2018 Olympian and long-time Stifel U.S. Ski Team member Alice Merryweather has officially announced her retirement from alpine ski racing. 

“After much grief, deliberation, anger, and ultimately, acceptance, I have decided to retire from World Cup ski racing,” said Merryweather in a recent social media post. “Saying this breaks my heart. But without the support of the U.S. Ski Team moving forward, I don’t see a realistic path towards achieving my World Cup and Olympic dreams.”

Merryweather joined the team in 2015 after earning a spot on the junior world championship team in 2014 and 2015. After skiing to impressive results, she quickly made her World Cup debut in 2016. She then raced on home snow at the Killington Cup the following season; the rest is history. In 2017, Merryweather was crowned the Junior Worlds downhill champion. 

In 2018, Merryweather was selected to represent the United States of America for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, where she competed in the alpine combined and slalom events. Merryweather was also a member of the 2019 World Championships team. In her career, Merryweather overcame a large leg injury she sustained in a summer training camp in 2019. This injury kept her out of the starting gate for two seasons but Merryweather was determined to return to the World Cup start gate. She fully recovered and skied an entire World Cup speed season in the 2023-24 season. 

“Thank you first and foremost to my family. To my parents, who drove me around New England throughout my childhood so that I could pursue this crazy sport, and to my brother, who instilled in me a drive and competitive spirit that I still cherish today, every opportunity I have had in this career is because of you guys. Looking forward to starting a new chapter."
 

Eastern Region staff has aggregated some summary notes from this year's USSS Congress. This isn't intended to be an overview of some of the more major topics that were discussed. For a more exhaustive set of meeting minutes, agendas, and proposals, please see the USSS Congresss FTP site.

FTP site: https://media.usskiandsnowboard.org/Athletics/Alpine/Congress-2024

Congress Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j3DpHWG21kmSRdOstvTYz5MhQMb_wZohtLyzuDbQOvg/edit

Every year the release of the Masters National Speed Series schedule is highly anticipated. Speed races require more setup and resources to execute so the opportunities to race speed as an adult are limited. Masters speed racers plot out their season trying to hit as many of the speed races as possible, often having to adjust plans on a moments when races are rescheduled or canceled do to heavy snowfall. Just a few inches of snow with the right conditions can make a speed track unsafe for competition. As the saying goes... if you want snow, schedule a downhill! It is near impossible to pull off a full season of speed without any hiccups. 

The 2024 US Ski & Snowboard Alpine Masters National Speed Series, sponsored by A Racer's Edge, consisted a series of 23 SG and DH speed events, with races held in six divisions (PNSA, Far West, Intermountain, Rocky, Central, and Eastern). Heavy snow in the Far West and wet snow in the East and Pacific Northwest forced some cancelations we still had a solid 15 SG races at 8 resorts (Sun Valley, Granite Peak, West Mountain, Beaver Creek, Gore Mountain, Northstar, Breckenridge, and Mt. Bachelor) to contest the series. Unfortunately we were unable to host any of the DH races in 2024.

The 2024 A Racer's Edge National Speed Series overall champions are the top competitor in the overall group rankings for each group based on total world cup points accumulated in the series. Congratulations to the 2024 A Racer's Edge Speed Series Group Champions: Top finishers in overall standings

• Group C (all women): Andrea Levy (W02, EA).
• Group A/B (men age 20-64): Chris Maxwell (M08, IM)
• Group D (men age 65-80+): Jesse Scroggins (M09, PN)

The 2024 A Racer's Edge National Speed Series age class belt buckles are given to the top three competitors based on total world cup points accumulated in the series. Competitors must have at least three starts to be eligible for series awards.

• A/B men class champions
• D men class champions
• C women class champions

For full series results go to: usalpinemasters.org/2024/nss

Thank you to A Racer's Edge for sponsoring this year's speed series!

PARK CITY, Utah (April 24, 2024) – The Stifel U.S. Ski Team announced key staffing changes for the upcoming 2024-25 season across both the men’s and women’s alpine teams. 

Both alpine teams had a strong 2023-24 season, securing 10 World Cup wins, 21 podiums and 51 top 10 results in the World Cup across 11 athletes.

“We had a very good 2023-24 season and we are excited to build upon this success with these new hires,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Anouk Patty. “The coaches joining our organization are sure to make a positive impact on the future of our alpine programs.”

The team will be led by men’s head coach Mark Tilston and women’s head coach Paul Kristofic.

MEN

Longtime coach with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Ian Garner, is stepping down as the head men’s World Cup tech coach. Garner led the men’s tech team to some strong results across the board for several seasons, highlighted by River Radamus’ career best season this past year including his first podium . 

“We are so grateful for everything that Ian has done with the men’s World Cup team,” said Tilston. “His knowledge is invaluable to us and we look forward to collaborating with him as we make this transition.”

Stepping in as the head men’s World Cup giant slalom coach is Fabien Munier. Munier joins the Stifel U.S. Ski Team from the French Ski Federation where he has most notably worked with Olympic medalist, world champion and previous overall FIS Crystal Globe winner Alexis Pinterault, as well as the French Europa Cup speed and World Cup tech teams. 

Former French Ski Federation coach Claude Cretier also joins the men’s World Cup group. Cretier, an Olympic ski racer who finished fifth in the 2002 downhill, coached French greats such as Pinterault and Olympic medalist Victor Muffat-Jeandet. 

“Fabien and Claude’s background with the French Ski Federation shows that both have the experience and drive to make a positive impact on our team,” said Tilston. “We have a great group of athletes and Fabien and Claude will push our athletes to the next level of competition.”

On the men’s slalom side, Tristan Glasse-Davies joins the team as the head men’s slalom World Cup coach. Glasse-Davies most recently coached with GB Snowsports as the head men’s slalom coach for Dave Ryding as well as up-and-coming slalom skiers Billy Major and Laurie Taylor. Glasse-Davies has been key in Ryding’s slalom career, coaching him to one of the top slalom skiers in the world. Glasse-Davies was also a pivotal member of the team that claimed Great Britain’s first ever alpine World Cup win with Ryding at Kitzbühel in 2022. 

“It is exciting to have Tristan join our men’s slalom group,” said Tilston. “Tristan’s direction and experience is sure to help our slalom skiers reach their full potential.”

The men’s Europa Cup team will see new leadership under Clement Tomamichel. Tomamichel most recently coached with the French Ski Federation on the women’s development and Europa Cup teams. 

WOMEN

On the women’s alpine side, head tech coach Magnus Andersson has stepped down from his position. Andersson was a pivotal member of the women’s staff for eight years, leading the women’s tech team to a career-best season, first time podiums and Nations Cup discipline wins. “Through the years on the team Magnus has had an incredible impact on our athletes and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors” said Kristofic. Rudi Soulard has since been promoted to head women’s tech coach. Soulard was the assistant coach with the tech team in 2023-24 and made excellent strides with the staff and athletes alike.

His previous coaching experience includes head slalom coach for the French women’s team, coaching World Cup great Viktoria Rebensburg to two Olympic medals, two World Championship medals, 49 World Cup podiums and three giant slalom FIS Crystal Globes. Soulard is no stranger to the organization – he was also the head men’s tech coach with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team from 2008-10 where he worked with Ted Ligety as he secured two giant slalom Crystal Globes and a bronze medal at the 2009 Alpine World Championships.

“We are thrilled to have Rudi at the helm of our women’s tech team,” said Kristofic. “We know he will continue to build upon and raise the bar of this talented group of skiers.”  

Mikaela Shiffrin will bring in a new assistant coach this upcoming season with Janne Haarala, who most recently coached the Norwegian national team. He was the head women’s tech coach with the Norwegians for the past six years. 

“I’m super stoked to be part of the journey with the most successful alpine skier in the world,” said Haarala. “I am committed to working hard and sharing my experience and passion for alpine skiing with this team.” 

Finally, the women’s Europa Cup team will also have a new coach: Miha Kurner. Kurner joins the team from Killington Mountain School where he was the Alpine Program Director and U18 women’s coach. Kurner will bring a breadth of not just coaching experience but also his successful racing career where on the Slovenian Alpine Ski Team he raced on the Europa Cup and World Cup circuits. 

“We are very excited about the future of the alpine program with these excellent new hires,” said Patty. “These new staff additions build upon our previous success leading into a World Championships season and Olympic year on the horizon. Our teams are ready and equipped to begin prepping for the coming season.” 

A full staff announcement will be released this fall, in tandem with the official Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement.