The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) today announced finalists for the Team USA Awards, Best of January, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes from last month. Two U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are nominated: Mikaela Shiffrin and Colby Stevenson.

Fans are invited to vote for their favorite athletes and teams at TeamUSA.org/Awards through midnight Tuesday, Feb. 4.  

Male Athlete of the Month

Colby Stevenson, Freestyle Skiing
Captured gold in slopestyle at his first Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, and additionally took bronze in slopestyle at the world cup in Seiser Alm, Italy, marking his fourth podium finish on the world cup level. 

Female Athlete of the Month

Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine Skiing
Earned four world cup podium spots in January, taking home gold in super-G and downhill at the world cup in Bansko, Bulgaria, along with bronze in slalom at the world cup in Flachau, Austria, and bronze in giant slalom at the world cup in Sestriere, Italy.

Selection Process
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per sport discipline. An internal nominating committee selects finalists to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50% of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via TeamUSA.org/Awards.

VOTE NOW

DENVER – SnowSports Industries America and U.S. Ski & Snowboard recognized Volcom, a modern lifestyle brand rooted in board sports, with its annual Doc DesRoches Award for its support of U.S. Snowboard Team athletes. The award was presented during the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show Thursday (Jan. 30) in Denver.

The brand has been an innovative leader in the sport developing technology systems such as Zip Tech ® and TDS ®  (Thermal Defense System) to advance product offerings for snowboard enthusiasts and elite athletes alike.

Volcom, a leading snow sports brand for over 20 years, announced its partnership with the U.S. Snowboard Team this fall through an engaging video piece that featured Volcom snow athletes and numerous celebrities. Volcom also created a line of co-branded merchandise to help promote the U.S. Snowboard Team. 

To support the partnership, the brand has activated at Visa Big Air Presented by Land Rover in Atlanta and at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix events at Copper Mountain, Colo., and Mammoth Mountain, Calif. This partnership strengthens the brands connection to snow with an increasing wide roster of athletes that includes Hailey Langland, Marcus Kleveland, Arthur Longo, and Elena Hight to name a few. 

“Our team suppliers are important partners and Volcom took its new role very seriously this past season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “Not only did it provide strong products technically for our athletes, but it has engaged as a strong lifestyle partner for our team’s march towards the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.”

The award has been presented each year since 2004 by SIA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard to recognize a national team supplier for its work in supporting the Team and its athletes. It is named in honor of Doc DesRoches, a long time industry leader who helped form SIA and led it for two decades. During that tenure he was instrumental in the development of the U.S. Ski Team's fundraising efforts, including the formation of the original New York Ski Ball, now the Gold Medal Gala, which has raised millions to support team athletes.

“This award is important to showcase lifestyle brands like Volcom who are innovative within our industry and truly engaged with helping support our top athletes,” said SIA President and CEO Nick Sargent. “It’s also very meaningful to us at SIA for helping preserve the legacy of our founder Doc DesRoches.”

“Volcom truly values its new relationship with the U.S. Snowboard Team,” said Volcom CEO Todd Hymel. “We have enjoyed working with the athletes and helping them on their journey. Their accomplishments this season at the Grand Prix and X-Games is a testament to the importance of performance and innovation, which are important principles for us at Volcom and for the U.S. Snowboard Team.”

Volcom CEO Todd Haymel and CMO Ryan Immegart accepted the award from SIA President and CEO Nick Sargent and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor at the Volcom booth at the Outdoor Retailer Snow in Denver on Thursday, January 30.

Doc DesRoches Award Winners

• 2004 - Rossignol
• 2005 - Atomic
• 2006 - All U.S. Ski Team suppliers
• 2007 - Spyder Active Sports
• 2008 - Volkl, Marker, Tecnica
• 2009 - SmartWool
• 2010 - Under Armour
• 2011 - Head Skis
• 2012 - High Sierra
• 2013 - POC Sports USA
• 2014 - The North Face
• 2015 - GoPro
• 2016 - Atomic
• 2017 - Stöckli
• 2018 - Burton
• 2019 - Spyder Active Sports
• 2020 - Volcom

About SIA

Snowsports Industries America is the non-profit, member-owned trade association representing snow sports suppliers with constituents in the retail, rep and resort communities. We're helping our members succeed by providing insightful research, innovative education, and growing participation. Learn more at www.snowsports.org

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2020, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

About Volcom:

Inspired by creative spirit, Volcom was founded as a clothing company rooted in skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding. Building upon the foundation of sport culture, Volcom also supports initiatives in music and the arts and lives by the mantra ‘True To This’ as a rallying cry for persistent rebels and creatives that follow their passions. Volcom creates meaningful products for men, women and kids across a variety of categories including outdoorsnow, swim, skate, denim, accessories, fashion and more. Volcom has more than 100 direct-to-consumer retail outposts globally and has distribution in hundreds of specialty retail and department store locations. To learn more about Volcom’s deep product assortment visit www.volcom.com and follow @Volcom on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.


 

Day Two of competition is in the books at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. and 18 U.S. athletes qualified through to finals in men’s freeski halfpipe, women’s freeski slopestyle, and men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle. 

In men’s freeski halfpipe, the U.S. Freeski Team went five for five in heat one, led by defending Mammoth Grand Prix champion Birk Irving. 

“I feel good,” said Birk. “The pipe was a bit scary today. It was pretty vert and icy because it got so warm yesterday, but it was fast and we managed. Mammoth did a great job of painting it and made it easy to see in the flat light. I ended up putting a run down and getting into the top spot. For finals, I have a couple of more difficult runs I want to try, so we will see what happens.”

Taylor Seaton, Aaron Blunck, Jaxin Hoerter, and Hunter Hess followed suit in heat one to make their way to finals. In heat two, Lyman Currier took the top spot and David Wise qualified fifth. 

In men’s snowboard slopestyle, U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member and Mammoth local Dusty Henricksen qualified first in his heat. 

“I didn’t have the highest expectation in qualifications today,” said Dusty. “ I know that I’m competing against the best of the best and I’m super hyped to have put down a run and make finals. The course was super fun and flowy, conditions weren’t ideal with the lighting, but other than that we got super lucky with the weather. I might try and bump up the difficulty a little bit for finals if conditions allow.”

Dusty is coming fresh off of a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 and will be looking for his first World Cup podium. Joining Dusty in finals are U.S. Snowboard Pro Team athletes Luke Winkelmann and Judd Henkes, as well as Americans Storm Rowe and Dave Retzlaff. 

Coming in off of her sixth X Games Gold medal, Jamie Anderson qualified first overall in women’s snowboard slopestyle. Also qualifying through to finals is U.S. Rookie Team member Jade Thurgood and American Isabella Gomez. This will be Jade’s first-ever World Cup final.

U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Maggie Voisin led the U.S. in slopestyle qualifiers finishing second overall. 

“I think we really lucked out with weather today,” said Maggie. “It’s a more mellow course, but when the wind comes out, it can definitely be variable. None of that Mammoth wind came into play and the sun came out for a while. I’m super happy to qualify into finals and it’s time to step it up.” 

U.S. Freeski Rookie Team members Marin Hamill and Rell Harwood will join Maggie in finals. 

RESULTS
Men’s freeski halfpipe
Women’s freeski slopestyle
Men’s snowboard slopestyle
Women’s snowboard slopestyle 

START LISTS
Friday, Jan. 31
Men’s freeski slopestyle
Women’s freeski slopestyle
Men’s snowboard halfpipe
Women’s Snowboard halfpipe

Saturday, Feb. 1
Men’s freeski halfpipe
Women’s freeski halfpipe
Men’s snowboard slopestyle 
Women’s snowboard slopestyle
 

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
*Same-day delayed broadcast
** Next-day broadcast

FREESKI
Friday, Jan. 31
12:30 p.m. - Men and women’s slopestyle, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold.

Saturday, Feb. 1
6:35 a.m. - Men and women’s skicross, Megeve, FRA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
4:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

SNOWBOARD
Friday, Jan. 31
4:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Feb. 1
1:00 p.m. - Men and women’s slopestyle, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold
5:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBC**
11:30 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN**

Sunday, Feb. 2
3:00 p.m. - Men and women’s slopestyle, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBC**

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.
 

Competition has begun at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. and 14 U.S. athletes qualified through to finals in snowboard halfpipe, men’s freeski slopestyle, and women’s freeski halfpipe. U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Pro Team members Alex Hall and Nick Goepper each qualified first in their heat. 

“I’m feeling really good,” said Nick. “I was a little frustrated with my X Game performance, and I came into this week with a chip on my shoulder. For finals, my plan is to build on the run I was able to put down today and hopefully find my way into the top three.” 

Also qualifying through for the men are U.S. Freeski Team members Deven Fagan, Kiernan Fagan, Colby Stevenson, and Cody LaPlante. 

In men’s snowboard halfpipe, Chase Josey qualified first overall alongside teammates Taylor Gold, Chase Blackwell, Ryan Wachendorfer, and Jason Wolle. U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Maddie Mastro qualified 4th overall for the women.

The first day of qualifications came to a close with 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Brita Sigourney qualifying third, and rookie team member Hanna Faulhaber qualifying sixth in women's freeski halfpipe. 

FIS World Cup competition will continue on Thursday at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix with snowboard slopestyle, men's freeski halfpipe, and women's freeski slopestyle qualifications. 

RESULTS
Men’s freeski slopestyle
Women’s freeski halfpipe
Men’s snowboard halfpipe
Women’s snowboard halfpipe

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
*Same-day delayed broadcast
** Next-day broadcast

FREESKI
Friday, Jan. 31
12:30 p.m. - Men and women’s slopestyle, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold.

Saturday, Feb. 1
6:35 a.m. - Men and women’s skicross, Megeve, FRA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
4:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Feb. 2
3:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBC**

SNOWBOARD
Friday, Jan. 31
4:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Feb. 1
1:00 p.m. - Men and women’s slopestyle, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold
5:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBC**
11:30 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN**

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.
 

Freeskiers and snowboarders from across the globe have arrived at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California’s Eastern Sierra for slopestyle and halfpipe competition at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix. Holding home-court advantage, 39 freeskiers and 37 snowboarders will represent the United States in FIS World Cup competition. 

U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Kiernan Fagan is psyched to compete after earning third-place at last year’s event.

“I’m hyped to be heading back to Mammoth this year,” he said. “It definitely would be sick to get another podium at this event and hopefully improve on my result from last year. I’m looking forward to the competition."

Joining Kiernan from the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Pro Team is Willie Borm, Nick Goepper, Kiernan Fagan, Alex Hall, and Colby Stevenson. Colby had a dominant performance last week to become the first X Games rookie to win gold in freeski slopestyle at X Games Aspen. This was Colby’s second gold medal of the week after winning the inaugural ski knuckle huck event. 

For the women, U.S. Freeski Pro Slopestyle Team’s own Caroline Claire, Devin Logan, and Maggie Voisin will compete. Maggie’s had a long road to recovery following ACL surgery last year. However, in her first competition back from injury at X Games Aspen, she proved she was back in prime form competing in big air and earning the bronze medal in slopestyle. 

In halfpipe, double-Olympic gold medalist David Wise, Lyman Currier, Taylor Seaton, Hunter Hess, Birk Irving, and Aaron Blunck will lead the way for the U.S. Freeski Pro Team. Aaron is coming off a silver medal performance at X Games Aspen and will be looking to carry that momentum into the Mammoth pipe. 

Members of the women’s U.S. Freeski Pro Halfpipe Team set to compete include Devin Logan and Brita Sigourney. Brita will be looking for her second Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix podium of the season after earning second-place in Copper. Also. U.S. Rookie Team athlete Hanna Faulhaber is set to drop in following a bronze medal performance in her last competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, less than two weeks ago. 

The U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle Team is also bringing an all-star roster to the table including Olympic silver medalist Kyle Mack, Ryan Stassel, Luke Winkelmann, Lyon Farrell, and Judd Henkes. Judd will be looking to ride his way into the top-three after earning second place at the 2019 Mammoth Grand Prix.

For the women, pro team members Julia Marino, Hailey Langland, and Jamie Anderson are ready to compete. Jamie remained podium perfect at X Games last week with a gold medal in snowboard slopestyle. Jamie has gone 15 for 15 winning medals at every slopestyle competition she has entered at X Games. Jamie heads into Thursday’s qualifier as the favorite in the field. 

In halfpipe, the U.S. Snowboard Pro Team’s own Chase Blackwell, Chase Josey, Toby Miller, Jake Pates, Ryan Wachendorfer and Taylor Gold will take to the pipe. Taylor has added a double Michalchuk 1080 to his arsenal, but he’s only landed it once in World Cup competition at the 2020 Laax Open to take third place. If he can put it down at Mammoth, there’s no doubt he will be a podium contender. 

For the women, U.S. Team riders and Mammoth locals Maddie Mastro and Tessa Maud will be looking to put on a show in front of their hometown crowd. 

“I am so excited to be returning to my home mountain for this next contest,” said Tessa. “I love riding in Mammoth. The vibes are always so positive here. The Mammoth Grand Prix is special to me because I grew up watching this event and I am happy to be competing at home. My goals for this contest are to place top-ten and also put a great run down.”

The Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth always boasts an incredible slopestyle course and halfpipe thanks to the famed Unbound Terrain Park crew. There is a stacked international field ready to drop in, so don’t miss your chance to catch it live at Mammoth or tune in to catch all the action. 

COURSE DETAILS
Slopestyle
First feature: Gap to down rail, 40’ down rail
Second feature: Flat down 8” rail, down flat down 8” rail
Third feature: 40’ rainbow rail, 15’ lift tower pole jam
Fourth feature: Two 45’ transitions jumps. 15’ tall, cut using 22’ Zaugg
Fifth feature: 54’ jump
Sixth feature: 64’ jump

Halfpipe
600 ft. in length
18 Degree Inclination

U.S. ATHLETES
FREESKI
Men’s Freeski Slopestyle
Colby Stevenson - Pro
Alex Hall - Pro
Kiernan Fagan - Pro
Nick Goepper - Pro
Willie Borm - Pro
Deven Fagan - Rookie
Cody LaPlante - Rookie
Hunter Henderson - Rookie
Tim Ryan - American
Peter Raich - American
Ryan McElmon - American
Ryan Stevenson - American

Women’s Freeski Slopestyle
Maggie Voisin - Pro
Devin Logan - Pro
Caroline Claire Pro
Grace Henderson - Rookie
Rell Harwood - Rookie
Marin Hamill - Rookie

Men’s Freeski Halfpipe
Aaron Blunck - Pro
David Wise - Pro
Birk Irving - Pro
Taylor Seaton - Pro
Lyman Currier - Pro
Hunter Hess - Pro
Jaxin Hoerter - Rookie
Cassidy Jarrell - Rookie
Sammy Schuiling - Rookie
Connor Ladd - Rookie
Hunter Carey - Rookie
Dylan Ladd - Rookie
Lennon Vaughan - American
Cameron Brodrick - American
Aaron Durlester - American
Tristan Feinberg - American 

Women’s Freeski Halfpipe
Brita Sigourney - Pro
Devin Logan - Pro
Hanna Faulhaber - Rookie
Abigale Hansen - Rookie
Riley Jacobs - American
Jeanee Crane-Mauzy - American

SNOWBOARD
Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle
Ryan Stassel - Pro
Kyle Mack - Pro
Luke Winkelmann - Pro
Sean FitzSimons - Pro
Lyon Farrell - Pro
Judd Henkes - Pro
Jake Canter - Rookie
Dusty Henricksen - Rookie
Will Healy - American
Storm Rowe - American
Dave Retzlaff - American

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle
Jamie Anderson - Pro
Hailey Langland - Pro
Julia Marino - Pro
Courtney Rummel - Rookie
Ty Schnorrbusch - Rookie
Jade Thurgood - Rookie
Makayla Kellogg - American
Isabella Gomez - American

Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe
Taylor Gold - Pro
Chase Josey - Pro
Toby Miller - Pro
Jake Pates - Pro
Ryan Wachendorfer - Pro
Chase Blackwell - Pro
Jason Wolle - Rookie
Jack Coyne - Rookie
Lucas Foster - Rookie
Kolman Lecroy - American
Joshua Bowman - American

Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe
Maddie Mastro - Pro
Tessa Maud - Rookie
Kaili Shafer - American
Athena Comeau - American
Alexandria Simsovits - American
Kinsley White - American
Zoe Kalapos - American

EVENT SCHEDULE
FREESKI
Wednesday, Jan. 29 - Slopestyle Qualifiers
Thursday, Jan. 30 - Halfpipe Qualifiers 
Friday,  Jan. 31 - Slopestyle Finals
Saturday, Feb. 1 - Halfpipe Finals

SNOWBOARD
Wednesday, Jan. 29 - Halfpipe Qualifiers
Thursday, Jan. 30 - Slopestyle Qualifiers 
Friday,  Jan. 31 - Halfpipe Finals
Saturday, Feb. 1 - Slopestyle Finals

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
*Same-day delayed broadcast
** Next-day broadcast

FREESKI
Friday, Jan. 31
12:30 p.m. - Men and women’s slopestyle, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold.

Saturday, Feb. 1
4:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Feb. 2
3:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBC**

SNOWBOARD
Friday, Jan. 31
4:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Feb. 1
1:00 p.m. - Men and women’s slopestyle, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold
5:00 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBC**
11:30 p.m. - Men and women’s halfpipe, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth, Calif. - NBCSN**

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.
 

Are you a fan of watching aerial skiers flip and twist in the air, but have no idea how they do it? Have no fear, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is here! We have created a quick guide for all-things-aerials so that you can understand how it all works. Strap in, this will be a flipping-awesome ride! 

SOME HISTORY

Aerial skiing is a discipline of freestyle skiing and was popularized in the 1950s by Olympic alpine gold medalist Steik Eriksen. Freestyle skiing was recognized by the International Ski Federation (FIS) as a sport in 1979. The first Freestyle Skiing World Cup was held in 1980 and the first FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships staged in 1986 in Tignes, France. Aerials made its Olympic debut at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Differing from big air or slopestyle skiing, aerial skiers launch themselves straight up to do twice as many flips and twists - it’s more of a trampoline/gymnastics/diving style jump. 

THE JUMP SITE

First things first, we need to get you familiar with the terrain itself. The three signature kickers, a single, double, and triple, are designed with great detail to ensure aerial skiers get enough air for flips and twists. All kickers are six to eight feet wide and are four feet thick at the top, but differ greatly in height. The difference in height corresponds with the differences in the difficulty of tricks that can be executed on each. A single kicker, which is eight feet tall, allows aerial skiers to reach about 20 feet into the air on average, which allows for two twists and one flip on average. A double kicker is 11.75 feet tall, which launches aerial skiers 30 feet into the air, allowing them up to four twists on average. The triple kicker, which is 13.5 feet tall, launches skiers 45-50 feet in the air - allowing for quintuple-twisting triple backflips. 

Specific tools are used for the shaping and maintenance of these kickers. The Grizzly, which is a tool with a 10-inch blade and handle, helps keep the jump stay level and smooth. The tool’s name and origin came from a tool used in Canada to help scrape ice off the driveways. Without it, it would be much more challenging for aerial skiers to have a smooth takeoff. The cheese grater, a two-by-four version of a snowblower, is also used to run over the entire jump. This takes out any imperfections the grizzly leaves, making the kicker as clean as possible. Another key tool is the smart level. This tool gives a read of the angle that the level it is sitting at. The accuracy is strong and can get down to the 10th of a degree, which is helpful for the course builders to make sure the kicker angles remain consistent. 

THE TRICKS

 

 

 

 

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Feels good to be doing the big flips again! Here’s my wining jump from day one U.S Selections! #teamlillis #teamlillis2022 @pit_viper @usskiteam

A post shared by Chris Lillis (@chrislillis1) on Dec 20, 2019 at 6:15pm PST

So now you understand what kicker aerial skiers need to go off in order to do something as impressive as a triplefull, but do you know what a triplefull is? No need to flip out, check out this master list of the basic jumps aerial skiers execute:

• Full - one flip, one twist
• Lay - one flip no twists
• Tuck - one flip no twists
• Half - one flip, half a twist
• Rudy - one flip, one and a half twists
• Randy - one flip, two and a half twists
• Adolph - one flip, three and a half twists
• Doublefull - one flip, two twists
• Pike - folded over tall, tuck folded over bent
• Triplefull - one flip, three twists

For those wondering, aerial skiers do not perform half twists unless in combinations. There is no landing switch on the knoll, as coming into the needed landing blind would be extremely dangerous. Half-twists are commonly performed on water ramps in the progression leading into learning higher twist combinations. Athletes also twist in half-combos when trampoline-ing, but only when flipping forward - again, that blind landing would be prohibitive. 

In an ideal world, these flips and twists require the most pristine conditions. Weather can have a major influence on an aerial skier’s performance. If there is any wind aerial skiers have to adjust where they start on the in-run. Taller and thinner athletes have more of a disadvantage in windy conditions because they need to start further up on their in-run in order to gain enough speed. Temperature also has an impact on speed. Training during the day and then making it to finals at night provides a special challenge to aerial skiers as they try to adjust their in-run routes to the changing snow conditions. To help keep speed consistent, athletes do speed checks through a speed trap two to three times before their jump; they ideally want to be within 1k of their regular speed. Executing aerials tricks is all about consistency in speed on the in-run, the ultimate goal is to be as fast as possible so that athletes can start as close as possible to the jumps.

Believe it or not, flipping and twisting 50 feet in the air can get dangerous. Aerial skiers stay safe in the air with gear that is tailored to their discipline. Skis and bindings can add unnecessary weight, so aerial skiers prefer those made from carbon. Being as light as possible not only allows the skier to have more control, but allows their arms to have a greater influence on rotation. The ski boots used are designed to keep the skier upright and straight at all times, which causes them to have better consistency with tricks. The aerodynamic uniform is relatively snug to help with speed going into the jump, and has a straight-line design to help show the athlete’s straightness in the air. Aerial skiers also wear mouthguards to reduce concussion risk in case of a crash. The glasses, which are especially unique to aerials, are used for protection. There are no frames on the bottom of the glasses so the skier can see the ground easier for landing.   

An important aspect of aerial skiing is the judging and scoring process. Aerials competition highlights the importance of take-off, height, distance, form, execution, and landing. The “air” makes up 20% of the score, the landing 30% and the “form” makes up 50%. The judges' panel, which consists of seven different judges, score different aspects of the jump. After the judges scores are in, the top score and the bottom score are discarded, leaving five scores for takeoff, form and landing. Those three scores are then added together to get a final raw score (which is out of 30). The raw score is then multiplied by the Degree of Difficulty, otherwise known as the DD, to get the final score.   

THE LINGO

Feeling like an aerials pro yet? You’re almost there, but one of the most important parts of truly knowing aerials is the lingo that comes with it! Here are the meanings to the most common terms aerial skiers throw around: 

• 4x4 - Four flips and four twists: full, full, full, full,
• Arched - You have an arched body position
• Getting Lost - When you get lost in the air and don’t know which way is which
• Go By - You land on your back
• Kicker Shape
  • Quick - too extreme of a curve
  • Flat - loading dock
  • Bang On The End Of It - feels like hits you on the feet, when the end of the kicker is too steep
• KO-ed the field - When you did a really nice jump, “knocked out”
• Landing hill texture 
  • Mashed potatoes, sugar/brown sugar - No matter how much chopped, it doesn’t get any softer
  • Broken China - If it’s warm and gets cold, chopped frozen “slush” is like broken dishes
• Lay Tuck Full - triple backflip one twist on the last flip, very common first-time triple trick, AKA “a blaster” (came from the movie Hot Dog)
• Pinned - You had nice form, “you pinned that one!”
• Punched Front - You come in too short, almost not by choice, hit, immediately fall forward into a front flip
• Scoopy - You were too rounded and hunched over
• Shaping - Shape the jump
• Stomped - Tuck the landing
• Takeoffs
  • Stuffed - You were too far forward and flipping slow 
  • Slung - You were leaning too far back and flipping too fast
  • Buckled - You were so far forward that you had to bend your knees to get the flip around
• The Daddy - full, doublefull, full

Interested in the coach’s lingo as well? The coaches play a vital role in the success of an aerial skier’s jump. Oftentimes, the coach knows if a jump is going to be executed well or not before the actual athlete does, so their shouts to the athlete are crucial for both safety and success. Here are a few of the terms a coach will yell out during a jump: 

• ABS - Always be straight
• Boosty - Jump went up, trajectory high
• Dragging Hands - On landing, saving a slap back by dragging your hands
• Double-in - Doublefull on first flip
• Double-out - Doublefull on last flip
• Drift - You drifted on that one, moved laterally right to left or vice versa, when do shows need to know which way you drift
• Get There - When someone’s trying to do 4 or 5 flips, means you just have to try and flip and twist as fast as can and don’t give up until hit the ground
• Out - When to kick out of a tuck for landing because you can’t see the ground
• Pre turn - Starting to twist too early before take-off
• Pucking - Knees bent twisting 
• Pull - If flipping slow and not going very high, scrunch up
• Stretch - If the aerialist is too fast or leaning back too much on takeoff, “stretch” to make the body longer and slow down flip
• Segmented - Upper and lower body not in line
• Square - symmetrical when viewed from back or front
• Through the jump - means that you buckled and slung, or trajectory is low
• Work it - pull a little bit, small and short as can without bending, pike a little bit
• Yard Sale - a crash with lost equipment spread out in the stop area

The aerial skiers of the U.S. Ski Team will compete in their first World Cup event of the 2019-2020 season on home snow Feb. 7 as part of the 2020 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort. Cheer them on as a new aerials expert and follow along the rest of their World Cup season!

Due to the outbreak and continuing spread of the Novel Coronavirus, FIS, the Chinese Ski Association and its Yanqing Local Organizing Committee, have jointly decided to cancel the upcoming men’s Audi FIS World Cup races scheduled for 15 -16 February 2020.

“It is with great regret that all of the stakeholders are obliged to take the difficult decision to cancel the World Cup races in Yanqing this season, as the historic first FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in China and the first official Beijing 2022 Test Event,” said FIS President Gian Franco Kasper. “Although the risk level in Yanqing is low, the health and welfare of the athletes and all participants must take priority. It is also imperative that athletes can focus on their performance and particularly on the completely new and very challenging course.

The first competitions on the new Olympic downhill course in Yanqing were carried out successfully as part of the 14th Chinese National Winter Games from 16 to 20 January. The FIS Technical Experts and Medical Supervisor who were present were very pleased with the new course and snow conditions, as well as the organization of the event and mountain operations.

FIS will advise at a later date in regard to the rescheduling of the canceled races from Yanqing: a downhill and a super-G.

The women’s Audi FIS World Cup downhill and super-G, which will serve as the Beijing 2022 Test Event will take place next season in March 2021 and efforts will be undertaken to schedule a test event for the men as well.

***

About FIS
FIS is the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding, founded in 1924 during the first Olympic Games in Chamonix, France. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIS manages the Olympic disciplines of Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, and Snowboarding, including setting the international competition rules. Through its 131 member nations, more than 7’000 FIS ski and snowboard competitions are staged annually. Specific initiatives are undertaken by FIS to promote snow activities as a healthy leisure recreation, notably for the young. For more information, please visit www.fis-ski.com

Release courtesy of FIS.

It was a wild and chaotic night slalom under the lights in Schladming in front of a rowdy Austrian crowd with Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway taking home the win. Racing against arguably the deepest and most challenging field on the FIS Ski World Cup circuit at the moment, the U.S. men did not qualify for a second run.

Heavy and wet snow started pounding a few hours before the race began, altering the hard surface underneath and leaving a deep rut. The snow peeled away from the racers’ skis as they turned, causing some of the best skiers on the World Cup tour to crash and make serious mistakes.

Due to the unpredictable conditions, Clement Noel of France became the story of the night. He was one of the favorites coming into the race, but made a major mistake right out of the gate and finished 30th first run—just barely making the second run. But running first in his second run and having a perfect track gave him the opportunity to throw down a blazing fast run and hold the lead for 25 racers.

It seemed like no one would beat Clement’s combined time, with the crowd pulsing in anticipation as each racer failed in his attempt. There was even an entertaining hiccup when it seemed like Alex Vinatzer of Italy had beaten Clement by .57, but instead was given a faster time because a nearly naked female fan came out of the crowd to walk across the finish line ahead of him. In reality, Alex was .13 seconds behind Clement, but even he had to laugh about the mishap.  

Finally, running 27th, Daniel Yule of Switzerland continued his dominant January to outski Clement’s time and finish in third place. Alexis Pinturault of France took second place. Henrik, even with a major mistake in his second run, turned on the afterburners at the bottom of the course to take the win by .34 seconds—his fourth win in Schladming.

The Americans had a tough day, with the Luke Winters, Ben Ritchie and Kyle Negomir struggling with the difficult surface and failing to qualify for a second run. AJ Ginnis did not finish. But Ryan Wilson, the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team World Cup slalom coach, looked at the race as a learning opportunity. “We can take a bunch of experience out of this because it’s Schladming and it’s crazy and it’s an atmosphere that none of these guys have any experience with and they’re going to have a lot of it for the next eight or nine years,” he said. “It’s another day of being here and learning from these the other guys around us.”

Ryan also spoke to the depth of the field, which is made up of a mixture of older men who have been on the circuit for years and young fast up-and-comers. “It’s a weird crossing of two generations now,” he commented. “With sport science, with the way guys are able to train, with how much advancement has happened in the last 20 years—a couple of the guys have been racing for almost that long which is outrageous—they are able to keep their bodies in a better position and are able to have more experience than anybody has ever had racing this slalom. You’re not just going to take the big dog’s bone away because he’s been in a lot more fights.”

Next up, the men head to Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany for a downhill and giant slalom.

RESULTS
Slalom

STANDINGS
Overall
Slalom

The ski industry lost one of its most treasured pioneers and founder of NASTAR with the passing of John Fry over the weekend. A longtime supporter of the U.S. Ski Team and ski racing, he is also credited with starting the Nations Cup to recognize the top country each season in the sport. 

Fry was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1995. 

Fry devoted much of his life to ski journalism, serving on the staffs of SKI LIFE, SKI, Snow Country, Skiing Heritage (now Skiing History), and Ski Area Management (SAM) Magazine. His in-depth knowledge and unparalleled passion for skiing brought the sport to life through the thousands of pages he created over his lengthy career.

However, John’s passion for the sport of skiing also ran far beyond the written word as evidenced by his creation of NASTAR (National Standard Racing) in 1969 when he was editor-in-chief of SKI Magazine. He was driven by the idea of creating in skiing the equivalent of par in golf. He adapted the French percentage-of-time system to a program he called the “National Standard Race,” using the acronym NASTAR that we all know today.

The nationwide recreational alpine racing series has engaged thousands of resort visitors for decades, and continues to embrace the passion for alpine ski racing under the management of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Fry also developed the Nations Cup of alpine skiing, ranking the worlds’ national ski teams based on World Cup points.

“John’s legacy and passion for ski racing will live on through NASTAR, where many U.S. ski racers first enjoyed their taste of the sport,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “He set the bar for commitment to skiing and ski racing as both a journalist, and visionary.”

Born Jan. 22, 1930, in Montreal, Canada, John took up skiing at age six. He attended high school at Lower Canada College (class of 1947) and was a member of its championship ski team. At McGill University he raced for the Red Birds Ski Club and earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1951.

In1972, he served as editorial director of Outdoor Life, SKI and GOLF. In 1965 he married Marlies Strillinger. In the summer of 1987, The New York Times Co. retained Fry to create a new magazine, Snow Country. When the magazine debuted in January 1988, he became the full-time editor-in-chief. Snow Country attained a circulation of 450,000.

He retired from The New York Times Co. in 1999 and returned to SKI as a contributing editor. He remained an active contributor at Skiing History magazine until his untimely death on Jan. 24, 2020, two days after celebrating his 90th birthday with his wife Marlies in Puerto Rico.

John is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marlies; their daughter, Nicole Fry; his children by Ann Lyons, the sculptor Leslie Fry and William Fry; and grandchildren Sarah and Emily Fry.

A memorial will be set for a later date.

Hydro Flask, an award-winning leader in high-performance, insulated stainless steel flasks and soft good innovations and a Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ, NM: HELE) company, is excited to announce a multi-year sponsorship with U.S. Ski & Snowboard. The brand has signed on as the official water bottle and drinkware supplier of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team.

Through the program, Hydro Flask insulated products will be used by U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes, coaches and staff while traveling, training and competing across seven disciplines – including alpine, freeski, freestyle, cross country, ski jumping, Nordic combined, and snowboard. Additionally, U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Hydro Flask will team up to offer consumer experiences and co-branded products.

“Our headquarters in Bend are neighbor to one of Oregon’s premier ski and snowboarding destinations, where many of our employees spend quality time outside of work. We’re excited to support an organization that aligns with our culture and hometown roots,” said Hydro Flask General Manager Scott Allan. “Our mission to inspire happier, healthier and more sustainable lives outdoors makes partnering with U.S. Ski & Snowboard the perfect fit for our brand.”

The multi-year program will support the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team through the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

“Hydro Flask is known for innovation and performance, and we’re excited to share their insulated products with our world-class athletes and fans,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Marketing Officer Andy McKeon. “This program will help support winter sports athletes by keeping them hydrated throughout training and competition, including the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. At the same time, replacing single-use containers with Hydro Flask’s reusable bottles while traveling and in everyday life will help reduce plastic consumption and waste – an effort that is important to us.”

Dedicated to uniquely refreshing experiences, innovative design and an unparalleled user experience, Hydro Flask continues to receive accolades for its insulated products. Hydro Flask has been the recipient of several Red Dot, GOOD DESIGN™ and iF Design Awards, including the coveted iF gold award. The Company has grown to become the number one overall American water bottle brand in Sporting Goods and Outdoor, according to third party data.