forced to put her hands down in the snow, but it was an exciting step towards consistently competing triples in World Cups. 

The entire field, including the U.S. teams, struggled with landings throughout the night. The athletes threw their hardest jumps, hoping to perform for the town that has given many of them so much. USA 2 finished the night sixth, followed by USA 2 in seventh. 

Next up, the team is heading up north to Lac-Beauport, Canada, for a set of two aerials events Jan. 25-26. 

RESULTS
Mixed Aerials Team