The U.S. Snowboard and Freeski Slopestyle Teams returned to snow for their first on-snow camp of the summer at Official Training Site Timberline Resort & Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Ore. July 20-July 30. 

The highlight of the camp was U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle Rookie Team member Addie Gardner strapping back up for the first time since sustaining a significant back and pelvis injury at the 2019 Modena Ski Pass Big Air World Cup. Addie was greeted with open arms by her teammates. 

“She has had a tough road ahead of her and worked hard to get back on snow since her injury in October,” said Slopestyle and Big Air Pro Team Head Coach Mike Ramirez. “It was a special moment being there for her return to snow with some of her best friends and teammates. For her second run, we Facetimed her parents so they could be part of the moment as well."

Addie felt she had a successful camp and was grateful to be back doing what she loved with her favorite crew.

“I don’t think It could have gone any better,” said Addie. “Having the support and hype from my teammates from the start of the day to the finish was amazing. I wouldn’t have wanted to share my first time back on snow with anyone else. I am so thankful and it felt amazing! I was sore at the end of the day, but it was worth it.”

Addie was joined by fellow rookie team riders Courtney Rummel, Isabella Gomez, Liam Johnson, as well as pro riders Ty Schnorrbusch and 2020 FIS Big Air Crystal Globe Winner Chris Corning. MIke described Corning as, “a consummate pro who leads by example.”

Co-Slopestyle and Big Air Pro Team Head Coach Dave Reynolds expanded on Chris’s leadership role. 

“It was a small group in the 'bubble' with mostly rookies and it was awesome for them to see just how Chris operates,” said Dave. He does all the right stuff and gets after it on the hill. He made an effort to take Liam (Johnson) under his wing a bit and make him feel welcome and comfortable with it being his first camp with the team.”

For the freeskiers, it was a similar story of getting reacclimated to snow and reuniting with friends and teammates. U.S. Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air National Development Team Coach Ryan Wyble shed some light on the dynamic at camp, which included U.S. Rookie Team members Marin Hamill, Rell Harwood, Jenna Riccomini, Bella Bacon, Richard Thomas, Troy Podmilsak, and Hunter Henderson.

“All of the new and returning athletes on my team knew each other before camp, but it was really a good experience to finally get everyone together in person and spend more time together,” said Ryan. “There were some great sessions on the mountain with both new and returning athletes pushing each other to do tricks, which was epic to see at the first camp. Off the hill, there was also a lot of time spent between new and returning athletes participating in the limited activities that were available to us.”

Although social media channels are flooded with fun and light-hearted content coming out of the glacier, it’s still very apparent that U.S. athletes are lucky to be back on snow amidst a global pandemic. 

“It was a big undertaking to plan out this first camp back on snow, with lots of help and support from our medical staff,” said Ryan. “Just to get everyone to Timberline, on snow, and back home safely was a big accomplishment. After so much time living in our own little bubbles during this pandemic, it was really a great feeling to have the whole team together and to see the athletes push and feed off each other on the hill. I think we all shared a renewed appreciation for the sport we love. That environment was certainly missed over the last four months.”

The U.S. Snowboard and Freeski Teams will look to take their training to European glaciers this fall to continue their preparation for the 2020-21 competition season. They will first head back to Park City, Utah to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Center of Excellence as well as the Utah Olympic Park for airbag training. 

Be sure to follow the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Team on social media below. 

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Avital Shimko made her triumphant return to the U.S. Freestyle Moguls Ski Team following almost two years of being sidelined due to an injury she sustained to her right knee in August 2018. Avital had an exceptional first Team on-snow camp at Timberline Lodge & Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Ore., the same place her ski career took an unexpected turn.

“I think I had been dreaming of it for so long and so excited for it that it was pretty unreal,” Avital said. “I was nervous at first, especially after my last encounter with Mt. Hood, but I acknowledged those thoughts and put them aside.”

It took Avital 14 months to get back on skis and 18 months to do her first jumps and ski her first moguls. This past camp marked almost two full years since she had trained on snow with her team. Avital was set to make her official comeback in March at a World Cup in Idre Fjäll, Sweden. However, due to the impacts of the global novel coronavirus pandemic, those events were canceled and she was unable to get into the start gate. 

 

 

 

 

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Let’s go!! 🙅‍♀️ Your girl Tal is headed to Sweden! I am in route to compete in my first event back; crazy to believe it’s been almost 2 years of being out of the start gate. I am so beyond happy to be back where I belong. I have worked my ass off to get here. 🎥: @lobbie.ryon #deervalleyresort #usskiteam #oneteam

A post shared by Avital Shimko (@avishort) on Mar 9, 2020 at 2:57pm PDT

“I got there on a Tuesday and drove up [that] night,” Avital recalls about her unexpectedly short European trip. “We skied in the course on Wednesday. I was preparing mentally for Thursday training. I had seen the course, inspected it. So I had already done all of that mental competition prep. But Thursday morning Brad [Wilson] woke us up bright and early and told us we were all going home. Selfishly I was disheartened because I had been working so hard to get there. I was sad for a minute, but quickly realized [what was happening] because of the pandemic.”

Avital was first nominated to the U.S. Ski Team in 2018 for the 2018-19 season after winning the 2018 NorAm Tour. This feat also earned her her own World Cup spots for what was set to be her first season as a Team athlete. However, that August Avital was training up at Timberline working on her back fulls and had a fluke landing that did not agree with her right knee. She tore her ACL, sustained medial and lateral meniscus tears, an MCL strain and had bone bruising. Avital was sidelined before she even got started. 

 

 

 

 

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Hey guys, giving you a 👍 from my sled ride down, but unfortunately some not so great news.. on Friday I over rotated a back full & tried to save it. In the process I did some damage to my knee. The MRI read MCL sprain, slight medial meniscus tear and ACL tear. The news is starting to hit and I am bummed for sure, especially after receiving full World Cup starts for the 2018-2019 season. But this isn’t the end, this is where I get stronger! I will be back more ready than ever! Thank you to everyone for the well wishes. I love you all. 💕 but for now who’s ready for some more food posts??

A post shared by Avital Shimko (@avishort) on Aug 26, 2018 at 9:04am PDT

Missing the opportunity to compete in the 2020 season was the last bump in Avital’s long road to recovery. “When I went [to Sweden], I wasn't 100%, but 95% ready and confident that I could make something happen and perform well,” she reflected. “My jumps were a little lacking because I hadn’t water ramped. Ideally, you want to water ramp [before you get on snow]. But I was still doing my same tricks, so not the biggest deal. It took me a little longer to where I wanted to be jumping.”

Returning home from Europe and staring down the barrel of an unknown springtime prep period due to stay-at-home mandates and public health codes, Avital and her fiancé, Bobby, built a gym in their garage so she could stay on top of her fitness. 

“You get back, you're bummed it didn't happen,” she reflected on what it felt like coming home less than 48 hours after boarding a plane to her comeback. “At the same time, I was so close to competing I could taste it. I was percentages away from being there and fitting right back where I was. Having that in the back of my mind the whole time during quarantine, I wanted it more than ever; still do. Having all of this extra time (being injured and during quarantine) made me visualize more. I really honed in and to understand all of the movements. I’ve always known how to ski moguls and how to jump, but never honed into tiny details. This allowed me to really hone on that and progress me the direction I want to go. Some days sucked in quarantine, but I hold myself more accountable than others hold me, I was pretty regimented in my quarantine.”

The perseverance and focus paid off. “I tested right before Hood and I’m 20% stronger than I have ever been,” Avital said. “I made massive gains in my progress [at Hood]. I took two new tricks to snow, back mute and cork 7, and it went really well.”

Moving forward Avital will continue to work on her jumps she plans to bring to competition this season as well as focus on her fitness. “I want to be the most in shape that I’ve ever been. I think it gives me a sense of reassurance and that nothing will phase me. If I am the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been, then everything will seem easier to me.”

Follow Avital on Instagram as she prepares to take on the 2020-21 season. 

 

 

 

 

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The smile says it all. 😊

A post shared by Avital Shimko (@avishort) on Aug 1, 2020 at 10:44am PDT

For two-time Olympic champion and Land Rover ambassador Mikaela Shiffrin, a recent on-snow camp at Official Training Site Timberline Resort & Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Ore. was not only productive but brought back a lot of memories, too. This was the first time Mikaela had been to Timberline since she was 17-years-old and had a slalom camp with the U.S. Ski Team, and prior to that when she was 14-years-old with Burke Mountain Academy. 

Due to COVID, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has been working to find training opportunities closer to home. A massive amount of planning and energy went into creating the COVID-19 protocol, led by U.S. Ski & Snowboard High-Performance Director Troy Taylor and Lead Physical Therapist Gillian Bower, along with team managers, staff, and beyond, enabling alpine athletes across training groups to have yet another successful round of training camps on snow at Timberline. 

Head Coach Mike Day said the camp at Timberline went very well, "We had lots of sunshine and productive training sessions. Our team put in a massive effort to produce excellent training." He added, "Mikaela skied more slalom volume than any camp in recent history. She made great progress in both slalom and giant slalom." 

Much like the previous camp at Official Training Site Copper Mountain Colo., the entire staff (notably coach and strength and conditioning coach Jeff Lackie and Atomic serviceman Johann Strobl) was not able to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, so a group of staff stepped in to fill the void. "Special thanks to Coley Oliver (Team X and former NCAA All-American at University of New Hampshire), Eric Colon (Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club), and John Mulligan (Legend) for joining us. They worked super hard and brought great attitudes and insights to this project," Mike noted. "We also want to thank Gretchen, and the whole crew at Mt. Hood, for providing a productive and safe training environment."

Being at Timberline offered up a little nostalgia for Mikaela, and brought back memories—some good, some not-so-great—as she spent a lot of time up in Mt. Hood as a young ski racer, going to camps every summer for about six years. She remembered, "...after a bunch of the camps my brother and I had at Mt. Hood, my parents would come and we’d all have a mini vaca down in Hood River. They’d go windsurfing in the Gorge and I’d take lessons in the Hook. I got stung by a bee, while windsurfing (don’t ask me how…) once. My hand blew up like an actual balloon. Another time, my brother went out windsurfing on the river with my parents and got stuck in this kind of toilet bowl of waves and currents all converging in one area. He was stuck there for nearly an hour and nobody could find him. We were all freaking out looking for him, and when he finally got back to the launch site everyone just broke down with relief."

Following her camp in Hood, she and her mother, Eileen, spent some time in Hood River, and Mikaela even visited her favorite taco stand—the Downwinder—saying on their Instagram that she doesn't just "like" their tacos, but she "LOVES* ...100/10 would recommend😘".

 

 

 

 

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OH.MY.GOODNESS. AMERICAN 2X OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST AND 5X WORLD CUP ALPINE SKIER, MIKAELA SHIFFRIN LIKES OUR TACOS 🙈😍 *also want to include how incredibly humble and kind she is* Thank you 🙏🏽 @mikaelashiffrin

A post shared by THE DOWNWINDER (@downwinderhr) on Aug 5, 2020 at 7:16pm PDT

Another memory Mikaela has from childhood is when she got sick and heened to go to an aiport hotel with her mom while she got better. "That was the same year where my brother broke both of his hands when his buddy accidentally tripped him off of a retaining wall, and my dad needed to storm the hospital to order them to perform surgery after Taylor had developed carpal tunnel and was getting sever nerve damage with blue fingers for over 24 hours. He still has numbness in his fingers…" She added,

Needless to say we have a ton of memories of the Mt. Hood and the Hood River area. A lot of those with my dad as well, so it was incredibly special to go back after so long and get such a productive camp. Those memories came back in flashes at random moments, like when my mom and I stopped to watch the windsurfers and kite-boarders for a little while and could perfectly imagine the time when she and my dad would be rigging up to go out on the water as if it was yesterday. Or trudging through the melting snow to get to the Palmer lift at 5am every morning and remembering how it felt to do that when I was nine, carrying a backpack that was heavier than me and stumbling over my skis and poles.

For Mikaela, it was a pleasure to see the new generation of "little rippers going up every morning and still being as psyched on skiing as I was, even though we had to keep six feet apart and wear masks in the lift lines and everything else that we have to do right now to keep our sport going…that was special. I was training on the first lane basically under the lift line and waved to kids riding the lift each run and I kept thinking how cool it is that after so many years of going to Chile and New Zealand and Argentina and all of these other places for our summer prep, we’re finally training at home." It's incredibly important to Mikaela that she and teammates make an effort to encourage and support the next generation of ski racers, and she believes that training alongside them was a rewarding experience on both sides of the coin. 

 

 

 

 

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🙃🤘🙏🤘🥳 #weareskiing

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷💨 (@mikaelashiffrin) on Jul 26, 2020 at 12:32pm PDT

Up next, Mikaela hopes to travel to Europe for a final camp prior to the recently announced early start to the FIS Ski World Cup season in Soelden, Austria, slated for Oct. 17-18. In the meantime, Mikaela wants to express her gratitude to Timberline, her staff, and U.S. Ski and Snowboard. 

"It was so cool to have basically the whole women’s team right there, training right next to the next generation of U.S. ski racers. And it was even better that we had such a productive camp," she reflected. "Even with some really tough, warm temperatures, we got so much out of every day and I am SO thankful that through this pandemic we have found a way to get training safely within our own country."

U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned training camp attendance is optional. U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and staff should not feel pressure to travel to train. All sanctioned training camp policies and protocols are subject to change based on local, state, and federal public health orders, updated guidance from the USOPC, or updated U.S. Ski & Snowboard policies.

Editor’s Note:
I grew up ski racing in southeastern Wisconsin (Lake Geneva), and then went on to ski USCSA at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. From there, I moved to the Twin Cities and started a job at a marketing agency, but deeply missed the sport I grew up immersed in, so ended up getting a coaching gig for Team Gilboa at the mighty Hyland Hills, which boasts a vertical drop of 175 feet, and is home to two-time Olympian and U.S. Ski Team alumna Kaylin Richardson, as well as U.S. Ski Team and University of Utah alumna Lauren Samuels, and Dartmouth College alumnus Justin Samuels. 

The Samuels family (Heidi, Dave, Justin and Lauren) and I became fast friends. Their warmth, passion for the sport, and general good vibes immediately drew me to them. I used to joke that I was a bad influence on Lauren and Justin. Their combo of smarts and athleticism were immediately impressive to me. When I called Lauren’s father Dave after the tragic and unjust death of George Floyd in their hometown of Minneapolis—their hometown (my former home)—Dave told me Lauren was scared to go for a bike ride, fearing who may be around the corner. I get the chills just typing that. 

I am thankful Lauren took the time to share her experiences as a Black and multiracial person in the predominantly white snowsports industry, and I hope you’re able to walk away with a broader perspective, just as I was. 

Megan Harrod
Alpine Communications Manager
Member of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee 

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Imagine this scenario for a moment. You’re in [insert any small ski town here] for a ski vacation. “[Insert small ski town name], ahhhh, this is the life, right?!’ you think to yourself. It’s 8 a.m. and you’re heading to grab a double-espresso before you go carve some Arc City Mayor turns on some 'roy at one of your favorite ski resorts. You order your coffee, reach for your wallet, and realize you forgot it at your hotel. Darn. Ok, so perhaps a kind stranger will offer to spot you, right? Don’t be so quick to say “yes.” 

U.S. Ski Team, University of Utah, and Rowmark alumna Lauren Samuels, who recently participated as the youngest panelist on U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s July 15th virtual discussion on how to remedy the glaring lack of racial diversity in snowsports offers another perspective. And, if you’re like me (white), you haven’t REALLY thought (or can begin to understand) about what it might be like to be a Black, Latinx, Indigenous, or an Asian person in a mostly white ski town where there are very few (if any) people that look like you. 

During the panel, which was led by the Samuels' family friend and President of the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) Henri Rivers, Lauren spoke candidly about how systemic racism and discrimination affected her career, and offered solutions for how the ski and snowboard industry can do a better job of fostering a love for snowsports in people from all backgrounds, colors and walks of life. In a follow up interview, Lauren opened up further. 

During the virtual discussion, panelist Constance Beverley, CEO of Share Winter Foundation, asked viewers to consider the following exercise, “Open up your phone, and scroll through Instagram hashtag skiing, and keep going until you don’t see either a skinny, white, usually blonde lady, laughing, or a 17-year-old white dude hucking himself off a cliff. Just time it. Ask yourself how long until you hit a person of color. And then start asking yourself about ‘how have our perceptions fed the marketing and branding of our sport, and ultimately excluded others?’” As Constance was speaking, Lauren was adamantly nodding her head in agreement.

Of her reaction to Constance’s words, Lauren said, “Oh my gosh, I could not relate more. That’s such a small, easy way that our industry as a whole could make a difference. Like why is it so hard to hire me to do this shoot, versus some other girl that looks like every other girl on all of the other ski ads. And it’s just that simple, that then me, when I was walking into a ski shop—’Hey, dad, that girl has curly hair like me. Is she Black? Whoa, cool!’ It’s so easy to do those things.”

I reflected back to my conversation with Lauren’s father, Dave, after George Floyd’s death. I said to Lauren, “While we, as marketers in the ski industry are worried about putting a message out there that’s not authentic, you’re worried about going for a bike ride because you’re afraid of who may be around the corner, the KKK is in town, and you’re Black. I can’t even imagine.” I honestly couldn’t imagine. And, I will never be able to imagine. 
 

Revisiting the aforementioned coffee scenario in the small ski town. Lauren said, “Ok, so you forgot your wallet. You’d ask someone ‘Hey, can you spot me real quick?’ You think my dad [who is Black] can do that? No.” While we, as a predominantly white industry, may be worried about coming across as performative as we take improved measures towards making our sports more welcoming to all people, Lauren says her worries are different. “We’re afraid people assume we’re homeless, poor, trying to steal their money—whatever it is," she admits.

Grab a coffee and ponder that for a few moments. 

“Well, it’s just because you’re Black, so obviously you can jump.”
Lauren is an incredibly gifted human. No doubt her passion, curiosity, wits, athleticism, and beyond, come from her parents, Heidi and Dave, who often spend a good amount of time at Snowbird, their “second home” in Utah. After skiing for Team Gilboa, Lauren was invited to the U.S. Ski Development Team as a young teenager. She was a wide-eyed, excited, hopeful 15-year-old who had made the leap from the 175 foot vertical of Hyland Hills in Minnesota to the U.S. Ski Team in Park City, Utah—a dream many young ski racers have, and very few achieve.

However, when Lauren made it, she realized it wasn’t what she thought it would be. Having followed a strict strength and conditioning program back in Minneapolis, Lauren came into physical testing at the Center of Excellence and immediately showed she belonged there. As the athletes did pre-summer testing, or “baseline testing” as Lauren called it, she did the vertical jump test. She broke the record. “At first they were like, ‘Oh, the system must have been calibrated wrong.’” she remembered. So they recalibrated it, jumped again, and then she got the same results. After she tells that part of the story, she laughs and says, “whatever” in her humble manner. What she shared, next, though, encapsulates the problem in our industry. 

“‘Well, it’s just because you’re Black, so obviously you can jump,’ they said,” Lauren recounts the situation. “And I won’t name names, but some of my teammates just jumped on that same train and were like, ‘Yeah, that’s why you can jump high, because you’re Black.’” From there, they moved on to the force plate test (the one where you push into the bar), and Lauren attempted to keep her focus and composure as she tackled the task at hand. “...and I was pretty darn high on that, especially for my size,” she said. 

How did her teammates react? “They’re like ‘Yeah...power because you’re Black...and isn’t that because, we’ve heard those rumors about Black people having calves that are higher...and that’s why you can be a better sprinter...so why are you even in skiing?’ And it just went down this path,” she remembered. She was just 15 then. It was the first time she was on the U.S. Ski Team, and her first time in the Center of Excellence. It was an intimidating environment as it was. “We’re the D (development) Team, we’re the 15-year-olds...and meanwhile Ted [Ligety] and whoever else is over there working out over there. So I was just like, ‘Ok, yeah, I guess it doesn’t mean that I’m that strong or fit because I’m built this way, therefore it doesn't count?’” 

But wait, there’s more. 

Lauren was criticized by coaches for not braiding her hair. “The coaches didn’t talk to me about my technical skiing, but they asked me why I don’t braid my hair like everyone else. I was like ‘1) my hair doesn’t braid, 2), it turns into dreadlocks if I braid it, so I just put it in a small bun.’ They were more or less like ‘Well, we did wind tunnel testing and the braids were the fastest, so if you don’t want to be hundredths faster, so be it. That’s your choice.’” Lauren feels that if she had a Black coach, or even a female coach, that might not have a memory she now lives with. 

Lauren shared more of her experiences with her coaches, highlighting a lack of communication, leadership and other elements she faced outside of the realm of systemic racism. Since Lauren’s time on the team, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has implemented a number of changes to improve the athlete experience, including a project in 2019 known as the Athlete Project. The Athlete Project represents an opportunity for U.S. Ski & Snowboard to improve the athlete experience. It was born out of an initiative to take an introspective look at how the organization engages with athletes. Despite the fact that the organization has made leaps and bounds in terms of improvements in the athlete experience, it became glaringly obvious in late May of 2020 that the broader snowsports industry had a long, long way to go in the way of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Onward, to NCAA at the University at Utah
Following her tenure with the U.S. Ski Team Development team, Lauren went on to finish high school at Rowmark Ski Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah. After she made World Juniors, she was an invitee to the U.S. Ski Team for the next two years. As she said, as an invitee you “...don’t get the jacket, you don’t get the title, and you have to pay your own way, but you’re invited to every camp, but you have to bring your own coach.” Long story short, it was incredibly expensive for Lauren. Since, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has made significant strides in athlete funding, decreasing the cost for development team athletes and fully travel funding athletes on the A through C teams. Eventually, after a challenging road, Lauren made the decision to take her talent to the University of Utah, where she felt welcomed, and maybe more at home than ever before. That doesn’t mean Lauren didn’t encounter implicit bias. 

“Everyone assumed I ran track,” she reflected. “I was like, ‘no I don’t run track’. And then they’re like, ‘Oh so you either play softball or soccer. And I was like, ‘no’. That was across the board—other coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, other athletes, and even just students in school. Utah is a pretty white place. I faced a ton of that in college, and then in regards to the training staff—like our strength and conditioning coach—they were way more welcoming and understanding that I needed to be on a different program pretty much from everyone else on the team, because they have experience with other athletes from other races and colors. So for them, they’re like, ‘whatever, we’ve had an athlete just like you.They may have been in another sport, but whatever.’ Of course they had to do sport-specific exercises, but Lauren said the fact that they’d seen people with her make-up come in was assuring, as “they knew how to handle it.”

While at the University of Utah, Lauren captained the team her senior year when the Utes won the 2017 NCAA National Championship. Then, she went on to coach for two years at the FIS level, first back at her roots in Minnesota with Team Gilboa, and then back to Rowmark in Utah. Though she was the FIS assistant coach at both programs, the differences were notable. Not only are there very few Black, Latinx, Indigenous, or Asian people in the sport, but there are also very few women, especially in the midwest. She noted that out west there were “tons” of women coaches, “especially at the U16 level, it’s almost like the majority of coaches are women in western region.” In Minnesota? Not so much. 

In the west, Lauren felt a lot more welcomed and respected from day one...which she acknowledges may have been because her colleagues and athletes knew more about her background in the sport out west, but in Minnesota she felt like the ski community didn’t want to acknowledge her past experience in the sport. Perhaps that’s just a regional cultural thing. When I asked Lauren if she felt like there was a difference in the way people treated her because of the color of her skin, from her experience at the club level to academy, then the U.S. Ski Team and the University of Utah, from the midwest to the west, and from athlete to coach, she told me that, honestly, “everyone plays blind to it”. 

It’s called “color blindness.” In a 2015 article in The Atlantic, author Adia Harvey Wingfield writes, “Many sociologists, though, are extremely critical of colorblindness as an ideology. They argue that as the mechanisms that reproduce racial inequality have become more covert and obscure than they were during the era of open, legal segregation, the language of explicit racism has given way to a discourse of colorblindness. But they fear that the refusal to take public note of race actually allows people to ignore manifestations of persistent discrimination.”

Lauren told me, “There are so many different forms of racism, color blindness, being not anti-racist, and it’s one thing to be color blind—that’s not accepting who we are fully—it’s another thing to be oblivious and not believing when we tell these stories...or try to express how it feels. And then there’s people who have an issue with us being there in the first place, because of our color. It’s not like a line of you’re racist or you’re not. And I think that’s one good thing that’s coming out of this in the last two months. People are starting to understand, ‘OK, this isn’t just a yes or no—yes it’s an active thing to be anti-racist and we need to do more of that, and making our space welcoming to others.’” 

Looking Ahead
So I wondered, how can we do better? Ever the whip-smart, strong and thoughtful woman she is, Lauren offered a few very good suggestions. First, let’s engage with partnerships on the grassroots level. Meaning, at the club level, let’s take a serious look at what we’re doing and how we’re welcoming people into the sport. But how? 

Lauren, like many of us, acknowledges she doesn’t have the be-all and end-all solution. But, does anyone? “My main thing is the outreach, partnering with these organizations, and I know we have club levels, but to me that’s not enough of a partnership,” stressed Lauren. “If the U.S. Ski Team wants to utilize these clubs to generate more diversity and talent within this sport, there needs to be a stronger partnership. Maybe the athletes are sent here for an event once a year. Having been an athlete myself, I wanted to do that stuff, but it wasn’t there. Maybe it’s tagged on to the end of a camp, or Nationals. Instead of flying straight back to the east coast, stop in Minneapolis for a day, go to the Loppet Foundation, and connect with the kids—actually connect—not just go and sign autographs. These kids—their faces light up—there are so many people out there don’t know ski racing, or skiing, is a sport. Having the World Cup here would have been so big. Those are the things that I think can create kids and families of all backgrounds who love our sport.” Not only will it be good for the kids, but Lauren also believes it will make our athletes better human beings. 

Additionally, Lauren feels it is important to create more diversity in our governing body, but says it’s not realistic to think we can just generate athletes out of nowhere. We also need coaches of more diverse backgrounds. At the same time, she admits that coaches often have an athletic background, and we need to foster a welcome environment for athletes to want to be coaches. She says athletes don’t want to get involved if they don’t feel welcomed, empowered and respected. “The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is a place to start, but we need hiring practices that are different, better, and more equal,” she stressed. And this isn’t just a snowsports industry issue. It’s bigger. It’s a broader outdoor industry issue. 

Lauren feels like everyone in the outdoor industry is sitting back and pointing fingers at each other, saying “we don’t have the talent” but she stresses we need to take ownership of this. “Go out and make it happen,” she urged. “Point the finger at yourself and say, ‘Let’s make the talent. And go actively recruit.’ That’s my biggest thing.” 

Lastly, she strongly feels the media needs to be more diverse and welcoming, “thinking of other backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, whatever it is. This is an equity thing.” She talked about a specific shoot she recently did, pre-COVID, with Salomon and Joe Johnson, Alpine and Nordic Marketing Manager for Salomon. Joe hired Lauren for a shoot, and admitted she wasn’t sure if he knew what he was getting, as they hadn’t met before. Lauren won’t say it, and she might not even be thinking it, but I will say it...she meant he may not have known that she was a total badass AND Black skier. 

“No one else is doing it,” she said. There’s an opportunity there. The shoot was for a ski that’s launching this winter, so the images have yet to be released. She said that she reminded Joe, “My dad worked for Salomon back in the 80s and 90s and he may well have been the first Black person to work there—just an interesting piece of history in the industry that no one knows about.” There are some brands, and organizations, out there who want to make a change. U.S. Ski & Snowboard is one of them. 

Following her incredible involvement and transparent, raw, and honest feedback she shared during the discussion on the initial panel, Lauren has been invited to be involved with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. It is the committee’s goal to continue to create a two-way dialogue and keep this conversation going. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming panels on the topic of diversity, including one that will feature athletes. 

Let’s continue to listen. And learn. And then effect change. 

Afterword:
Recently on social media, Lauren has shared that she’s riding 84.6 miles over ten days for three reasons: 

Lauren’s #Iride4them, In Her Words:

1. To honor and mourn the unjust deaths of Black folks in police custody. 84.6 is to signify the 8:46 that George Floyd fought for his life while a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, killing him by asphyxiation. Mr. Floyd is the most recent man we lost but there are countless others whose lives were stolen by police officers, today, tomorrow and forever #Iride4them.

2. To spread the word to help a friend fundraise for his initiative to give bike lights and helmets to people in need.

3. I ride to take ownership in creating an anti-racist world especially in the outdoor community. By amplifying Black voices as well as my own I hope to foster inclusion, comfort and leadership in our communities. Empowering the BIPOC who are active in the outdoors is one way to pave a path for more diversity and inclusion. This is not for publicity, this is to help the next generation of Black and Brown folks see that we can do these activities too. I have struggled in the past to share my outdoor adventures on social media because I succumb to the stereotypes that “Black girls don’t (fill in the blank)” feeling that therefore my story is illegitimate. I am committed to do my part in eliminating these barriers and demolishing the stereotypes for the next generation of BIPOC outdoor adventurers by openly representing that Black girls CAN DO it. Social media representation of BIPOC on trails is pivotal in fostering inclusivity in the outdoors, so I’m trying to do my part. 
    

Learn More about the #Iride4them Project 

Check out Rowmark’s Article about Lauren

On Wednesday, the International Ski Federation (FIS) officially announced that the World Cup opening races in Soelden, Austria will take place one week earlier, on Oct.17-18 rather than the originally planned October 24-25 dates. The women's giant slalom will be on Oct. 17, while the men's giant slalom will be on Oct. 18. 

The Austrian Ski Federation has noted they will move the races one week earlier to better separate the World Cup event and athletes from tourist crowds on what is traditionally a holiday weekend in Austria. They also hope it will help with accommodations. The federation said the races on the Rettenbach glacier will be held “without a large number of spectators.”

Two-time Olympic champion and Land Rover ambassador Mikaela Shiffrin, and 2019 Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup victor Tommy Ford will headline the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team at the event, along with teammates two-time Olympic champion Ted Ligety, Olympian Ryan Cochran-Siegle, and seven-time National Champion Nina O'Brien, among others. 

The full World Cup schedule, which runs from October through March is still on the FIS website as originally planned, including usual stops in the U.S. and Canada in late November and early December, plus the February FIS Ski World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. 

Read more on NBCSports.com. 

Olympian, Land Rover ambassador, and "King of the Saslong," Steven Nyman, suffered a right Achilles tendon injury at a recent on-snow camp at Official Training Site Timberline Resort & Ski Area. Steven, a 38-year-old veteran of the men's speed team and the leader of the pack/mentor to fellow teammates, has dealt with his fair share of injuries, including his left Achilles tendon in November of 2011. 

In 2016, Nyman did something no other American Downhiller has done—podiuming four races in a row, starting with the PyeongChang Olympic test event in Jeongseon (third) and then Chamonix (second), Kvitfjell (third), and St. Moritz (second). In 2017, Steven started the season off strong with a third-place finish in Val Gardena then grabbing a top 10 in Kitzbuehel. The fourth race of the season in Garmisch, Nyman was having the fastest run of the day until he crashed off a jump badly injuring his knee.

He rehabbed all summer at the U.S. Ski Team's Center of Excellence and was ready for the 2018 Games in PeyongChang, where he medaled at the test event and felt "at one with the course", though his 2018 Olympic dreams were cut short when he injured his other knee—a clean ACL tear—almost to the day of his injury just one year prior (364 days) on the infamous, bumpy, dark Garmisch Kandahar track.

Despite another devastating setback, Steven worked his way back once again, and during the 2018-19 season ended the season ranked 16th in downhill, with three top-10 finishes, including a fifth place (less than one tenth of a second off the podium) at his favorite track in Val Gardena, Italy just .03 seconds behind his teammate and mentee Bryce Bennett, and .04 seconds ahead of teammate Travis Ganong. During the 2020 season, Steven finished ranked 20th in downhill and 26th in super-G—his best career super-G rank since 2007, when he was ranked 25th. 

If anyone can do come back stronger, it's Steven Nyman...so make sure to send those positive #BelieveInSteven vibes his way, as he's stoked for the upcoming season, which will feature the FIS Ski World Championships in his favorite region of Italy—the Dolomites at Cortina d'Ampezzo. 

Steven announced his injury in an Instagram post on Thursday, saying, 

My reality for the next bit. Tore my right Achilles in a ski crash a few days ago at Mt. Hood. Had surgery, but I am moving forward. I've been through this before and have full intention to comeback and compete through the next Olympics. Thank you to the @usskiteam medical team I have been working with, and others around the world sending me in the right direction. #BelieveInSteven

 

 

 

 

 

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My reality for the next bit. Tore my right Achilles in a ski crash a few days ago at Mt. Hood. Had surgery, but I am moving forward. I've been through this before and have full intention to comeback and compete through the next Olympics. Thank you to the @usskiteam medical team I have been working with, and others around the world sending me in the right direction. #BelieveInSteven

A post shared by Steven Nyman (@steven_nyman) on Aug 6, 2020 at 6:34pm PDT

Grab a muffin, an electronic device, and join us from the comfort of your own couch for “Moguls and Muffins,” LIVE from the Utah Olympic Park on Tuesday, August 18 at 9 a.m. MDT on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Facebook page! 

Hosted by freestyle legends Trace Worthington, two-time Olympian and U.S. Ski Hall of Famer, and Sean Smith, 1994 Olympian, and with a special appearance by Olympic champion Hannah Kearney, this virtual event will seek to help raise $100,000 to ensure the U.S. Moguls Ski Team is fully funded for the 2020-21 season. Go behind the scenes of training at the UOP, meet the athletes and gain insight into how they’re preparing for the upcoming competition season. 

The moguls athletes of the U.S. Ski Team would have hosted their 3rd Annual Fundraiser this summer but due to the impacts of COVID-19 on travel and gathering, and with the health and safety of its athletes and supporters top of mind, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has moved its fundraising efforts to virtual experiences.

“Being fully funded is critical for our team to maximize our performances. It takes away the financial strain related to training and competing, which allows us to put our full energy towards winning medals for Team USA. Our team is so grateful to have the opportunity to travel the world and represent the United States knowing that we have the support of our donors as we work to become the best in the world!” Hannah Soar

To support the U.S. Moguls Ski Team, please click here for more information.

Due to ongoing developments of COVID-19, the September FIS Masters races and training camp in South America are officially canceled for 2020.  The message from the FIS Masters Chairman read "Considering that the health and welfare of all participants are in the forefront and the priority of all stakeholders, the OC at Catedral/Bariloche (ARG), in conjunction with the National Federations of Argentina, Brazil and Chile, decided to cancel the South-American FIS Masters Cup competitions scheduled to take place in Bariloche September 15th to 20th, 2020. The OC expressed its desire to organise those competition in the next year and we hope to be able to welcome all of you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Bariloche and the resort of Cerro Catedral/Alta Patagonia."

At this point, the races scheduled later November through April remain on the 2020-2021 FIS Masters Calendar. We encourage racers to continue monitoring the COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines for both domestic and international travel as the season progresses. At this point it is recommended by the CDC that non-essential international travel be avoided. U.S. Ski and Snowboard is developing COVID-19 recommendations and will be posting updates at usskiandsnowboard.org/covid-19. 

As a result of the FIS Masters race cancellation, the masters race training camp scheduled prior organized by Lisa Ballard is also cancelled. See more of Lisa's masters camps and more training opportunities as the Masters Training Page. We will continue to update the training page as information becomes available. A sampling of the domestic 2020-2021 Fall/Winter Training Camps is posted below.

This list is only a sampling of what is available - see the Division Training Links section of this page and click on your local division to see a full listing of opportunities. 

Lisa Ballard Race Camps

  South American Masters Race Camp - NEW LOCATION!
  Bariloche, Argentina
  September 9-20, 2020 CANCELLED due to international travel COVID restrictions
  camp + 6 FMC races
  Camp will return in 2021!

  Big Sky, MT Thanksgiving Masters Camp - benefits BSSEF
  Big Sky, MT
  November 21-25, 2020

  6th Annual Dust-the-Rust-Off Masters Race Camp + Race - benefits SRSEF
  Red Lodge Mountain, MT
  December 7-10, 2020
  The last day is a GS race!

  Hunter Mountain Masters Camp + 2 Races - benefits Mid-Atlantic Masters
  Hunter Mountain, NY
  January 5-10, 2021

  Mount Snow Masters Race Camp - benefits New England Masters
  Mount Snow, VT
  January 12-15, 2021

Midwest Masters Fall Copper Camp
Copper, CO
November 29 - December 2, 2020

Tichy Racing Camps
Copper Mountain, CO
October 25 - November 1, 2020
November 1-8, 2020
November 8-15, 2020
November 15-22, 2020

Pratte Ski Camps
Copper Mountain, CO
Various options October 24 - November 14, 2020
 

U.S. Elite Camps
Copper Mountain, CO
November 2020

GTI Sports
Copper Mountain, CO
October 24 - October 31 and/or October 31 - November 7, 2020
Mt. Bachelor, OR
TBD

The U.S. Freestyle Moguls Ski Team recently wrapped their first on-snow camp of the prep period at Official Training Site Timberline Lodge & Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Ore. July 13-26. Athletes and coaches were treated to perfect weather and outstanding course conditions, courtesy of the Timberline crew, and the team packed in 12 highly productive ski days. 

 

 

 

 

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it’s amazing how happy this makes me :)

A post shared by Tess (@_tessjohnson) on Jul 16, 2020 at 4:05pm PDT

Chasing snow was anything but typical during this prep period and Timberline represented a critical piece of the Moguls Team’s training program. The last time the team saw snow was on March 11 in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, for what was scheduled to be the last two FIS World Cup events of the season. However, the ski season was unexpectedly cut short due to the global novel coronavirus pandemic and the moguls athletes have mostly been training from home ever since. 

The team was able to come together in June for water ramp jumps at Official Training site Utah Olympic Park, and to put athletes’ prep plans into practice and get back into a familiar training routine. 

Despite missing planned spring camps and group training, athletes managed to keep their fitness levels high and were well prepared for buckling into their ski boots after almost four months off-snow. “The athletes came into camp really prepared, it’s a compliment to them,” said Head Moguls Coach Matt Gnoza. “Our staff put a workload in front of them during the quarantine period and it came down to their motivation at home in order to do the work on their own. No one was there supervising them doing backyard and driveway workouts.

“[They] looked stronger on their skis and in their boots. [These are] World Cup skiers, so the biggest gains that can be made with these athletes is in their strength and fitness levels. You think you can tell on the ramps in lifting, but nothing speaks louder than bending the ski and the boot. It was really encouraging to see that as a staff and says a lot about the athletes’ motivation to be the best.”

 

 

 

 

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Peculiar photo for some peculiar times #mthood #summervibesonly

A post shared by Hannah Soar (@hannsoar) on Jul 26, 2020 at 12:13pm PDT

Training was focused on fundamentals and skill building, combining what is typically multiple camps into one. “We usually do a turn phase in Squaw and a jump-only camp as our first Hood camp,” explained Matt. Matt and fellow staff Riley Campbell, Joe Discoe and Chuck Williams had a lot of work to do and thankfully everything came together for stellar conditions. “Timberline set us up with an amazing training venue. We had a new jump location with a steeper landing. They packed the snow in there for us, and it held up right to the bitter end.” 

Each athlete has a tailored training approach specific to their goals as they prepare for the 2021 competition season, and Matt reported that each athlete really took advantage of the opportunity to be on snow. 

On the women’s side, Jaelin Kauf - fastest-woman-in-the-world - was working on her back mute and cork 7. “It was such a great camp!” she said. “[It was] so much fun to get back on snow after a big break and really great to get to work a ton on my cork 7 and back mute. Our jump site was amazing and I got a ton of really great training in!”

 

 

 

 

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Ooo babyyy I love this place🤍// @timberlinelodge 📷: @kai.owens_

A post shared by Jaelin Kauf (@jaekauf) on Jul 24, 2020 at 3:45pm PDT

Hannah Soar, who had a breakout season with two podiums and finishing the season ranked fifth in the world, was working on her flipping fundamentals. Tess Johnson developed a back mute and is working on different variations of that, in addition to starting her cork progressions. Youngest team member Kai Owens also dialed her cork and backflip work.

Avital Shimko, who missed the last two seasons due to injury, was elated to finally be back on snow with her team training again. “I think I had been dreaming of it for so long and so excited for it that it was pretty unreal,” she said. “I made massive gains in my progress, took two new tricks to snow, back mute and cork 7, and it went really well. We had a full table with two jumps on it and we had a mogul line and some rollers, so we could really work on everything. Timberline crushed it!”

Sabrina Cass, and new rookie and 2020 NorAm Champion Madison Hogg, both skied incredibly strong, upping their power in take offs for bigger jumps, which should translate into bigger air scores come competition. New rookie Kasey Hogg worked on her whole bag of tricks, which is deep, from back tucks to back grabs to cork 7s. Matt reported Kasey made some really good adjustments in her jumping that should pay off.

On the men’s side, veteran Brad Wilson put in the work on his jump lineup and also worked on resetting his fundamentals. Jesse Andringa returned from injury for his first jumps since leaving the 2020 FIS World Cup tour early to address his shoulder. “The camp went really well,” Jesse said. “I basically started really easy, just doing flats. I progressed with straight airs and backflips and easier tricks, made sure that it was feeling good. I tipped in on back X and ate it pretty hard and was totally fine, [it was a] relief to know that I could crash on it. Overall camp was super fun. I’m working with my sports psych to put more pressure on training so that I can handle pressure better in competition. It made my camp really effective and really strong.”

Nick Page had an outstanding camp, running through his giant bag of tricks, to which he added a double cork 10 - two backflips during a 1080 rotation. Doubles are currently illegal in mogul skiing (sound familiar?) but there is push from within the community to get them added. Although Nick won’t be able to compete this trick in 2021, thinking ahead is important in preparing for the future possibility. “The way Nick did his, he put himself on the level of Mikael [Kingsbury] and Ikuma [Horishima],” said Matt. “This could be the future of mogul skiing, so why not now?”

 

 

 

 

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Really nice to be back on snow. Finally learning this — that’s even nicer ;) @usskiteam @idoneusa @fisfreestyle 🤩 #dub10

A post shared by Nick Page (@nickpage58) on Jul 19, 2020 at 1:47pm PDT

“We’ve heard rumors that after the 2022 Olympics an off-axis double may be permitted in FIS level competitions — in my mind whether that happens or it doesn’t, I want to be ready to be one of the first to do it once we get that green light,” explained Nick. “Overall, my Mt. Hood camp was awesome. The coaching staff built a great venue where I was able to get a lot accomplished. I couldn’t be more thankful for everyone involved going the extra mile to provide us with an extremely productive training camp. Thank you!”

Rounding out the moguls roster, new rookie Landon Wendler wrapped his first on-snow camp as a U.S. Ski Team member. Matt notes Landon has a variety of tricks to pull from and is currently working on upping DD, eventually to progress towards cork 10s. 

The team breaks for a couple of weeks before reconvening in Park City for another water ramp camp at the UOP in August. With a lot of unknowns surrounding future on-snow training opportunities, Matt is focused on what he is able to control. “We are just taking it one day at a time, focusing on what we can do today to make our team better,” he said. “For our next ramps we will go back and look at film from Hood, see what deficiencies and strengths there are and address those. We will take each person’s trick and make it that much better.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s mission is to lead, encourage, and support athletes in achieving excellence by empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers, and fans. Excellence is not limited to what we leave on the snow, but in every aspect of our organization. We strive to create an environment within our organization and the snowsports industry in which diversity is valued, equity is striven for and inclusion is embraced. 

On June 8 we published a letter from our President and CEO, Tiger Shaw, addressing U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s initial plans to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive snowsports community. 

“In early June we began to listen to underrepresented voices within our community so that we could begin to take steps to improve,” said Tiger. “This is only the beginning. We initiated necessary discussion and increased awareness among our stakeholders, member groups and sphere of influence. There is much more to do and we are committed to affecting change now and in the long term, but this has been a good start.”

Recognizing the issues we face when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion was an important first step. We reached out and learned from members within our community, opened ourselves up to difficult conversations and began to formulate a path forward. Part of this process was hosting “Discussing Racial Diversity In Snowsports,” a digital panel that took place on Wednesday, July 15, moderated by Henri Rivers, President, National Brotherhood of Skiers.

The panel brought industry leaders and participants together for a frank conversation about the current landscape of racial diversity in our industry and to begin to talk through ways we can create a more inclusive community. It served as a catalyst for U.S. Ski & Snowboard and our industry partners to take action within our own organizations and as individual members of the ski and ride community. As a result, the new and improved U.S. Ski & Snowboard Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is firing on all cylinders. 

The DEI committee has identified six areas of work for immediate action:

1. Conduct a comprehensive internal audit on U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s diversity, equity and inclusion in practice, which will largely inform our strategic plans moving forward.

2. Identify and implement education and training opportunities for staff and athletes.

3. Build out relevant content and resources on our website for our various stakeholder groups to create transparency and accountability.

4. Pursue meaningful, formal partnerships with grassroots, local and national programs

5. Continue gender equity coaching initiatives. 

6. Create Annual DEI Award, to recognize a person, group, or organization that has positively heightened the awareness of diversity and inclusion efforts through various modes and media resulting in the increase and successful participation of currently underrepresented groups in the sport of skiing and snowboarding. 

In addition to our internal efforts, we will continue to use our platform to elevate voices from within the ski and snowboard community through stories and social media. This will be followed by profiles on each of our panelists from the July 15 discussion, among others. We still have a lot to learn and look forward to sharing these voices with you. 

Events will remain critical in our efforts to create awareness. Moving forward, future panels will have a narrower focus with the goal of creating true calls to action and to promote engaging discussion. Panels will be conducted periodically on a three to four week basis allowing for proper public-facing promotion and post-event analysis and evaluation. Lastly, we will also open up and promote our events to the public, creating opportunities for involvement beyond our membership base. 

As Tiger said in his June 8 letter, “It is no secret that U.S. Ski & Snowboard and our sports are historically white and despite many great programs in place, we could use more widespread initiatives for marginalized communities to participate. We could attempt to justify this with excuses, but when you drill down, the core issue is that there has been a lack of broad responsibility to do so. We can start by improving our organization, and better engage with and support those around us. We will lead by action and use our influence to help others.”

Thank you to all those who have contacted U.S. Ski & Snowboard with your ideas and feedback as well as to those who participated in our diversity panel. We are in this together, so please, if you have thoughts, suggestions or ideas on how we can better ourselves and strengthen this organization by creating true inclusivity, please reach out.