In the FIS Ski World Cup’s return to the Aosta Valley for the first time in four years, Alice Mckennis led the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team in the super-G in La Thuile, Italy, taking 27th.

Nina Ortlieb of Austria—the 23-year-old daughter of Austrian Olympic champion Patrick Ortlieb—collected her first World Cup win. Federica Brignone of Italy excited the home crowd by keeping it close, finishing just .01 seconds behind Nina. Corinne Suter of Switzerland was third, only .07 seconds behind the winner. 

Federica’s 11th podium of the season continued her excellent winter and extended her lead for the overall World Cup globe by 153 points ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin, who is still absent from the World Cup tour following her father’s passing. Corinne leads the fight for the super-G globe by 19 points over Federica, with just one super-G race remaining at World Cup Finals.

Behind Alice Mckennis, Breezy Johnson snuck into the points, finishing 30th. Alice Merryweather finished just out of the top 30 in 34th, which unfortunately left her in 26th place overall in the discipline—one place and one point outside of making the World Cup Finals. Jackie Wiles skied out of the course and did not finish.

The women next race an alpine combined at the same venue. Like Saturday, the event will be held in front of limited spectators as a matter of precaution against the coronavirus.

RESULTS
Super-G

STANDINGS
Overall
Super-G

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Sunday, March 1
1:00 a.m. - Women’s super-G, La Thuile, ITA - NBCSN**
5:00 a.m. - Women’s alpine combined super-G, La Thuile, ITA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
8:00 a.m. - Women’s alpine combined slalom, La Thuile, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day delay broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app. 

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Travis Ganong fought to a 15th-place finish to lead three Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes into the top 20 despite challenging, springlike conditions in Saturday’s super-G at Hinterstoder, Austria. 

Heavy snow pounded the Austrian resort, forcing the cancellation of Friday’s originally scheduled alpine combined and creating a challenge for race organizers to prep for the remainder of the weekend. Though they did what they could to prep the track, including a water and salt program that set up well with the colder temperatures on Friday night. However, with increasing temperatures and a 12:30 pm start time, the snow was sticky and inconsistent—which seemed to affect the entire FIS Ski World Cup field as they were trying to find their flow and rhythm. 

Out of the gate bib 1, Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr put on a show for the home crowd, in what would end up being the fastest run of the day. Early bib numbers certainly seemed to be an advantage, as the course was deteriorating with each athlete. Switzerland’s Mauro Caviezel was second, a mere .05 off of Vincent, while Matthias Mayer rounded out the podium in third, .08 back. 

“It snowed a lot the last 36-48 hours, and so there’s no chance to do anything the last few days...there was tons of snow,” said Travis after the race. “And then they just freshly groomed the hill, watered it, and it got cold last night so it was actually OK this morning—if we had started the race at 9 or 10 it would have been pretty fun, good snow, fair race. But then, unfortunately, it got super warm and the snow was just garbage—it was some of the worst snow I’ve ever raced in. I’ve trained on worse snow, but normally we would never race when it’s like that. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle came down eighth, visibly frustrated in the finish after having made a couple of mistakes. Steven came down 12th, and wasn’t too far behind Ryan. Then, Travis came down bib 19, also struggling to find his flow...but it was a struggle for the whole field, with the margin between 1 and 30 being +4.22 seconds—a 1-30 gap rarely seen in speed. Ryan ended up just behind Travis in 16th, with Steven in 19th.   

“Again, I think it was good for the first 10-15 guys, but then it warmed up, broke down, and the salt didn’t really work because of all the fresh snow and it wasn’t wet enough,” he continued. “It was just a pretty tough day. It’s such a cool hill...it’s a rad hill. It’s one of the best super-G hills we get to run. It’s just too bad the conditions were so bad, but we still got the race in.” 

Kyle Negomir also started but finished outside of the points in 49th. River Radamus and Sam Dupratt did not finish. Tommy Ford, who was 11th on this track in 2011 in super-G, decided not to start as the conditions were not ideal for his late bib number (59). 

Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who came into the race leading the super-G standings, had a big lead on the top before getting jammed up and DNFing. Mauro took the lead in the super-G standings, with 365 points over Vincent’s 362 points. Aleksander sits in third in the standings, with 336 points, but is still leading the overall standings over teammate Henrik Kristoffersen, with 1022 points over Henrik’s 957. 

The men head to Kvitfjell, Norway next weekend for their final speed series prior to World Cup Finals. Kvitfjell is a track that the Americans have traditionally really enjoyed and Travis was fifth on last season in super-G to lead the charge for the Americans. “Central Europe has just been so warm these days, so it will be nice to get back up to Norway,” Travis said. “And it’s going to be cold and really good conditions and it’s always so fun to ski there—back on really good snow, more like North America-snow.”

Up next, Friday’s originally scheduled alpine combined will be on Sunday, followed by giant slalom on Monday. 

RESULTS
Super-G

STANDINGS
Overall
Super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Sunday, March 1
3:45 a.m. - Men’s combined super-G, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
6:45 a.m. - Men’s combined slalom, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold

Monday, March 2
3:15 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
6:00 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day delayed broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app. 

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Jamie Anderson earned her eighth U.S. Open victory in Friday’s slopestyle finals, and dedicated her win to the late Jake Burton Carpenter.

“This feels really good,” said Jamie. “I can’t believe my first run held. This one feels like the best one yet for sure. I love snowboarding and I love this event. Big shout out to Jake [Burton Carpenter], I definitely rode for him and everything he has brought to the industry that we all get to enjoy.”

Jamie’s win serves as her fourth-consecutive contest victory, including X Games Aspen, the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix and Dew Tour. Not to mention, she was named "Women’s Rider of The Year," at the SNOWBOARDER Awards while at Dew Tour. 

Jamie’s winning run included a backside lipslide, boardslide 270 out, backside 540, switch backside 540, boardslide 450 out on cannon box, and a cab double cork 900. Jamie’s cab double cork 900 is the trick that kept her out of finals after two failed attempts in last year’s semi-final round, so it's only fitting that its what closed out her gold medal run at the open.

The contest was chock-full of progression from the women including double cork 1080 attempts and a double crippler from Austria’s Anna Gasser on the first transition feature. 

“It’s inspiring as ever,” said Jamie, speaking to the level of riding by the whole field. “I think this is my 13th U.S. Open and holy smokes, the level of progression is unbelievable. I’m so happy to be here with all the youngsters. They are setting my heart on fire with what they are doing to the sport. I’m just happy to be out here, almost 30, and still charging. I'm feeling better than ever. I used to think 30 is old, but I'm still getting into my prime.”

Anna earned the silver, and Japan’s Miyabi Onitsuka took the bronze. U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Hailey Langland finished fifth. 

For the men, U.S. Rookie Team member and first-place qualifier Dusty Henricksen earned silver, and defending champion Red Gerard took the bronze. Although Dusty scored victories at the Youth Olympic Games and the Land Rover U.S Grand Prix this season, it’s clear a star was born at the 2020 U.S. Open.

“I was just trying to let it ride. This has literally been my dream since I started snowboarding. This has been the most life-changing season I have ever had and I can’t ask for more. I’m pretty hyped!”

Dusty had two very memorable tricks in his run including a switch noseslide pretzel 630 cork Melon on the cannon box dubbed the “Dust Roll” by Tom Monterosso, editor of SNOWBOARDER Magazine. In addition, he landed a backside quad cork 1800, which has never been landed before in elite-level slopestyle competition. Dusty tried it for the first time ever on run two. 

“That was the first time I’ve ever tried that trick,” said Dusty after run two. “I figured what’s another flip. I’m pretty stunned I was able to put it to my feet.”

Although Dusty didn’t land it cleanly on his first try, he perfected it on his third run and second ever attempt. One of the most decorated competitive snowboarders in history, Canadian rider Mark McMorris, called the backside quad cork 1800 the scariest trick in snowboarding.

When asked how Dusty’s been able to keep his composure on the U.S. Open stage, his answer made it clear that his attitude towards competition is very much ahead of his time. 

“It’s a pretty mellow vibe out here,” he said. “I’m just riding with the boys so how can you get too scared.”

Japan’s Yuki Kadono finished off the podium and took victory for the first time since his gold medal performance in 2015. 

Competition continues at the 38th Annual Burton U.S. Open Saturday with men and women’s modified halfpipe competition. Head over to Vail, Colo. or tune in below to catch the action live. 

REPLAY
Women’s snowboard slopestyle finals
Men’s snowboard slopestyle finals

RESULTS
Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle 

HOW TO WATCH
Broadcast Live on Red Bull TV and BurtonUSOpen.com
Subject to change
All times EST

Saturday, Feb. 29
1:00 p.m. - Women’s Halfpipe Finals - Vail, Colo 
4:00 p.m. - Men’s Halfpipe Finals - Vail, Colo
 

The FIS Ski World Cup tour moves onward for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, despite challenging variables in both Hinterstoder, Austria for the men, and La Thuile, Italy for the women. 

Weather threatens both the men’s series in Hinterstoder—which features a super-G, alpine combined and giant slalom—as well as the women’s alpine super-G and alpine combined in La Thuile. 

On the men’s side, strong winds and heavy snowfall forced a cancellation of Friday’s originally scheduled alpine combined. The organizing committee, together with FIS, worked hard to ensure that the men will ski a full weekend program, meaning they will now ski a super-G race on Saturday, followed by an alpine combined on Sunday, and a giant slalom on Monday. 

Travis Ganong, who was recently seventh in the Saalbach, Austria super-G to lead the Americans, will look to lead the charge on Saturday in the super-G, while Bryce Bennett and Ryan Cochran-Siegle will headline Sunday’s alpine combined, followed by Tommy Ford—who just podiumed in the Yuzawa Naeba giant slalom and is ranked fifth in the giant slalom standings—will lead the Americans on Monday in giant slalom. 

For the women, Alice Merryweather, who is currently ranked 24th in the super-G standings, will lead the women’s speed team into battle in La Thuile, hoping to stamp her ticket to World Cup Finals and secure a spot in the top-25 ranked skiers in the world coming out of this weekend. Teammates Breezy Johnson, Alice McKennis, and Jackie Wiles will also start for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team.

Many of the globes are still up for grabs, making it an exciting time of the season. With her win in the last alpine combined, Italy’s Federica Brignone became the overall leader with 1,298 points—73 points ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin, and 159 points ahead of Petra. At this point, the current overall leader Mikaela's return to Europe and return to competition is unknown. 

Looking ahead, FIS shared earlier on Friday that "due to the present situation on the race hill and unfavorable weather forecast, the women's FIS World Cup races in Ofterschwang scheduled for March 7-8 have been canceled. Despite all efforts it was not possible to find a replacement for the races."

Check out how and who to watch below. 

MEN’S STARTERS
Bryce Bennett
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Sam Dupratt
Tommy Ford
Travis Ganong
Ted Ligety
Kyle Negomir
Steven Nyman
River Radamus
George Steffey

WOMEN’S STARTERS
Breezy Johnson
Alice McKennis
Alice Merryweather
Jackie Wiles

START LISTS
Women’s Super-G
Men’s Super-G

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Feb. 29
4:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G, La Thuile, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
6:30 a.m. - Men’s super-G, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 1
1:00 a.m. - Women’s super-G, La Thuile, ITA - NBCSN**
3:45 a.m. - Men’s combined super-G, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
5:00 a.m. - Women’s alpine combined super-G, La Thuile, ITA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
6:45 a.m. - Men’s combined slalom, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
8:00 a.m. - Women’s alpine combined slalom, La Thuile, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Monday, March 2
3:15 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
6:00 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2, Hinterstoder, AUT - NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day delay broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app. 

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

In the U.S. Aerial Ski Team’s penultimate World Cup stop, Chris Lillis landed on top of the podium at Oi Qaragai Ski Resort in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Megan Nick claimed her second-career World Cup podium with a second-place finish. 

This was the first aerials World Cup competition held in Kazakhstan and eight Americans qualified for finals: Madison Varmette, Kaila Kuhn, Winter Vinecki, Ashley Caldwell, Megan, Quinn Dehlinger, Justin Schoenefeld and Chris. 

“I couldn't be happier,” said Chris. “It was a new event on a new site, so a lot of unknowns. Over the course of the season, I've been working on a plan with Vlad and it’s been working, especially for the last two weeks. That was definitely one of the best jumps of my career during the super final. Moving forward I’m feeling deadly.” 

Chris was on fire all day, landing all of his competition jumps to his feet. His super final double full full full was in spectacular form, earning him a score of 121.27 that could not be topped. Head Aerials Coach Vladimir Lebedev could be heard cheering from the knoll and Justin gave him a big bear hug as he skied into the finish area. This is Chris’ second career World Cup win and third-career podium, he now is ranked sixth in the men’s aerials World Cup standings. Chris shared the podium with Switzerland’s Primin Werner in second and Belarus’ Pavel Dik in third.

Quinn made his first finals appearance in his only fifth-career World Cup start. “It was such an incredible experience to be apart of,” said Quinn. “It came as a huge surprise which made that much better. On the other hand, it was a bummer it didn’t go as well as I would have liked. But I’m looking forward to being part of more of them!” Ending the competition in 11th place marks a career-best for Quinn. Justin finished fifth, Eric Loughran in 13th, Jon Lillis in 14th and Alex Bowen in 17th. 

With a score just 0.58 points off the top spot, Megan earned a second-place finish, her second podium of the season and her career - this finish moves her into fourth overall for the women’s standings. Megan shared the podium with winner Nadiya Mokhnatska of Ukraine and Kazakhstan’s own Zhanbota Aldabergenova, who came in third. 

“I’m just trying to stay focused on consistency and working towards higher DD moving forward,” said Megan on her competition mindset. “Kazakhstan is beautiful and everyone has been so welcoming here. Everyone was really stoked to jump on a brand new site.”

Kaila earned another fifth place in her second-career super final appearance. Winter finished sixth, Madison in ninth, Ashley in 12th and Megan Smallhouse in 15th. 

“I just want to talk about how the team’s been molding [this season],” commented Chris. “We know where we are, we know where we want to be. We have one goal as a team, one standard that we’re pushing ourselves to. That’s a large part of the success, whether myself, Megan, Justin, or the whole team, that we’re all looking for. Our goal is to work hard. The whole team has taken a transformation in how we work each day. Every training day is a grind, we all have that increase in a heightened sense of worth ethic. So when it comes to comp day you can look back on all of that hard work, which leads to more confident jumping.” 

The Aerials Team has a few days in Kazakhstan to rest and recharge before heading to their last World Cup competition in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 

Results
Women’s Aerials
Men’s Aerials 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard continues to foster and cultivate a culture of diversity and inclusion in a new and exciting opportunity for girls ages 12 and up. In partnership with Woodward Park City, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is hosting a Girls’ Mini-Camp March 6-7, 2020. 

During this two-day camp, participants will work with U.S. Ski & Snowboard coaches and athletes to develop acrobatic skills in a safe learning environment. The camp begins on Friday evening at the Center of Excellence, home of U.S. Ski & Snowboard - the same training facility used by Olympic athletes - where participants will get comfortable jumping and twisting on the trampoline developing crucial air-awareness. On Saturday morning they’ll take their new, honed skills to snow at Woodward Park City to ski and ride with some of the best athletes in the world. 

Confirmed athlete-ambassadors are:

Morgan Schild, moguls
Avital Shimko, moguls
Olivia Giaccio, moguls
Darian Stevens, freeski slopestyle
Jade Thurgood, snowboard slopestyle

The program includes dinner on Friday, breakfast on Saturday, and all facility and rental fees. Scholarships are available, please contact Kate Anderson at kate.anderson@usskiandsnowboard.org.

Space is extremely limited, reserve your spot today!

U.S. Freestyle Moguls skier Jesse Andringa made the decision to end his World Cup season early to correct a shoulder injury he sustained in January. Jesse dislocated his right shoulder before the Calgary World Cup and dislocated it again during his competition run in dual moguls at Deer Valley. He competed in Japan, but after conferring with his coaches and doctors, he made the decision to fly home to address his injury. 

“It was definitely a hard decision,” he said. “But all of the doctors were telling me it was the smart move as there was a 100% chance of it popping out again and causing irreversible damage. 

“At first, I didn’t want to get surgery because it didn’t hurt that bad," Jesse said. "I was strengthening it and it wasn’t popping out every day. I thought I can compete on it, I can ski on it, I don’t know why I would get surgery. 

"But then I thought big picture and realized it would be a shame to put in all of this work shooting for the Olympics and to have it pop out there or leading into it and not being able to ski for a week or two, sacrificing five months now so it never pops out again is worth not skiing the next four World Cups.”

On Monday, March 2, Jesse will undergo surgery to correct the injury. In electing to have surgery now, with an estimated recovery time of four to five months,  Jesse hopes he will be training in July for the 2020-21 season. Jesse made good strides in his 2019-20 season, including skiing the unofficial fastest run on Champion during the moguls World Cup on Feb. 6. Not one to back down from a challenge, making the hard decision to take the time to rest and heal did not come lightly for Jesse.

“I’m still bummed about it because it feels pretty good currently,” he explained. “It’s hard to go into surgery having a working shoulder. Kazakhstan is one of my favorite places I've gone to so I’m disappointed to miss that. I’m bummed to miss Russia because I’ve never been and it’s always exciting to see new places. But in the long term, it’s worth it [to have the surgery now] to not have [my shoulder] pop out again.”

Jesse is thankful to his teammates; coaches Matt Gnoza, Riley Campbell, Josh Bullock, and Chuck Williams; Dr. Goltz; friends and family; as well as his fans, for their support during this time off-snow. He looks forward to clicking back into his skis this summer on the water ramps and in prep camps. Follow along Jesse’s journey back to training via his Instagram. 
 

The FIS Freestyle World Cup tour comes together this week in Kazakhstan with both aerials and dual moguls competition on deck. Although aerials and moguls fall under the freestyle umbrella and have a shared history, their tours often don’t intersect abroad in recent memory. This season, however, these teams meet twice overseas, first in Kazakhstan, and next week in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 

Aerials kicks off the weekend on Friday at Almaty’s Oi Qaragai Ski Resort. This is the first FIS Aerials World Cup held in Kazakhstan and so far the team is loving the new stop. Athletes were treated to traditional music during a welcome feast and their meals are served in the world’s largest yurt. 

"Someone made the comment that [the yurt is] like the scene in Harry Potter when they walk into the magic camping tent and it’s much larger from the inside than you’d expect it to be," said Alex Bowen.

Coming off of the success of two podiums in Minsk last week, Justin Schoenefeld’s win and Chris Lillis’ third place, the aerials team will look to continue to rack up results. With warm, bluebird days and plenty of snow, the team is ready to stomp.

"It’s the first time Kazakhstan has hosted an Aerials World Cup in Almaty and the site is turning out to be spectacular," said Alex. "The coaches and volunteers have been working hard to maintain the jumps with the warm weather."

Moguls caps off the weekend with duals on Sunday at Shymbulak Ski Resort. It is uncommon for duals to be the sole moguls event of a World Cup stop, but the extended travel time to the site - a one-hour bus ride and a 30-minute gondola ride - means less competition time and duals is a shorter day. This is the second year of moguls competition in Kazakhstan, and the team is happy to return. 

“It’s just so different here,” explained Jaelin Kauf. “We’re staying in the city, getting to explore and I feel like we get to see and experience a lot of the culture here.”

Weather forced the cancellation of last week’s Japanese duals event so the Americans are itching to get back in the start gates and battle the world’s best mogul skiers. 

“It’s really sweet to have a duals-only stop on the tour!” said Jaelin. “We don’t get that often so I’m stoked to get right into it! I am considering doing a new trick for duals this week, which would be something really new for me... but it’s exciting! Duals is a different game, so getting right into it is going to be a lot of fun for me. I’m just hoping to have a lot of fun throughout the training days and get in my groove for duals day.”

U.S. Starters

Aerials

Women
Ashley Caldwell
Megan Nick
Winter Vinecki
Madison Varmette
Megan Smallhouse
Kaila Kuhn

Men
Eric Loughran
Chris Lillis
Jon Lillis
Justin Schoenefeld
Quinn Dehlinger
Alex Bowen 

Moguls

Women
Tess Johnson
Jaelin Kauf
Hannah Soar
Kai Owens

Men
Kalman Heims
Alex Lewis
Nick Page
Emerson Smith
Dylan Walczyk
Brad Wilson 

HOW TO WATCH 

All times EST

Friday, Feb. 28
2:20 a.m. - Men and women’s aerials, Qi Qaragai, KAZ - OlympicChannel.com, NBC Sports Gold
12:30 p.m. - Men and women’s aerials, Qi Qaragai, KAZ - Olympic Channel*

Sunday, March 1
2:30 a.m. - Men’s and women’s dual moguls, Shymbulak, KAZ - OlympicChannel.com, NBC Sports Gold
9:30 a.m. - Men’s and women’s dual moguls, Shymbulak, KAZ - Olympic Channel*

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Two-time Olympian and talented artist Laurenne Ross has published her first book, a photography book entitled “Approach”—featuring photos taken from several locations around the world: Italy, Switzerland, Alberta and British Columbia (Canada), New Zealand, Chile and France.

Laurenne is known as one of the most dynamic athletes on and off the snow, with incredible talent on violin, piano, guitar, vocals and as a visual artist. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Laurenne cut her teeth at a small local hill but headed to the Canadian Rockies on weekends, where she raced her Dad (a former alpine racer) to the lodge. 

A creative to the core, who is a seasoned vet when it comes to creating both visual beauties in the classroom and beauty in the form of arcs on the snow, Laurenne loves merging her passion for the mountains and art. How does she describe herself as an athlete/artist, and how do influences of Laurenne’s art permeate into her skiing/vice-versa?

“As an artist at heart, I see skiing as a sort of art form,” noted Laurenne. “Sport is a form of self-expression, and I really try to embody that in my skiing. We as skiers are all very different in our movements and ways of connecting with the mountains and snow, and I find that to be such a beautiful thing. You can see how each athlete expresses themselves in their movements and reactions, just as you can see expression in an artist's work.”

“I'm also undeniably drawn to the mountains and snow, and I think you can see glimpses of that connection in my artwork,” she continued. “I've always dreamed of a way to express my love for and connection to skiing (and the elements that come with it) through an art form, just as I endlessly search for ways to express myself and my artistic side through my skiing.”

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team communication manager Megan Harrod spent some time digging into Laurenne’s new project, which launched in early December, to find out a little more about her “Approach” to art and what makes her so unique and different.  

Megan Harrod: Do you have a personal favorite photo?
Laurenne Ross: My favorite photo is probably the one titled "Wander," or maybe "Keever." "Wander" is a really special photograph to me because it carries a lot of personal meaning, but I also love the light and the way the colors contrast and radiate unexpectedly. "Keever" seems to exhibit this magical mountain wonderland, with a mysterious rainbow light: it's almost utopian. 

MH: What is the concept behind Approach, and why?
LR: The original concept behind Approach was to have a way to distribute a small portfolio of my photography work. I was actually taking a career course in design, and the initial prompt was to create a portfolio of art and design work that I could basically use as a resumé. Since I'm not yet pursuing a career in art/design, and I've always wanted to make a photography book, I thought it would be fun to interpret the prompt in a way that would allow me to initiate an art project I've always wanted to undertake, while simultaneously creating a "portfolio" of my work.

I decided to focus the book on a specific type of film photography because it allowed me to narrow down my options for photographs (since I have so many). So the concept of color variation and alternative-processed films came to mind, and that's how Approach came together. I also wanted to portray my travels in a way that allows people to see the world from a unique and colorful perspective, so hopefully, the book does that. 

MH: What is your goal with Approach? 
LR: The goal with Approach is firstly to put my photographs into the world in a real, tangible form. I've always been drawn to books and magazines, and to physical prints of photographs. There's something about being able to hold the object in your hands that creates a different kind of connection with art. I'm also taking the year off of racing, so I am hoping to raise some money to support my recovery with this book!

MH: You and your partner/fellow U.S. Ski Team athlete Tommy (Ford) both love to create. Are any of the photos in the book of Tommy, or of places you and Tommy traveled together? This shared passion must fuel you both, and bring you closer together…can you talk about it?
LR: Tommy and I share many passions, but the two most significant ones in our lives are probably skiing and making art. It's really inspiring to be around Tommy: he's always busting out a notebook and sketching, and it pushes me to pursue my artistic passions when we're together. 

There are a few photos of Tommy in the book (three total), but he was by my side while I took many of the other shots. In the photo titled "Trade," we were together in New Zealand, skiing, and decided to take a trip to Mt. Cook National Park during a day off. These are the little side trips that are really important to both Tommy and me (exploring a place beyond our training or racing area), but that are really difficult to make because of our packed schedules. So we push each other to do these kinds of things while we're together. It's incredible to be able to pursue a passion with someone at your side, knowing they're also fulfilling a similar, deep desire to create and explore. Sharing those moments is something we both really cherish.

MH: Are there any stories behind the photography that are particularly special to you?
LR: Behind each and every photograph lies a story that is really special to me. There is one photo in particular that I hold dear, as it is of a friend that I haven't seen or spoken to in years. The image is titled "Wander," and it captures so much emotion, both hopeful and dark, that ultimately lead to the extinction of a wonderful friendship.

Join Laurenne on her colorful journey around our beautiful world. 

Check out Laurenne’s website and her "Approach" book.

Dave McCoy, the visionary behind Mammoth Mountain, passed away at the age of 104 on Feb. 8, 2020. 

“Behind every mountain, is a story. And behind every story is a legend. One such legend was Dave McCoy.”

Because of Dave’s grit and tenacity, he built what no one imagined could be possible. Since its inception in 1953, he shared the fun and beauty of Mammoth Mountain with millions of people. Mammoth Ski Area grew from a single, homemade chairlift, to 3,500 skiable acres served by 28 lifts attracting the world’s best skiers and riders to its slopes. 

Mammoth Mountain has proved its ability to breed talent and foster a culture of athletic development that almost seems embedded in the mountain’s DNA. The resort has hosted the U.S. Grand Prix more than a dozen times and has been fortunate enough to name our Olympic athletes three times including in 1998—the first year the Olympics hosted snowboard halfpipe as an official event. Mammoth also hosted the final qualifying event before the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Winter Games. With one of the longest snow seasons in the United States, Mammoth Mountain became an invaluable training site for elite freeski, snowboard and alpine athletes. U.S. Ski & Snowboard is deeply saddened by the loss of Dave, his memory will live on the slopes of the mountain he built and loved. 
 

Mammoth Mountain is hosting a skiing and snowboarding celebration on Feb. 28. Skiing is what Dave loved most, may his memory encourage all skiers and riders to never forget the thrill of a turn. Because “As Dave would say, ‘The most fun, is having fun.’”