U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Eastern Region is pleased to welcome Scott Graham as the newest member of the team as the Youth Development Coach. Scott succeeds Kathy Okoniewski in this role, as she has moved into a new position within the organization with Sport Education as the Alpine Education Coordinator. 

Scott grew up in Waitsfield, VT as an Eastern ski racer with GMVS before moving West to Colorado to attend the University of Denver. For the past six years, he has worked and coached for the Loveland Ski Club, most recently serving as their Alpine Program Director. Scott just wrapped up assisting with the Men’s NDG project in Copper, CO and will be heading back East before the end of the year. In the meantime, he is available in Colorado to connect with programs, and will be on-hill for the Copper Super G projects after Thanksgiving. On becoming the new Eastern Region Youth Development Coach, Scott states: “I’m incredibly excited to be returning to the Eastern Region after growing up and racing there. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with, as well as getting to know, the coaches, athletes, and programs within the East. Youth Development is incredibly important, and I am excited to help strengthen the Eastern Region!”

The excitement to welcome Scott to the Eastern Region squad is shared amongst the staff as well. Eastern Region Director Sam Damon emphasized his enthusiasm to have Scott join the team: “I am super excited to have Scott back in the East. He has a great connection to the culture of local clubs here, which is so important to our grassroots here in the East, but he also has a really diverse history as an athlete, coach, and program director. The experience he's accumulated here and in Rocky/Central will be invaluable as we continue to improve youth ski racing here in the Eastern Region.”

Catch Scott back East at Sugarbush, VT for the U16 RPS on Dec 17-19, or drop him a line in the meantime at scott.graham@usskiandsnowboard.org.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 44 athletes of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team for the 2021-22 Olympic season. The FIS Ski World Cup kicked off with a weekend of giant slalom in Soelden, Austria Oct. 23-24. The season continues with a parallel for both men and women in Lech, Austria, this weekend, Nov. 13-14. 

Two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin and Bormio, Italy super-G victor Ryan Cochran-Siegle highlight the deep list of alpine athletes who will represent the U.S. Alpine Ski Team this season. This season will feature the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, from February 4-20, 2022. Due to COVID-19, the Olympic test events in 2020 and 2021 were canceled, so both the men and the women will head into the Olympics without having skied the tracks.  

It was an exciting start to the Olympic season in Soelden, as Shiffrin led four athletes into the top-25, with teammate Nina O’Brien in ninth, AJ Hurt in 20th, and Paula Moltzan in 23rd. On the men’s side, River Radamus kicked the season off with a bang as well, grabbing a career-best sixth place with Bode Miller-esque recoveries that kept fans on the edge of their seats. 

A solid prep period in the offseason coupled with teammates that have been pushing the pace was a recipe for success for the women’s tech team. “My teammates are pushing the pace really high, so I’m pushing too, so it’s been a really good build-up and a great way to start the season,” Shiffrin reflected. “It’s so cool. Like I said, the last two weeks we’ve all been pushing each other, and I see them skiing and think, ‘I have to keep raising my level too, because you’re here and you’re hungry...and everybody’s hungry, and I feel that motivation. It’s so amazing to have the pace coming from the United States. That’s...special. I’ve never experienced that, in this way, in my career so far...so it’s really cool.”

The 44 athletes nominated will be supported by a strong coaching staff, committed to “winning at every level,” which is Alpine Director Jesse Hunt’s mantra. “We are inspired by this group of nominated athletes that not only endured, but excelled in one of the most difficult seasons in memory. They persevered through a pandemic and remained determined to achieve greatness in spite of the daily challenges. It is a truly extraordinary group and we are proud to announce their nomination to the team in an Olympic year.”

Each athlete named to the U.S. Ski Team receives world-class program support, along with access to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Center of Excellence, as well as athletic benefits including elite coaching, sport science, sports medicine, and high-performance staff, and education opportunities. Additionally, A, B, and C team athletes are fully travel-funded once again this season, and the organization has also made significant headway in our efforts to decrease travel costs at the development team level, where members will be responsible for no more than $10,000 in travel and training costs with their team.

The nation and the world will be watching as athletes vie for a chance to represent their country at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games Feb. 4-20. Keep an eye on this crew...it’s bound to be an exciting year. 

2021-22 FIS Alpine World Cup Schedule
2021-22 Alpine Olympic Schedule

2021-22 U.S. Alpine Ski Team
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

A TEAM

Women

• Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho; Rowmark Ski Academy; 1/19/1996)
• Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake, Minn.; Buck Hill Ski Team/Ski and Snowboard Club Vail and University of Vermont; 4/7/1994)
• Nina O’Brien (Edwards, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Team Palisades Tahoe; 11/29/1997)
• Mikaela Shiffrin (Edwards, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 3/13/1995)

Men

• Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Team Palisades Tahoe; 7/14/1992)
• Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.; Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club; 3/27/1992)
• Tommy Ford (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; 3/20/1989)
• Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Team Palisades Tahoe; 7/14/1988)
• Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard/Sundance Ski Team; 2/12/1982)                     

B TEAM

Women

• Keely Cashman (Strawberry, Calif.; Team Palisades Tahoe; 4/4/1999)
• AJ Hurt (Carnelian Bay, Calif.; Team Palisades Tahoe; 12/5/2000)
• Alice Merryweather (Hingham, Mass.; Attitash Race Team/Stratton Mountain School; 10/5/1996)
• Jacqueline Wiles (Aurora, Ore.; White Pass Ski Club; 7/13/1992)
• Isabella Wright (Salt Lake City, UT; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation; 2/10/1997)

Men

• Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA; Team Palisades Tahoe and Middlebury College; 9/3/1996)
• Sam DuPratt (Park City, UT; Park City Ski Education Foundation; 11/28/1993)  
• Bridger Gile (Aspen, Colo., Aspen Valley Ski Club/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 10/15/1999)
• Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation; 6/15/1991)
• Jimmy Krupka (Waitsfield, Vt.; Green Mountain Valley School and Dartmouth College (7/15/1998)
• Sam Morse (Carrabassett Valley, Maine; Carrabassett Valley Academy; 5/27/1996)
• Kyle Negomir (Littleton, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 10/3/1998)
• River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 2/12/1998)
• Ben Ritchie (Waitsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley School; 9/5/2000)
• Jett Seymour (Steamboat, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and University of Denver Ski Team; 11/5/1998)
• Luke Winters (Gresham, Ore.; Sugar Bowl Academy; 4/2/1997)

C TEAM

Women

• Katie Hensien (Redmond, Wash.; Rowmark Ski Academy; 12/1/1999)
• Nicola Rountree-Williams (Edwards, Colo.; Loveland Ski Area; 7/7/2002)
• Zoe Zimmermann (Gilford, N.H.; Burke Mountain Academy; 5/16/2002)

Men

• Isaiah Nelson (Wayzata, MN.; Buck Hill Ski Racing Club; 4/3/2001)

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Women

• Mary Bocock (Salt Lake City, UT; Rowmark Ski Academy; 10/3/2003)*
• Ava Sunshine Jemison (Edwards, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy; 6/20/2002)*
• Storm Klomhaus (Boulder, Colo.; Team X Alpine and University of Denver Ski Team; 7/17/1998)*
• Lauren Macuga (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 7/4/2002)
• Allie Resnick (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 9/1/2001)
• Emma Resnick (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 7/23/2003)
• Dasha Romanov (Thornton, Colo.; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 5/3/2003)*
• Alix Wilkinson (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Team Palisades Tahoe; 8/2/2000)

Men

• Justin Bigatel (Park City, UT; Burke Mountain Academy; 4/29/2003)*
• Camden Palmquist (Eagan, Minn.; Team Summit Colorado; 4/15/2003)*
• Trent Pennington (Shalimar, Fla.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; 5/8/2002)
• Jay Poulter (Bondville, Vt.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Stratton Mountain School; 7/1/2003)*
• Cooper Puckett (Steamboat, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 3/31/2003)*
• Ryder Sarchett (Ketchum, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 7/28/2003)*
• Jack Smith (Sun Valley, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 4/24/2001)

*Newly named to the U.S. Ski Team

2021-22 ALPINE STAFF

Alpine Director: Jesse Hunt
Alpine Development Director: Chip Knight
Alpine Communications Manager: Megan Harrod
Director of High Performance: Gillian Bower
Director of Alpine Sport Science: Per Lundstam  

MEN
Head Coach: Forest Carey
Team Manager: Gwynn Watkins 

Men’s World Cup Speed
Head Coach: Randy Pelkey
Assistant Coach: Urban Planinsek
Assistant Coaches: Scott Veenis/Canaan Pollock
Assistant Coach/Strength and Conditioning Coach: Ben Black
Physiotherapist: Caitlin Ciccone 

Men’s World Cup Technical
Head Coach: Ian Garner
Assistant Coach: Max Lamb
Assistant Coach/Strength and Conditioning Coach: Will Courtney
Slalom Coach: Ryan Wilson

Men’s Europa Cup
Head Coach: Matt Underhill
Assist Coach: Michael Bansmer
Physiotherapist: Tim Andrews
Ski Service: Tristan McInnis

Men’s Development
Head Coach: Graham Flinn
Assistant Coach: Nate Bryant

WOMEN
Head Coach: Paul Kristofic
Team Manager: Colleen Jamieson
Athletic Development Coordinator: Bob Poehling

Women’s World Cup Speed
World Cup Speed Head Coach: Alex Hoedlmoser
Assistant Coach: Karin Harjo
Assistant Coach: Daniel Dejori
Physiotherapist: Torey Anderson

Women’s World Cup Technical/Speed
Mikaela Shiffrin
Head Coach: Mike Day
Coach/Strength and Conditioning Coach: Jeff Lackie
Physiotherapist: Nick Franssen

Women’s World Cup Technical
Head Coach: Magnus Andersson
Assistant Coach: Kip Spangler 

Women’s Europa Cup Technical
Head Coach: Casey Puckett
Assistant Coach: Hugh Coley Oliver

Women’s Development
Head Coach: Marjan Cernigoj
Assistant Coach: Ali Spencer

Follow the U.S. Alpine Ski Team:
Instagram: @usskiteam
Facebook: @usskiandsnowboard
TikTok: @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter: @usskiteam

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 35 pro-level and 15 rookie and development level riders making up the 2021-22 U.S. Snowboard Team. These riders will be competing in halfpipe, slopestyle, big air and snowboardcross disciplines for the upcoming season. 

This season will have no shortage of excitement as the U.S. Snowboard Team’s Olympic gold medalists get ready to drop in. Chloe Kim and Red Gerard continue their dominant marches toward the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and veteran Jamie Anderson looks to continue to display her undeniable dominance of the sport. Shaun White will once again represent the U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Team in pursuit of his fourth Olympic gold medal. 

“The teams have been working super hard and having tons of fun preparing for the big season ahead,” says U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “The anticipation has everyone excited and ready to get this 2021-22 action going!”

 

 

 

 

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Hailey Langland’s season is looking promising following a second place finish at the 2021 Aspen World Cup, while Maddie Mastro has focused on training during the off season with her sights set on the podium. The men’s slopestyle team runs deep with Brock Crouch, who kicked off the season with a great showing at the season opening Big Air Chur, alongside Judd Henkes and rising star Dusty Henricksen. In halfpipe, White will be joined by Chase Josey, Chase Blackwell and veteran Taylor Gold, who’s looking for redemption from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

The U.S. Snowboardcross Team also has new talent hitting the course including Tyler Hamel and Connor Schlegel. Veterans Faye Gulini, Lindsey Jacobellis, Hagen Kearney, Mick Dierdorff, and Jake Vedder will look to carry momentum from this past season into the heart of the Olympic qualification process. 

“We’re in a good place—we won the Nation’s Cup last season, which speaks to our depth and we’ve had great training camps in Saas Fee and at Copper Mountain ahead of this season,” says U.S. Snowboardcross Head Coach Peter Foley. “Our riders are really progressing and are on their game. I’m excited about our chances going into the China Test event and the season.” 

Each U.S. Snowboard Team athlete receives world-class program support, along with access to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard USANA Center of Excellence, as well as athletic benefits including expert coaching, sport science, sports medicine, and high-performance staff, and education opportunities. The teams have had great success in training camps at official training sites of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, Ore., The Stomping Grounds Park in Saas Fee, Switzerland; and Prime Park at Stubai Glacier, Austria. 

 

 

 

 

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The U.S. Snowboard Team is looking ahead to a packed competition season of tryout events heading into the 2022 Beijing Olympics Winter Games, with the Snowboardcross team traveling to five World Cup events beginning at Secret Garden in China Nov. 26-28. The halfpipe, big air and slopestyle teams will kick off with the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota FIS World Cup at Steamboat, Colo. from Dec. 2-4. From there, both the slopestyle and halfpipe teams plan to make their way to Copper Mountain, Colo. for training and the halfpipe tryouts at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix FIS World Cup Dec. 8-10, followed by slopestyle and halfpipe tryouts at the Winter Dew Tour Dec. 16-18.  Following the holiday break, it’s on to the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Jan. 6-9, at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif. for slopestyle and halfpipe competitions marking the final U.S. Snowboard Olympic tryout event ahead of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games scheduled for Feb. 4-20 in Beijing. 

2021-22 Snowboard World Cup Schedule

2021-22 Snowboard Olympic Schedule

U.S. Snowboard Team

2021-22 Team 

(Hometown; Club; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE

PRO TEAM

Men

• Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Big Mountain West Series; 3/31/95)
• Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/17/93)
• Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/99)
• Joey Okesson (Southbury, Conn.; Okemo Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/23/2002)
• Toby Miller (Truckee, Calif; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/14/00)
• Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.; Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/17/99)
• Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.; Southern California Series; 3/9/1986)

Women

• Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/23/00)
• Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/22/00)
• Sonora Alba (San Pedro, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 7/16/2006)

ROOKIE TEAM

Men

• Jack Coyne (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/17/2002)
• Jason Wolle (Winter Park, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/30/99)
• Fynn Bullock-Womble (Mebane, N.C.; BK Pro (One Team Dream); Rocky Mountain Series; 2/3/05)

Women

• Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 10/10/03)
• Alexandria Simsovits (Calabasas, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 9/30/04)
• Bea Kim (Palos Verdes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 1/25/2007)

SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR

PRO TEAM

Men

• Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/29/00)
• Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/7/99)
• Dusty Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/2/03)
• Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.; Great Lakes Snow Series; 9/6/97)
• Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/3/01)
• Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 8/22/99)
• Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.; Kirk’s Camp; Rocky Mountain Series: 12/18/00)
• Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/22/98)
• Sean FitzSimons (Hood River, Ore.; Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 9/22/00)

Women

• Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.; South Tahoe Series; 9/13/90)
• Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.; Southern Vermont Series; 9/11/97)
• Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; Tahoe Series; 8/2/00)
• Ty Schnorrbusch (Monroe Township, N.J.; Tru Snowboarding, Rocky Mountain Series 5/15/02)

ROOKIE TEAM

Men

• Jake Canter (Evergreen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen Snowmass Series; 7/19/03)
• Fynn Bullock-Womble (Mebane, N.C.; One Team Dream; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/3/05)
• Liam Johnson (Savage, Minn.; G Team; Upper Midwest Snow Series; 11/26/2004)

Women

• Courtney Rummel (West Bend, Wisc.; Midwest Best Series; 11/12/03)
• Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 1/27/02)
• Addie Gardner (Riegelsville, Penn.; Auburn Ski Club; Maine Mountain Series; 2/19/2002)
• Isabella Gomez (Issaquah, Wash.; Auburn Ski Club; Inland Northwest Series; 9/11/01)

SNOWBOARDCROSS

Men

• Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/30/91)
• Jake Vedder (Pinckney, Mich.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/16/98)
• Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.; Superior Series; 12/17/81)
• Alex Deibold (Manchester, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 5/8/86)
• Hagen Kearney (Norwood, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/6/91)
• Senna Leith (Vail, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/8/97)  
• Connor Schlegel (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/13/2002)
• Cody Winters (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/20/2000)
• Mikey LaCroix (Shrewsbury, Mass.; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Maine Mountain Series; 7/12/98)

Women

• Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/19/85)
• Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/24/92)
• Stacy Gaskill (Golden, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/21/00)  

DEVELOPMENT GROUP

Women

• Livia Molodyh (Hubbard, Ore.; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Mt. Hood Series; 6/30/99)
• Anna Miller (Orem, Utah; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/16/1996)

Men

• Tyler Hamel (Bethel, Maine; Gould Academy; Maine Mountain Series; 7/12/2004)

 2021-22 Snowboard & Freeski Staff

• Snowboard & Freeski Director: Jeremy Forster
• Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
• Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Team Manager: Elise Saarela 
• Snowboardcross Team Manager: Alexis Williams
• Snowboard & Freeski Team Press Officer: Annie Fast
• Snowboard & Freeski Sports Development Director: Ashley Deibold 
• Snowboard & Freeski Sports Development Coordinator: Erin McNeely 

High Performance Staff

• High Performance Director: Gillian Bower
• Senior Sports Psychologist, USOC: Alex Cohen
• Sports Medicine Director, Dr Jaron Santelli 
• Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Athletic Trainer: Ben Quigley
• Snowboard Halfpipe Team Physical Therapist: Emilie Whittemore
• Director of Sport Science: Action & Endurance and Snowboardcross Athletic Development Coach: Tschana Schiller
• Snowboard and Freeski Athletic Development Coach: Matthew Voss

Snowboard

• Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
• Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Ramirez 
• Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Dave Reynolds 
• Slopestyle/Big Air Rookie Team Coach: Eric Beauchemin
• Slopestyle Wax Tech: Bryan Taylor
• Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Rick Shimpeno
• Halfpipe Team Coach: JJ Thomas 
• Halfpipe Team Coach: Rick Bower
• Halfpipe Wax Tech: Parker Rockwood
• Snowboardcross Head Coach: Peter Foley
• Snowboardcross Coach: Rob Fagan

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today a 31-athlete roster making up the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team for the 2021-22 season. The highly anticipated 2021-22 season features the world’s largest winter sporting event with the 2022 Olympic Winter Games on deck, which includes the Olympic debut of Team Aerials. Athletes are chomping at the bit to kick their season off at the FIS Freestyle World Cup Openers in Ruka, Finland, Dec. 3 and 4. 

The 2021-22 team is highlighted by an experienced group of World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic athletes, including three-time Olympian and three-time World Championships medalist Ashley Caldwell; World Cup winners Winter Vinecki and Megan Nick; and the women’s mogul #PowHERhouse, who finished 2020-21 with four ranked in the top six overall: Hannah Soar (3), Kai Owens (4), Jaelin Kauf (5) and Tess Johnson (6). 

“The Freestyle athletes showed incredible resilience and grit during a challenging 2020-21 season and came away with the title of best freestyle nation in the world, winning both the Aerials and Moguls Nations Cups,” said Freestyle Program Director Jeremy Forster. “The achievement speaks to the depth and breadth of these athletes’ talent and skill. We are carrying that momentum into 2021-22 and look forward to another successful season.”

The talent of the high-flying women of the aerial team is stacked, four finished ranked in the top-10 in the overall FIS World Cup standings in the 2020-21 season: World Cup winner Winter Vinecki (2), World Cup winner Megan Nick (6), three-time World Champion medalist and three-time Olympian Ashley Caldwell (7) and World Cup medalist Kaila Kuhn (9). Megan Smallhouse and Dani Loeb return for their third and second seasons, respectively. Karenna Elliott and Tasia Tanner join the team for their first as U.S. Ski Team athletes. 

Justin Schoenefeld, the top-ranked American man in eighth in last season’s World Cup standings, returns for his fourth season with the team. He is joined by Chris Lillis and Eric Loughran, who both contributed to the first American World Championship Team Aerials medal; and Quinn Dehlinger, who returns for his third season. 

The team behind this team includes Aerial Head Coach Vladimir (Vlad) Lebedev, World Cup Coaches Eric Bergoust and JC Andre, Athletic Development Coach Farzad Jalilvand and Physical Therapist Peter Toohey. 

“This season represents the culmination of all of the work over the past three years and a new opportunity with the Olympic debut of the Team event,” said Lebedev. “We had a very productive water ramping season, I am proud of the work this team has put in on the water and in the gym this summer. I look forward to the work ahead and am excited to build off of the success we enjoyed last season. This season is a big one, but we’re going to focus on one day at a time as we build into February.”

Athletes named to the moguls team include the deepest field of female mogul skiing talent in the world. Known as the #PowHERHouse, these women are fast and fierce. Hannah Soar (3) leads the pack and is joined by 2021 Rookie of the Year Kai Owens (4), 2018 Olympian Jaelin Kauf (5) and 2018 Olympian Tess Johnson (6). Olivia Giaccio returns for her sixth season and Morgan Schild for her eighth. Madison and Kasey Hogg will ski in their second seasons. 

On the men’s side, two-time Olympian Brad Wilson returns for his 11th season. He is joined by 2021 Rookie of the Year Nick Page, Casey and Jesse Andringa, Joel Hedrick, Landon Wendler and Alex Lewis.

New for 2021-22 is the creation of a pilot Mogul D Team, which signifies an evolutionary change in how U.S. Ski & Snowboard, together with its regional and club network, will approach future national team selection and development programming for the discipline. Athletes named to the inaugural roster are Elizabeth Lemley, Alli Macuga, Dylan Marcellini and Cole McDonald.

Mogul Head Coach Matt Gnoza leads the bump crew and is joined by World Cup Coaches Riley Campbell and Bryon Wilson, Athletic Development Coach Josh Bullock and Physical Therapist Celeste Gabai. 

“We are excited to be in the final stages of the 2022 Olympic preparation,” said Gnoza. “This preparation didn’t just start during this past offseason, Olympic preparation takes a full four years, so we have been at this for a while. Every one of these athletes is very talented or they wouldn’t be here, it's the combination of talent and hard work that can make you great. We look forward to this final prep period ahead of the World Cup Opener next month.”

The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team is scheduled to compete in 29 World Cup events. The nation and the world will be watching as athletes vie for a chance to represent their country at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games Feb. 4-20. 

2021-22 Freestyle World Cup Schedule
2021-22 Freestyle Olympic Schedule

2021-22 U.S. Freestyle Ski Team
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

U.S. Aerial Ski Team
Men

• Quinn Dehlinger (Cincinnati, Ohio; Elite Aerial Development Program; 6/8/02)
• Chris Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.; Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team; 10/4/98)
• Eric Loughran (Pelham, N.H.; Loon Mountain Freestyle; 12/4/95)
• Justin Schoenefeld (Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 8/13/98)

Women

• Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 9/14/93)
• Karenna Elliott (Cincinnati, Ohio; Park City Ski and Snowboard, 5/24/00)
• Kaila Kuhn (Boyne City, Mich.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 4/8/03)
• Dani Loeb (Pintlala, Ala.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 8/10/01)
• Megan Nick (Shelburne, Vt,; Elite Aerial Development Program; 7/9/96)
• Megan Smallhouse (Reno, Nev.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 1/16/01)
• Tasia Tanner (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 7/26/02)
• Winter Vinecki (Gaylord, Mich.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 12/18/98)

Coaches and Staff

• Aerial Head Coach: Vladimir Lebedev
• Aerial World Cup Coach: JC Andre
• Aerial World Cup Coach: Eric Bergoust
• Aerial Athletic Development Coach: Farzad Jalilvand
• Aerial Physical Therapist: Peter Toohey

U.S. Mogul Ski Team
Men

• Casey Andringa (Boulder, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 10/6/95)
• Jesse Andringa (Boulder, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 12/15/97)
• Joel Hedrick (Fort Collins, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; 5/30/97)
• Alex Lewis (Carlisle, Mass.; Killington Mountain School; 11/16/99)
• Nick Page (Park City, Utah; Wasatch Freestyle Foundation; 8/1/02)
• Landon Wendler (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Winter Sports Club; 10/12/2000)
• Brad Wilson (Butte, Mont.; Wasatch Freestyle; 6/5/92)

Women

• Olivia Giaccio (Redding, Conn.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 8/15/00)
• Tess Johnson (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 6/19/00)
• Kasey Hogg (Park City, Utah; Wasatch Freestyle Foundation; 1/8/2003)
• Madison Hogg (Park City, Utah; Wasatch Freestyle Foundation; 2/15/2001)
• Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 9/26/96)
• Kai Owens (Vail, Colo.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; 8/16/04)
• Morgan Schild (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 8/25/97)
• Hannah Soar (Somers, Conn.; Killington Mountain School; 6/4/99)

D Team

• Elizabeth Lemley (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 1/22/2006)
• Alli Macuga (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 9/24/2003)
• Dylan Marcellini (Walnut Creek, Calif.; Wasatch Freestyle; 9/29/2002)
• Cole McDonald (Park City, Utah; Wasatch Freestyle; 3/6/2003)

Coaches and Staff

• Mogul Head Coach: Matt Gnoza
• Mogul World Cup Coach: Riley Campbell
• Mogul World Cup Coach: Bryon Wilson
• Mogul Athletic Development Coach: Josh Bullock
• Mogul Physical Therapist: Celeste Gabai

Freestyle Staff

• Freestyle Program Director: Jeremy Forster
• Freestyle Team Manager: Alexis Williams
• Freestyle Sport Development Senior Manager: Ashley Deibold
• Freestyle Sport Development Coordinator: Erin McNeely
• Freestyle Communications Manager: Lara Carlton

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced an all-star roster of 26 pro-level and 15 rookie freeskiers for the 2021-22 season. This year’s team features a mix of veteran podium talent and exciting next-generation youth. 

For the men, the star-studded cast includes the 2021 U.S. Grand Prix Champion Aaron Blunck, 2021 FIS slopestyle and overall Crystal Globe winner Colby Stevenson, five-time X Games medalist Alex Hall as well as Olympic medalists David Wise, Alex Ferreira and Nick Goepper. Olympic medalists Brita Sigourney, Devin Logan and seven-time X Games medalist Maggie Voisin return to set the tone for the women. A hungry group of rookies continue to push their boundaries, including Wy’East Academy’s Konnor Ralph, Stratton Mountain School’s Charlie Gnoza, and Aspen’s own Tristan Feinberg. Hanna Faulhaber, Marin Hamill, and Rell Harwood all graduated from the rookie to the pro team following breakthrough seasons. 

“We have such an amazing group of returning veterans and new athletes to the team this year. Along with really experienced coaches, technicians, filmers, and high-performance staff,” shares U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “I’m really looking forward to finalizing the Olympic qualifying process at the upcoming World Cups and Grand Prix competitions and then competing in Beijing.”

Each U.S. Freeski Team athlete receives world-class program support, along with access to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard USANA Center of Excellence, as well as athletic benefits including sport science, sports medicine and education opportunities.

The team has had great success in training camps at official training sites of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, Oregon; The Stomping Grounds Park in Saas Fee, Switzerland; PRINOTH X Camp, Italy; and Prime Park at Stubai Glacier, Austria. 

“The summer and fall camps have been super fun and productive, but now all eyes are on the big Olympic season ahead,” says U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “With a solid mix of both experienced veterans and fresh faces, we’re looking for great things to come from this awesome group of freeskiers sending it into 2022.” 

 

 

 

 

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The U.S. Freeski Team is looking ahead to a packed competition season of tryout events heading into the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games beginning in Stubai, Austria, Nov. 17-20 with the slopestyle season opening of the FIS Freeski World Cup. The Visa Big Air presented by Toyota FIS World Cup is up next at Steamboat, Colo. from Dec. 2-4. From there, both the slopestyle and halfpipe teams plan to make their way to Copper Mountain, Colo. for training as well as the halfpipe tryouts at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Dec. 8-10, followed by slopestyle and halfpipe tryouts at the Winter Dew Tour Dec. 16-19.  

Following the holiday break, the halfpipe team heads to Calgary from Dec. 30-Jan 1, for the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Canada Olympic Park. And then it’s on to the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Jan. 6-8, at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif. for slopestyle and halfpipe competitions marking the final U.S. Freeski Olympic tryout event ahead of the 2022 Olympics scheduled for Feb. 4-20 in Beijing. 

2021-22 Freeski World Cup Schedule
2021-22 Freeski Olympic Schedule

2021-22 U.S. Freeski Team 
(Hometown; Club; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE
PRO TEAM

Women

• Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.; Intermountain Series; 1/17/90)
• Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.; Mount Snow Academy; Southern Vermont Series; 2/17/93)
• Annalisa Drew (Andover, Mass.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Southwest Colorado Series; 5/28/93)
• Carly Margulies (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 12/24/97)
• Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 5/26/98)
• Hanna Faulhaber (Carbondale, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/04/04)

 Men

• Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/12/96)
• Alex Ferreira (Aspen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 8/14/94)
• Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Freeride Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/26/99)
• David Wise (Reno, Nev.; 6/30/90)
• Lyman Currier (Boulder, Colo.; Winter Park Freeski Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/28/94)
• Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 10/01/98)
• Taylor Seaton (Avon, Colo.; 7/16/90)
• Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/17/00)
• Cassidy Jarrell (Aspen, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/31/99)

ROOKIE TEAM

Women

• Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Freeride Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/02)
• Riley Jacobs (Oak Creek, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/14/2003)

Men

• Hunter Carey (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/12/02)
• Connor Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/26/03)
• Dylan Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/29/01)
• Sammy Schuiling (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/16/00)
• Tristan Feinberg (Aspen, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/23/2003)

SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR
PRO TEAM

Women

• Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 12/14/98)
• Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 2/2/00)
• Darian Stevens (Missoula, Mont.; Missoula Freestyle Ski Team; 10/29/96)
• Rell Harwood (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 6/1/01)
• Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 4/5/01)

Men

• Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 9/21/98)
• Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/4/01)
• Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 10/3/97)
• Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Cork Technologies and Consulting; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/14/94)
• Willie Borm (Chaska, Minn.; Midwest Freeskiing Association; 5/21/97)
• Cody LaPlante (Truckee, Calif.; Team Palisades Tahoe; North Tahoe Series; 2/15/02)

ROOKIE TEAM

Women

• Grace Henderson (Madbury, N.H.; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 4/28/01)
• Bella Bacon (Ellicottville, N.Y.; Agenda Freeski; Western New York Series; 1/29/04)
• Jay Riccomini (He/Him) (Port Matilda, Penn.; Team Summit Colorado; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/12/2004)

Men

• Hunter Henderson (Madbury, N.H..; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 12/28/2002)
• Richard Thomas (Orono, Minn.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Upper Midwest Snow; 8/16/01)
• Troy Podmilsak (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 8/23/2004)
• Konnor Ralph (Helena, Mont.; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Mt. Hood Series; 1/27/2003)
• Charlie Gnoza (South Londonderry, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/2/2003)

2021-22 Snowboard & Freeski Staff

• Snowboard & Freeski Director: Jeremy Forster
• Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
• Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Team Manager: Elise Saarela
• Skicross Team Manager: Alexis Williams
• Snowboard & Freeski Team Press Officer: Annie Fast
• Snowboard & Freeski Sports Development Director: Ashley Deibold
• Snowboard & Freeski Sports Development Coordinator: Erin McNeely 

High Performance Staff

• High Performance Director: Gillian Bower
• Senior Sports Psychologist, USOC: Alex Cohen
• Sports Medicine Director: Dr. Jaron Santelli
• Freeski Halfpipe Team Athletic Trainer & Freeski/Snowboard Medical Coordinator: Jill Radzinski
• Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air Team Physical Therapist: Sara Chavez
• Director of Sports Science: Action & Endurance, and Snowboardcross Athletic Development Coach: Tschana Schiller
• Snowboard and Freeski Athletic Development Coach: Matthew Voss
• Aerials and Freeski Rookie Athletic Development Coach: Farzad Jalilvand
• Head Team Physician Freeski: Dr. Andrew Cooper, Salt Lake City, UT

Freeski

• Slopestyle Pro Team Head Coach: Skogen Sprang
• Slopestyle Pro Team Coach: Dave Euler
• Slopestyle Rookie Team Coach: Ryan Wyble
• Slopestyle Technician: Tanner Keim
• Halfpipe Rookie Team Coach: Ryan Carey
• Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Riddle
• Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Jeremie Livingston
• Halfpipe Pro Team Technician: Hotch Young

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 21 athletes of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2021-22 season who will kick off the competition season with the traditional World Cup season opener in Ruka, Finland, Nov. 26-28.

The chemistry of this year’s team features an exciting mix of youth and veteran talent, highlighted by an experienced group of World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic athletes, including Olympic gold medalist and 2021 FIS Overall World Cup Champion Jessie Diggins; two-time World Cup winner Rosie Brennan; and 2020 FIS Junior World Championship double-gold medalist Gus Schumacher.

“We’ve had many high-functioning teams over the years, and every one of them has been quite different from the next,” noted Davis U.S. Cross Country Team Head Coach Matt Whitcomb. “We’ve also been through periods when the team has drifted through less-functional phases. Results are definitely affected by chemistry. At the moment, after two of the most-productive camps (Bend, Oregon in May and Park City in October) of my career, we’re on fire. This new team is a bit younger and incredibly loyal to one another. While we’ve been through one of our biggest waves of retirements, I think the absences will be filled quickly.”

Simi Hamilton, Sophie Calwell Hamilton, and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen all retired from the team following the 2020-21 season, taking more than four decades of experience with them. But, all three left a lasting impression upon current team members who average 22.8 years old among the 21-member team. For the 2021-22 season, Brennan and Diggins are now considered veterans of the team, despite their youthful ages, 32 and 30 respectively.

“It’s a young team, which means things are always high energy and exciting but also less predictable with so many racing World Cup for the first time,” Brennan said. “I know everyone has had a good prep season, and so I have nothing but optimism for the season to come. I just hope I can stay hip enough for the young crowd 😉!”

 

 

 

 

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With two in-person camps during the prep season, including a number of club team camps scattered around the U.S. and Europe this past summer, the athletes have had an opportunity to train independently, but come together as a team to push each other, and encourage each other no matter what training plan, training philosophy, or ideas they bring to the table.

“One thing that jumps out to me as new and improved is that this new team is a little more accepting of individual differences in training plans,” Whitcomb said. “In theory, with 21 athletes, we should have 21 different plans. Just a little judgment from a coach or athlete about one’s plan can be unproductive, and right now, I think everyone is embracing and supporting the importance of these differences.

“Everybody contributes something to this team in their own way,” he added. “It’s going to be a good season!” 

Based upon the gains from last season, Whitcomb certainly has every reason to be optimistic! Schumacher, who just two years ago was a member of the Development Team, moved from the B Team to the A Team following a break-out season that included more than a dozen top-30 World Cup results, including the best-ever American men’s result at the Tour de Ski. JC Schoonmaker, who was on the Development Team last season, also joins Schumacher on the A Team this season after posting numerous top 30 World Cup results. Diggins, Brennan, and Hailey Swirbul, who picked up her first career World Cup podium last season, were also named to the A Team.

B Team athletes include Julia Kern, Katharine Ogden, Kevin Bolger, Scott Patterson, Logan Hanneman, and Sydney Palmer-Leger, the 2020-21 NCAA Champion who moves up from the Development Team.

The 2021-22 team features 10 Development Team athletes, including numerous members with junior and U23 World Championships medals to their credit. Zanden McMullen joins the Development Team this season following his results at the 2021 Junior World Championships, including a fifth-place result in the 10k skate. Also returning to the Development Team are Sophia Laukli, who competed in her first World Cup races, and the 2021 World Championships this past season; and Hannah Halvorsen, who scored her first World Cup points last season.

The 2021-22 FIS Cross Country World Cup season kicks off with Period 1, Nov. 26-29 in Ruka, Finland. The 2022 Olympic Winter Games are scheduled for Feb. 4-20 in Beijing. 

2021-22 Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

A TEAM
Women

• Rosie Brennan (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Ski Nordic Center; 12/21/88)
• Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 8/26/91)
• Hailey Swirbul (Aspen, Colo.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 7/10/98)

Men

• Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars; 7/25/00)
• JC Schoonmaker (Tahoe City, Calif; University of Alaska Anchorage/Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academy; 8/12/00)

B TEAM
Women

• Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 9/12/97)
• Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 11/17/97)
• Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City, Utah; Sun Valley Gold Team/University of Utah; 2/4/2002)

Men

• Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, Wisc.; Sun Valley Gold Team; 4/11/93)
• Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 1/28/92)
• Logan Hanneman (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 6/2/93)

DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Women

• Hannah Halvorsen (Truckee, Calif.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 2/19/98)
• Novie McCabe (Winthrop, Wash.; Methow Valley Nordic Team/University of Utah; 12/15/01)
• Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars/University of Alaska Fairbanks; 6/25/02)
• Sophia Laukli (Yarmouth, Maine; University of Utah; 6/8/00)

Men

• Johnny Hagenbuch (Ketchum, Idaho; Sun Valley Gold Team; 10/1/2001)
• Luke Jager (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center/University of Utah; 1/17/00)
• Noel Keeffe (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/University of Utah; 8/24/99)
• Zanden McMullen (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center/Montana State University; 5/31/2001)
• Ben Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team/University of Vermont; 2/13/00)
• Hunter Wonders (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 8/7/98)

Cross Country Coaches and Staff

• Cross Country Program Director: Chris Grover
• Head Coach: Matt Whitcomb                    
• World Cup Coach: Jason Cork                                     
• D Team Coach: Kate Johnson
• Development Team Coach: Greta Anderson                                                                            
• Cross Country Sport Development Manager: Bryan Fish                       
• Cross Country Sport Coordinator: Adam St. Pierre              
• Communications Manager: Tom Horrocks

Service Staff

• Head of Service: Oleg Ragilo           
• World Cup Service: Bjørn Heimdal    
• World Cup Service: Tim Baucom                         
• World Cup Service: Eli Brown    
• World Cup Service: Chris Hecker
• World Cup Service: Karel Kruuser    

2021-22 FIS World Cup Schedule
2022 Olympic Winter Games Schedule

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History was made at the 55th Annual New York Gold Medal Gala as the event raised more than $1.7 million—the most in its history—while the Olympic excitement carried throughout the event as just one day earlier, we celebrated 100 days until the opening ceremony of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. 

Following the success of last year’s virtual Gala broadcast due to the pandemic, this year’s event was hosted in a hybrid format which allowed guests to participate either in-person or online. Guests arrived at the Midtown venue to the sound of excited chatter from reuniting one year after missing the infamous in-person event last year. It seemed, though, as if no time had gone by and guests were picking up right where they had left off: celebrating the teams, the athletes, and each other. Attendees at Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City were joined by viewers across the globe to support the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team as the athletes continued to train and prepare for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games.   

It was an action-packed event with a huge impact highlighted by keynote speaker, two-time Olympic champion, and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin. Shiffrin capped the night by auctioning off the FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom leader bib from her recent victory in Soelden, Austria, to help the Team reach and exceed its fundraising goal. Asked about the night, Shiffrin said, “What an incredible evening...thank you to all of the generous donors for your support. For a governing body like ours [that doesn’t receive government funding] the overwhelming support virtually and in-person makes all the difference. It was the most successful gala to date, and that is because of all of you. To merely say ‘thank you’ is not enough. Your support TRULY means the world.” 

Unfortunately, current active team athletes were unable to attend the event to ensure their utmost safety heading into this competition season, but luckily U.S. Ski & Snowboard legends stepped in and provided the star power for the night. In attendance were some of the greatest U.S. Ski & Snowboard legends and Olympic medalists, including Hannah Kearney, Alice McKennis Duran, Ted Ligety, Shannon Bahrke Happe, Donna Weinbrecht, Andrew Weibrecht, Danny Kass, JJ Thomas, Ross Powers, Kaitlyn Farrington, Alice Merryweather, Sam DuPratt and host of the evening, Jonny Moseley. Additionally, CEO Emeritus Tiger Shaw passed the torch to new President & CEO Sophie Goldschmidt, and with help from CEO Emeritus Bill Marolt, the Team recognized a very special honoree, Dexter Paine for his contributions to the organization and sport.  

“I could not have asked for a better way to cap off my second week with U.S. Ski & Snowboard,” newly appointed President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt said, “It was truly an honor to witness the passion and support we all have for our sports, and the athletes.”

All funds from the event will support year-round athlete training, development, competition, and educational needs. Unlike other countries, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team receives no government funding. The New York Gold Medal Gala is the organization’s largest fundraising event and the success of this year will help light the fire for athletes on their journey to Beijing.  

Two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin joined the TODAY Show for Team USA's "100 Days Out" celebration, alongside other Olympians, including teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle. Shiffrin talked about mental health, the loss of her father, her recent FIS Ski World Cup victory—her 70th—in Soelden, Austria at the World Cup opener, and more. 

As Scott Stump wrote for the TODAY Show, 

The sudden death of Mikaela Shiffrin's father last year had the superstar Olympian questioning whether she would ever ski competitively again.

With Thursday marking 100 days before the Winter Olympics in Beijing, Shiffrin shared on TODAY Show much she struggled with finding the motivation to continue after her father, Jeff Shiffrin, died at 65 from a head injury suffered in an accident in Colorado.

"I wondered if it was really worth it," she told TODAY co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. "There was a really long time that I didn’t really feel like it was worth it to care about anything, so it seemed like I’m not going to go ski race again because the most fundamental thing of an athlete is that you have to care about your sport and you have to care about doing well at your sport, and I just didn’t."

Shiffrin has already put together an incredible career at only 26 with two Olympic gold medals and one silver, which makes her "the most decorated U.S. alpine skier ever," and three overall World Cup titles. She already has won 70 World Cup races, the second-most all-time by any female skier behind only the 82 by retired legend Lindsey Vonn.

She considered walking away from all of it after losing one of her biggest supporters. Her father was an anesthesiologist and an avid photographer who could often be seen taking pictures of his daughter on the medal podium after races.

"I just thought I don’t care about actually really anything in life," she said. "It’s been a long process to get that motivation and actually the feeling of caring back. A lot more good days than bad now, but it’s still difficult."

Following her father's death, Shiffrin shared a photo on Instagram of him with his camera, writing that her family was "heartbroken beyond comprehension."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷💨 (@mikaelashiffrin)

Shiffrin said on TODAY his loss is "the most difficult thing" she has "ever survived."

Over a year and a half after losing him, Shiffrin is right back to her winning ways. She won her 70th World Cup race last weekend when she took the women's giant slalom in Soelden, Austria.

She shared on TODAY that she has the lofty goal of competing in all six alpine skiing events at the Winter Olympics in February.

Shiffrin has also now reached a place where she can speak about the devastation of losing her father.

"It’s OK to talk about it," she said. "Over the last couple years it’s been important to talk about, and a lot of people actually seem to be able to relate to that on some level because aside from the pandemic, everybody’s dealing with something on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, and there’s a lot of loss and grief and sadness out there, but there’s also a lot of strength and hope.

"And I think it’s important for us to all be able to connect on the more positive side of it."

Story courtesy of Scott Stump and the TODAY Show

It was another perfect day on the Rettenbach glacier, with the young River Radamus donning a new Chad Fleischer (U.S. Ski Team alumnus)-inspired “snow leopard” ‘do leading the charge with a career-best sixth-place under the sunshine in Soelden, Austria to kick off the highly-anticipated Olympic season. 

A young American squad led by veteran and 2020 Bormio World Cup super-G victor Ryan Cochran-Siegle, including Radamus, Bridger Gile, and Global Racing’s George Steffey and Patrick Kenney (University of New Hampshire) took on the what is the longest, steepest, most sustained pitch of any FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom on the tour. For the young squad, it was a promising start, despite Radamus being the only one to qualify for the second run.

Veteran teammate Tommy Ford, who had a season-ending crash last year at Adelboden, Switzerland, sustaining knee and hand injuries and a concussion, posted a message of encouragement to his teammates on Instagram early Sunday morning. In the post, he said, “I miss my team and the cold mornings. Go team go! My knee is coming back. It has felt slow, but it hasn't even been a year.” Radamus replied to the message, saying “miss ya tommy❤️ i’ll try to send one for ya today.” And “send” he did! 

 

 

 

 

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Coming out of the gate bib 26, Radamus didn’t want to leave anything on the piste, taking risks left and right and making two incredible Bode Miller-esque recoveries in his first run, crossing the finish line in an incredible ninth place and setting himself up for a stellar second run. When asked by the media if he was trying to channel U.S. Ski Team alumnus and Olympic champion Miller, Radamus replied, “I wasn’t trying to imitate anyone…I was just trying to make it down, to be honest with you.” He continued, “I’m really trying to take that mentality—the fearless mentality—like Bode and a lot of guys from America have, so yeah—I’m really proud of the recoveries I had to make there. And I really hope to keep pushing the limit on the next run too.” 

The margins were super-tight in this deep men’s giant slalom field, with Austria’s Roland Leitinger in leading the charge, followed by France’s Mathieu Faivre .19 seconds back, and rounded out by Swiss phenom Marco Odermatt, .21 seconds out. Radamus was .85 out father the first run, and knew he had to put it all out there in the second run in order to score a solid result. With yet another run that put fans on the edge of their seats with thrilling recoveries and solid skiing, Radamus skied down into the lead ahead of Norway’s Lucas Braathen by a slim margin of four-hundredths of a second. It looked as if his lead would hold for a while, as he sat in the leaderboard with a big smile on his face, donning his new snow leopard hairstyle. 

In the end, Radamus—whose previous best was 14th last season in Bansko, Bulgaria—ended up an impressive career-best sixth place on the track that former teammate, hero, and mentor Ted Ligety won a record four times in the span of five years. Radamus was ecstatic with the result, saying, “I really felt like I’ve had a lot of races where I’ve done well the first run, and haven’t been able to execute the same way on second run…whether it’s conscious or unconscious, just backing off – so I really really tried to make sure I left it all out there and made sure I left no regrets on the table,” he said. “I made a couple of mistakes again, but I was pushing my limits again, and I’m happy with the performance. I felt like I’ve had the pace all summer, and with that it almost feels like more pressure because I had more expectations on myself to perform. So coming here and executing the way that I did gives me a lot of confidence rolling into the rest of the season…but at the end of the day I try to keep the mentality that I do everything I can to prepare, and I live with the results regardless. But this is an easier one to live with for sure.”

On the topic of his hair...which was turning many heads, Radamus shared, “The last three years I’ve done a special haircut for Soelden—I did a mullet bowl cut last year, and the year before I did it all blue and green…so I just like to do this little tradition of mine to change it up and get a new look going for the season.” He continued, “This year it’s inspired by past U.S. Ski Team speed legend Chad Fleischer, who used to have hair like this—the snow leopard—I wanted to carry that tradition forward, and carry that, sort of like, free spirit American-style forward.”

 

 

 

 

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Cochran-Siegle, who suffered from a “minor broken neck”, when he crashed on the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuehel, Austria last season, returned to competition for the first time in 275 days. He missed qualifying for the second run by a mere one hundredth of a second. In the sport of ski racing, missing the flip by a margin this tiny can be defeating, though Cochran-Siegle is putting it into perspective and knows there’s a long season ahead—in which he’ll focus on the speed events and less so on giant slalom. 

“I thought I was skiing well, I was just holding on too much,” he said. “The conditions, and also the strength of every other skier here is really competitive, and I just needed to bring more on this run.” 

Up next for the men’s and women’s U.S. Ski Team crew is a training block at U.S. Ski Team Speed and Tech Center at Copper Mountain, Colo., then a parallel World Cup event in Lech, Austria, before returning to the North American races on the World Cup tour. 

RESULTS
Men’s giant slalom 

On a sunny, bluebird day on the Rettenbach glacier with perfect conditions, two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin notched her career-70th World Cup victory to lead four women into the top 25 in the Olympic season opener—the best U.S. Ski Team women’s giant slalom results in this era. 

On a first-run course set by coach Mike Day, with the best conditions this crew has seen in a while, the U.S. crew ripped, with Shiffrin in second by a mere .02 seconds, followed by teammate Nina O’Brien in 11th, AJ Hurt in 18th, and Paula Moltzan in 27th. Switzerland’s Lara Gut showed the world that, as a veteran, she remains one of the fastest giant slalom skiers on the planet, sneaking in front of Shiffrin by a hair. Austria’s Steph Brunner sat in third, .54 off the pace. 

During the second run, the athletes put on quite the show for the 9,000+ spectators in the venue, and the millions of those watching across the world. Having had the second-fastest time in the first run, Shiffrin was running 29th. She came down with a healthy lead of 1.3 seconds over Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova, but Gut was yet to come. Gut skied a near-perfect run, with fast splits all the way down, but in the end, Shiffrin bested her by .14 seconds.

This victory was an emotional one for Shiffrin, who lost her father during the 2019-20 season and struggled to find her normal acute focus and drive during the 2021-22 season. Overcome with emotion as she stood atop the podium, Shiffrin looked relieved...perhaps not because she proved to the world that she still had what it takes to win, but she proved to herself that she has what it takes.
 

 

 

 

 

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A solid prep period in the offseason coupled with teammates that have been pushing the pace was a recipe for success for Shiffrin. “My teammates are pushing the pace really high, so I’m pushing too, so it’s been a really good build-up and a great way to start the season,” she reflected. “It’s so cool. Like I said, the last two weeks we’ve all been pushing each other, and I see them skiing and think, ‘I have to keep raising my level too, because you’re here and you’re hungry...and everybody’s hungry, and I feel that motivation. It’s so amazing to have the pace coming from the United States. That’s...special. I’ve never experienced that, in this way, in my career so far...so it’s really cool.”

 

 

 

 

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O’Brien, who finished in a career-best ninth place, was happy to be racing again, yet is hungry for more. “It felt great to be racing again, I don’t think we could have asked for a better day...unbelievable snow, clear skies all day, and it feels so good to have the crowd back. For me, personally, I was really nervous before the first run, so it’s definitely a relief to have one race done. I showed some good skiing, I feel like I have a little more...but all in all I’m satisfied. Teammates AJ Hurt and Paula Moltzan both finished in the top 25 as well, in 20th and 23rd, respectively. It was a great start for this relatively young squad in the first Olympic qualifying event of the season. 

Keely Cashman, who was returning to the World Cup start gate for the first time in 10 months, after sustaining a minor MCL strain, hematoma in both hips, and a temporary loss of feeling in her foot from bruising from a super-G training crash at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, did not qualify for a second run...but she did overcome some demons by sending it down the Rettenbach glacier track. 

On the men’s side, veteran and 2020 Bormio World Cup super-G victor Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who suffered from a “minor broken neck,” as he stated on his Instagram, will be returning to competition for the first time since his crash on the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuehel, Austria. Cochran-Siegle will lead a promising group of up-and-comers, including River Radamus, Bridger Gile, George Steffey, and the former University of New Hampshire Wildcat Patrick Kenney—who will get his inaugural World Cup start. 

As far as viewing goes, fans have two options. NBC’s Peacock will once again be streaming the event live and it will be available on-demand, and the races will also be offered free of charge with English commentary at Skiworldcuplive.

WOMEN’S RESULTS
Giant Slalom

MEN’S STARTERS
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Bridger Gile
Patrick Kenney*
River Radamus
George Steffey

*First World Cup start

HOW TO WATCH

Sunday, Oct. 24
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 1 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Peacock
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 1 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Ski World Cup Live
7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 2 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Peacock
7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 2 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Ski World Cup Live

Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:

• Alpine
• Cross Country
• Freeski
• Freestyle
• Ski Jumping
• Nordic Combined
• Snowboard

Broadcast and streaming schedules on Peacock Premium will be updated on a weekly basis throughout the season.