Megan Nick led the Americans with a first-place finish, her second win of the season, at the aerials FIS Freestyle World Cup in Raubichi, Belarus on Jan. 30. Winter Vinecki earned her second podium of the season, and her career, with a third-place finish. The American women shared the podium with World Cup leader Australia’s Laura Peel. 

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Nick of her two wins this season. “I had a rough start to the season so I’ve just been trying really hard to improve on my jumps. To compete that full double-full again and to win again is almost a relief!” On whether the jump gets any easier, “I definitely get more comfortable. But when you're in the super final and you want to lay it down I don’t know if it gets any easier.” 

“To share the podium with Winter was awesome. We have been training together all summer and it's just so fun to share a podium with a teammate.”

Vinecki was elated with her third place, earning her back-to-back podium results from last weekend’s win. “It felt pretty sweet with last week being my first podium ever to get two in a row,” she said. “I did another double-in for my final jump and was a little deep on landing. But I stood it up and made it count. I was super excited to get on the podium with my teammate. It’s been a long trip with a lot of different hurdles, including COVID-19. We’ve all been doing our best to make sure we stay safe. It’s even more worth it making it onto the podium, especially long travel throughout the last couple weeks.”

The Raubichi World Cup marks the final stop on a three-week eastern European tour for the aerial skiers of the U.S. Ski Team. The travel hasn’t been easy, but the team kept their spirits, and results, high. Seven athletes have earned 10 podiums, including two wins. 

Rain and weather caused delays throughout official training leading up to Saturday’s competition. Sugary snow quality also caused challenges for speed and landing. “The snow condition wasn't great,” said Head Aerial Coach Vladimir (Vlad) Lebedev. “That presents crazy challenges with speed. Our goal going into qualifications was to perform jumps with good quality and to land. Aerial jumps have lots of impact so landing in the sugary conditions is difficult.” Most of the field toned down their degree of difficulty in the qualification round to that end. 

“The woman did well, they performed probably to their max in those conditions,” said Vlad. 

Three women qualified to finals: Nick, Vinecki and Ashley Caldwell. Caldwell ended the night in 11th. Dani Loeb finished 15th and Megan Smallhouse finished 25th. 

On the men’s side Chris Lillis was the only American to qualify for finals. He laid down a solid full full double-full in the first round, qualifying to the second round in third. In his last jump, a double-full full full, he looked long and straight in the air, but unfortunately did not stick the landing. “Chris performed a crazy, nice jump but unfortunately did not land,” said Vlad. “But he will be there. He’s got the talent and the ability and we should see him on the podium again this season.” Lillis ended the night in sixth. 

Russia's Maxim Burov continued his win streak, with his sixth first place of the season. Russia's Stanislav Nikitin came in second and Canada's Lewis Irving came in third. 

Eric Loughran finished just outside of finals qualification in 13th, Quinn Dehlinger in 25th, and Justin Schoenefeld in 31st.

“We made it through these three weeks and are so happy to be returning home to compete,” said Vlad. “It’s been a challenging time and I’m very proud of this team for pushing through all of the extra stress to perform the way they have.”

Nick is especially excited to get that big green salad she’s been craving. “I’m very excited for the food back home. It will definitely include a big salad. Maybe even some green juice,” she added slyly.

The team will pack their bags and board planes home to America on Sunday. They are thrilled to be competing on home snow for the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International FIS Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort Feb. 2-6. The Feb. 6 Aerials World Cup marks the first Olympic qualifying event for any discipline across U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Due to COVID-19, this year’s competitions are closed to spectators. 

RESULTS
Women's Aerials
Men's Aerials
 

In a fast and chaotic World Cup classic mass start in Falun, Sweden, Saturday, Jessie Diggins and Gus Schumacher led the way for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team. Diggins was seventh in the women’s 10k, while Schumacher was 29th in the men’s 15k.

Once again the athletes were treated to a cold, hard and fast track that unlike Friday's individual freestyle races, featured numerous crashes and mishaps due to the mass start. In the men’s race, Schumacher got tangled up on a short climb around the 4k mark and fell back to the 46th position in the three-lap race.

"I got stepped on by the guy behind me," Schumacher said. "Kinda crazy it didn’t happen more because of how tight that pack was."

Midway through the second lap, World Cup leader Alexander Bolshunov went down in a high-speed corner that scattered the field. Bolshunov jumped back into the race and Schumacher was able to ride his gravy train and weave his way back into the top 30.

In a remarkable display of athleticism, Bolshunov outsprinted Norway’s Johannes Klaebo and Paal Goldberg for the win. Klaebo was second and Goldberg third. Hunter Wonders, competing in only his fourth World Cup, skied an outstanding race to post a career-best 36th. Adam Martin was 57th; David Norris 60th; Ian Torchia 64th; and Scott Patterson 65th.

In the women’s 10, Diggins went with the first surge by Norway’s Therese Johaug as she pushed the pace.

"Today was awesome as this course had a lot of power striding," Diggins said. "We had really competitive skis, and I actually have been loving how cold it is because when it’s cold like this I feel like I can just keep pushing and pushing my body!"

With the lead group cut down to 10, Sweden’s Ebba Andersson and Linn Svhan pressured Johaug, but unfortunately, Andersson overcooked a tight right-hand corner and fell. That left the door open for Svahn, who is one of the best sprinters in the world, to dive to the inside of Johaug on the second to last corner and open a lead, which she held all the way to the line for her eighth individual World Cup victory. Russia’s Yulia Stupak was second, followed by Johaug in third.

Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, racing in only her second World Cup of the season, posted another solid result, finishing 15th. Rosie Brennan was 33rd; Katharine Ogden 42nd; Sophia Laukli 50th; Caitlin Patterson 51st; and Alayna Sonneysn 56th.

"After spending 11 months away from racing, this weekend has been particularly fun to just kind of re-remember how this works," Maubet Bjornsen said. "I haven't yet raced without spectators, and I will say it is a different feeling. It almost feels like a super serious summertime trial. You hear your coaches cheering more than ever, which is kind of fun in a new way! It kind of takes racing back to the core, which is special."

Sunday’s classic sprint wraps up three days of World Cup racing in Falun. Next weekend, the World Cup tour moves to Ulricehamn, Sweden, for a freestyle sprint and team sprint, Feb. 5-6.

Diggins continues to lead the overall World Cup standings, with Stupak in second and Brennan in third. Diggins also leads the World Cup distance standings with four distance races remaining on the 2020-21 World Cup schedule.

RESULTS
Women’s 10k classic mass start
Men’s 15k classic mass start

STANDINGS
Women’s World Cup overall
Men’s World Cup overall
Women’s World Cup distance
Men’s Worlld Cup distance

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Sunday, Jan. 31
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross-Country World Cup Men's and Women's Sprints - LIVE, Falun, SWE, Streaming Peacock

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Isabella “Bella” Wright once again led the crew in super-G, grabbing 29th—her sixth-straight points-scoring FIS Ski World Cup result—on a balmy day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. 

Norway’s Kajsa Lie Vickhoff started bib two and had what looked like it might be an unbeatable run...until Switzerland’s Lara Gut came down into the lead, by a whopping .68 seconds. Rounding out the podium in somewhat of a surprise finish, was neighbor to the north, Alpine Canada’s Marie-Michele Gagnon, .93 seconds back in third. Gagnon, also known as “Mitch,” started bib 29th and crossed the finish line in third, saying to the camera “I didn’t expect that!” 

Gagnon, who also is U.S. Ski Team athlete Travis Ganong’s longtime girlfriend, hasn’t been on the podium since 2016 when she won the alpine combined at Soldeu, Andorra. This is her first super-G podium. Gut, on the other hand, is no stranger to the podium, claiming her third-straight super-G victory and her third super-G victory at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It was Vickhoff’s maiden World Cup podium. 

Wright continues to show consistency, scoring her sixth-straight World Cup points-scoring finish, but she’s hungry for more and is looking forward to another opportunity in super-G on Sunday. The classic speed series in Garmisch was supposed to feature a downhill and a super-G, but Mother Nature had other plans. Warm temperatures, rain at the bottom, and snow at the top wreaked havoc on the Kandahar track. Despite challenging conditions, the organizers were able to prep the slope well for Saturday’s super-G and the athletes are happy to have gotten a race off at all. That said, Breezy Johnson—who has four podium finishes this year in downhill—was looking forward to skiing downhill on one of her favorite tracks. 

“I was definitely looking forward to Garmisch because it’s one of my favorite downhill tracks,” Johnson said after her 34th in Saturday’s super-G. “It’s where I got my first top-five, and my first points, so it means a lot to me. With the weather, it just wasn’t really possible, and I’m glad that we got something off at all. Mentally, it’s kind of good to focus on super-G for a weekend, but I like to switch up the tracks and I like skiing all of the different downhill tracks...so having one less downhill in the season is kind of a bummer. Hopefully, they’ll make up the race in Val di Fassa.”

Johnson’s eyes are still on the prize, and she’s looking to climb that podium on the big stage at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. “I don’t know that it changes my mentality going into World Champs at all, but I’m definitely very eager to get to Cortina,” she added. 

Also starting for the Americans on Saturday were AJ Hurt in 39th, Jackie Wiles in 41st, and Laurenne Ross—who did not finish, but is OK and skied down. 

The women will take on super-G once again on Sunday, weather permitting, which will be their final race prior to World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Oh, and speaking of speed in Cortina...we spy defending super-G World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin training some super-G lately. Psyched!

 

 

 

 

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RESULTS
Women’s super-G

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST

Saturday, Jan. 30
3:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - same-day broadcast, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 31
3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Chamonix, FRA, Streaming Peacock
5:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
5:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER, Streaming Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Chamonix, FRA, Streaming Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Chamonix, FRA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
 

U.S. Freeski teammates Aaron Blunck and Birk Irving rose to the occasion under Friday night lights on day one of X Games Aspen. Blunck took silver after receiving medical clearance to compete only three weeks ago and Irving claimed his first X Games podium taking home the bronze. 

Despite crushing his own expectations and earning his third X Games medal, Blunck could not help but reflect on the bigger picture. 

“It’s incredible to have the opportunity to return to competition and bring back a bit of normalcy to the world,” he said in a calming voice as the adrenaline started to subside. “The pandemic has been hard for a lot of people and it’s made me feel privileged to be able to do what we do. I want to share a big thank you to Aspen and X Games for being so hospitable and welcoming us to town despite the difficult circumstances.”

Blunck did not just recover from minor injuries. His crash in October at Saas-Fee, Switzerland resulted in a grade three laceration on his kidney, a broken pelvis, six broken ribs, and a sprained wrist. In addition, both his lungs and heart were bruised. When asked about his recovery process and his vision for his first event back, it was clear he surprised himself.

“I didn’t get the ok to compete until about three weeks ago, so just being able to be here, skiing with good friends, and watching everyone throw down was amazing,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without all my fellow competitors and teammates who have pushed me and got me back to where I want to be sooner than I ever could have expected.”

Following the event, Irving reflected on the challenge of carrying momentum from last season, and the work ethic that allowed him to stand atop his first X Games podium. 

“We all knew we would eventually be able to come back to competition, but we didn’t know when,” said Irving. “I tried to do my best to keep the momentum flowing from last year, but it wasn’t easy. I did my best to stay motivated and train for a day like today and an event like X Games. Honestly, I think I have never trained or worked as hard as I have over the past few weeks. I pushed myself as much as I possibly could. I knew I had to keep up with everyone’s pace of progression. Being on the podium for the first time at X Games with two legends like Aaron (Blunck) and Nico (Porteous) is a dream come true.”
 

Kiwi Nico Porteous took gold with no shortage of show-stopping maneuvers. Porteous landed consecutive 1620’s, a never been done combination in the halfpipe. 

For the women, China’s Eileen Gu topped the podium becoming the first X Games rookie to ever win gold in the superpipe. Canada’s Cassie Sharpe and Rachael Karker earned the silver and bronze, respectively. 

Women’s freeski big air also went down on Friday with Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland taking gold. After crashing on her first attempt, Gremaud rallied on her second attempt to land the first double cork 1440 in the women’s freeski competition. Canada’s Megan Oldham earned silver, and China’s Eileen Gu the bronze. U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Caroline Claire also had a strong day finishing fourth, landing a perfect switch double cork 900 and even more impressive switch double cork 1080. 

X Games freeski action continues tomorrow with women’s slopestyle and men’s big air. Tune in to watch your favorite U.S. Freeski Team athletes as they battle for their spot on the podium. 

REPLAYS
Women’s halfpipe finals
Men’s halfpipe finals
Women’s freeski big air

RESULTS
Women’s halfpipe finals
Men’s halfpipe finals
Women’s freeski big air

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
@XGames - Streaming via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages.
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Saturday, Jan. 30
1:00 p.m. - Women’s ski slopestyle, men’s snowboard slopestyle, women’s snowboard big air, women’s ski big air** - Aspen, Colo. - ABC
8:00 p.m. - Men’s ski big air - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:00 p.m. - Women’s snowboard superpipe, men’s ski big air* - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 31
1:00 p.m. - Men’s ski slopestyle, women’s snowboard slopestyle**, Aspen, Colo. - ABC
8:30 p.m. - Men’s snowboard superpipe, men’s snowboard big air, ski knuckle huck - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

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Facebook - @usskiandsnowboard

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Double-Olympic gold medalist and the most decorated woman in X Games history Jamie Anderson earned her 18th X Games Medal, her seventh gold in snowboard slopestyle, Friday at Buttermilk in Aspen, Colo. 

The oldest in the women’s snowboard slopestyle field at 30 years-old, Anderson continues to find the drive and push her limits. 

“I think I’m continuously motivated by all the girls I ride with,” said Anderson. “I don’t know when I’m going to retire. I kind of thought this might be my last season. I don’t know! I’m taking things one day at a time and mixing it up. We don’t have a lot of events this year, so I feel really happy to be here and to try to ride my best.”
 

For someone who mentioned they are on the tail end of their competitive career, her weekend schedule doesn’t resemble that of an athlete who is winding down. Slopestyle was the beginning of a hectic X Games program for Anderson. She’s the only woman snowboarder competing in three disciplines including slopestyle, big air, and knuckle huck. Funnily enough, according to X Games, the last woman that competed in three snowboard disciplines at a single X Games was Anderson half her life ago at 15 years old. 

Throughout all of this, she remains humble, grounded, and an advocate for women’s snowboarding. 

“I’m honestly speechless,” said Anderson immediately following the competition. “I feel grateful and so proud of all of the girls. Zoe’s (Sadowski-Synott) last run was flawless and all the riders continue to inspire me. After all, I can’t believe we are here in the middle of a global pandemic. We definitely missed the fans, but it was definitely a bit more chill, which I actually like. Less work and obligations, just sleep, eat, and snowboard.”

New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synott finished second and Canadian Laurie Blouin rounded out the podium in third. U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Julia Marino just missed the podium finishing in fourth place. Teammate Hailey Langland did not start due to a crash in training. 

Later in the evening, Dusty Henricksen earned knuckle huck gold in his first-ever X Games appearance. Henricksen will ring his 18th birthday on Monday with some new hardware courtesy of X Games. 

"I didn't think things were going to go my way tonight, but I am so stoked they did," said Henricksen still in awe. "It was amazing to kick-off my first X Games experience with an event that's all about having fun."
 

X Games snowboard action continues tomorrow with men’s slopestyle, women’s big air, and women’s snowboard superpipe. Tune in to watch your favorite U.S. Snowboard Team athletes as they pursue X Games glory. 

REPLAYS
Women’s snowboard slopestyle
Snowboard knuckle huck

RESULTS
Women’s snowboard slopestyle
Snowboard knuckle huck
 

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
@XGames - Streaming via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages.
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Saturday, Jan. 30
1:00 p.m. - Women’s ski slopestyle, men’s snowboard slopestyle, women’s snowboard big air, women’s ski big air** - Aspen, Colo. - ABC
8:00 p.m. - Men’s ski big air - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:00 p.m. - Women’s snowboard superpipe, men’s ski big air* - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 31
1:00 p.m. - Men’s ski slopestyle, women’s snowboard slopestyle**, Aspen, Colo. - ABC
8:30 p.m. - Men’s snowboard superpipe, men’s snowboard big air, ski knuckle huck - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

FOLLOW
Instagram - @ussnowboardteam
Facebook - @usskiandsnowboard

Interested in organization, athlete, and event related news?
Sign up for our Daily or Weekly Update

Learn more about how to support the U.S. Freeski & Snowboard Teams.

Jessie Diggins went all in physically, and mentally, to win Friday’s FIS Cross Country World Cup 10k freestyle individual start in Falun, Sweden. And she did it against a stacked field of competitors!

“I had to be thinking every single second: ‘how can I take this corner, and this corner over here,’” Diggins said after posting a winning time of 23 minutes, 35 seconds. Edging Norway’s Therese Johaug, who finished second, by just 2.1 seconds. Sweden’s Ebba Andersson was third at 14.6 second back. “Some people make skiing look easy; I think I make it look really painful. I wish I made it look pretty, but I just...it’s hard. But for me, my strength is in my head. Just pushing every single second and for me, the goal is to always cross the finish line and feel like I have nothing left. And I did that today!”

Diggins' victory led another outstanding day for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team with five athletes finishing in the top 15. Rosie Brennan was eighth, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen - racing in her first World Cup this season - was 10th. Sophia Laukli was 41st; Caitlin Patterson 42nd; Katharine Ogden 48th; Julia Kern 55th; and Alayna Sonnesyn was 58th.

“I love individual start races so I wanted to start hard and see what my body had in it as we move further away from the Tour de Ski,” Brennan said. “My body felt better than last week so things are coming along and on track for being in top shape for the World Championships (Feb. 22-March 7).”

"Wow, what a surprise!" Maubet Bjornsen said of her top-10 result. "I really wasn't sure what to expect today, but I can't say I was expecting to race top 10. While things have been so amazing this winter, and I have felt in better shape than ever, I have been working through a back injury the last five weeks that has left my preparation for hitting World Cup far from perfect. But, I will gladly take this as a starting point, and look forward to using the next few weeks of racing to build towards World Champs!"

In the men’s 15k freestyle individual start, Gus Schumacher posted an impressive ninth-place finish, and Scott Patterson finished a World Cup career-best in the freestyle distance discipline in 15th. Schumacher was also the second U23 athlete, which bodes well for him as he prepares for the Junior/U23 FIS Nordic World Championships which get underway on Feb. 9 in Vuokatti, Finland. Simi Hamilton was 32nd; David Norris 40th; Hunter Wonders 52nd; and Kevin Bolger was 61st. 

Schumacher and Scott Patterson are leading a renaissance for the U.S. men in distance skiing - and both are finding time in the leader’s chair. At just 20-years-old, Schumacher is quickly establishing himself as a top-10 contender.

"I felt strong, the course was solid and it was cold out there, but I stayed nice and warm," Schumacher said. "Some icy corners, I definitely had an RCS-level save (referring to his U.S.Ski and Snowboard Land Rover Alpine Ski Team teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle), but I'm feeling quite good aerobically, and it was fun to have some pop and quick recoveries at sea level."

Meanwhile, Scott Patterson, who just celebrated his 29th birthday Thursday has rebounded from a couple of disappointing seasons, climbing the results list all season. Friday’s race proved to be just what he needed to take another step.

“Conditions were pretty spectacular today,” he said. “It was cold and sunny with firm tracks on to start. The top layer started breaking a little big making some of the corners a little tricky later in the race. I really focused on skiing powerfully through the flats and gradual uphills and I think that worked well. It was sweet to spend a long time in the leader's chair and when I was eventually unseated, have it done by a teammate.”

With five World Cup distance races remaining this season, Schumacher currently sits 21st overall. Scott Patterson is 39th overall, just 19 points outside the top 30. In the overall World Cup standings, Schumacher is the top American in 27th.

Diggins extended her lead in the women’s World Cup overall standings as she leads Brennan, who sits second, by 235 points. Diggins also leads the World Cup distance standings, with Brennan in third.

Up next, a mass-start 10k classic for the women and a 15k classic for the men Saturday in Falun.

RESULTS
Women’s 10k freestyle
Men’s 15k freestyle

STANDINGS
Women’s World Cup overall
Women’s World Cup distance
Men’s World Cup overall
Men’s World Cup distance

HOW TO WATCH 

All times EST
Saturday, Jan. 30
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross-Country World Cup Men's 15k Classic Mass Start - LIVE, Falun, SWE, Streaming Peacock
8:45 a.m. FIS Cross-Country World Cup Women's 10k Classic Mass Start - LIVE, Falun, SWE, Streaming Peacock

Sunday, Jan. 31
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross-Country World Cup Men and Women's Classic Sprint - LIVE, Falun, SWE, Streaming Peacock

Two bluebird days in Winter Park, Colo. provided a perfect backdrop for the 2021 iteration of U.S. Freestyle Selections Jan. 27-28. Although a shorter program than usual due to COVID-19, there was no lack of talent and skill on course. Extensive testing, symptom monitoring and sanitization practices allowed the nation's mogul programs to come together and run a successful two days of competition. 

Historically, U.S. Freestyle Selections provides the pathway for athletes to qualify for the NorAm Tour and domestic World Cup starts. New this year, however, top development-level athletes are able to pre-qualify for NorAm starts and use Selections as an opportunity to focus on pushing themselves on course to achieve a coveted Deer Valley World Cup start. "It allows those top-level athletes who did well to focus more for World Cup starts without a negative impact towards NorAm starts," explained U.S. Ski & Snowboard World Cup Moguls Coach Joe Discoe. 

Winter Park set athletes up for success with a well-built course that allowed skiers to lay it all in the bumps. "There were some tricky sections that kept competition interesting," noted Discoe. "Those who were able to perform and hold their technique were the ones who showed up on the top of the podium. The development field is looking super strong. There were multiple different clubs putting contenders out there for the NorAm and World Cup. It was a battle to the end of the event for those domestic starts. It was fun to see that much of a challenge being put up."

U.S. Ski Team member Olivia Giaccio, having just returned to competition in December, laid it down both days to win back-to-back. On Jan. 27 she shared the podium with Ski & Snowboard Club Vail's Elizabeth Lemley in second and U.S. Ski Team member Avital Carroll in third. Carroll earned her second podium of the event with a second place on Jan. 28 and U.S. Ski Team member Kenzie Radway came in third. 

On the men's side on Jan. 27 U.S. Ski Team member Joel Hedrick, in his first competition back from injury, came in first, U.S. Ski Team member Jesse Andringa took second and Wasatch Freestyle's Ian Beauregard came in third. Andringa topped the podium on Jan. 28, Beauregard took second and Steamboat Winter Sports Club's Wyatt Antkiewicz came in third. 

Being able to run development events such as U.S. Freestyle Selections is critical in identifying up-and-coming talent for those seeking to make the U.S. Ski Team. Without the support of the wintersports community, especially resorts this season, none of that would be possible. "Winter Park put on a great competition," said Discoe. "Thanks to the resort, the judges, and staff for hosting."

RESULTS
Jan. 27, Women's Moguls
Jan. 27, Men's Moguls
Jan. 28, Women's Moguls
Jan. 28, Men's Moguls
 

Before a weekend full of racing across Europe, the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team gathered virtually with hosts and U.S. Ski Team alumni Daron Rahlves and AJ Kitt for their annual fundraiser, raising a record-breaking number of over $330,000.00.

Every year, athletes use this fundraiser as a means to help offset travel and training costs. Unfortunately, this year there was no in-person gathering at Yama sushi in Vail, Colo. hosted by generous U.S. Ski Team supporters, the Viola Family, but instead, a virtual event hosted through Facebook Live. Although the annual gathering at Yama Sushi was missed, going virtual had its benefits as alpine supporters from across the globe had the opportunity to join us for this event. 

Rahlves and Kitt started off the event by talking about what support meant during their careers and then they were joined by a few members of the men’s team, including Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Sam Morse, Bryce Bennett, and Jared Goldberg, and the women’s team, featuring Breezy Johnson, Jackie Wiles, and Isabella Wright. Each athlete shared how they were feeling about their upcoming races and how donor support has fueled their ability to focus on their training rather than being overwhelmed, worrying about fundraising. 

Those who watched were encouraged to give a donation, while those who were unable to virtually attend had the option to donate online and/or bid on unique auction items, including double Olympic champion and five-time World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin's own personal Atomic helmet, as well as one of her former race bibs. Through donations and the silent auction, the Team had a record year, raising over $330,000.00! These gifts have a direct impact on our mission of supporting athletes in achieving excellence and becoming Best in the World. 

The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team is now gearing up for an exciting weekend of racing with the men’s team competing in Chamonix, France, and the women in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. If you missed the virtual event click here to watch!  

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation is the non-profit fundraising arm of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. To support our athletes on their quest to become the Best in the World, please click the donation link below. 

DONATE

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has officially announced a new two-year partnership with RISE Brewing Co., the organic nitro cold brew coffee. Spanning from coast to coast through 2023, through this partnership, RISE will help America’s top skiers and snowboarders fuel their adventure all year long.

The partnership will officially kick off Feb. 4 with the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort. RISE will be featured at domestic elite-level skiing and snowboarding events moving forward.

“The mountains are unique in that they pull people together from all around the world to do the same thing; spend time with friends and family, experience an unrivaled side of nature and push themselves to be better,” said Grant Gyesky, RISE Brewing Co. CEO. “At RISE we are all about people pushing ourselves to get better, whether it’s in the gym, with our passions or on the mountain. Our team has always felt a draw to the mountains. We could not be more stoked to partner with the world’s most talented skiers and snowboarders to inspire us all to RISE from within."

“Through this new partnership, our athletes will RISE to the occasion of competing on the world’s greatest stage,” said Michael O’Conor, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer. “We value RISE’s commitment to creating products using the best ingredients as our athletes train to be Best in the World. We are excited to welcome RISE into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family.”

As part of the partnership, RISE Brewing Co. will continue to support health care workers by donating products through the U.S. Ski & Snowboard partnership with Intermountain Healthcare in Utah.

####

About RISE Brewing Co.:
RISE Brewing Co. brews nitro cold-brew coffee kegs and shelf-stable cans for grocery stores, convenience stores, offices, bars/restaurants, and cafes. Our flagship, award-winning Original Black coffee is organic, non-GMO, non-dairy, and 0 calories. Think a super light, refreshing stout beer meets iced coffee with a frothy head. An infusion of nitrogen gives RISE its distinctive, creamy cascade. We also have a line of organic dairy and non-dairy lattes -- including our multi-award-winning Oat Milk Latte, and Oat Milk Mocha.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2021, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. 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

Twenty-eight U.S. freeskiers and snowboarders are set to compete at X Games Aspen 2021 at Buttermilk in Colorado Jan. 29-31. The event will feature men’s and women’s ski and snowboard competitions in the disciplines of slopestyle, halfpipe, big air, and knuckle huck. 

X Games Aspen will also mark the first North American world-class snowboard and freeski event and build momentum as the first back-to-back weekend of elite park and pipe competition this season following last weekend's Laax Open in Switzerland.

In women’s snowboard slopestyle, Jamie Anderson is the most decorated woman in X Games history with 17 medals. Coming hot off a clutch win at the Laax Open, she will be looking to add X Games medal number 18 to her collection.

"I’m so excited to be heading back to Aspen," said Anderson. "X games is one of my favorite events! I have been coming here since I was 13 and I believe I have only missed one year. It's such a trip how quick time goes and I'm grateful for the opportunity again this season."

For the men, Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard is looking to improve on last year’s bronze medal performance. Joining Gerard and making his X Games debut is 2020 U.S. Open silver medalist Dusty Henricksen. The 17-year-old prodigy has been quickly climbing the competitive snowboarding ladder and a podium at X Games would come as no surprise. 

In freeski slopestyle, Colby Stevenson put down a dominant performance last season to become the first X Games rookie to win gold. Stevenson also took gold in the inaugural ski knuckle huck event. 

“I’m feeling super fortunate that X Games is happening during these crazy times,” said Stevenson. “Although there won’t be energy from the crowd we have all come to expect, we will still be pushing ourselves to land the best run possible. There’s nothing more fun than trying to land the most technical run you can think of and that should make for an excellent show.”

Over at the pipe, hometown hero Alex Ferreira is coming off of back-to-back wins in Aspen and will be shooting for the three-peat this year, but it won’t come easy. Alex will have last year’s X Games halfpipe silver medalist, two-time FIS World Champion, and 2019 FIS Crystal Globe winner Aaron Blunck hot on his heels. X Games will serve as Blunck’s first competition back after a horrific crash at Saas-Fee training camp in October. Blunck suffered a grade three laceration on his kidney, a broken pelvis, six broken ribs, and a sprained wrist. In addition, both his lungs and heart were bruised.

“I’m super excited to be back competing again,” said Blunck. “Although I have been working hard throughout my recovery, I am still in shock that I am cleared to ski this soon and I’m beyond grateful for it. I want to come out and do this X Games for myself and for those who supported me through this injury.”

Olympic gold medalists Chloe Kim and Shaun White headline the start list for the snowboarders in the pipe. Kim returned to the contest scene in style last weekend with a victory at the Laax Open after a 22-month hiatus and left a few tricks up her sleeve including back to back 1080’s and the frontside double cork 1080 she’s yet to land in competition. White did not attend the Laax Open and preserved his energy ahead of his first competition since the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games. X Games Aspen 2021 will be his 25th X Games appearance over the past 21 years and, at 34, he'll be the oldest athlete in the field.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, X Games Aspen 2021 will be closed to the public and produced with comprehensive COVID-19 risk mitigation protocols in place for participants and staff.

ESPN, ABC and ESPN2 will televise a combined 13.5 hours of live X Games Aspen competition, which will also be accessible via the ESPN App to viewers who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. In addition, four hours of exclusive coverage of X Games Aspen 2021 will be streamed on the @XGames YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages. Extensive coverage will also be featured across XGames.com, the X Games Aspen App, @XGames on Instagram, Snapchat and more.

Tune in to watch your favorite U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Team athletes take to the famed courses at X Games Aspen 2021. 
 

HOW TO WATCH 
Subject to change
All times EST
@XGames - Streaming via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages.
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Friday, Jan. 29
2:00 p.m. - Women’s snowboard slopestyle - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
4:00 p.m. - Women’s ski big air - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
8:00 p.m. - Snowboard knuckle huck - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
9:00 p.m. - Women’s ski superpipe - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:30 p.m. - Men’s ski superpipe, snowboard knuckle huck* - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN2

Saturday, Jan. 30
1:00 p.m. - Women’s ski slopestyle, men’s snowboard slopestyle, women’s snowboard big air, women’s ski big air** - Aspen, Colo. - ABC
8:00 p.m. - Men’s ski big air - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:00 p.m. - Women’s snowboard superpipe, men’s ski big air* - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 31
1:00 p.m. - Men’s ski slopestyle, women’s snowboard slopestyle**, Aspen, Colo. - ABC
8:30 p.m. - Men’s snowboard superpipe, men’s snowboard big air, ski knuckle huck - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

ATHLETES
X Games Debut*

Snowboard
Red Gerard - SS
Dusty Henricksen* – SS, BA, KH
Judd Henkes - SS
Jamie Anderson – SS, BA, KH
Hailey Langland - SS
Julia Marino – SS, BA
Taylor Gold - HP
Chase Josey - HP
Toby Miller - HP
Shaun White - HP
Sonora Alba* – HP
Chloe Kim - HP
Maddie Mastro - HP
Chris Corning - BA
Lyon Farrell - KH, SS
Jake Canter - KH

Freeski
Nick Goepper - SS
Alex Hall – SS, BA, KH
Colby Stevenson – SS, KH
Caroline Claire – SS, BA
Aaron Blunck – HP
Alex Ferreira – HP
Birk Irving – HP
David Wise – HP
Annalisa Drew – HP
Devin Logan – HP
Brita Sigourney – HP
Quinn Wolferman – BA, KH

FOLLOW
Instagram - @ussnowboardteam
Facebook - @usskiandsnowboard

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