U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s slopestyle, big air, halfpipe, and snowboardcross athletes are coming off a very successful two-week Saas-Fee Training Camp in Switzerland, and are ready to travel the world in search of World Cup podiums.

The U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Team are the lone representatives left on the glacier for U.S. Ski & Snowboard as they continue training until November 2. Armed with a new bag of tricks, the rest of U.S. Freeski and Snowboard athletes look forward to second FIS World Cup event of the season with snowboard and freeski big air in Modena, Italy on Nov 3. The FIS Snowboardcross World Cup kicks off in Montafon, Austria, Dec. 14-16.

Mother nature was clearly cooperating throughout U.S Ski & Snowboard’s stay in Saas-Fee. WIth nine days on snow and five sunny days in a row, there was plenty of opportunities for athletes to find their stride.

“We just wrapped up training and it went really well,” said defending FIS Snowboardcross World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.). “We had good weather which sometimes doesn’t happen on the glacier. Weather tends to roll in and get stuck here, so we were very fortunate.”

With the weather door wide open, numerous athletes took advantage of this opportunity and reached personal milestones and even completed world firsts. PyeongChang Olympic halfpipe gold medalist, and five-time World Cup winner, Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), became the first woman to land a frontside double cork 1080 in the halfpipe. Also adding excitement to the halfpipe was Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.) working on perfecting the double crippler. Mastro was the first female to land the trick in the halfpipe last May at Mammoth Mountain, where she stomped it twice during a training session. Mammoth Mountain is an official training ground for U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

Among the standout performances was U.S. Snowboard Rookie Slopestyle Team member Sean Fitzsimons (Hood River, Ore.), who had himself quite a camp, landing a switch backside triple 1620 and a frontside triple 1440. However, Fitzsimons got by with a little help from his friends.

“I was definitely feeding off Jake (Canter) and Dusty (Henricksen),” said Fitzsimons. “They knew I wanted to try these tricks and they were hyping me up all day long. That was huge because I was super nervous and their support helped me ‘man up’ and send it. The coaches were also a huge help. They were taking video that helped me visualize the trick and reassured me with confidence throughout the day.”

The feeling was mutual between U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team members Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Canter (Evergreen, Colo.). Henricksen went on to land his first clean backside triple 1440 and Canter with his first cab double 1260 followed by a cab double 1440 shortly after. The snowboarders simply could not slow down. Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii),  Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.), Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska) and Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) all added new and significant tricks to their arsenal at the Stomping Grounds Park.

Additionally, it was hard to ignore Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) as he continued to dial in his backside quad cork 1800. This trick was Corning’s signature jump from his inaugural win of the season at the 2018 New Zealand Winter Games FIS World Cup big air.

“The Glacier in Saas-Fee watched in awe as Chris displayed full ownership of this trick. In many many cases, athletes just heard rumors of Corning and were astonished as he often landed the trick while many riders were still getting their morning coffees.”

    - U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Pro Team Coach Mike Ramirez

For the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Team, the ladies were a force to be reckoned with. The time spent in the off-season reaped real benefits for Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) and Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.). Voisin landed her first double 1260 and Krass landed her first double 1080, both on their second attempts.

“I have been thinking about doing that double for a couple years now and this summer I lived it out in Utah at the airbag,” said Krass. “My goal was to do it on snow in Saas-Fee, so I’m super stoked it worked out. It was an amazing day and everyone was feeding off each other’s energy with Maggie doing her double 1260 and Darian (Stevens) doing her first switch bio 1080.”

Voisin also took advantage of the airbag this summer and it paid off.

“I spent three weeks total this summer in Park City working it on the airbag,” said Voisin. “I for sure had times throughout the summer where I’d find myself getting very nervous over the idea of trying it on snow. It’s in times like that where you really test your strengths and I knew if I pushed through the fear I would prove my doubts wrong.”

U.S. Freeski Head Slopestyle Coach Skogen Sprang couldn’t be happier about the contribution these ladies will be making to the sport of freeskiing. “They will both be pushing the sport by adding these tricks to their competition runs this season. We are all stoked to see the progression from all the ladies this year!”

For the male slopestyle freeskiers, the focus was on variety. With the level of slopestyle freeskiing being at an all-time high, it is crucial that athletes offer a balanced and stand out run. This includes spinning in multiple directions and separating yourself from the pack with unique grabs and tweaks. This was a strategic focus at camp for the male slopestyle freeskiers.

With no lack of experience on the U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Team, athletes and coaches took a strategic approach in Saas-Fee. This was the first time back in the halfpipe for most of the athletes this season, so it was imperative everyone got comfortable again before trying new maneuvers. With returning Olympic halfpipe medalists Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.), Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.), and David Wise (Reno, Nev.), they took a longer-term approach focusing on competition tricks and less on progression. However, Brita Sigourney showed no signs of slowing down coming off her Olympic bronze medal performance in PyeongChang.

“She was skiing with serious confidence, locking in good grabs, and spinning on great axes,” said U.S. Freeski Team Halfpipe Head Coach Andrew Woods. “Her back to back 900s were legitimately 10-15 feet out of the halfpipe and I’ve never seen her ski better.”

There were many highlights at Saas-Fee training camp, but perhaps none greater than reuniting an athlete with his team members. Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) broke his back in an avalanche in Whistler, Canada last April and Saas-Fee camp was the first time he got back on his snowboard with his teammates.

“He was looking good on his board and seemed to be back where he let off,” said U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Pro Team Coach Dave Reynolds. “We are happy to have him back in action.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard off-season training resources, mixed with skilled and dedicated athletes and an amazing coaching staff resulted in an incredibly successful training camp. Many of these new tricks will make their competition debut this season, be sure to tune in as the hard work from Saas-Fee pays off. 

Following the Modena World Cup, U.S. Freeski Team athletes will head to the Stubai World Cup slopestyle competition Nov 22-24, while U.S. Snowboard Team athletes will move onto Beijing, China for the air & style big air World Cup event Nov 23-24. Both teams then head to Copper Mountain, Colo. for the first halfpipe competition of the season at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Dec. 6-8, which also serves as a FIS World Cup event. The FIS World Cup snowboardcross season kicks off in Montafon, Austria, Dec. 14-16 and alpine snowboarding in St. Moritz, Switzerland Dec. 8-9.
 

Almost $2 million was raised at U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s 52nd annual New York Gold Medal Gala, the social highlight of snowsports in the USA. Thanks to the generous donations of everyone who took part in the glittering event in New York, and via the online auction which offered many incredible money-can’t-buy items, the athletes of U.S. Ski & Snowboard will directly benefit from the nearly $2 million raised, helping them achieve their shared vision of being Best In The World.

Joining the 650 guests at the star-studded event were U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.), Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.), Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) and David Wise (Reno, Nev.), along with 19 of their fellow U.S. Ski & Snowboard stars.

“On behalf of all our athletes, staff and everyone involved with U.S. Ski & Snowboard I would like to offer my most sincere thanks and gratitude for the incredible generosity of everyone who supported our 52nd New York Gold Medal Gala,” said Tiger Shaw, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Every year this storied event grows in stature and in funds raised to support our athletes, and that is thanks to the hard work of a dedicated team who work tirelessly to stage this incredible event. Our athletes have a very exciting season ahead, but we are already looking forward to the 53rd New York Gold Medal Gala next year!”

“The 2018 U.S. Ski & Snowboard New York Gold Medal Gala was our best year yet,” said Trisha Worthington, Chief Development Officer for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “This was the 52nd year of our annual fundraising event in New York and, on behalf of all U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes, and the whole team, I want to say thank you to each and every person who contributed so much tonight to help raise the incredible sum of almost $2 million for our athletes. Having so many of our team at the event was incredible and their presence made the night truly special. For me, a particular highlight was seeing Jessie Diggins speak so passionately about Kikkan Randall, and about how the whole cross country team celebrated that historic gold medal in PyeongChang as a team achievement. That sums up what U.S. Ski & Snowboard is – a team in the truest sense of the word. Now we look ahead to what promises to be an amazing winter season, and we are already looking forward to the 53rd New York Gold Medal Gala!”

With 100 days to go, the countdown begins in earnest for the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships presented by Toyota, taking place at Utah's Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain, and Solitude Mountain Resort February 1-10, 2019.

Hosted by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard and in partnership with the Utah Sports Commission, the event will attract more than 1,300 athletes from around the world to Utah for the biggest winter sports event to take place in the state since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
 

"Hosting one of the biggest winter events in the world will continue to showcase our expertise in hosting major international sporting events as we welcome the world back to Utah and to several of our world-class winter venues. The significant economic impact and worldwide exposure from this event will highlight to audiences around the globe that Utah's Olympic and sport legacy is alive and well, proving a tremendous benefit to Utah and our partners."
      - President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission Jeff Robbins.

Among the world-famous athletes expected to take part will be Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), 2018 Winter Olympic gold medalist; David Wise (Reno, Nev.), two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2018 ESPY winner; Mikaël Kingsbury (Canada), the winningest mogul skier of all time; and crowd favorite Henrik Harlaut (Sweden), six-time X Games winner.
 

Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort are no strangers to hosting world-class events, as both resorts hosted freestyle and snowboard events during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and have hosted a numerous FIS World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix competitions over the past 20 years.

Deer Valley Resort hosted the FIS Freestyle World Championships in 2003 and 2011, but 2019 will be the first time a U.S-based World Championship will include all events across the snowboard, freestyle and freeski disciplines. Freeski competitions were introduced to the World Championships in 2005: the freestyle and freeski competitions were held in Ruka, Finland, while snowboard events were held in Whistler, Canada. This model of separate world championships venues carried on for 10 years until 2015 in Kreischberg, Austria, where all FIS snowboard, freestyle, and freeski competitions took place at one location. The 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Utah will feature 15 events including slopestyle, halfpipe, big air, parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, moguls, aerials, dual moguls, snowboardcross, and skicross. In addition, team events, which have been added to the 2022 Olympics Winter Games in Beijing, will make their World Championships debut at the 2019 World Champs, including team aerials and team snowboardcross.

While Solitude Mountain Resort may not have the history and tenure of events that Park City and Deer Valley have, it has quickly become clear it is a great addition to the World Championship program. In its first year of hosting a snowboardcross World Cup in 2017, Solitude was voted a favorite site by participating athletes. Furthermore, the terrain and facilities are perfectly suited to elite skicross and snowboardcross competition. Solitude is truly a showcase of the beauty and variation of skiing and riding in Utah, and will prove to be an amazing venue for this world-class competition.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have a strong history of performing at their very best at recent World Championships. At the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes collected six gold medals, three silver medals, and four bronze medals across all disciplines. U.S. athletes old and new to World Championship competition will be looking to continue that level of success in 2019 in front of their home crowds.
 

“I am thrilled to have World Champs on home soil this year. Coming in as reigning World Champion definitely adds to the pressure and excitement. I can’t wait to have my friends, family, and supporters out there with me!”
    - Defending aerials World Champion Ashley Caldwell.

Freeski and snowboard athletes have plenty of time on snow throughout early season competition to prepare and get in the competitive mindset. Competitions include the World Cup snowboard and freeski big air in Modena, Italy, Nov 3-4, World Cup freeski slopestyle in Stubai, Austria, Nov 22-24, and the World Cup snowboard air & style big air in Beijing, Nov 23-24. Also, domestic competitions include the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo., with World Cup freeski and snowboard halfpipe Dec 6-8; plus X Games and Dew Tour events leading into the 2019 Worlds.

“The World Championships are a big event, but it’s not what I’m thinking of right now as it’s still very far away in my mind,” said defending snowboardcross world champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.). “Right now I’m focusing on what I should be doing to prepare for the season. We are training, getting our wax technicians and equipment dialed, there is a lot that happens before now and the world champs. We just had a very successful camp and I’m taking that positive energy and moving into the next task at hand.“

Freestyle athletes will be globetrotting to hit major stops on their World Cup circuits leading into the 2019 Worlds and are sure to be ready for competition come February. The U.S. Moguls Team’s FIS World Cup circuit kicks off December 7, in Ruka, Finland, and the athletes will compete in China, Canada, and New York before skiing for World Championship glory on home soil. The aerials team will have plenty of on-snow training at the Utah Olympic Park before their competition season starts with a FIS World Cup event in Lake Placid, New York, January 19, 2019.

For defending halfpipe World Champion Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.), the world championships are very much a focal point moving into the competition season.

“With the stress of the Olympics gone, our team’s focus is definitely back on the World Championships,” said Blunck. “Alongside X Games, it is the biggest event of the 2019 competition season, so it is definitely on the top of our minds and it’s so rad it’s being held on our home turf!”
 

How to Watch the 2019 World Championships

NBC Sports will showcase more than 25 hours of 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championship programming, including more than 10 hours of live coverage, on NBC and the NBC Sports networks.

Additional coverage will also be available on NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer live streaming product – and the Olympic Channel digital platforms. A full broadcast schedule will be available on both USSkiandSnowboard.org  and  2019WorldChamps.com.
 

Be Part of the World Championships Team

Volunteers are a key element to providing the athletes with best-possible competition experience at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships. More than 600 volunteers will fill positions, including on-course crew, guest services, hospitality, media, and timing, to provide athletes and spectators with a world-class experience. Many other volunteer roles are available, but with demand already high, prospective applicants are encouraged to go to  https://2019worldchamps.com/volunteer-application/  for more details and to register their interest to join the team and participate in this unique opportunity.
 

The U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Teams have announced their staff for the 2018-19 season, which continues with the FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup big air in Modena, Italy on Nov 3.

The U.S Freeski & Snowboard Team welcomes Ashley Deibold as halfpipe, slopestyle, big air, and parallel giant slalom sport development manager. As a longtime industry veteran and 2012 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Domestic Coach of the Year, she is ready for the challenge ahead. Deibold has large shoes to fill replacing Abbi Nyberg, who recently left the organization after 17 years to spend more time with her young family.

“I am very excited to return to an industry I have so much passion for,” said Deibold. “Helping athletes achieve their dreams is a joyful way to spend my days. I feel very lucky to be in this position. Although Abbi is irreplaceable, I look forward to the opportunity and challenge of carrying on and expanding upon the amazing work she has done."

Additionally, Katie Fieguth shifts her role as freestyle program manager to sport development manager for snowboardcross and skicross along with moguls and aerials.

Continuing on the theme of athlete development, other notable changes within the coaching staff are focused on the rookie teams. Nichole Mason has joined U.S. Ski & Snowboard as snowboard national development coach for slopestyle and big air. Mason joins U.S. Ski & Snowboard following five years of coaching at Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club, where she was the 2017 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Domestic Coach of the Year, and Development Coach of the year.

“Being hired onto the U.S, Ski & Snowboard Team felt like a huge recognition for the work I have put into all the athletes over the years,” said Mason. “I am now in a position to give back and watch them go from rookies to professionals and hopefully onto the Olympic Team.”

Furthermore, the rookie teams continue to add new faces with the addition of Dave Euler and Jeremie Livingston. Euler, formally the head freeskiing coach at Team Park City United, will serve as the freeski slopestyle and big air national development team coach. Also, Livingston, formally head freeskiing coach at the Winter Park Competition Center, will serve as the freeski halfpipe national development team coach.

Last but not least, JJ Thomas, Shaun White’s coach throughout the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and 2002 Olympic halfpipe bronze medalist joins U.S. Ski & Snowboard as the snowboard halfpipe national development team coach, adding another layer of depth and experience to the staff.

“I’m very excited to officially be part of the U.S. Snowboard Team,” said Thomas. “The team has supported me through my career as an athlete and now as a coach. I knew it was the right step for me to become an official member of the program. The support that they offer on and off the snow is unmatched.”

Following the Modena World Cup, U.S. Freeski Team athletes will head to the Stubai World Cup slopestyle competition Nov 22-24, while U.S. Snowboard Team athletes will move onto Beijing, China for the Air & Style Big Air World Cup event Nov 23-24. Both teams then head to Copper Mountain, Colo. for the first halfpipe competition of the season at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Dec. 6-8, which also serves as a FIS World Cup event. The FIS World Cup snowboardcross season kicks off in Montafon, Austria, Dec. 14-16 and alpine snowboarding in St. Moritz, Switzerland Dec. 8-9.

2018-19 Snowboard & Freeski Staff

Snowboard and Freeski Director: Jeremy Forster
Snowboard and Freeski Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Team Manager: Jess Luscinski
Snowboardcross Team Manager: Alexis Williams
Snowboard & Freeski Team Communications Manager: Andrew Gauthier
Sport Development Leader- HP/SS&BA/PGS: Ashley Deibold
Sport Development Manager - MO/AE/SBX/SX: Katie Fieguth

Medical & Sports Science Staff

High Performance Dietitian: Allen Tran
Senior Sports Psychologist, USOC: Alex Cohen
Clinical Specialist: David Quammen
Clinical Specialist: Jen Kimball
Freeski Slopestyle Team Physical Therapist: Carly Brooks
Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Athletic Trainer: Jason Switzer
Snowboardcross Athletic Development Manager: Tschana Schiller
Freeski Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air and Aerials Athletic Development Coach: Brett Kelly
Snowboard Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Athletic Development Coach: Matthew Voss

Snowboard

Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Ramirez (Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team)
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: David Reynolds (Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation Snowboard Team)
Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Rick Bower
Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Rick Shimpeno
Slopestyle/Big Air National Development Coach: Nichole Mason (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Halfpipe National Development Team Coach: JJ Thomas
Snowboardcross Head Coach: Peter Foley
Snowboardcross Coach: Jeff Archibald

Freeski

Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Slopestyle Pro Team Head Coach: Skogen Sprang
Slopestyle Pro Team Coach: DJ Montigny (Killington Mountain School)
Slopestyle Coach/Technician: Dave Coombs
Halfpipe National Development Team Coach: Jeremie Livingston (Winter Park Competition Center)
Slopestyle/Big Air National Development Team Coach: Dave Euler (Team Park City United)
Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Andrew Woods
Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Mike Riddle

The northern hemisphere winter season has kicked off at the Saas-Fee Stomping Grounds in Switzerland, the training camp for U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s slopestyle, big air, halfpipe, and snowboardcross athletes.

They may be a long way from home, but they will certainly not be lonely. A total of 57 athletes including nine Snowboardcross, 25 halfpipe, and 23 slopestyle athletes are putting in work on the glacier ahead of the competitive season, which continues with FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup big air in Modena, Italy, Nov 3.

 

 

 

 

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Yesterday the first snow of the season fell in the Saas Valley. On the peaks, there is more than 30 cm of fresh snow. 📷 by @puzzlemedia_saasfee & @saasfeeguides #freshsnow #snow #mountain #mountains #alps #swissalps #peaks #autumn #abovetheclouds #sun #nature #peace #beautifulday #saasfee #saastal #switzerland #inlovewithswitzerland #myswitzerland

A post shared by Saas-Fee (@saasfee) on Oct 2, 2018 at 7:05am PDT

This is not the first time U.S. Ski & Snowboard slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe athletes flocked to Saas-Fee to prepare for the busy season of competition ahead. They have been heading to Saas-Fee for training and competition on and off for eight years.

“I’m always hyped to be heading back out to Saas-Fee,” said U.S.Freeski Team veteran Bobby Brown (Denver). “It’s always awesome coming out here. It’s an amazing park, beautiful town, and great times with my teammates. It’s going to be an unreal two weeks.”

However, for snowboardercross athletes, Saas-Fee will be a new experience. The last time they trained at Saas-Fee was in 2005. Also, it’s rare for numerous disciplines to be represented at the same camp and location. This makes for an interesting dynamic.

“We are stoked to be in Saas-Fee for the first time,” Said Sochi Olympic bronze medalist Alex Deibold (Salt Lake City). “All the other teams have been raving about what a great spot it is, and it will be fun to spend some time on snow with the freeski and snowboard halfpipe and slopestyle crews.”

U.S. Snowboardcross Head Coach Peter Foley echoed that sentiment saying: “It’s great to have everyone interacting from the different U.S. teams here. It really ups the level for everyone to see their teammates working hard and it’s cool for them because they aren’t always at the same place at the same time on snow. This year, the course they have built is the best it’s ever been in Saas-Fee. There are a few different start options and the jumps and berms are full-size.”

After a summer of hard work in the gym building strength, flexibility, and stamina, the athletes shift focus in Saas-Fee to dialing in their tricks, techniques, maneuvers, air awareness, and style. These elements of skiing and snowboarding cannot be replicated in the four walls of a gym or training facility. Although U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah offers many quality resources including a world-class gym, water ramps, trampolines, airbags, and even a skateboard park, there is still truly nothing like the real thing.

Athletes will be training on snow through October 20 in Saas-Fee, working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s coaching staff daily, putting in the hard work that will pay off in competition.

“It’s extremely important to utilize every day,” said Foley. “You need to be smart and stick with your plan being conscious of not trying to overdo things or trying to accelerate progression so much that it becomes counterproductive.”  

Following the Modena World Cup, U.S. Snowboard Team athletes will move onto Beijing, China for a World Cup big air event, then to Copper Mountain, Colo. for the first halfpipe competition of the season at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Dec. 6-8. The FIS World Cup snowboardcross season kicks off in Montafon, Austria, Dec. 12-16.

Follow U.S. Ski & Snowboard and our athletes on social media for sneak peeks into training camp at the Saas-Fee Stomping Grounds.

Facebook: @USSkiandSnowboard

Instagram: @USFreeskiTeam, @USSnowboardTeam