It was a furious first distance race on the FIS Cross Country World Cup circuit in Ruka, Finland on Sunday. Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) led the U.S. Cross Country Team, finishing eighth in the women’s individual classic. 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) was close behind in 14th. Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) led the U.S. men in the in 31st in the 15k classic.

Norway’s Therese Johaug took the victory - her 53rd World Cup win - as Sweden was second and third with Charlotte Kalla and Ebba Andersson respectively. For the men, Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov won, Norway’s Emil Iversen was second and Sweden’s Calle Halfvarsson came in third.

“The downhills were wicked fast, so there was little to no recovery,” said Bjornsen, who is currently 10th in the overall World Cup standings. “I went out hard and did my very best to hang on. Despite losing my ‘fight for the podium’ on my third lap, I feel so excited and encouraged about finishing eighth today. I had good feelings, I had good skis, and I know where I lost my time a bit. It is a long season ahead, and this weekend was a good first checkpoint. I know each race will build on the one before, so I am just loving every second of this process.”

Due to variable snow conditions, the course was changed to three laps of a 3.3k course for the women and four laps of 3.75k course for the men. Despite the challenging conditions, Diggins was happy with her start to the season.

“I always like to build into the season and carry quite a bit of training load into the first few weekends in order to be racing in top form later in the year, so this is right around where I’d hope to be!” said Diggins. “The process of picking skis, being mentally tough and focusing on my best technique during the race went really well so I’m stoked with how the process is going early in the season!”

The FIS Cross Country World Cup season continues next weekend, Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, in Lillehammer, Norway, with men and women’s freestyle sprint; a 10k freestyle for the women, 15k freestyle for the men, and a 10k classic pursuit for the women and 15k classic pursuit for the men.

RESULTS
Women’s 10k Interval Start Classic Ruka, Finland
Men’s 15k Interval Start Classic Ruka, Finland

Bjornsen Top American In Ruka Sprint

Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.), Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.) and Ida Sargent (Orleans, Vt.) all advanced to the World Cup classic sprint finals in Ruka, Finland on Saturday, with Bjornsen leading the Americans in 11th place.

“It sure was fun to fire the engine for day one of World Cup racing this winter,” said Bjornsen, who was the fifth overall qualifier. “I am excited to get that first sprint race of the season in, and looking forward to building on this start.”

“Today we saw the first hints of great coming seasons out of Sadie, Sophie and Ida, all qualifying in comfortable fashion,” U.S. World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb said. “We wanted more from today, but we aren’t discouraged. Wanting and expecting are two different things, and we can’t expect a huge day for the team unless we come to Europe three weeks in advance of the World Cup. We need more time on snow, as well as more racing.”

Russia’s Yulia Belorukova won, Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist and Ida Ingemarsdotter closed out the podium in second and third respectively. For the men, Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov was first and Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Eirik Brandsdal were second and third.  

RESULTS
Men’s Classic Sprint Ruka, Finland
Women’s Classic Sprint Ruka, Finland

In front of 18,500 screaming fans, Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) ended up just off the podium in fourth place at the Killington Cup giant slalom, where Italy's Federica Brignone wowed the crowd with her solid skiing for the victory, followed by Norway's Ragnhild Mowinckel and Austria's Stephanie Brunner in third. 

The ladies came in charging today on a first run course that was relatively open and straight and laid down some impressively fast, aggressive skiing. There's no question Mowinckel's giant slalom skills are impressive, but her super-G skills came into play that first run too, as she took a more direct line than most of her competitors and secured a big 0.37 second lead over Brignone. However, with "hero snow," only a few tenths separated positions two through eight. Today "Superstar" made a lot of athletes look like superstars. Shiffrin sat in sixth, 0.69 seconds out, but within striking position for a podium. 

Tom "Cowboy" Johnston, who is in charge of the surface, ensured his team put together a bulletproof track, and the snow was perfect - perhaps, even a little too perfect (if that's even a thing) in some athletes' minds. Accustomed to slick, hockey rink-like surfaces on the World Cup, athletes found that today's surface held up so well for the entire field...which is the best "problem" to have. However, that made it harder for athletes to make big gains and separate themselves from the field. Hence, the tight time differential. 

"The first run I had some really good skiing, but some of the turns I was just not aggressive enough. The second run I was much more aggressive, but it wasn't quite enough. Watching Fede (Brignone) go down I was like, 'Well, yeah - that makes sense!" Shiffrin laughed. 

Shiffrin upped the intensity for the second run, cheered on by 18,500 screaming fans. She skied clean and strong, with great tactical precision, and came through the finish in the lead by .32 seconds, but Brunner, Mowinckel and - particularly - Brignone were just extremely sound and solid. They turned up the intensity just a notch higher, and it paid off for them. Last year's Killington giant slalom winner, German Viki Rebensburg, ran into some trouble and skied out, while 2016 Killington giant slalom winner, France's Tessa Worley finished in fifth, just two hundredths behind Shiffrin.

Always a student of the sport, Shiffrin reflected, "I was happy with some of my skiing, but I wasn't happy with the intensity...I want it too, but I was enjoying the feeling first run too much. I was feeling too comfortable." But, she loved competing in front of the 18,500 fans in Killington.

"Being here has been very special, I'm not feeling too much pressure - I'm just excited to race. It was so much fun to ski in front of the 18,500 fans that came out today and cheered so loud. It's really so incredible to be able to hear all of them and to be welcomed into the finish area into such an amazing atmosphere. I am looking forward to skiing for them again tomorrow!"

Six Americans were on Saturday's start list, with some good skiing from two California gals - Nina O'Brien (San Francisco, Calif.) and Foreste Peterson (Berkeley, Calif.) - though they each ran into some trouble with the terrain on the tough Superstar track. Vermonter Abi Jewett (Ripton, Vt.) made her World Cup debut on home soil. Though she did not qualify for a second run, she was happy to get the first race jitters out of the way and compete in front of her family and friends. The women will take on slalom on Sunday, as Shiffrin goes for the hat trick of Killington slalom victories, while the men will ski super-G at Lake Louise, Canada. 

Nyman 11th, Bennett 12th in Lake Louise Downhill
Veran downhiller Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) returned from injury to lead the charge for the U.S. Ski Team in Saturday's downhill at the FIS Ski World Cup speed opener in Lake Louise, Canada. 

Seven Americans were on the roster, including Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.), Nyman, Jared Goldberg, (Holladay, Utah), Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.), Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.), Thomas Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) and Wiley Maple (Aspen, Colo.)

Austria’s Max Franz claimed the top podium finish, and Italy took second and third with Christof Innerhofer and Dominik Paris, respectively. In his first World Cup back since sustaining a knee injury in Garmisch, Germany last February, Nyman placed 11th followed by Bennett in 12th, and Cochran-Siegle rocketing from bib 54 to land in 20th place.

This week was a bit of a wake-up call for Nyman, in being back on a World Cup surface. "Today was a little nerve-wracking," Nyman said. "I had questions in my head, but being on the World Cup is always different than training. I was skiing well this summer, but we weren't really delivered the greatest training conditions, and World Cup conditions are much different - today it was hard, responsive, strong - and since I haven't skied much in the last two years, I had adapted by equipment to the softer snow. I had to go back to ground zero."

Nyman mentioned the challenging conditions with the wind, and for big guys like Nyman and Bennett, aerodynamics are key. Searching for aerodynamics and "piercing the wind" were important, and Bennett's run inspired Nyman. "I can't let the other tall guy beat me! I nipped him," Nyman laughed. "I'm really proud of him. He stepped it up and he's a proven racehorse. He fought today. 

He added that teammate Cochran-Siegle's performance was key for the speed team. "Super proud of Ryan Cochran-Siegle," noted Nyman. "My injuries are nothing compared to what he went through, and that kid's long-term term goal of achieving things like this, and he has much more to come, but for him to lay down from back there was fantastic and creating another spot for the team is a big step forward, so congrats to him. I have a lot of work to do, myself, but I still believe I can be on the podium and win races."

Sunday’s super-G will be streamed live at 4:00 p.m. EST on both the Olympic Channel and on NBC Sports Gold.

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom
Men's downhill

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST
 

Sunday, Nov. 25
10:00 a.m. - World Cup women’s slalom, first run, Killington, Vt - NBC Sports Gold*
1:00 p.m. - World Cup women’s slalom, second run, Killington, Vt - NBC
1:00 p.m. - World Cup women’s slalom, second run, Killington, Vt - NBC Sports Gold*
4:00 p.m. - World Cup men’s super-G, Lake Louise, CAN - The Olympic Channel
4:00 p.m. - World Cup men’s super-G, Lake Louise, CAN - NBC Sports Gold*

*NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product “Snow Pass” provides fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports from October 2018 through April 2019.

The Snow Pass provides access to every second of race action throughout the season. Whoever you support, their races will be broadcast on the Snow Pass. NBC will also email you prior to each event to remind you of live broadcast times on Snow Pass, and if you can’t watch live, the entire event will be available to replay, all for under 20 cents per day.

Seventeen-year-old 2018 FIS Junior Big Air World Champion and U.S. Freeski Rookie Team member Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) claimed second at the opening 2018-19 FIS World Cup slopestyle competition in Stubai, Austria for his first-ever World Cup podium. Sweden's Henrik Harlaut topped the podium while Ferdinand Dahl of Norway finished third.

"Practice didn't go that well for me," said Forehand. "I was incredibly hyped to land my run top to bottom."

For the women, Kelly Sildaru of Estonia led the way with one of the most technical rail sections ever witnessed in a women’s freeski slopestyle competition. Swiss teammates Sarah Hoefflin and Mathilde Gremaud continued their dominance on the World Cup tour with a second and third respectively.

Following a stellar first run from Harlaut, Forehand executed a full top-to-bottom run with a beautiful switch double cork 1260 mute, proving this U.S. rookie team athlete would not shutter in the face of the world's best freeski slopestyle athletes. Alex Hall (Park City, Utah) executed a solid first run with one small bobble on the first rail while Borm (Chaska, Minn.) also laced together a very technical run complete with a back 360 switchup as well as a frontside switchup Pretzel 450 pushing him into second-place moving into the final round. Hall would sit in 7th and Forehand in 14th.

On Forehand’s second run he brought it all together with style and moved into second. Congratulating Forehand with no delay was Harlaut, who went on to win the competition. Forehand’s score held against the likes of the 2017 FIS Slopestyle Champion Andri Ragettli of Switzerland, as well as X Games medalists Swedish teammates Oscar Wester and Jesper Tjader. Dropping in last was Borm who put on a show to fly into fourth place, almost joining Forehand on the podium. It was undeniably an amazing day for the U.S. Freeski Rookie Team.

Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) and Julia Krass (Manchester Center, Vt.) represented the U.S. Freeski Pro Team for the ladies. Although they would not finish on the podium, they both proved they can take their new bag of tricks to the competition environment. Krass landed her right side double cork 1080 and Voisin landed her left double cork 1260, both which they learned this fall at the Saas Fee Stomping Grounds training camp. Voisin and Krass are two of the few females in slopestyle freeskiing throwing these tricks.

Up next, U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Team athletes will travel to Breckenridge, Colorado for the 2018 Dew Tour Dec. 13-16, and then on to Font Romeu World Cup in France. It’s been a successful start to the season thus far for the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air Team with two second-place finishes in the first two competitions as well as Forehand’s victory at the FIS Junior World Championships in August.

Mac Forehand Second-Place Run: Switch left double cork 1260 Mute, right double cork 1260 Japan, switch 270 back 630 Safety, back 360 switchup Pretzel 270, switch right Lipslide 270 Pretzel 270.

RESULTS
Men's slopestyle
Women's slopestyle

Killington Cup, arguably the most highly anticipated FIS Ski World Cup of the season, is on the horizon this weekend in cold and snowy Vermont. With record crowds of 30,000+ east-coast-ski-racing-hungry fans anticipated at the event and an all-star line-up of talent both on and off the hill, the #BeastWorldCup is slated to be a premiere event once again. That’s something to be thankful for if we’re counting Thanksgiving blessings.

Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) is coming hot to Killington, having won the first slalom race of the season in Levi, Finland last weekend, followed by Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova almost six tenths back, and Austria’s Bernadette Schild. It was Shiffrin’s 33rd World Cup slalom victory, and her 44th career victory.

A clear favorite going into the weekend, Shiffrin is the 2016 and 2017 winner of the slalom at Killington. She’ll grab the hat-trick of victories if she prevails in Sunday’s slalom. Shiffrin could also tie Switzerland’s Vreni Schneider’s slalom win count, and will be one victory closer to childhood heroine Austrian Marlies Schild’s record of 35 slalom victories. That’s not all, though. With a second-place finish behind Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg in last year’s giant slalom, Shiffrin will be on the hunt for the giant slalom “W” too.

The starting line-up for the weekend includes 10 women and will feature veteran Resi Stiegler (Jackson, Wyo.) skiing in her second race back from a knee injury sustained in PyeongChang during the Olympic slalom. Another highlight of the weekend will be the young Abi Jewett’s (Ripton, Vt.) World Cup debut on home soil on Killington in the giant slalom Saturday. Keep an eye on another young up-and-comer in the giant slalom, AJ Hurt (Squaw Valley, Calif.), and the dynamic duo of Dartmouth gals known as “Trish O’Brien”.

With crowds totaling more than 30,000 people each of the last two years, thanks to the close proximity to Boston and New York – and the deep and loyal U.S. Ski & Snowboard club membership base in the east – the Killington Cup is the biggest World Cup event in the States, and among the top five worldwide. I can’t prove that to you, but I can promise you that I know from experience...and my experience is pretty vast.

For a European-focused sport dominated by Austrians with ample resources and less saturation in sport, it’s quite the honor for Killington to be in such good company, including the famed Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel, Austria, the Schladming “Night Race” in Austria, the “Snow Space Salzburg Princess” in Flachau, Austria and the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Switzerland. Hanging out with the big dogs, Killington! BOOM. Well done.

Moving north to the men’s World Cup Tour, at our plaid-infused neighbor’s house in Lake Louise, Canada – where our favorite jean tuxedo derived from – veterans Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) and Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.) are both returning to competition from knee injuries and will headline the men’s speed team. Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) also returns from a heartbreaking Achilles injury sustained in the downhill training run on the eve of the Olympic downhill. After a challenging 2017-18 season full of injuries, Head Coach John “Johno” McBride has big hopes for these guys this season, and the American men’s first downhill title is not out of question.

Downhillers Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) and Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah), who both had flashes of brilliance in the 2017-18 season, will once again look to make their mark on Canadian soil. Wiley Maple (Aspen, Colo.) clocked the sixteenth-fastest time in the first downhill training run on Wednesday, and the fastest among the American men, followed by Ganong. On Thursday, Ganong led the Americans, followed by Nyman. One more downhill training run on Friday for these boys to get their feet under them and dust off the cobwebs, and then it's "go time"! 

You’ll be able to catch all of the action on NBC, NBC Sports Network, NBC Sports Gold, and the Olympic Channel, so make sure to tune in this holiday weekend to get your fill of ski racing. Plus! Current U.S. Ski Team “A” Team athlete, Alice McKennis, who is undergoing rehab for a leg injury, will be making her announcing debut, calling the men’s speed action in Lake Louise, Canada.

See who to watch and where to catch all the action below.

WOMEN’S STARTERS

• Katie Hensien (SL)
• AJ Hurt (GS)
• Abi Jewett* (GS)
• Lila Lapanja (SL)
• Tricia Mangan (GS)
• Paula Moltzan (SL)
• Nina O’Brien (GS, SL)
• Foreste Peterson (GS)
• Resi Stiegler (SL)
• Mikaela Shiffrin (GS, SL)

MEN’S STARTERS

• Bryce Bennett (DH)
• Tommy Biesemeyer (DH, SG)
• Ryan Cochran-Siegle (DH, SG)
• Travis Ganong (DH, SG)
• Jared Goldberg (DH, SG)
• Nick Krause (SG)
• Wiley Maple (DH, SG)
• Sam Morse (SG)
• Steven Nyman (DH, SG)

*Denotes first World Cup Start
**Denotes SG spots up for grabs based on training runs.

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST
Saturday, Nov. 24
9:30 a.m. - World Cup women’s giant slalom, first run, Killington, Vt. - NBC Sports Gold*
1:00 p.m. - World Cup women’s giant slalom, second run, Killington, Vt. - NBCSN
1:00 p.m. - World Cup women’s giant slalom, second run, Killington, Vt. - NBC Sports Gold*
3:00 p.m. - World Cup women’s giant slalom, wrap up, Killington, Vt. - NBC
4:00 p.m. - World Cup men’s downhill, Lake Louise, CAN - The Olympic Channel
4:00 p.m. - World Cup men’s downhill, Lake Louise, CAN - NBC Sports Gold*

Sunday, Nov. 25
10:00 a.m. - World Cup women’s slalom, first run, Killington, Vt. - NBC Sports Gold*
1:00 p.m. - World Cup women’s slalom, second run, Killington, Vt. - NBC
1:00 p.m. - World Cup women’s slalom, second run, Killington, Vt. - NBC Sports Gold*
4:00 p.m. - World Cup men’s super-G, Lake Louise, CAN - The Olympic Channel
4:00 p.m. - World Cup men’s super-G, Lake Louise, CAN - NBC Sports Gold*

*NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product “Snow Pass” provides fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports from October 2018 through April 2019.

The Snow Pass provides access to every second of race action throughout the season. Whoever you support, their races will be broadcast on the Snow Pass. NBC will also email you prior to each event to remind you of live broadcast times on Snow Pass, and if you can’t watch live, the entire event will be available to replay, all for under 20 cents per day.

RESULTS
Men’s Downhill Training Run 1
Men's Downhill Training Run 2

For the full event schedule at Killington, check out their website. 

The men's alpine speed team was featured in a recent CNN article by Rob Hodgetts entitled, "American downhillers: A need for speed," in which Head Coach John "Johno" McBride talked about his team's unconventional training methods, how they're a "band of brothers" on the road, and what his goals are for the team this season. 

"They all have an understanding of what it means to be downhillers. It's different to slalom skiers. These guys push each other to the edge of destruction. When you're going 90mph down a hill you know that if you go into the red room (the fence) there's a good chance you're going to be injured. There's a lot of consequence to what these guys do and creating this band of brothers, this 'American Downhiller' concept is something the guys can take pride in and support each other and hopefully encourage others to be a part of."

After a challenging 2017-18 Olympic season that saw two of the team leaders—Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) and Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.)—out of competition due to knee injuries, McBride talks about his optimism for going where no U.S. male downhiller has gone before: the World Cup downhill title. "Have we been able to pull it together to make that happen. No? But I think it's possible," he said. "We've got guys who can win a title if they're healthy. Steven Nyman and Travis Ganong are in a place where they can be contenders."

McBride also discussed his unconventional training methods for spring camps, which have featured hiking 14ers in Colorado two years ago, and undergoing a four-day special forces training camp in Malibu, California this past spring.  

Read the full article at CNN.com

Downhill and super-G skier Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah) was featured in FIS' Behind The Results series heading into this weekend's FIS Ski World Cup speed series opening in Lake Louise, Canada. 

In their "Behind The Results" series, FIS explores the path athletes have taken to get to the World Cup. Goldberg talks about everything from learning to ski in the mighty Beast of the East (Killington, Vermont) to his parents moving west to Salt Lake City, Utah seeking out the greatest snow on earth...and beyond. 

The piece includes footage of Goldberg cliff hucking at his home mountain, Snowbird, and images of him skiing as a child. He stresses the importance of freeskiing, having fun and enjoying bottomless powder. "Downhill is the essence of ski racing," Goldberg reflected. "The feeling of being so in the moment and not caring about how I look or if I need to ski a certain way...in downhill, you can get away with just sending it. You can be smiling on the way down."

Goldberg will start in this weekend's super-G and downhill races at Lake Louise, Canada. 

Check out the full edit on fis-ski.com.

U.S. Snowboard Team athletes will compete in the third FIS World Cup big air event of the season this week in Beijing, China, the Beijing Snowboard Air + Style Big Air World Cup. This is only the second year that the Air + Style big air competition has doubled as a FIS World Cup. In an interview with FIS Race Director Roberto Moresi in 2017, Moresi says, “Air + Style is one of the most historical snowboard events ever with a very strong reputation. Every snowboarder wants to be part of it sooner or later.”

The FIS World Cup Air + Style big is indeed a sought after event for snowboarders with an incredibly high level of competition. Only two U.S Snowboard athletes are on the start list including defending World Cup Slopestyle Champion Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) who already has two podium results in big air competition this season. Corning won the inaugural competition of the season in Cardrona, NZ and followed it up with a second place finish in Modena, Italy. Joining Corning is U.S Pro Team member Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii). With one World Cup podium under his belt from Seiseralm, Italy last season, expect Farrell to come in firing looking for his second World Cup victory.

“I’m honored to get the invite to Air + Style Beijing,” Farrell. “Getting to compete against some of the top riders in the world at such a unique event is a truly special opportunity.”

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, Nov. 24
6:00 a.m. - World Cup big air + style, Beijing, CHN - NBC Sports Gold*
6:30 a.m. - World Cup big air + style, Beijing, CHN - Olympic Channel
 

The U.S. Cross Country Team begins their FIS World Cup Season this coming weekend north of the Arctic Circle in Ruka, Finland, with a classic sprint on Saturday, followed by classic distance events on Sunday.  

“I’m excited and ready to get this season rolling!” said Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn) following a recent training session on the Ruka course.  “I’m purposefully not putting any pressure on myself because of how last year went but taking it one race weekend at a time. And after training so hard all spring, summer, and fall, I’m ready to get back to business!”

Despite a lack of natural snow, the Ruka World Cup course is covered and ready for a weekend of racing. However, Sunday's classic event has been shortened slightly due to snow conditions for the women, as they will race three laps on a 3.3k course, while the men will complete four laps on a 3.75k course.

“Having now arrived in Ruka, we’re a rested group that is eager to get on whiter snow to put our summer training to test,” said U.S. Cross Country Coach Matt Whitcomb. “With the exception of a small stomach bug that took down a couple athletes, the team has weathered the first week in Europe well. Training has been conservative as we adjusted to European time over the last week, and we’re now ready for a hard session to prime us for the weekend.”

Last season Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash) notched a second place in the Ruka classic sprint, and she is feeling ready coming off some great training and ski testing in Beitostolen, Norway.

Tentative U.S. starters
Saturday classic sprint
Women:

• Jessie Diggins
• Sadie Bjornsen
• Sophie Caldwell
• Ida Sargent
• Rosie Brennan
• Kelsey Phinney
• Kaitlynn Miller – SuperTour Leader

Men:

• Simi Hamilton
• Erik Bjornsen
• Kevin Bolger
• Ben Saxton
• David Norris – SuperTour Leader

Sunday classic 10/15 km:
Women:

• Jessie Diggins
• Sadie Bjornsen
• Sophie Caldwell
• Ida Sargent
• Rosie Brennan
• Caitlin Patterson
• Kaitlynn Miller – SuperTour Leader

Men:

• Simi Hamilton
• Erik Bjornsen
• Kevin Bolger
• Scott Patterson
• Paddy Caldwell
• David Norris – SuperTour Leader
• Alternate: Adam Martin

U.S Freeski athletes will compete in the first FIS World Cup slopestyle event of the season this week in Stubai, Austria, from Nov 22-23. This is the second year of the Stubai World Cup following its debut in 2017. Among the athletes competing is the second place finisher from the recent Modena FIS World Cup big air Alex Hall (Park City, Utah) as well as last year’s Stubai Slopestyle World Cup men’s and women’s third place finishers Colby Stevenson (Park City,  Utah) and Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.).

Really excited to be heading back to the Stubai World Cup to kick off the season in such a beautiful place,” said Stevenson. “I was third last year, can’t wait to show my stuff and have some fun this year.”

For the women, additional U.S. athletes set to compete include U.S. Freeski Pro Team members Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.), Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.) as well as U.S. Freeski Rookie Team members Eileen Gu (San Francisco, Calif.), Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah), Rell Harwood (Park CIty, Utah) and American Taylor Lundquist (Park City, Utah).

For the men, additional U.S. athletes set to compete include Sochi Olympic Gold medalist Joss Christensen (Park City, Utah) as well as U.S Rookie Team members Willie Borm (Chaska, Minn.), Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.). In addition, Americans Quinn Wolferman (Missoula, Mont.) and Peter Raich (Park City, Utah) will also join the competitive field.

Although Stevenson and Claire reached the podium in last year’s competition, expect U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes to look to better this performance this time around in Austria. This is the last chance for athletes to dial in their runs in a competitive environment before heading to Dew Tour Dec. 13-16. In addition to have seemingly endless ski season, Stubai is also known for their phenomenal slopestyle courses. The 2018 Stubai FIS Slopestyle World Cup should be no exception.

According to FIS, the competition was initially scheduled for Saturday, which has now been rescheduled due to a significant snowstorm in the forecast for the weekend. Following the jury decision after the first team captain’s meeting on Tuesday, the qualifications are now scheduled for Thursday, with the finals tentatively slated to take place on Friday.

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST

FREESKI
Friday, Nov. 23
6:00 a.m. - World Cup Slopestyle, Stubai, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
 

PARK CITY, Utah - U.S. Ski & Snowboard has launched its first-ever Official Fan Club. Since 1905, the year to which the American Olympic organization can directly trace its roots, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have depended on fans for inspiration, motivation, and support throughout their grueling competition and training schedules. From an aspiring young athlete to the die-hard fan that religiously supports the red, white and blue, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club offers a channel for fans to have a direct, positive impact on athlete success. Whether you are an alpine, freestyle, freeski, cross country or snowboard enthusiast, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club is for you.

Over the past 20 years, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have had quite the track record, much of which can be directly linked back to the immense support of U.S Ski & Snowboard fans. Since the Nagano Games in 1998, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have earned 82 Olympic medals, 32 of which were gold, none of which would have been possible without the support of the team’s fans. Now, U.S. Ski & Snowboard looks to build on this success with the fan club serving as a catalyst to create yet more champions.

“Fans are super important to the sport of freesking,” said two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time World Cup giant slalom champion Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah). “It’s still a niche sport, it’s not the biggest sport out there, especially in the U.S. Any of the fans we have are people that we cherish and we are super thankful for anybody who follows us.“

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club membership is available at three levels: bronze, silver or gold. Each package contains increasing levels of U.S. Ski & Snowboard merchandise so fans can support every athlete’s journey to the podium in style. These packages include caps, backpacks, sticker packs and more. In addition, fan club members will receive exclusive content throughout the 2018-19 season and beyond, and they will have the chance to interact with athletes through email content, videos, stories and more.

In a speech at the 2018 New York Gold Medal Gala, referring to supporters of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, PyeongChang Gold medalist Jessie Diggins said, “We feel like you believe in us, so thank you, because that’s the best gift you can give.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard wishes to thank all its fans for their support and urges everyone who wants to help U.S. ski and snowboard athletes see their dreams come true to sign up below for their chance to join the team behind the team for this season and beyond.

Click here for more information on how to join the official U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club.