Davis U.S. Cross Country Development Team athlete Hannah Halvorsen just received another boost toward returning to competition for the 2020-21 season when she was recently awarded a Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) 2020 Travel & Training Fund grant.

“I was surprised to receive this grant because I wasn’t sure what would be possible for foundations to be able to provide during COVID,” said Hannah, who continues to train in Alaska and recover from injuries after being hit by a car in downtown Anchorage last year. “This grant means a lot to me. I have applied for it in the past as well because their message speaks to me in powerful ways and receiving support from the Women’s Sports Foundation not only helps me financially but allows me to promote a message encouraging girls and women to find their strengths through sport.”

The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) has awarded a total of $75,000 to 15 individual athletes and two women’s teams, across eight states and 13 sports. Fueled by WSF National Partner Gatorade, the Fund is designed to support female athletes with elite potential who have financial need and would otherwise be unable to afford basic necessities such as coaching, travel, and equipment – vital to achieving even higher performance levels and rankings. This year’s class of grant recipients is largely represented by athletes training and competing to make the USA teams for the upcoming 2021 and 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo (summer) and Beijing (winter), respectively. 

The cost to train and compete can be a challenge for every athlete and, given a historic bias toward men’s sports, that is often amplified for women. This year has been especially challenging as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a significant impact. In applying for the grant, many of this year’s recipients reported difficulties in gaining access to training facilities, a loss of sponsorships and lack of competitions. 

“Anyone close to me knows that I am a fierce advocator of gender equality in every walk of life,” Hannah added. “It is an issue close to my heart and something I look forward to having more ability to speak out on with the partnership, while simultaneously using the funding to pursue my athletic goals on the World Cup.”

The 2020 class of grant recipients are a diverse representation of women athletes across sports. Of the 52 athletes who will benefit from WSF and Gatorade’s support - 15 individual athletes, the remainder via teams - six compete in adaptive sports. Further, the 13 sports represented are comprised of eight summer and five winter sports. Hannah is the only skier among the 15 individual athletes selected.

The grants, ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, help keep elite women athletes on track to compete at the highest levels in their sport. Which in turn, also helps prepare them for leadership roles now and in the future, beyond the competition. 

2020 Travel & Training Grant Recipients

Training for 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Games

• Gwendolyn Berry, The Woodlands, TX - Track & Field
• Amy Dixon, Encinitas, CA - Paratriathlon
• Alanna Flax-Clark, Granada Hills, CA – Para-Equestrian
• Josephine Fouts, San Diego, CA – Para-Cycling
• Sophia Herzog, Poncha Springs, CO – Para Swimming
• Maggie Malone, Birmingham, AL - Track & Field
• Nia Toliver, Los Angeles, CA - Rugby
• Mallory Velte, Sacramento, CA - Wrestling
• Roble Shea Sailing (team), Marco Island, FL – Sailing

Training for 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

• Danielle Aravich, Eagle, ID - Parabiathlon
• Hailey Choi, Clifton, VA - Speed Skating
• Kelly Curtis, Miami, FL - Skeleton
• Hannah Halvorsen, Anchorage, AK - Cross Country Skiing
• Alysa Liu, Oakland, CA - Figure Skating
• Audrey Lu, Frisco, TX - Figure Skating
• Joy Rondeau, Granby, CO – Parabiathlon
• Training for 2021 Rugby World Cup
• USA Rugby Women's National Team XVs, Lafayette, CO - Rugby

On Monday, Nov. 23, U.S. Ski & Snowboard hosted its second panel on diversity, equity, and inclusion: “Diversity in Ski Racing: The Athlete Perspective.” Henri Rivers, CEO, President and Founder of Drumriver Consultants, President of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, moderated a discussion among a talented group of African American ski racers to dive deeper into the topic of diversity in snowsports from the athlete perspective. Panelists included three-time Paralympian and 11-year member of the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team Ralph Green, U.S. Ski Team alumni Andre Horton, Suki Miller, and Lauren Samuels, as well as Dartmouth College Ski Team alumnus and former U.S. Ski & Snowboard employee Justin Samuels.

Watch the full broadcast:

Chapter Markers: 

0:55 - Tiger Shaw Address 
3:20 - Henri Rivers Address
6:30 - Justin Samuels Background
11:10 - Andre Horton & Suki Miller Background
20:40 - Ralph Green Background
28:20 - Lauren Samuels Background
33:10 - How can we make snowsports more inclusive? (Best in the World)
47:40 - What are the benefits of increased diversity in snowsports?
51:55 - How do we change the culture to become more welcoming?
58:45 - Where do U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes come into play in creating more diversity?
1:08:10 - How has racism presented itself in your (panelists) careers?
1:17:00 - How can those in positions of leadership play a role and set the example?
1:22:10 - Justin Samuels calls for action from U.S. Ski & Snowboard
1:25:00 - Audience Question - What advice do you have for a young African American ski racer coming up in today's landscape?
 

About the Panelists
 

Henri Rivers (moderator):
Henri Rivers is a native New Yorker and an avid skier and outdoor enthusiast for over 45 years. He is a professional ski instructor, certified master teacher and children’s specialist as well as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine coach, jury advisor, referee and official. He coaches in the Alpine race program at Windham Mountain in the Catskill region of New York.

Henri attended Marist College and received a B.S. in Biology in 1982. He worked for several companies as a construction engineer and project manager before founding and managing the Drumriver Companies.

Henri became involved with the National Brotherhood of Skiers in 1996 and has held many positions within the organization. He started as a club president and moved on to become the mid-west regional competition director. In 2003 he became a coach for the national team of NBS and in 2008 was appointed the Olympic Scholarship Fund Administrator. During his tenure as OSF administrator, he grew the national team to 15 athletes. In 2016 he was appointed the National Competition Director and in 2018 was voted in as the Executive Vice President of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. He served for two years and was elected National President of the NBS in March of 2020.

Ralph Green:
Ralph Green is an 11-year member of the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team and a three-time U.S. Paralympian (2006, 2010, 2014). While active as a ski racer he partnered with Cox, United Airlines, The Home Depot and Rocket Fuel as a sponsored athlete and brand ambassador. A former board member of Disabled Sports USA, Ralph is a motivational speaker with a strong emphasis on youth violence. He has an MBA with a marketing concentration from Keller Graduate School of Management. Currently, Ralph is a market sales manager at Frito Lay. His clients include King Soopers, Walmart, Safeway, Sam's Club, Target and the Air Force Academy. Ralph also serves on the Adaptive Spirit Board of Directors.

Suki Miller:
Suki Miller was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and is a graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage with degrees in journalism and mathematics. She started skiing at a young age at a very small ski area, Hilltop. Suki and her brother Andre qualified for the U.S. Ski Team with support from the National Brotherhood of Skiers. 

After ski racing, Suki worked in the private, government and non-profit sectors creating and communicating policies that promote healthy, culturally empowered communities. She is a passionate advocate for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Her time working on statewide initiatives cultivated an authentic appreciation for the vastness of Alaska, geographically, culturally and ideologically.

When not at work, Suki enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family, especially watching her toddler and the cousins “send it” down driveways and sledding hills. 

Andre Horton:
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, a quarter-mile from a nordic ski track, and a mile from a nordic ski jump and ski area, Andre Horton learned it all at a young age. He eventually focused on alpine racing and in his first out-of-state competition, finished on the podium. After graduating from high school Andre left for Wyoming to ski for the Jackson Hole Ski Club with his sister, Suki. Andre was named to the U.S. Ski Team and competed on the Nor-Am and Europa Cup circuits. He retired from the U.S. Ski Team in 2004 and joined the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors as an athlete representative through 2008. 

Andre has an MBA in entrepreneurialism from the University of Alaska College of Business & Public Policy - Anchorage. He launched his own software development company with a close friend, focused on Alaska’s prolific oil and gas industry. He launched various other companies before taking a mid-career detour from entrepreneurialism and executive consulting to become Firefighter/EMT in early 2019. Andre sits on the Board of Directors for Credit Union 1 still consults for various Alaska-based firms and ANC’s (Alaska Native Corporations). He is a talented photographer (www.andrehorton.net) and enjoys spending time with his family. 

Justin Samuels:
Justin Samuels was born and raised in Minneapolis and learned to ski at a very young age growing up in a ski family. Justin earned his BA in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College and his BE in Mechanical Design from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. He skied for Rowmark Ski Academy and competed in J2 Nationals (what is now similar to U16 Nationals). Justin also competed in NCAA Division 1 ski racing as part of the Dartmouth Ski Team. 

After earning his BE, Justin developed PointsStalker, an iOS app that makes it easy to access any athlete’s FIS data. His professional history includes working for U.S. Ski & Snowboard as mobile systems manager, Brydge Keyboards as product manager, and BodyGuardz as director of product development. Justin recently took a new position with Fictiv as senior product manager. 

Lauren Samuels:
Lauren Samuels was born and raised in Minneapolis and learned to ski at age two. She started racing with Team Gilboa out of Hyland Hills, MN, and developed as a ski racer until she was named to the U.S. Ski Team’s development team in 2009 after winning J2 Nationals Overall and Super-G titles. During the 2010 season Lauren was cut from the U.S. Ski Team but dropped everything and moved to Utah to ski and attend school with Rowmark Ski Academy and competed on the World Junior Championship Team. For the next two seasons Lauren competed as an invitee to the U.S. Ski Team’s C Team racing on the NorAm and Europa Cup circuits. From 2013-2017 Lauren skied for the University of Utah’s NCAA Division 1 Ski Team and became a National Champion her senior year, during which she was Team Captain. 

She earned a BS in Athletic Training and completed her medical school prerequisites. After finishing undergrad, Lauren coached for two years at Team Gilboa, then Rowmark. Currently Lauren is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Oregon - Lundquist College of Business, studying sports product management with the intentions of pursuing a career in the sports and outdoor industry. She is also a member of both the University of Oregon - Portland and U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees.
 

Three days into the World Cup season and the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team is beginning to hit its stride after placing six athletes into the top 30 in the final event of the Ruka Triple, led by Rosie Brennan finishing fifth in the overall classification.

“I am beyond excited to close out this weekend on such a high note, not just for me, but for the whole team,” Rosie said. 

Sunday’s 10k freestyle pursuit for the women and 15k freestyle pursuit for the men featured a number of career-best results, including Rosie finishing with the third-fastest time of day and a World Cup best fifth-place overall finish; and Gus Schumacher picking up his first top-30 result, finishing with the 24th fastest time of day, and the top time among U23 athletes. Gus finished 32nd in the overall classification in his first European World Cup race weekend.

“It felt really good to ski around with those guys,” Gus said of dicing it up with some of the best skiers in the world. “It’s also just fun to ski in a pack again.”

Scott Patterson rocked the 23rd fastest time of day Sunday. Jessie Diggins posted the fifth-fastest time of day, followed by Caitlin Patterson in 27th, Hailey Swirbul in 28th.

For Scott Patterson, he returned to the World Cup circuit for the first time in almost a year and used the Ruka Triple to build upon a solid summer of training. “I think there were good signs throughout the weekend,” he said. “I’m psyched to put out a good time of day and look forward to more opportunities. I need a few more classic races to build for, and my sprinting always needs work, but I felt there were good parts and good signs every day.”

Finding the race legs was also Jessie’s goal this weekend. “Today was a great step in the right direction as I find my race form and get more time on snow again,” she said. “I’m so SO stoked for Rosie and very proud of our service team and staff for the awesome skis they made us all weekend.”

Rosie started 11th in the 10k pursuit and fought hard to close in on the leading group. “I knew it was going to be tight and a big battle out there so I chose to start hard and see what kind of a pack I could get myself into,” she recalled. “I ended up skiing alone for most of the race, slowly crawling my way up to the front pack.”

At the halfway point, Rosie was able to join the lead group. Meanwhile, Jessie, who started 21st, continued to pick her way through the field, moving up to 15th. Coming into the final kilometer, a couple of the skiers in Rosie’s group got tangled up.

“There were quite a few sprinters in that pack so things quickly got tactical,” Rosie said. “I tried to remain composed and make a plan but found myself in the back of the pack heading down the last big downhill. Then something happened on that downhill and someone fell which caused others to pile into them...being in the back, I had to quickly adapt and slalom through them. Luckily, I made it through unscathed, but now had a gap to the leaders. I did all I could but unfortunately, couldn't quite catch up before the finish. However, that is my best World Cup finish to date and I am very excited about that.”

Norway’s Therese Johaug won the 10k pursuit and the overall classification. Russia’s Tatiana Sorina was second, followed by Sweden’s Ebba Andersson. For the men, Norway’s Johannes Klaebo took the pursuit win and the overall classification. Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov was second, and Emil Iversen of Norway in third. 

With next weekend’s World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway, cancelled, the Davis U.S. Cross Country team travels to Switzerland to prepare for the next World Cup in Davos the weekend of Dec. 11-12. 

RESULTS
Women’s 10k freestyle pursuit
Women’s Winner of the Day 10k freestyle
Men’s 15k freestyle pursuit
Men’s Winner of the Day 15k freestyle

Ruka Triple Overall Standings
Women
Men

The rescheduled 2020 U.S. Alpine Championships successfully wrapped on Sunday, Nov. 22 at Official Training Site Copper Mountain, Colo. This event replaced the 2020 U.S. Alpine Championships, which were scheduled for last March in Panorama, CAN, and Aspen, Colo.

Big thanks goes to Copper Mountain, who worked closely—and tirelessly—with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard High-Performance Director Troy Taylor, Lead Physical Therapist Gillian Bower, Alpine Development Director Chip Knight, and the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team staff to create a safe competition environment for athletes and staff. While the U.S. Alpine Championships took place, Copper Mountain was closed to the public, planning to open on Monday, Nov. 30 for the 2020-21 ski season. Due to COVID-19, U.S. Ski & Snowboard together with Copper Mountain created protocols to ensure consistency with local and state regulation, including no spectators or media on site.

Alpine Director Jesse Hunt credited Copper Mountain for their support and hard work to not only get the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain up and running - coordinating efforts that enabled athletes to ski both speed and tech at the speed venue - but also to successfully hold eight races for both men and women, including the 2020 U.S. Alpine Championships. Copper Mountain Resort Manager Frank Kelble and his staff were tremendous throughout the month, delivering an impeccable training venue that featured World Cup-level training and 16 race starts despite challenges presented by COVID-19. 

“My hat goes off to Copper Mountain for the tremendous support we received in this incredibly challenging preparation period,” commented Jesse. “Uncertainty is the new norm and Copper Mountain embraced the challenge by hosting our elite level training and events under extreme protocols and safety standards. We all adapted, and in the end, we got some of the best training we have had all summer and fall. A huge thanks to Copper for their commitment to our athletes, our organization and the sport.” 

Numerous up-and-comers were able to race alongside World Cup athletes—including members of the men’s German National Team—and Rocky/Central walked away with the Regions Cup. The opportunity for young athletes to ski with seasoned veterans was huge, according to Chip. “I’d like to add that there was tremendous athletic and community value in having our World Cup athletes racing alongside developing athletes from around the country,” he said. “A couple of upper-end highlights include River Radamus dueling with Ryan Cochran-Siegle for the National GS title, Breezy Johnson and Alice McKennis winning the downhill and super-G titles, and Luke Winters winning the slalom title.” 

Younger/developing athletes also had breakthrough results to kick off their season, including Katie Hensien (National giant slalom Champion), Allie Resnick (third, Nationals giant slalom), current collegiate (University of New Hampshire) former U.S. Ski Team athlete Patrick Kenney (third, Nationals giant slalom), Isaiah Nelson (first, FIS giant slalom), current collegiate (Middlebury College) former U.S. Ski Team athlete Erik Arvidsson (fourth, Nationals super-G), AJ Hurt (National Slalom Champion and first in FIS slalomL), and former collegiate and U.S. Ski Team athlete Alex Leever (third, Nationals slalom and first, FIS slalom). “There was a tremendous amount of momentum for the whole country coming out of the series,” Chip added. 

Holding an event like U.S. Alpine Championships during a global pandemic is no easy feat, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s High-Performance Director Troy Taylor said his staff, along with Copper Mountain’s staff worked together to create an exceptional event with great COVID-19 mitigation compliance by all involved. Chip worked as the event’s COVID Coordinator, ensuring everyone had COVID tests and were compliant with daily health checks. More than 200 COVID tests were completed, and the entire staff garnered learnings that can be shared and applied to future events during COVID. Next steps are for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard medical team to host a webinar for event organizers to share these learnings. 

“It was amazing to get the first event in the USA of the winter under our belts,” reflected Troy. “Copper Mountain, as always, was an incredible host and went above and beyond to help us work closely with Summit County health authorities to navigate all the COVID-related rules and create a safe environment for everyone.”

2020 U.S. Alpine Championships Results
November 16
Giant Slalom – Women

First - Katie Hensien (DU)
Second - Keely Cashman (UofU)
Third - Allie Resnick

November 17
Giant Slalom – Men

First - River Radamus
Second - Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Third - Patrick Kenney (UNH)

November 19
Downhill – Men

First - Romed Baumann (GER)
Second - Josef Ferstl (GER)
Third - Jared Goldberg

Downhill – Women

First - Breezy Johnson
Second - AJ Hurt
Third - Alice McKennis Duran

November 20
Super-G – Men

First - Simon Jocher (GER)
Second - Romed Baumann (GER)
Third - Ryan Cochran-Siegle

Super-G – Women

First - Alice McKennis Duran
Second - Keely Cashman
Third - Breezy Johnson

November 21
Slalom – Women

First - AJ Hurt
Second - Keely Cashman (UofU)
Third - Katie Hensien (DU)

November 22
Slalom – Men

First - Luke Winters
Second - Jett Seymour (DU)
Third - Alex Leever

Rosie Brennan hit the gas on the second of two 5k laps to finish eighth and lead the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in the second race Saturday at the Ruka Triple three-day FIS Cross Country World Cup in Ruka, Finland.

“I tried to start comfortably and work my way into the race today,” Rosie said after moving up to 11th overall following Saturday’s 10k classic. “This strategy worked quite well and I was able to pick things up a bit the second time around. I felt like I was skiing strong, but still, I feel like I have one more gear to find racing.”

Norway’s Therese Johaug took the victory, followed by Sweden’s Frida Karlsson in second and Ebba Andersson in third. Jessie Diggins finished 22nd and moved up to 21st in the overall standings. Hailey Swirbul was 40th, followed by Caitlin Patterson in 50th, Katharine Ogden 56th, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton in 58th, and Julia Kern in 62nd.

In the men’s 15k classic, Junior World Champion Gus Schumacher posted a career-best World Cup result, finishing 39th while mixing it up among some of the best skiers in the world. He also posted the third-fastest U23 time. Scott Patterson proved his form is starting to return, finishing 53rd. Simi Hamilton was 55th, followed by Kevin Bolger in 62nd, Logan Hanneman in 66th, and JC Schoonmaker in 75th.

"I felt alright and paced it pretty well, which was my main focus," Gus said. "Definitely not in my best race shape, but it’s going in the right direction. It was fun to have a little bit of time skiing with a few of the top guys out there."

Norway’s Johannes Klaebo took the victory, followed by Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov in second, and Emil Iversen or Norway in third. With the victory, Klaebo moved into the overall lead heading onto Sunday’s final stage, a 15k freestyle pursuit.

Heading into Sunday’s 10k freestyle pursuit, Rosie sits just outside the top-10 overall and she will be looking for that next gear to move up on the overall standings. “The times were tight (Saturday), so tomorrow should be a good battle for the overall,” she said. “I'm looking forward to putting my skating to the test!”

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

Ruka Mini-Tour Standings (Through two of three stages)
Women
Men

The Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team kicked off the 2020-21 FIS Cross Country World Cup season, qualifying three athletes to the finals of Friday’s classic sprint in the first race of the three-day Ruka Mini-Tour, with Rosie Brennan leading the way in 17th.

"It felt pretty surreal to be racing today," Rosie said. "I honestly didn't know when I would again after the season was called short last year. Knowing that, I want to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity I get to race this year, I tried hard to be ready to go when the time came."

Hailey Swirbul posted a career-best World Cup classic sprint result, finishing 18th, followed by Jessie Diggins in 24th. “I was really excited to make the heats today and focus on simply skiing my best,” Hailey said. “It was my first heat where I felt like I was truly in the mix and fighting to the end, though I definitely need to work on my double-pole finish!”

Rosie was the top qualifier in 13th, with Hailey qualifying 16th, and Jessie Diggins in 17th. However, they each finished fourth in their respective quarterfinal heats and did not advance to the semifinals. "I had fantastic skis and felt strong," Rosie said. "I am disappointed that I wasn't able to maneuver around people better in my heat, but have to be satisfied with the feelings and hope I can continue to work on sprint tactics. I am really looking forward to some distance races (Saturday and Sunday) now."

“Super impressed by my teammates for giving a good fight and checking the first race off the list,” Hailey added. “Now we remember what it feels like and can look ahead to tomorrow.”

Overall, it was a solid start to the season with all three scoring World Cup points. For Hailey, she improved on her previous career-best 25th place result from last season in Falun, Sweden. But, she is the first to admit that it takes more than fast skiing to move up the ranks. “I give a lot of credit to our techs today,” Hailey said. “They made some amazing skis with great kick up that last climb, which is exactly what I needed.”

Linn Svahn took her fourth career individual World Cup victory and led a Swedish podium sweep with teammates Maja Dahlqvist in second, and Jonna Sundling in third. Sophie Caldwell Hamilton finished 33rd in qualifying, just 0.23 seconds outside the top 30. Julia Kern was 40th, followed by Katharine Ogden in 66th, and Caitlin Patterson 71st.

JC Schoonmaker led the U.S. men in qualifying, finishing 35th, and just missed the top 30 by 1.31 seconds. “I felt like I gave it a good effort out there but I was a little too frantic and needed to just calm down and ski more relaxed,” JC said. “It feels good to get that first race of the season out of the way and hopefully get rid of some of the nerves for the rest of the weekend.”

Gus Schumacher was 43rd, followed by Logan Hanneman in 46th, Simi Hamilton in 50th, Kevin Bolger 58th, and Scott Patterson 78th.

“It was a solid start (to the season),” Gus said. “Everything went pretty well, no big mistakes. I think I just need to race some more and sharpen my engine. Taking away that, I’m in a good spot to improve through the winter if I focus on the little things that I can tune.”

In the men’s final, Norway took four of the top five spots and swept the podium with Erik Valnes taking his first individual World Cup victory. Teammates Johannes Klaebo and Emil Iversen were second and third respectively.

The Ruka Mini-Tour continues Saturday with a 10k classic individual start for the women, and a 15k classic individual start for the men. Sunday, the men race a 15k freestyle pursuit, and the women a 10k freestyle pursuit, with start times based upon the overall standings.

RESULTS
Women’s classic sprint
Men’s classic sprint

Ruka Mini-Tour Standings
Women
Men

Under the lights at Lech Zuers in Austria, 2017 NCAA Slalom Champion (University of Vermont-Catamounts) and current Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan grabbed her first career World Cup podium, with a second-place in the first and only FIS Ski World Cup parallel event of the season. Slovakia's Petra Vlhova won, while Swiss Lara Gut rounded out the podium in third. 

Coming into the parallel event, Paula didn't have expectations. Having traveled from Levi, Finland, where she was 23rd in the second of two World Cup slalom races on Sunday, she was just hoping for a top-30 and some points. She walked away with her first podium, and what a sweet Thanksgiving gift it was. 

Paula came out of the morning's qualifier round ranked fifth, and an unexpected favorite heading into the final round on Thursday evening. With the new parallel format, the top 30 from the qualifying round receive World Cup points, but only the top 16 advance to the final head-to-head elimination round.

The conditions were amazing at Lech Zeurs. "It was really good, the snow conditions were unbelievable," said Paula. "The snow held up for every round, so that was a really nice thing to experience as well as the lights were awesome. Obviously, we were missing the crowd, but I had a great group of teammates cheering me on in the finish."

What does Paula want to do first to celebrate her first podium on Thanksgiving? Call her mom, of course. "I'm kind of overwhelmed, but I'm really lucky and really excited to have a great team to share it with, so I'm excited to see all of them and get the hugs...and I can't wait to talk to my mom," she said with a big smile.

You could say Paula's path to the World Cup podium was unconventional. She grew up skiing at Buck Hill, Minnesota under the legendary Erich Sailer. She spoke about her humble beginnings after the race, "I started skiing because my parents were ski instructors at this tiny little hill in Minnesota [Buck Hill]," she continued, "and in the winter instead of going to daycare while they taught skiing, I'd just go join the lessons with them. I was the youngest of three, so I was just trying to keep up with my two siblings."

She was on the U.S. Ski Team, but when she didn't make criteria in 2017, she opted to go to University of Vermont to ski for the Cats and continue her career. There, she not only was crowned NCAA Slalom Champion in 2017, but also found the joy of skiing again. Straddling both NCAA and the World Cup during the 2018-19 season, Paula found success once again at the World Cup level and achieved criteria for the U.S. Ski Team again in 2019-20. After a tough 2019-20 season, she worked tirelessly in the offseason, often doing two-a-day workouts...and all of that hard work has more than paid off. 

AJ Hurt scored her first World Cup points, landing in 25th, while both Nina O'Brien and Allie Resnick—who was starting in her first World Cup—showed off some fast skiing but DNFed. They are both OK. 

After the race, clearly psyched for her teammate, AJ said, "It feels great to finally get in the points and even better to get them the same day as my other teammate's first World Cup podium. It's a great way to start the ski season for the whole team!" 

Katie Hensien and Lila Lapanja also started for the U.S., finishing 47th and 57th, respectively. 

Up next? Paula and the crew will take some time off and celebrate Nina's birthday on the 29th. From there, they'll start prepping for the World Cup in Courchevel, France. Tommy Ford, Bridger Gile, River Radamus, and George Steffey will compete for the men in Friday's parallel. 

RESULTS
Women's Parallel Semifinal
Women's Parallel Final

HOW TO WATCH
Friday, Nov. 27
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Parallel Slalom qualifying - LIVE, Lech/Zuers, AUT, Streaming Peacock
11:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Parallel Slalom finals - LIVE, Lech/Zuers, AUT, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, Nov. 28
3:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, Levi, FIN, Broadcast NBC

Sunday, Nov. 29
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, Levi, FIN, Broadcast NBC

FOLLOW
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Facebook - @usskiandsnowboard 
Twitter - @usskiteam

Learn more about how you can support U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes this season at KeepTheFlameAlive.org.

Aspiring podcaster and current Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Teamer Jimmy Krupka will welcome fans to "Arc City," coming soon to a podcast provider near you. The podcast will be brought to you by longtime U.S. Ski Team sponsor, Spyder Active Sports.

Jimmy says, "Here, we talk with anyone and everyone who has a love of ski racing’s ‘arc.’ From gold-medalists to career-coaches, this podcast will tell their high-acceleration stories: the successes, the failures, the gritty details, and the humor of it all."

In his first episode back in the booth, Jimmy talks with Olympian extraordinaire Julia Mancuso. They touch on everything from Julia’s early years in Tahoe to the relationship between surfing and skiing. They discuss Julia’s incredible talent for winning medals and go in-depth on the mental and emotional side of competition. Jimmy and Julia talk retirement, what Julia’s up to now, and finally get a good explanation of her and Lindsey Vonn’s complicated, but strong, friendship. Jimmy also rolls out a couple of new segments, including a Skiing History segment.

When asked if he has anything to share about his excitement for re-launching his podcast, Jimmy wants the world to know, "I guess I would just say that we’re back and live!! I love ski racing and I love talking to ski racers and I love making podcasts for people who love ski racing. It’s a win-win-win."

The podcast will officially go live for your listening pleasure on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at midnight MST on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. You may be wondering who Arc City's mayor is? Jimmy says, "Constantly changing. I would never proclaim myself mayor." Follow along to find out. 

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More than eight months since the abrupt end of last season’s FIS Cross Country World Cup season, 13 members of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team are more than ready to get back on snow and kick off the 2020-21 World Cup tour in Ruka, Finland. Friday’s classic sprint will mark the first event of the season, and open the three-day Ruka Mini Tour, which includes classic distance races Saturday, and a freestyle pursuit Sunday.

“I'm just feeling really lucky that we still have an opportunity to race,” said Katharine Ogden, who returns to the team this season after racing for Dartmouth College on the NCAA circuit the past two seasons. “I think that's amazing, and I know how much work has gone into it.”

Indeed, everything from social distancing, to face masks, multiple COVID-19 tests, and tips for safe international travel have all played a part in not only keeping the athletes and staff safe, but keeping events on the FIS World Cup schedule for the upcoming season. 

 

 

 

 

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“All smooth,” noted U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Program Director Chris Grover on the team’s trip to Finland. “All athletes and staff had a negative COVID test before getting on the plane, a negative test upon arrival, and here in Ruka we’re staying isolated from the public, from other teams, and even from each other.”

After enduring a 30-hour travel day to get to Finland, including multiple flights, the team is really happy to finally be on snow and put their summer training to the test against the best in the world.

“The Alaskans of course have been on snow for a few weeks, so they are likely more prepared for this weekend’s races than those coming from the East or Midwest who haven’t been on snow since last spring,” Grover added. “I anticipate that some athletes are ready to compete, while the others will be better prepared by the time we get to the World Cups in Davos, Switzerland (Dec. 12-13).”

 

 

 

 

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Gus Schumacher is one of those Alaskans who was able to jump on snow before departing last week for Finland. Gus made his World Cup debut in Quebec at the end of the 2018-19 season, and after storming through last season, including winning the first gold medal for an American male at the Junior World Championships, and anchoring the gold-medal-winning men’s Junior World Championships relay team for the second-consecutive season, he is stoked to start in what feels like the ‘regular season’ World Cup.

“I'm definitely a little nervous, mostly because of my expectations for myself (top 30, maybe better), but I'm trying to manage that by just focusing on the process,” he said. 

Like the rest of the team, Gus stayed close to home this past summer after all U.S. Ski & Snowboard Davis Cross Country Team on-snow and dryland camps were cancelled. But, sometimes something different is a good thing!

“My summer and fall training had a lot of positives; a lack of travel made it easy to follow a really strong, structured plan, and I've been able to be on great snow at home, and for that, I'm very thankful,” he said. 

“I like traveling and I love racing, but when it comes down to it, I'm kind of a homebody,” added Katharine, who trained alongside her Stratton Mountain School Elite Team teammates, which included Davis U.S. Cross Country members Julia Kern, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Simi Hamilton, and Jessie Diggins. “Just being in Vermont all summer and training consistently with my teammates has just been a blessing. We've done some simulated camps, and some team bonding camps, and it was a really great summer.”

 

 

 

 

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“The absence of travel this summer has given me the gift of consistency,” added Jessie. “My training has been so dialed in...same time trials, same roads, and I get to see my coach every single day. Plus, we have a great group of athletes, Sophie, Simi, Julia, Katharine to train with.”

Jessie and her East Coast teammates did enjoy an early-season taste of winter prior to departing for Europe. “It snowed in Stratton and I got to crush some hard intervals on the snow,” Jessie said. “I was so happy...and it really made me realize I was built for this sport. That feel of the skis sliding under your feet, it is amazing!”

With the entire World Cup remaining in Europe this season - with the exception of the World Cup finals in Beijing in March - the big challenge for the team will be staying healthy throughout the five-month season. “We are in good hands with a carefully thought out, flexible plan, that will mitigate risks,” Jessie said. “We know the routine, but the key for us will be our ability to remain  flexible throughout the season.” That flexibility has already been put to the test as the second event of the season scheduled for Lillehammer, Norway, has been cancelled. So the team will enjoy a rare off-race week prior to the Davos events.

Of the 13 American’s set to start on Friday, Jessie, Simi, Sophie, Rosie Brennan, Scott Patterson and Caitlin Patterson are the most experienced with numerous World Cup seasons to their credit. Julia, Katharine, Hailey Switbul, Gus, Kevin Bolger, Logan Hanneman, and JC Schoonmaker, will all be looking up to their veteran teammates for advice and guidance as they kick off a very different World Cup season for the first time.

 

 

 

 

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One teammate who will be missed at Ruka is Sadie Maubet Bjornsen - the Queen of Ruka - who became the first American to lead the overall World Cup standings last year following a third-place finish in the classic sprint, and a fourth-place result in the 10k classic. Sadie is taking a different approach to this season and looks forward to joining her teammates in Europe later this season.

The U.S. Moguls Freestyle Ski Team is back in action after wrapping up competition at the FIS Open in IdreFjäll, Sweden, Nov. 21-22. It’s been eight months since American mogul skiers have been able to get back into a full course due to travel restrictions from COVID-19, and the team brought it full circle beginning their season in Sweden, where it abruptly ended in March earlier this year. These athletes usually clock about 30 days on a moguls course before the start of a season, but this year have only had eight, including the two days of competition.

“[Saturday] was the first day back out in the cold, standing and looking up at the hill since March and, wow,” reported Head Moguls Coach Matt Gnoza. “It felt like a minor miracle. [I woke up on Saturday] and could see the horizon and it was kind of cloudy but blue, and I thought, ‘Wow this is really going to happen.’ I reflected back on all of our COVD challenges, and it makes it more unreal. That we would have that limited amount of prep and this team would return to where all ended to get it started again - crazy absolutely crazy. Getting here was no easy task.”

Competing at the FIS Open provides a preseason opportunity to dust the cobwebs off before getting in the gates at the World Cup level. After being thwarted by Mother Nature the past couple of years, it was a relief for everyone to have the event go off, and the cherry on top in the results accomplished. 

Tess Johnson led the Americans both days, podiuming in second on Saturday and first on Sunday. Saturday’s performance marked a pivotal moment in the 20-year-old’s career as she debuted a brand-new run, including a flip on the top air with a backflip iron cross and a never-been-done bottom air - a backflip venom grab.

“It’s been kind of weird the past eight months not skiing,” said Tess after Saturday’s event. “I felt a little displaced. So to get back in the start gate was a mix of nerves and excitement and a lot of fun. All of the training and work that I put in over the summer in water ramps was the reason I performed so well today.”

“The backflip venom grab, no other woman and no other mogul skier has done that before. It’s an opportunity to bring something new and the judges really liked it. I have competed a 360 to backflip since I was 13 years old. For seven years, the majority of my career, I competed that run. Today was the first day that I didn't compete a 360, and a lot of other women made that step as well. It speaks to how women's moguls skiing is progressing. I was impressed with courage and creativity and am happy to be a part of that.”

 

 

 

 

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Tess shared the podium with France’s Perrine Laffont in first and Japan’s Yuki Kajiwara in third. Jaelin Kauf came in fourth, Sabrina Cass in sixth, Hannah Soar in ninth, Kasey Hogg in 10th and Avital Carrol in 15th. 

“I’m very thankful that with everything going on, the U.S. Ski Team was able to provide us with sufficient training to be successful for this upcoming season,” reflected Sabrina. “We spent a ton of time ramping that definitely helped me improve my jumps, which has been my main goal. Since we’ve been on-snow, I’ve been working on different drills to continue to better my skiing. I’m super excited that I was able to put down two solid top-to-bottoms today and to be back on snow and competing!”

France claimed the top two spots for the men on Saturday, with Martin Suire in first and Ben Cavet in second. Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Reikherd rounded out the podium in third. Nick Page had a strong showing in 12th, Jesse Andringa placed 15th and Landon Wendler, in his first event as a U.S. Ski Team member, came in 16th. 

Sunday’s event brought blue skies and prime conditions for the second day of competition. The women of the U.S. Moguls Team came out strong and showed us a preview of what they hope to accomplish on the World Cup level - a podium sweep. Tess Johnson earned the top spot, Jaelin Kauf came in second and Hannah Soar in third. 

"I went into today aiming to improve upon the mistakes I made yesterday with the same aggressive, performance-oriented mentality," said Tess about Sunday's event. "This weekend’s results gives me tremendous confidence going into the first World Cups in December. My skiing and training all week is where my confidence is actually coming from, and I’m stoked to continue building on what I’ve learned here!"

“I think people took Saturday as either a positive note or learning experience and some made adjustments from Day One to Day Two, which was our design to this whole approach,” said Matt.  “[Saturday wasn’t what each athlete necessarily hoped for] but it wasn't because of the skills they didn’t have, or tricks they needed to learn. They just needed to believe and perform. We had a bunch of athletes make some mental adjustments between Day One and Day Two and that made a huge difference.”

"I’m really stoked to get a result under my belt before the World Cup season starts and really great to do it with my teammates!!" said Jaelin on the sweep. "I’m happy to have another trick going, it needs more time and work on snow but it’s a start... we’ve had a very short time to prepare on snow and so this event was really just more numbers and training for my jumps. Still some time to get things where I want them before Ruka!"

"The podium was a nice start but I still have more to do before I’m back to 100%," explained Hannah. "It’s been a bit of a struggle to get back into skiing again, but it’s coming together. I’ve struggled with getting back to a good mental mindset but each day I’m getting closer! Moving forward I will use each training opportunity to be better, push myself to go bigger, and ski faster. Each day is another opportunity to improve."

The rest of the American women had another strong day with Kasey in sixth, Sabrina in seventh, Avital Carroll in 10th and Madison Hogg in 13th. 

On the men’s side Sweden’s Ludvig Fjallstorm claimed first, Japan’s Taketo Nishizwaw came in second, and Switzerland's Marco Tade came in third. Alex Lewis led the American men with a fifth place, Nick Page came in 10th and Jesse Andringa came in 13th. 

"I’m feeling happy about this result," said Alex. "It was a nice step forward from yesterday’s performance. The biggest difference was my mental attitude from Day One to Day Two. It was a more aggressive mindset and I know I have more to offer with some more difficult tricks to bring to competition."

Moguls kicks off their official season with the FIS World Cup Opener on Dec. 5. “Everything is charging forward, our plan is unfolding,” explained Matt. “The grass was green and the temperatures hadn’t dropped below freezing when we got here. Every day feels more and more like winter. We’re building into our season as the season is building, that’s our theme here. By the time December 5 comes around I expect it will be full on winter here in Scandinavia, and we will be rocking and rolling.”

“All of us are really grateful to get back in the gate and test things out before the real deal with Ruka with the World Cup Opener,” said Tess. “It was really nice for us to have the opportunity. 
 

RESULTS
Nov. 21 Women’s Moguls
Nov. 21 Men’s Moguls
Nov. 22 Women’s Moguls
Nov. 22 Men’s Moguls

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