Every summer, many of the Alpine National teams get back on snow to start their season in the Southern hemisphere. Masters also get their on snow training started AND kick off the FIS Masters Cup race season in the Southern hemisphere! The 2024 South American FIS Masters Cup event was held at Catedral Alta Patagonia in Bariloche, Argentina.

To make the most of the long trip, for many years, former USSA Alpine Masters Manager, Bill Skinner, ran a camp prior to the South American races. The camp was open to USA racers and their international competitors with a FIS Masters license. Even at the FIS level, spending time on and off the snow with your competitors is a key component of the Masters experience. When Bill retired, Lisa Ballard eagerly took up the charge to continue the tradition of the South American race camp. Big thanks to Lisa for her work to make the camp available for the Masters community!

For 2024, the camp included 6 days of training before 3 days of competition. The schedule was maximized to include 6 races over the 3 days of competition. As always, mother nature had a say and after 8 days of great training and racing, the SL and AC were cancelled on the last day due to 100km winds. Check out the South American Masters Camp Bariloche 2024 Recap Video and mark your calendars for early September next summer! It's sure to be a trip you won't forget!

See the full results at https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/masters/calendar-results.html

The 2025-26 alpine World Cup schedule is TBA. 

Two-time Olympian and athlete on the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team, Tricia Mangan, is once again teaming up with her brother, Andrew Mangan, to raise awareness for the High Fives Foundation - a cause close to Andrew’s heart. 

“I am so excited to be rowing in the Head of the Charles Regatta again this year with my brother Andrew in the Mixed Inclusion Doubles event and with my entire family (parents and five siblings) in the Directors Challenge to raise money for High Fives Foundation,” said Mangan.

After rowing competitively throughout high school Andrew suffered a spinal cord injury in 2016 that left him paralyzed from the shoulder down. He has since gained a new perspective and drive to get back into the sport, which led him to the High Fives Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organization helping those with spinal cord injuries return to the world of outdoor sports. 

“I really admire Andrew and think his story is a true testament to the power of never-ending hard work and a positive attitude. It will be really special to be able to row with him and even more fun to row as an entire family,” said Mangan.

Mangan is not just a successful alpine athlete but has worked to support her brother in his recovery by teaming up at the Head of the Charles to raise money and awareness for the organization. 

“As the least experienced rower in the family, I’ll be doing my best not to slow down the boat, but I’m most looking forward to a really special event that always brings my family and our rowing friends together and to raise money for High Fives which is such an incredible organization that helps athletes, like my brother Andrew, get back to the sports they love after life-changing injuries.”

The sibling duo plans to race to raise awareness about the foundation and shed a positive light on its work. The regatta is set to take place in Boston, MA during Head of the Charles Oct. 18 - 20.