U.S. Ski & Snowboard is highlighting HERoic trailblazers throughout our winter sports, both past and present. A HERoic trailblazer is a woman athlete who has gone above and beyond in her sport, moving the sport forward through grit and determination and inspiring the next generation of women athletes.

A three-time Olympic medalist, five-time Olympian, seven-time X Games gold medalist, eight-time US Open winner and trailblazer for women’s snowboarding, Kelly Clark redefined snowboarding as one of the most profound and dominating athletes to ever enter the halfpipe. 

Rapid Ascent 

When you look back at the sport of competitive snowboarding, ‘Kelly Clark’ comes to mind. The impact she had on the sport is undeniable, but the success did not happen overnight. 

Clark started early. Born on July 26, 1983 in Newport, Rhode Island but growing up in West Dover, Vermont, she started snowboarding at the age of seven during a family vacation. It did not take long for her to fall in love with the sport. Only a few years later after being on a board for the first time, she was enrolled in Mount Snow Academy, and as it goes, the rest is history. 

Only in 1998 did snowboarding become an Olympic event and in the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games, Clark found herself dreaming of becoming an Olympic champion. It was watching those Games where she realized exactly what she wanted to do. Fastforward, Clark began competing at 14 years old and quickly became one of the best. In 2000, she was named to the U.S. Snowboard Team. 

On Fire 

The same year she joined the U.S. Snowboard Team, Clark won her first FIS event at the Junior World Championships in Berchtesgaden, Germany, and the momentum followed. The following season, she was winning at the highest stage of the sport, including the National Championships at Sunday River, Maine. 

But it was in 2002 that everyone started to know who Kelly Clark was. She took home a gold medal at X Games, the US Open in both halfpipe and quarterpipe and was the overall U.S. Grand Prix champion. Then her dreams of being an Olympic champion came to fruition in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games when Kelly became the first U.S. woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal in halfpipe snowboarding. 

Clark’s Olympic journey continued with remarkable consistency. In her illustrious career, she competed in five Winter Olympics from 2002 to 2018, capturing two more Olympic medals after her victory in Salt Lake — a bronze in both the 2010 Vancouver Games and the 2014 Sochi Games. In Sochi, Clark’s medal came 12 years after her first gold, showcasing her resiliency and relevancy in the sport that only became more competitive each season. 

Clark’s impact went far beyond the medals; she transformed the sport of snowboarding with her groundbreaking tricks, mentorship and willingness to push the boundaries. In 2011, right before another victory at the X Games, she became the first woman to ever throw and land a 1080 in the superpipe. In her 2015 season, Clark was nominated for her second ESPY, this time for Best Female Action Sports Athlete, showcasing her impact on the entirety of the sports landscape. She also took home another silver medal at the X Games, tagged her eighth win at the US Open, scored her sixth U.S. Grand Prix tour title and ended by adding her fifth World Snowboarding Tour title to her name. 

Legacy of Inspiration

The numbers speak for themselves. After 20 years, 200 events, 137 podiums, 78 wins and more pipe laps than you can count, Clark called it good in 2019, securing herself as one of the best competitive snowboarders in the world. After reaching her competitive glass ceiling, she officially announced her retirement and left professional snowboarding — but the fun never slowed. Now, Clark spends her time road biking, surfing and chasing pow on her snowboard in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Outside of sport, Clark spends her time fundraising for the Kelly Clark Foundation, which gives opportunities to promising young snowboarders. As well as her charitable pursuits, in 2017, Clark published her autobiography 'Inspired' which chronicles her snowboarding career and the constant growth and development needed to stay mentally and physically fit at such a high level. 

Kelly Clark transformed the sport and thanks to her determination and dedication, she has influenced generations of athletes, both men and women, and set the tone, showing that anything is possible in the world of snowboarding. 

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes Rebecca Flynn and Brooklyn Depriest showed up at the 2023 Park & Pipe Junior World Championships slopestyle finals and both landed in the top ten. 

Flynn, a third year on Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team came in fifth, a testament to a strong summer of training. Flynn has a history of big results - in 2022, she clinched first place in the big air contest at the Aspen NorAm Cup and secured three more second-place podium finishes at the NorAms in Copper, Sun Peaks, and Aspen. Now, achieving a top ten result in the Junior World Championships further strengthens her position as she enters the 2023-24 season.

Seventeen-year-old Brooklyn Depriest, a rookie on the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team's slopestyle roster secured the sixth-place Junior World Champs result. Depriest has clinched three top-three finishes in the 2023 NorAm Cups and was the National Champion in slopestyle at Copper Mountain. Much like Flynn, Depriest's addition of a top-ten result to his already impressive resume bodes well for the upcoming season.

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team rookie slopestyle coach Eric Beauchemin was on hand to help guide these riders. 

Up Next: Big Air 

Junior World Championships snowboard big air qualifications kick off on Saturday, September 2nd, followed by big air finals on Sunday, September 3. 

RESULTS

Women’s Slopestyle Results

Men’s Slopestyle Results

Over the weekend, the best aerials athletes in the world spent the day stunning the crowd at the 2023 U.S. Freestyle Ultimate Airwave Competition and Olympic champion Chris Lillis took home first. 

On the second stop of the inaugural FIS Grand Prix World Tour, Park City played host to a full day of world-class aerials competition and the world showed up, with athletes from Canada, Switzerland, China and Australia competing on the water ramps in front of a large home crowd. 

Most of the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team aerials athletes were on the start list, including 2023 World Champion Quinn Dehlinger and Olympic champion Justin Schoenfeld. For the men, Lillis took home his first win of the Grand Prix, and second podium of the series (he was third in Switzerland the week prior). Dehlinger was the next American man, finishing the day in fifth place. For the women, 2022 Olympian Winter Vinecki led the strong U.S. team with a fourth place finish, with teammates Dani Loeb in fifth and Kaila Kuhn in sixth. 

"This has been an event that we have been trying out and testing out around the world for about ten years now," said Lillis in a post-competition interview. "So to be able to put it into place has been amazing, and it's been a blast. I am really excited about today, and stoked to be leading the Grand Prix overall. This is a ramp I have taken thousands of jumps off in my career, so to put on a good show in front of the home crowd was amazing!" 

A unique addition to the start list were up-and-coming aerials hopefuls, who were hand-selected to compete based on video submissions to the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team Aerials Pipeline: Digital Combine organized and supported by GMTM. Athletes Brayden Flynn and Beaudin Napolitano competed in Saturday’s competition, showcasing their skills on one of the bigger stages of the sport. The Digital Combine by GMTM is an athlete recruitment program that acts as a pipeline for athletes to reach the next stage of the sport. 

“In partnership with the USOPC this past spring, we teamed up with GMTM to create an aerial athlete recruitment program that allows athletes to try out through a video submission or a virtual competition series," said U.S. Freestyle Sport Director Matt Gnoza. "It was so great to see athletes from the aerial recruitment program compete at the FIS level for the first time at the Ultimate Airwaves. U.S. Ski & Snowboard are excited to assist these athletes as they work to become the next great American aerial athlete.”

"Redefining pathways for athletes -- that's what we've been working so closely on with Matt and the team," said Connor Dietz, GMTM Co-founder. "For the first time ever, any athlete is able to participate and be seen by U.S. Ski & Snowboard, regardless of their location, sport background or socioeconomic situation. We're excited that these two athletes are the first of many to follow."

Next up, aerials athletes will travel to Australia for the final FIS Grand Prix World Tour stop before the start of the 2023-24 winter season. 

Results
Men’s
Women’s 

Ted Ligety and Ruff Patterson were inducted into the Intermountain Hall of Fame on August 24, 2023 in Park City, Utah.

Ligety is a two-time Olympic Winter Games gold medalist, surprising the world when he won gold in Torino in 2006 and reinstating his dominance in 2014 in Sochi. He is also a seven-time World Championship medalist (including five golds), has six World Cup Crystal Globes and 52 World Cup podiums. Known as Mr. GS, he dominated giant slalom races on the World Cup circuit, with nearly 80% of his podiums coming from the discipline. Ligety retired from the U.S. Ski Team in 2021 when he was 36 years old.

Accepting his award with tears in his eyes, Ligety thanked his parents, wife and three boys for supporting him through his career, as well as his coaches and teammates sitting in the crowd, including Steven Nyman and Chip Knight. Hailing from Park City and still living in the town today, it was a special moment for Ligety to have the Hall of Fame in his backyard welcome him with open arms.

Also inducted into the Hall of Fame was Ruff Patterson, a cross country skier from Sun Valley, Idaho, who now lives in Park City. He won the NCAA championships with the University of Colorado, before coaching for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation cross country team and then the U.S. Ski Team for 10 years, working primarily with the women and attending the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. He also helped to steward skate skiing into the World Cup before taking over as the head coach for the Dartmouth Ski Team for 27 years.

Ligety and Patterson joined ski coach Butch Hoffman in the 2023 class of the Intermountain Hall of Fame. 

Bill Traeger, who served a pioneering role as executive director of the U.S. Ski Team during its formative years as a professional sports organization in the late 1970s, died August 1, 2023 at the age of 78.

After working within the financial industry, Traeger was hired as executive director of the U.S. Ski Team in February 1977, ushering in a new period of professional leadership for the organization, which was was mostly volunteer-based before then. At that time, the U.S. Ski Team was establishing its office presence in Park City, Utah, headquartered in an old building on Main Street. 

Traeger's role focused on business management, bringing in a robust lineup of sponsors like American Express, Subaru, Dannon, Miller Beer, Pan American Airways and more. He brokered television rights for the team with CBS, battling a complex system with the international federation and overseas event organizers, and used the income to help fund development programs.

He left his role to pursue other business interests a year after the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid in March 1981. He was succeeded by Inez Aimee in July 1981.

Traeger passed away from complications with Parkinson's disease. He is survived by his wife, brother daughter and grandchildren

Esteemed FIS freestyle judge Paul Nicholas passed away June 19, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Nicholas began judging freestyle skiing competition in the 1970s, which led to a 35-year career in the sport and a profound impact on the development of the judge framework for the sport. He wrote the first the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Judges book and helped to introduce new events to the sport including moguls and aerials.

Additionally, Nicholas was key to bringing freestyle skiing under FIS and subsequently into the Olympic Winter Games. He judged 20 years of World Cup events and the 1988 Olympics before retiring from judging in 2006. In 2020, Nicholas was nominated for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame. His knowledge and expertise were pivotal to the sport’s growth and progression.

Nicholas’ impact on and dedication to the sport will be remembered. U.S. Ski & Snowboard extends its sincere condolences to his friends, family and loved ones.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is highlighting HERoic trailblazers throughout our winter sports, both past and present. A HERoic trailblazer is a woman athlete who has gone above and beyond in her sport, moving the sport forward through grit and determination and inspiring the next generation of women athletes. 

Jen Hudak, a notable presence and one of the OGs in the world of freeskiing, has helped pave the way for generations of athletes to excel in the sport she helped shape. 

The Beginnings     

Born and raised in Hamden, Connecticut, Hudak’s love for skiing was found during the weekends spent in Vermont. Being a curious adventurer at a young age led her to skiing in her own backyard, where she honed in her skills using a homemade rope tow created by her dad. At the age of 11, Hudak enrolled in the Okemo Mountain Freestyle Team and things started to take off. First training in mogul skiing, her coach Elana Chase came on the scene and saw the potential for Hudak in the halfpipe. After a season competing in both disciplines, Jen decided to follow her passion and started to pursue halfpipe skiing exclusively.  

The Momentum 

Through years of hard work and endless determination, Hudak podiumed in her first major competition: the U.S. Freeskiing Open in Vail, Colorado in 2004. From there, her professional ski career skyrocketed. By 2010, Hudak had become a household name as the premier U.S. halfpipe skier in the world for women. She won five X Games medals, four U.S. Championships titles and two World Championship medals, and was nominated for one of the biggest awards in sports - the ESPY for “Best Female Action Sports Athlete.” 

The tricks Hudak threw in competition were unique and were the result of her creative and dedicated practice. Many asked how she made it look so easy, and her answer credited fear management and visualization. When she entered the flow state, she was able to perform at her highest level. 

Being at the top of your sport, setbacks are common. Hudak suffered a devastating final knee injury in December of 2013 at the first Olympic qualifier, which left her unable to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. It was her eighth knee surgery and ultimately the time that she would step away from competing professionally. 

Hudak was bigger than her sport. During her career, and following, she was always an advocate for including women’s freeskiing in the competition circuit, writing letters to event organizers and sponsors and lobbying the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on behalf of women skiers around the world. 

The Balance 

Hudak's impact isn't confined solely to her athletic accomplishments. During the 30th season of the Amazing Race, Hudak and former freeskier Kristi Leskinen teamed up and made history. Placing third, Hudak and Leskinen had the highest racing average out of every all-woman team in the U.S. version of the show. 

On the creative and entrepreneurial side of things, Hudak and her husband Chris started an innovative teardrop camper company, Escapod in 2016, making handcrafted, durable and sustainable off-road campers meant to be passed down for generations to come. The Hudaks also put their energy and love into raising a family and in the spring of 2020, they welcomed baby Hudson into their lives and are soon to welcome baby number two! 

Hudak’s journey is a testament to the power of mind-body connection, there is no doubt her career has inspired and set the bar for the new generation of female freeskiers.

Park City, UT (August 23, 2023) - U.S. Ski & Snowboard is thrilled to announce the 10 athletes nominated to represent the U.S. Para Snowboard Team across sport classes for the 2023-24 season.

This year’s roster is highlighted by the 2023 “Best Athlete with a Disability” ESPY Award winner Zach Miller. Miller wrapped up last season with three medals at the 2023 World Championships in La Molina, Spain with a gold in banked slalom team, silver in dual banked slalom and snowboardcross bronze. Also headlining the team with Miller are two-time Paralympic gold medalist Brenna Huckaby and two-time Paralympic medalist Keith Gabel. 

New to the pro team this year are athletes Peggy Martin and Darian Haynes. Martin has been a staple and trailblazer on the U.S. Para Snowboard Team scene for the past 30 years as one of the first competitive snowboarders in the world. Haynes is a surfer by trade but swapped the ocean for the mountains and made a huge impact in her first competitive season, becoming the 2022-23 FIS World Cup overall Para banked slalom champion. 

“Our Para Snowboard team has had great achievements the past few years and we are excited to now have these athletes on board with U.S. Ski & Snowboard,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Chief of Sport. “The team has the ability to find success on the slopes and we can’t wait to see how they do this upcoming season.”

The U.S. Para Snowboard Team is led by Para Sport Director Erik Leirfallom and newly hired Head Coach Mark “Skiddy” Kelly. Kelly has been in the Para sports world for more than 20 years, including coaching and working as the alpine and snowboard team service tech with the USOPC since 2010. 

“I believe the team has what it takes to be very competitive this season,” said Leirfallom. “This group has a lot of great talent and the ability to push each other on and off the slopes. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish with the new resources available to us to help the athletes improve.” 

The 2023-24 FIS Para Snowboard World Cup season is scheduled to start with a set of banked slalom races for men and women in Landgraaf, Netherlands at the end of November. Additionally, the team will make stops in Finland, Italy and Germany before finishing up the season in Mt. Sima, Canada. Find the finalized FIS World Cup schedule here. 

2023-24 U.S. Para Snowboard Team

(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

Women

Darian Haynes (Muncie, IN; Adaptive Action Sports; 1/3/2000)

Brenna Huckaby (Baton Rouge, LA; Team Utah Snowboarding; 1/22/1996)

Peggy Martin (Elgin, IL; 5/25/1964)

Men

Noah Elliott (St. Charles, MO; Team Panasonic; 7/12/1997)

Keith Gabel (Ogden, UT; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; 7/20/1984)

Zach Miller (Silverthorne, CO; Adaptive Action Sports; 3/10/1999)

Mike Minor (Scranton, PA; Adaptive Action Sports; 7/28/1990)

Joe Pleban (Fredericksburg, VA; Adaptive Action Sports; 8/7/1990)

Mike Schultz (St. Cloud, MN; 8/27/1981)

Evan Strong (Haiku, HI; Adaptive Action Sports; 11/13/1986)

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The Stifel U.S Freestyle Ski Team moguls team held their annual fundraiser this past Friday, August 19, at Red Sky Ranch in Wolcott, Colorado. Thank you to the hosts, Jim and Jeffy Benedict, the evening wrapped up on a good note with the original $150,000 goal being overwhelmingly exceeded. 

The fundraiser, which is in its fourth consecutive year, included an evening where trustees, local ski fans, parents of athletes and alumni were able to mingle with the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes and raise funds for the upcoming 2023-24 season. 

The event started with a silent auction and featured autograph signings, mingling with the athletes, coaches and more. The support from the evening - and beyond - helps provide the necessary resources, training opportunities and coaching to help our athletes reach their full potential, on and off the mountain, for the number one moguls team in the world. 

Make a gift to support the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team Moguls Athletes! 

Park City, UT (August 21, 2023) - U.S. Ski & Snowboard is excited to announce the 13 athletes nominated to represent the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team across sport classes for the 2023-24 competition season.

This year’s roster is filled with talent, including seven-time Paralympic medalist Laurie Stephens, two-time Paralympic medalist Andrew Kurka and Paralympic silver medalist Thomas Walsh. Andrew Haraghey and Spencer Wood also return this year after posting consistent results last season. Jesse Keefe is new to the A team this year, moving up from the B team following a successful 2022-23 season and World Championship effort. 

B team nominations include Allie Johnson, who, only in her second season of full-time racing, showed incredible promise last year on the World Cup circuit. Along with Johnson is Saylor O’Brien, who quickly added impressive results among intense competition to her resume. Moving up from the development team is Audrey Crowley, a nod to her impressive accolades and consistent results. 

“We are thrilled to have named such an accomplished Para alpine ski team this season,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Chief of Sport.  “This team plays an integral role in our organization and we are excited to see what these amazing athletes can achieve this season.” 

The U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team is led by Para Sport Director Erik Leirfallom and new U.S. Para Alpine Ski Head Coach Ryan Pearl. Pearl comes to U.S. Ski & Snowboard from the Australian Para Alpine Team, bringing the team to two Paralympic Winter Games and was named the 2019 Australian Paralympic Coach of the Year.

“We are extremely excited to continue building off of the successful season we had last year and to implement new resources to help these athletes achieve more big results,” said Leirfallom. “With a combination of great young talent and seasoned Paralympians on this team, we know they will be able to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation as we grow and build under U.S. Ski & Snowboard.” 

The 2023-24 FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup season is set to kick off with downhill races for the men and women in St. Moritz in mid-December. The team will make additional stops in Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Slovakia throughout the season. You can find the finalized FIS World Cup schedule here.

2023-24 U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team

(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

A Team

Women

Laurie Stephens (Wenham, MA; 3/5/1984)

Men

Andrew Haraghey (Enfield, CT; National Ability Center; 12/16/1995)

Andrew Kurka (Palmer, AK; Alyeska Ski Club; 1/27/1992)

Jesse Keefe (Sun Valley, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 3/26/2004)

Thomas Walsh (Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 1/30/1995)

Spencer Wood (Pittsfield, VT; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 1/17/1997)

B Team

Women

Allie Johnson (Chicago, IL; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 12/23/1994)

Saylor O’Brien (Woodland, UT; National Ability Center; 4/28/2003)

Audrey Crowley (Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 3/1/2007)

Men

Matthew Brewer (Huntington Beach, CA; National Ability Center; 5/8/1975)

Connor Hogan (Foxborough, MA; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 6/6/1997)

Ravi Drugan (Eugene, OR; Oregon Adaptive Sports; 12/19/1989)

Patrick Halgren (Tolland, CT; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 6/24/1992)

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