U.S. Ski Team News - Freestyle

Moguls Team Gets Extra Time on the Snow

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

Somewhere Secret, CO (Nov. 20) - With the help of U.S. Ski Team Moguls Coach and Winter Park resident Chris Seeman, the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team's moguls athletes have been able to set up shop at the top of Berthoud Pass off of Colorado's Highway 40 in order to get in some air time.

Seeman decided to take advantage of the early season snow and constructed a jump for the moguls skiers to train on. The site, which stands at 11,000 feet, was once used in the 1980's for aerial training.

"The Team is pretty much just moving with the snow and this has become a productive training site at this point in November," said Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles. "All the thanks go to Chris for helping us out with creating a productive training site."

Moguls athletes working out at the site include World Champion Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), Colorado natives Emiko Torito (Denver) and Eliza Outtrim (Steamboat Springs, CO), as well as Landon Gardner (Missoula, MT), Shane Cordeau (Sun Valley, ID), Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA), and Ani Haas (Missoula, MT).

“I leave for Finland in about a week so I am trying to get as much training in as possible so I am ready for the first World Cup”, said Deneen.

The Team will remain in Colorado training at Arapahoe Basin resort and Vail through Nov. 24.

U.S. Skiers Finding Form at Breckenridge

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

BRECKENRIDGE, CO (Nov. 11) – With the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes waiting for the bumps to build in nearby mountains, they are busy looking to find their form at the Breckenridge Recreation Center. This world-class center, once a temporary a solution for the weather, has become the site for an annual training camp out at Breckenridge.

The Center is in an ideal location because it allows a place for the athletes to do their dryland training while still being close enough to the slopes when the conditions improve.

"The Breckenridge Recreation Center has really stepped up the last four years to provide training for the U.S. Freestyle Moguls Team," said Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles. "Jenise Jensen [administrative services manager] and her staff consistently go above and beyond to provide the opportunities that we need for our push to the Winter Games in Vancouver."

The U.S Moguls Team will have many of the top athletes at the Center to get some crucial training before they hit the snow, including World Cup Moguls Champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA), Jimmy Discoe (Ridgway, CO) Joe Discoe (Telluride, CO), Shane Cordeau (Sun Valley, ID), Landon Gardner (Missoula, MT), and Ani Haas (Missoula, MT).

Fans of the Team and sport alike will have the rare opportunity to exercise side-by-side with the athletes, and for those that don't feel up to an Olympic workout but are curious about the Team, they can come by and watch them in action.

On Thursday Nov. 12, the Center is allowing its members to come in and interact with athletes. Those that are not members but would still like to attend can purchase a $10 day pass. There are a limited number of day passes available and they will be for sale on a first-come-first-served basis.

Keeping with the Team's desire to stay in touch with fans, the athletes and coaches will also be available after the training session to answer questions and to sign autographs.

"This is a great chance for ski enthusiasts to train side-by-side with top U.S. Ski Team athletes like Hannah Kearney and Michael Morse," said Rawles. "Not only will it be an amazing experience for everyone involved but they will also get some quality training tips in an awesome facility like the one here at Breckenridge."

There will be three different classes that visitors can participate in with the team. Body Pump and cycling will be starting at 5:30 pm followed by a yoga session at 6:15 pm.

The Center is expecting a high number of people to attend so those looking to participate should arrive early.

Bloom Announces Retirement From Skiing

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 MST

DENVER (Nov.11) - Jeremy Bloom, one of the most decorated freestyle skiers in United States history and a two sport athlete who also played in the National Football League, today announced his official retirement from competitive skiing. Bloom was preparing to compete in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, but has decided to forgo training and competition to concentrate on his broadcasting, business and philanthropy endeavors fulltime.

"I am eternally grateful to my family, friends, coaches and teammates for the success that I have obtained in my sports career," Bloom said. "Without this group of people, whose wings I have stood on, I would never have enjoyed the athletic privileges and successes that I dreamed of as a young boy. The passion that I once had for sports has naturally transitioned into my new ventures. I feel like I’m twelve years old again, dreaming and climbing new mountains. And, I hope that many will join me in these pursuits."

"Since he burst onto the scene as a U.S. Ski Team athlete as a teen, Jeremy Bloom has always had the ability to perform as a world class athlete and to capitalize in building public enthusiasm for his sport," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. "He showed he was best in the world, winning a World Championship and two season-long World Cup titles. He will continue that success in his business and sports-casting career and we look forward to working with him to tell the story of our sport."

Despite competing in only four full seasons at the World Cup level, Bloom became one of the most decorated freestyle skiers in U.S. history racking up 26 World Cup podiums, 11 World Cup wins, two overall World Cup titles, and a World Championship gold medal. A two time Olympian (2002 & 2006) he holds the world record for most consecutive World Cup wins in a single season with six (2005). He was also a standout wide receiver and punt returner for the University of Colorado football team, playing only two seasons before the NCAA ruled him ineligible to compete on the collegiate level because of endorsement contracts he had signed as a professional skier. In 2006, following the Torino Olympics, Bloom was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, and played four seasons with Philadelphia and the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring due to injury.

"I had the unique opportunity to start coaching Jeremy when he was ten years old. He had great skills and focus at even that age and through the years it was great to see him rise to the top of his sport," said Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles. "It was amazing to watch him excel at both football and skiing during his time at the University of Colorado and it was great to be part of his streak of six World Cup victories in a row during the 2005 World Cup season. I fully expect Jeremy to continue his success at all of his next ventures and am proud to call him a friend."

Bloom will now devote all his efforts on the next stage of his life, focusing the majority of his time to his foundation that enriches the lives of low-income seniors. "My work with the Wish of a Lifetime Foundation over the past year and a half has completely changed my perspective on my life. For so many years, I have been focused on personal accomplishments. My journey into granting wishes to low-income aging adults has been as gratifying as anything I have ever accomplished. I am proud of my foundations work and I am thrilled that I will be able to spend more time working to expand our efforts in creating a cultural shift in the way we all look at aging in this country."

Bloom also plans to increase his broadcasting assignments with ESPN (he has done color commentary on college football for ESPN360 this fall) and on analyst duties for skiing and winter sports-related events.

Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime (JBWL) was founded in early 2008 and is a Colorado-based 501 (C) (3) foundation, which enriches the lives of low-income aging adults. Bloom started the organization in honor of his grandmother, Donna Wheeler, who lives in Keystone and still works fulltime at the age of 84. The foundation contributes to an American cultural change that honors and celebrates the lives of aging Americans. For the rest of the story visit www.WishOfaLifetime.org

Babic Brews For Adaptive Athletes

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

While a majority of the time seven-year U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athlete David Babic can be found throwing his off axis spinning maneuvers, Babic also spends his days trying to inspire greatness as he volunteers for Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. Read more to find out how Babic uses his sport for a good cause.

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is a year round organization with over 400 volunteers. It offers daily sport programs and has been a leader in adaptive sports and recreation in New England for more than 20 years.

According to Babic, his interest in working with the organization is about enabling everyone to grow within themselves and live their life while playing outdoors.

"I believe that it is important for all of us to feel the freedom and power of nature and sport. These activities are inspiring and can help to boost moral and belief in yourself," Babic said. "If you can do this, what else might you be able to achieve. The possibilities are endless."

Babic is one of a handful of athletes who has a signature blend of coffee through teammate Shannon Bahrke's company Silver Bean Coffee which benefits him and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. For every bag of coffee sold one dollar goes back to the athlete and also the charity they have chosen.

According to Babic, it was Bahrke's urging that athletes give back that got him engaged with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.

"This was really spearheaded by Shannon and her organization Silver Bean Coffee, and their desire to give some of their earnings back to a non-profit," Babic explained. "That really started making me think again about all the different organizations I'd like to be a part of and would want to see succeed."

For Babic, he just wants to be able to bring people the same type of joy he finds being in the outdoors.

"I think that one of the things skiing has been so great about is it has allowed me to go out and explore the outdoors and the wilderness and that sense of freedom- it's really amazing," Babic said. "What these adaptive ski and snowboarding programs have done to allow people who in the past haven’t had that opportunity, to experience that freedom and the ability to explore and create your own turns."

To help Babic and the Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports go to silverbeancoffee.com and buy his signature blend.

U.S. Freestyle Champs Return to Squaw

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (Oct. 15) - Freestyle athletes from across the nation will again wrap up their winter season at Squaw Valley USA in Lake Tahoe, California as the 2010 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships makes its way to the Tahoe region during the 50th anniversary of the 1960 Squaw Valley USA Olympics. Moguls, dual moguls, aerials and skier halfpipe titles will be awarded to the best in the U.S. March 25-28.

"The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships are a great opportunity for the best U.S. athletes in freestyle skiing to be able to compete for a home crowd," USSA Vice President, Events, Calum Clark said. "In its 50th anniversary year since hosting the Olympics, Squaw Valley will be the ideal place for freestyle athletes to end the 2010 Olympic season in Tahoe. It will be a homecoming among many friends and family of freestyle skiing. We look forward to high quality competition for the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships at Squaw," said Clark.

Squaw Valley hosted both moguls and the skier halfpipe event in 2009, and is looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Olympics at Squaw with freestyle athletes from across the nation.

"Given Squaw Valley's Olympic legacy, and the significance of our anniversary season, it is once again an honor to host the nation's top freestyle athletes and have them take part in Squaw's iconic heritage," said Tom Murphy, Squaw Valley USA Vice President.

One of the event's highlights will be moguls, which will feature the likes of Bahrke, World Champion Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), World Championship bronze medalist and World Cup moguls champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and 2009 U.S. Champion Michelle Roark (Denver, CO).

"I am super excited and it's going to be awesome. Squaw did a great job last year," Bahrke, the hometown favorite, said. "The crowd was amazing, the weather was good and everyone did such a great job with the course. Also, with aerials there it will be a true freestyle championship event."

The tricks will be exciting as athletes including World Champion Ryan St. Onge (Steamboat Springs, CO) and World Cup winners Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, ID) and Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) each make their play for an aerials title.

In skier halfpipe, look for World Championship bronze medalist and three-time U.S. Champion Jen Hudak (Park City, UT) to fire things up for the women. And defending four-time U.S. Champ David Wise (Reno, NV) will aim to make it title number five as he goes head-to-head with fellow World Championship team member Taylor Seaton (Avon, CO).

To catch the event on TV, the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships will be broadcast by Versus on April 4, 2010 at 6 p.m. ET.

Moguls Hit The Bumps in Zermatt

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MST

ZERMATT, Switzerland (Oct. 12) - Athletes who have spent a lifetime committed to their sport are about to embark on the season winter athletes anticipate every four years. In order to be the most prepared in the lead up to the Games, U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes put the finishing touches on their moves as they trained on snow in Zermatt, Switzerland in the lead up to being Vancouver Bound.

Shannon Bahrke hits the bumps in Zermatt (USSA).

"Now it's time to put the whole package together so when we start competing in December we are good to go," Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles said. "People picked up competition packages to be ready to go once the comps actually hit. It's coming up quick it's less than two months away. It's exciting."

According to Rawles, while other camps have been more about fitness and basic maneuvers, being on snow in Switzerland was for tactic and tricks.

"People did new tricks, put them in their competition runs and really put the focus on getting ready to go for the World Cup and selection events that will be coming up in December," Rawles said.

One such athlete is 2002 Olympic silver medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) who is in the hunt to make another Olympic team in 2010.

"My focus was to do a better job with jumps. I also worked on a lot of turns and techniques," Bahrke said. "I just put everything together and got it World Cup ready. I worked on a lot of bits and pieces."

Luckily, the Team experienced good weather for quality course and training conditions.

"The course we had here is one of the best ones we've seen the last few years. We got snow a couple days before we arrived, and conditions were great," Rawles said. "They were challenging conditions, but I've been really impressed with everybody. Everybody's stepped up."

"The course was way better than it was last year. It's really like a World Cup course and this was really, really good preparation for the upcoming season," Bahrke added.

The presence of other national teams is something that Rawles said also will help the Team as they work toward the Games.

"There were other distractions going on and it's really important that we go through and see the process," Rawles said. "It took over an hour some days to get on the hill, there were lots of race teams there and there was lots of commotion. There was stuff that can effect the athletes and I think it’s a good exercise for everyone to go through, particularly leading to Vancouver where there will be a lot of distractions."

Now, athletes will continue training back in the U.S. in the lead up to their first World Cup competition Dec. 12 in Finland.

"I definitely get more nervous than a lot of my teammates. I really want to do well this season, so every time we get back on snow I get nervous about anticipating this up coming season," Bahrke said. "But I just have to play it day by day and just hope that what I'm doing is the best thing for me you know and that it will carry on into the season."

U.S. Champ Bryon Wilson throws a d-spin 720 cross (USSA).

U.S. Freestyle World Cup Stops Announced

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 22) - Hundreds of the world's best freestyle athletes will hit the U.S. for the final two stops prior to their Olympic team naming as the 2010 Visa Freestyle International and Nature Valley Freestyle Cup World Cup events hit Deer Valley Resort in Park City and Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid during the month of January.

The freestyle action gets started Jan. 14-16 at Deer Valley, the 2002 Olympic venue, with moguls and aerials events. For three days, spectators in Utah will be able to watch as the talent of the freestyle world, which includes aerials World Champion Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO), moguls World Champion Pat Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), moguls World Cup champion and World Championship bronze medalist Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), and many more, as they look to pack on one more World Cup win just two competitions before the Olympics.

"The World Cup at Deer Valley is one of our best marquee competitions and each year the energy and intensity of the events gets better. They strive to raise the bar, and accomplish it," USSA Vice President of Events Calum Clark said. "The Resort and organizing committee does an incredible job at putting on an event that the freestyle community looks forward to participating in each year."

Deer Valley Resort, which will host the FIS Freestyle World Championships for the second time in 2011, is thrilled to have the freestyle world competing at its mountain just a month before the Olympics begin in Vancouver.

"With the 2010 Olympics just around the corner, it will be very exciting for the spectators to get a chance to experience up close and personal the spectacular athletes we’ll soon be watching on television during the Olympic Games," says Bob Wheaton, Resort president and general manager. "In addition, since we’re hosting the prestigious 2011 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships here at Deer Valley next winter, it’s important for our staff and numerous event volunteers to hone their skills and garner more experience. We consider our race courses, and the crews who work on our World Cups the best in the world – from the volunteers, to the coaches, judges, technicians and staff. And of course, the gifted athletes who compete on our mountain are so inspiring. We’re honored to have them here."

Things get going Jan. 14 with a moguls competition featuring Kearney, Deneen, 2002 Olympic silver medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA), World Champion Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) and World Cup aces Emiko Torito and Michelle Roark (both Denver, CO) will be followed up that night with a fireworks display and a concert on Park City's Main Street.

Fireworks will also cap off the aerials competition on Jan. 15 where St. Onge, along with World Cup winners Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) and Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, ID) will look to put on a fun show for the Park City crowd. The traditional night moguls competition, held under the lights on Jan. 16, will finish the event weekend.

"Deer Valley is basically the nicest and best place we can compete at every year," St. Onge said. "It is absolutely the best competition as far as conditions, weather, and site preparation goes. For us to go there, it is easy and fun."

The focus then shifts coasts as the final World Cup before the Olympics touches down in New York's own winter Olympic venue - Lake Placid - Jan. 21 - 24. The competitions will be the final chance for athletes to qualify for the 2010 Olympics as they compete in each of the sports the Games will feature.

"The Lake Placid event is going to be awesome," Clark said. "The cool thing about the Nature Valley Freestyle Cup is that it will feature all three of the Olympic freestyle disciplines and it will be the athletes' last chance to make the Olympic team. The pressure is on and the competitions are going to be intense"

"We are pleased to be working with The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in the execution of this World Cup Event. As the athletes prepare for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, we are hopeful that their experience here, in this two time Olympic Village, will help them be prepared for what lays ahead," ORDA President and CEO Ted Blazer said. "The entire ORDA staff and volunteers at Whiteface and the Olympic Jumping Complex anxiously await their arrival."

The Nature Valley Freestyle Cup gets started Jan. 21 with moguls. On Friday, the Jan. 22, spectators will get the chance to see aerials at its finest - under the lights. One aerialist in particular is looking forward to a competition in Lake Placid as he uses it as a base for his training during the summer.

"Coming back to Lake Placid is awesome for me because it feels basically like a home base," St. Onge said. "I train there five to six months out of the year and for me to get to back and compete there, it's almost a home court advantage."

The weekend wraps up that Sunday with a ski cross race during which fans can catch X Games gold medalists Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) and Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) in their last stop before the sport's Olympic debut.

"From when I was 14 I've raced alpine events there and they were one of the best hills in the east. Now I'm back competing in ski cross. I'm still not used to the cold, but I like the hard fast snow they have. It's the only World Cup ski cross in the U.S., so it's an important race for me to show my home crowd what I can do and how cool this new discipline of skiing is," Rahlves said. "I'm looking forward to a shot at winning this seasons Lake Placid event. It will be the best chance Americans have to see the best in the world battling it out prior to the X Games and Olympic Games."

The action all takes place in January and events are open to the public for free.

The 2010 freestyle Olympic team will be named Thursday, Jan. 26.

2010 Visa Freestyle International Schedule:
Jan. 14
Moguls finals
Music and fireworks on Park City's Main Street

Jan. 15
Aerials finals (night competition)
Awards and fireworks

Jan. 16
Moguls finals (night competition)
Awards and fireworks

2010 Nature Valley Freestyle Cup Schedule:
Jan. 21
Moguls finals

Jan. 22
Aerials finals (night competition)
Awards

Jan. 24
Ski cross finals

Buying Beans Supports Furry Friends

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist Shannon Bahrke might be her wildly awesome colored hair - can you say pink? But the second thing is coffee as Bahrke has used her silver medal as inspiration for her Silver Bean coffee company. But now, when a person goes to buy some of her coffee beans, they can also help out some of Bahrke's little furry friends.

"Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is one of the charities that I give to," Bahrke said. "Part of the money from when someone purchases a bag of coffee goes to sponsoring the animals, so it's directly affecting them."

According to Bahrke, her love for animals, which spurred her interest in the Sanctuary, was instilled in her by her family, who encouraged Bahrke to look for pets who really needed a home.

"I have always loved animals. They've been a huge part of my life," Bahrke said. "When we were younger we always got our animals from the shelters and my parents taught me early on that that is important. There are animals that don't have a chance."

But, it wasn't until Bahrke received a book from her mother that she realized she could be helping the Sanctuary.

"I really feel it's so important to be involved in something, but I hadn't always known how to get directly involved," Bahrke said. "Then, a couple years ago my mom gave me a book about Best Friends and about the owners, and how they started the sanctuary, and it really touched me."

From there Bahrke took on helping the Sanctuary personally before branching out.

"Originally, we created the "athlete blends" and Best Friends was the charity I chose to get a portion of the money from my baggage sold and it's morphed into so much more," Bahrke said. "We've created seven different blends for them that they sell down at the sanctuary, that they serve in their cafeteria and that we sell on our website."

Bahrke couldn't be more excited about helping animals to be able to live comfortably while they are displaced from a home. If fans want to help Bahrke in giving animals a sense of security, they can buy some Silver Bean coffee.

Fans who want to make a purchase of Silver Bean coffee in order to benefit the Sanctuary can do so by heading online to silverbeancoffee.com, picking one of the Sanctuary blends and enjoying a cup of coffee.

Moguls Makes Fresh Tracks in Chile

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

EL COLORADO, CHILE (Aug. 24) - While their World Cup season is still a couple months out, the U.S. Freestyle Moguls Team is officially back on snow as they recently headed to the Southern Hemisphere to train in Chile until the end of August.

"We had a couple good days of training moguls. We got a small air set up so we've been jumping and that's been going well and we all got some really good powder skiing," said Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles. "We're here for ten more days and looking forward to some better weather and some good training for the rest of it."

After a summer of training at the Center of Excellence and at the water ramps, National Champion Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) had his to do list ready for when he arrived in Chile.

"This is the first big camp getting on snow. We were working on the water ramps and we've kind of been thinking about our turns and stuff that we want to get done here. We simulate what we did on the water ramps here on snow it's the perfect place to do it," Wilson said. "I'm working on my double-fulls and the degree of difficulty of my jumps up and then working on getting my turns faster and cleaner."

When the team arrived in Chile they were pleasantly surprised by a sudden change in weather that, while getting them on the snow, set them back from the bump skiing a few days.

"It snowed seven feet since we've been here," Rawles said. "We actually built a full moguls course and we're up and going and it snowed another four feet two days ago, which basically buries everything we built."

One of the most stoked on the pow skiing was 2002 Olympic silver medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) who took to her Facebook account to fill the world in on her plans.

"Yep, still snowing! I'll take some pow runs for you all!!" Bahrke wrote.

But, when it was back to practice Rawles said everyone was ready to put in some serious training time.

"Every athlete has some specific focuses for the camp. We're still focusing on specific skills and everything. We are still working on skill acquisition perfecting what we have been working on all summer," Rawles said.

According to Wilson, time spent in the gym this summer helped him prepare to get the most out of the Chile camp.

"Even today we built a course and I could ski all day, my legs were fine. The training in the gym definitely helped here. So you can go longer, train longer, more qualitity runs," Wilson said.

With over a week left in the winter conditions, Rawles said the team is improving to the point where they can move ahead in their training before a bigger on snow camp later this fall.

"By the end of the camp we will be looking at more competitions sort of training right at the end of it," Rawles said. "Then as we roll into our camp in Zermatt in October the focus will be more towards competitive runs."

For now, it's the basics in Chile, though. The team returns to the U.S. Sept. 1 before heading to snow again at the end of October.

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2010 Freestyle Roster Announced

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (Aug. 19) - Nine Olympians, including the three 2009 World Championship medalists, will head up the roster for a talent-stacked 2010 U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. A total of 36 athletes have been named to the Team, which kicks of its march to the 2010 Games with World Cup competitions in Finland and France.

Those ready to drop their skills on top of the Olympic community are World Championship gold medalists Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) and Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), World Championship bronze medalist and World Cup moguls champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and Olympic moguls silver medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA).

"Our team is stacked with athletes who have found success at all levels of competition and we are looking forward to keeping consistency on that front in 2010," said U.S. Freestyle Ski Team Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen. "It's going to be an exciting season for freestyle."

Aerials Looks To Fly High
With already ample Olympic experience are St. Onge, Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, ID) and Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) who make up the aerials A squad and mustered a handful of World Cup podiums from the 2009 season. Aerials Head Coach Matt Christensen is hoping they stay consistently ahead of the curve.

"We hit a great stride in 2009 and I am looking for those guys to not only build that momentum again, but lead the way for others on the team to reach that momentum," Christensen said. "If we can all reach that stride, great things will come from our team this season."

Looking to make his a household name is rookie turned B Team athlete Dylan Ferguson (Amesbury, MA) who managed his roster ascent last season when he finished seventh at World Championships. Olympian Jana Lindsey (Black Hawk, SD) and Lacy Schnoor (Draper, UT) also have go big aspirations and, after dedicating their summers to training at the Center of Excellence, are ready for the season.

Ski Cross Ready To Make Debut
Ski cross is gearing up for its Olympic debut and with former Olympic-level alpine racers Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) and Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) at the helm, Ski Cross Head Coach Tyler Shepherd is excited to see what his team can do.

"We've been to the World Cup and World Championship levels, but now is a chance for these guys, who have both competed at the Olympics in alpine, to show the world our sport," Shepherd said. "Competing in the newest Olympic sport is going to be exciting. Hopefully already having experience at the Games will prepare them for the excitement and enable them to focus on racing their best,"

With a 2009 World Cup podium from Puckett as well as the three X Games gold medals between he and Rahlves, the ex-alpiners are ready to show the ski cross world old dogs can learn new tricks of the ski cross variety.

Moguls Stays Strong at Every Level
With the consistency of veteran Kearney, the breakthrough performance of Deneen, and group of prepped athletes, the moguls squad is ready for the bumps.

"We have a great mix of athletes from those who have been on the team for years to rookies and each of them has the opportunity to take things to the next level for the 2010 season," Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles said. "We're just looking forward to our first competitions to get started so the team can really start pushing itself for success."

Giving some extra skills to moguls is Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA) who, in addition to four top-10 World Cup finishes, landed on the first World Cup podium of his career. David Babic (Washington, VT) and Michelle Roark (Denver, CO) also dined on some World Cup success as each finished second during the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT.

The 2010 U.S. Freestyle Ski Team (with date of birth, hometown and *if Olympian)

A Team
Men
Patrick Deneen, moguls (12/25/87; Cle Elum, WA; Silver Mountain Freestyle)
Sho Kashima, moguls (11/1/86; South Lake Tahoe, CA; Heavenly Freestyle)
Michael Morse, moguls (4/21/81; Duxbury, MA; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Killington)
Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, aerials (12/12/81; Boise, ID; Bogus Basin)*
Casey Puckett, ski cross (9/22/72, Aspen, CO)*
Daron Rahlves, ski cross (6/12/73, Sugar Bowl, CA)*
Nate Roberts, moguls (3/24/82; Park City, UT; Park City Freestyle Team)
Ryan St. Onge, aerials (2/7/83; Winter Park, CO)*

Women
Shannon Bahrke, moguls (11/7/80; Tahoe City, CA; Squaw Valley Freestyle)*
Emily Cook, aerials (7/1/79; Belmont, MA; Freestyle Lives Year-round)*
Hannah Kearney, moguls (2/26/86; Norwich, VT; Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers)*
Michelle Roark, moguls (11/16/74; Denver; Winter Park Eskimos)*
Shelly Robertson, moguls (4/8/79; Reno, NV; Squaw Valley Freestyle)
Emiko Torito, moguls (7/2/82; Denver; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)

B Team
Men
Dave Babic, moguls (6/3/79; Washington, VT; Sugarbush)
Scott Bahrke, aerials (7/19/85; Tahoe City, CA)
Dylan Ferguson, aerials (8/10/88; Amesbury, MA; Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers)
Bryon Wilson, moguls (4/7/88; Butte, MT; Wasatch Freestyle)

Women
Jana Lindsey, aerials (8/18/84; Black Hawk, SD)*
Eliza Outtrim, moguls (7/18/85; Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Mount Snow Ski Club)
Lacy Schnoor, aerials (6/12/85; Draper, UT)

C Team
Men
Jeremy Cota, moguls (10/24/1988; Carrabassett Valley, ME; Carrabassett Valley Academy Athletics)
Shane Cordeau moguls (12/16/1986; Sun Valley, ID; Sun Valley Ski Team)
Matt DePeters, aerials (8/20/87; Hamburg NY; Buffalo Ski Club)
David DiGravio, moguls (11/26/86; Farmington, ME; Carrabassett Valley Academy)
Jimmy Discoe, moguls (5/15/89; Ridgway, CO; Telluride Freestyle)
Joe Discoe, moguls (2/23/1987; Telluride, CO; Telluride Freestyle)
Landon Gardner, moguls (1/1/85; Missoula, MT; Missoula Freestyle)
Holt Haga, moguls (8/29/83; Boise, ID; Park City Freestyle Team/Bogus Basin)

Women
Ani Haas, moguls (12/14/87; Missoula, MT; Park City Freestyle)
Mikaela Matthews, moguls (12/24/1991; Frisco, CO; Team Summit)
Heather McPhie, moguls (5/28/84; Park City, UT; Bridger Freestyle/Breckenridge)
Jaime Myers, aerials (3/27/82; Boise, ID)
Laurel Shanley, moguls (2/19/83; Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Freestyle)
Kayla Snyderman, moguls (7/4/88; Winchester, MA; Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers)
Allison Treleaven, aerials (10/20/83; Fort Wayne, IN; Freestyle Lives Year-round)

Roberts Gears Up For 2010

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (June 16) - Having missed his first season ever due to a knee injury, World Champion moguls skier Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) is more than ready to get back in action. He is grateful for the state-of-the-art equipment and superior training offered in the USSA's new Center of Excellence.

Roberts injured his right knee during the first World Cup of the 2009 season in Mirabel, France in December. He remembers, "I overshot the landing onto the flats," resulting in what was originally a simple bone bruise. U.S. Ski Team's Dr. Vernon Cooley confirmed that it was in fact a more serious knee injury involving damaged cartilage, and subsequently performed micro-fracture surgery.

On the road to full recovery, Roberts is proud to have graduated from physical therapy, and anxious to get back into shape.

"Mentally, it always sucks to miss a year. I haven't missed an event in six years, so missing a whole season last year was tough," Roberts said. "I just want to get in shape, get focused, and go to the Olympics."

Including water workouts for his knee, Roberts has started an aggressive summer training regime at the Center of Excellence, which he considers to be "the best facility in the world."

Training five days a week and focusing on building his knee strength, upper body, and overall fitness, Roberts is determined to "get back into tip-top shape, be prepared for our summer camp in Chile, and then fall camps," and ultimately, "to peak in February."

While working toward the Vancouver Olympics, Roberts maintains a positive attitude by taking it one step at a time, concentrating on "remembering the big picture, and not looking too far ahead," and that in the end, February is his principle goal.

Roberts is optimistic about the success of the team going into next season. He sees the "young and talented" athletes as healthy assets to the team, as the older athletes help to "guide those guys to where they need to be."

Looking back at the 2006 Olympics, Roberts highlights how much the team has grown and become a solid group of professional athletes.

"We're a team. We compete individually, but we have that chemistry where it's not going to be guys rooting against each other," Roberts said. Thanks to this revived team spirit, Roberts foresees success in the 2010 Olympic events.

If he continues his tough training routine and upholds a day-by-day mindset, Roberts feels confident that next season will not be another missed opportunity.

"Just missing a year motivates me for the upcoming season," Roberts said.

With his summer schedule well underway, he is simply "excited to get to work and go win a medal."

Ski Cross Hits the Course in Hood

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

Mt. HOOD, OR (June 15) - With a course constructed down Mt. Hood's main run, the U.S. Freestyle Ski Cross Team is meeting up with U.S. Snowboarding's SBX crew Monday to get in on the on-snow action and build their terrain skills for the 2010 season.

"The goals for the camp are to progress what we worked on at Mammoth and take that in to the ski cross terrain," U.S. Ski Cross Head Coach Tyler Shepherd said. "The SBX crew went up before us and we definitely wanted to get on the features that are similar to what Jeff Ihaksi, the Olympic course builder, builds so that we can start training on that, especially the starts."

The course Ihaksi built for the Olympic test events last season included a difficult start feature known as a Wu-tang which is found immediately outside the start gate and requires athletes to drop into a W-shaped series of dips.

"Getting time on the Wu-tang, which is as similar as possible to what we'll see at the Olympics, is important so the athletes can figure out what will work best," Shepherd said. "For skiers, it's a unique feature we don't see at all that eliminates the skating and polling. If we can go into the Olympics with a good amount of time through those features, we'll have a better shot at being able to perform well.

"To get more time and repetition through those features and being able to mimic that in Hood right now is invaluable."

For X Games gold medalist Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) getting time on snow as well as dialing in new equipment is going to be crucial for him at Hood.

"I'm getting some new Atomic boots, so I'm going to use those and dial them in. I'm also going to focus in on starts and work on specific terrain skills," Rahlves said. "I'm pretty much going to put all my time into skiing."

According to Shepherd, the athletes will also have time to work on their fitness programs off snow and possibly fit in a few activities unique to the Hood area.

"The guys will continue to work out under their training programs," Shepherd said. "I'm sure we'll also do some fun activities, like head down to Hood River and go wind surfing."

While Rahlves is looking forward to some activities off snow, he says that being on the terrain and putting himself in head to head racing situations will be the most important goal for him at the camp.

"I'm going to be packing days full of skiing. I like to do these camps and get the most out of them. With the terrain we have we'll get some great training," Rahlves said. "Also, hopefully we'll get some head to head training. We've got to try and get the intensity up every time we can. We ski around each other so much and it's good to get comfortable head to head."

The Team will remain in Hood for over a week before returning to summer workouts off snow.

"We're looking forward to going back to Hood. None of us has been there in a while and we can reacquaint ourselves with the mountain while we get back on snow," Shepherd said.

Champion Q&A: Patrick Deneen

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

One year after being named the FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year, Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) took the freestyle moguls world by storm when he won gold at the 2009 World Freestyle Championships in moguls. Now with a landmark season wrapped up, Deneen reflects on what his win meant to him and how he's shifted his focus to the 2010 year.

You're back at home in Washington now. How are things there and what have you been up to?
I'm just hanging out at home, which is nice because I just got back from spending the last month in Colorado where I was training and coaching some kids. So, it's good to be back in Washington and be home with the dogs and the horses.

Will you be spending your whole summer in Washington or are you ramping up your training schedule elsewhere?
I am planning on spending a lot of my summer in Washington. It's great because I am so close to Mt. Hood and with this time of year also being the time I do physical training, for me, this is the best type of training environment - in Washington and with my family on the ranch.

You might be a World Champion now, but when you head back to the ranch does a long list of chores wait for you?
I'm gone so often that my mom pretty much has it covered. But, when I am here I do normal chores like mowing the lawn and feeding horses. Luckily this time of year the grass is getting long, so I don't have to do a whole lot of feeding.

When you won your gold at Worlds, things were a whirlwind for you. Now that the dust has had a chance to settle, how do you reflect on what you accomplished?
The World Championship medal really means a lot to me. When you're skiing at the biggest event, and for me having everything come together at the right moment, it's a real special time.

What have you done with your gold medal?
Right now I keep it in a cupboard in my living room. If I'm sitting down watching television I'll have a quick look at it. My mom plans on framing it with my bib.

With such a great season behind you, how do you plan out your training this summer as you look ahead for future success?
I really focus on my skiing, the task at hand and small goals that I can do. If I just keep moving down that path my skiing will work and the results will come.

Do you have any additional thoughts as you look ahead to the 2010 season?
I'm really excited for next season. All of us just really love to compete. It's such a short ski season and we don't get that many competitions to ski in, so I'm looking forward to getting in there and starting to compete again. I know it's only June, but it seems like it's coming up so fast.

Puckett Channels Alpine Speed in Mammoth

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA (May 22) - Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) began his assault on the ski cross training season this week as he headed to Mammoth Mountain to train alongside the U.S. Alpine Ski Team and pick up the speed he needs to take him through 2010.

"In ski cross it's still really important to ski fast, so I'm basically getting in touch with my inner alpine skier," Puckett said.

The former alpine racer is accompanied by U.S. Ski Cross Head coach Tyler Shepherd, who believes tuning in on the crossover tactics of ski cross will enable Puckett to compete at his best this season.

"The nature of ski cross, it is an alpine discipline and there's still a lot of alpine fundamentals that cross over," Shepherd said. "One of the most basic skills are the turns from GS. The sport has gotten so competitive that if you're not making aggressive turns and generating speed, you can't make it into the event. This will help him be more confident going into those qualifications that he can nail the turns really well."

According to Shepherd, being able to train with the men's speed crew is a perfect fit because all of the athletes have the same goals.

"Being here with the men's alpine crew has been really good," Shepherd said. "We're here to work on the fundamentals and they're here doing the exact same thing. We're here to do what we need to do, to figure out what Casey needs in his skiing and work on that."

For Puckett, outside of perfecting his turns, his main focus is to work on the speed he feels he was lacking in 2009.

"Working on the basics will help because going fast is of paramount importance," Puckett said. "I slowed down a little last year for whatever reason and it's important to have that speed, so here I am in Mammoth."

For Shepherd, while being with the alpine team is a great fit, being at Mammoth has provided he and Puckett with invaluable resources as well.

"Mammoth has been wonderful. A lot of their race crew has been up here helping the Team and there's nothing that they don't do for us," Shepherd said. "They built a ramp so we could put a ski cross start gate in and work on that. They've been nothing but helpful and always asking what they can do."

Puckett and Shepherd will remain at Mammoth through the weekend before returning to dryland training through the summer.

"There's been really good GS progression and a lot of interesting things in Casey's skiing that he's learning he needs to work on. This will be good for him headed into the training season," Shepherd said.

Ski cross will reunite in Mt. Hood, OR, in early June for more on snow training.

Deer Valley Prepared For 2011 Worlds

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

CAVTAT-DUBROVNIK, Croatia (May 22) – Utah's Deer Valley Resort continued its preparations for the 2011 FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships with a presentation of its draft schedule to the International Ski Federation's Freestyle Committee. The meetings were a part of the annual FIS Calendar Conference in Cavtat, near Dubrovnik, Croatia. It will mark the second time that Deer Valley has held the major international event.

A provisional event schedule for the Feb. 2-5, 2011 World Championships was accepted and will now go to the governing FIS Council in June for its final approval.

Since being named as the host by the FIS in 2006, Deer Valley has continued to hold an annual World Cup, including special test events for two of the newer freestyle disciplines of ski cross and halfpipe. A year ago, Deer Valley held a test in ski cross down its Solid Muldoon run. American Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) finished second. Ski cross will make its Olympic debut in Vancouver next February.

Deer Valley partnered with Park City Mountain Resort to hold a skier halfpipe event last January as a part of its annual World Cup. While not yet an Olympic event, ski halfpipe and ski cross have both been conducted in the FIS World Championships. American Jen Hudak (Park City, UT) took bronze at this year's World Championships in Japan.

"Deer Valley is proud to be the host of the World Championships a second time," said Deer Valley Events Manager Carrie Budding. "We feel very close to the freestyle community through our annual World Cup events and it's an honor to be hosting this event."

While Deer Valley is the host, it is partnering with Park City Mountain Resort for the halfpipe event. Aerials and moguls events will be at Deer Valley on the Olympic courses, along with ski cross on Solid Muldoon. The skier halfpipe event will be at the site of the 2002 Olympic snowboarding superpipe.

"Deer Valley is the premiere stop on the FIS World Cup for freestyle skiing. Combining with Park City Mountain Resort in 2011 only will elevate this status," said Chief of Competition Konrad Rotermund. "Our experienced team of volunteers that have supported so many local events, give us great confidence that we can continue to push to achieve our best."

Deer Valley is also partnering with Park City community, with support from the Park City Chamber/Bureau and the Utah Sports Commission.

"Deer Valley has become a real favorite of athletes and team officials from around the world," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Vice President, Events, Calum Clark. "The Teams had a great Championships in Japan this past season and are now looking forward to returning to Deer Valley in less than two years."

The full event will span from Sunday, Jan. 30 through Sunday, Feb. 6. Competitions are scheduled Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 2-5 with a mix of daytime and night finals.

The U.S. Ski Team had a strong World Championships in Inawashiro, Japan this past season. In addition to Hudak's bronze in the halfpipe, Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) won gold in moguls while aerialist Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) also won. World Cup moguls champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) took bronze in dual moguls.

Deer Valley will play host to an important Olympic qualifying World Cup this January before the U.S. Ski Team heads to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Moguls Athletes Train In San Diego

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

SAN DIEGO, CA (May 22) - Life's not exactly a beach for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes who are stationed in San Diego this week for one of the most intense training camps of their season.

"We came down here to get our skiers out of their element in the mountains," U.S. Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles said. "We've been doing beach workouts every day. We try to keep everyone moving. We have stuff going on from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., so it's fairly grueling, really intense and it's a good way to get our prep season kicked off."

Among the athletes at the camp are World Championship bronze medalist Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and 2002 Olympic silver medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA).

"We're basically getting whipped into shape. We're learning some technique in the gym, we're doing core workouts, we're running on the track and then we're doing workouts at the beach that involve running in and out of the water with and without surfboards," Kearney said. "I'm not exactly what you'd call a beach person, but it's a really good way to mix up the training and get a good tan at the same time."

For Bahrke, a California native, training in her home state is a great way to get back into the swing of things.

"This is our first camp and we're really trying to get back into it. We've been doing a lot of different things," Bahrke said. "I'm a Cali girl, so I love being down here. It's beautiful, the sun is shining and it's a really good vibe down here."

The camp involves some of the most intense training the athletes will endure throughout their season. The intensity serves as a foundation for the athletes remaining in consistently good shape as they gear up for 2010.

"Every day I fall asleep within two seconds of my head hitting my pillow. Everything we've been doing is really hard. There have been no easy workouts," Bahrke said.

"In a lot of ways this is a little unorthodox compared to what we usually do, but I think that's one of the main reasons we do it," Rawles added. "It's good to get the athletes into different situations that they might not have been in before because in our sport we're always dealing with different situations so this helps them prepare for that."

Athletes who live away from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's Center of Excellence training facility and the supervision of the Team's trainer will be able to take the workout plans and fundamental skills they developed in San Diego and use them from their homes across the U.S.

"Living in Vermont I don't get to work with Alex [Moore, Team trainer] very often except for over the Internet. It's really good getting some face time. He makes us work harder than we would alone. It's a really good way to start the off season," Kearney said.

The moguls athletes will remain in San Diego through the weekend before returning to their personal training schedules.

Cook Promotes Playing In Jordan

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

While she spends most of her time flipping through the air and winning World Cup competitions, U.S. Freestyle Ski Team aerialist Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) reserved a few weeks in April to travel across the globe and teach people about something she believes is very important - playing.

Cook spent part of her spring in Jordan working with teachers and coaches on implementing programs that encourage youth engaging in sports via the Right to Play program.

"It was an opportunity for us to learn from them and for them to learn from us," Cook said. "We did two full days of master classes where we sat down in a room and led a full day session of the life skills that we've learned through sport and how they can deliver those life skills to the kids they are working with."

In Jordan, Cook worked with youth leaders to develop structures for and encouragement of childhood athletic involvement for children who may not have otherwise been able to experience sport in their youth.

"It was totally overwhelming. There were kids who have been in refugee camps and who are former soldiers and who have never had the opportunity to play before," Cook said. "These kids, who have been so devastated by the conflict surrounding them, are learning to be confident, to include and those are some of the greatest gifts we can give."

For Cook, one of the most important things a child can spend time doing is participating in sport because of the developmental lessons it provides youth.

"For children who don't have the opportunity to play, they really miss some of the key factors of development," Cook said. "Through sport you learn to work together, to cooperate, to be confident, be strong, healthy living skills, positive conflict resolution and kids learn to function in the real world."

The group was also able to do a school visit. Seeing the outcome of the workshops she was involved in, Cook said she was moved to by impact that Right to Play programs can have on a community.

"The school visits were the most inspiring part because we actually got to see the results of what they're doing and also of what we did in the master classes," Cook said. "I think having the opportunity to interact so much with the coaches and teachers, the difference it has made is going to be lasting. Instead of going and talking to one group of kids at a school, we're able to make a bigger difference by giving the tools to the teachers."

At the school visit, Cook was also able to participate in the practices she is striving to teach children.

"We didn't have the opportunity to communicate with them because of the language barrier, but we were playing volleyball, and even though we couldn't use words, we were communicating perfectly and that's a great thing to show them - how to work together with people who are different from them," Cook said.

In the end, Cook was able to help children in Jordan get out and play, but, as far as she is concerned, the work is far from being done.

"It was an incredible opportunity and something that I think should be implemented around the world, whether through a structured organization like Right to Play, or just through parents encouraging their kids to go outside and play with their friends," Cook said.

For more info on Right to Play visit www.righttoplay.com.

Champion Q&A Ryan St. Onge

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 MST

With two World Cup wins and a World Championship gold medal, Ryan St. Onge had a season that any athlete would envy. What does one do after they have one of the most successful seasons of their career? They pack a car and head South looking for warmer temperatures.

Where are you right now and what are you doing?
I had no plans after the season finished at nationals. I wanted to go someplace warm and sunny so I got in my car and started driving south. I got to the Grand Canyon and realized it still wasn’t warm enough, so I jumped a flight to Southeast Asia. I’ve been enjoying the sun, the beach, the food and time off for almost two weeks. But, I’m getting antsy to get back and start training.

Looking back on your season - in which you won a couple World Cups and a World Championship gold medal - what is your most memorable moment and why?
I keep track of time by the jumps I remember. This season I remember my last training jump before the contest in Deer Valley. I was doing a trick that I hadn’t done in three years. After the training jump was over, my coaches came to congratulation me. Many of the Deer Valley hill crew, coaches from other teams, my competitors, and event officials all gave me congratulations. When it came time for the competition jump, it was the best jump of the day and I won the event. When I think about this season I’ll forget just about everything else, but I will always remember three moments: finishing my twists perfectly in the first flip, thinking that I had the perfect rotation for the jump, and looking down at the landing knowing that I was going to stick that jump.

Where do you keep the medal from World Championships?
I put my World Championship medal with the rest of my trophies and medals, packed in some old clothes bag in a storage unit. I have a hard enough time as it is staying level headed, I don’t need a bunch of awards hanging around reminding me how good I am. I’d throw them all out if it wouldn’t upset my mother, but she says I'll want them some day. I have never cared as much about what I’ve won as what I have done to win.

When you're not on the road and not traveling to exotic places, what do you do with your spare time?
I sleep. It’s my favorite thing to do in the entire world. I was naturally inclined towards sleeping as a young man, maybe almost bordering on the genius level. My sleep IQ was well over 170. But, like so many talented young children I let my ability slip by the wayside. I am just beginning to get back what I had, but I’ll never sleep the way I used to.

Did you know Lindsey Vonn designs her own speed suits? Well, she does. If you could design your own competition uniform, what would you be wearing as you huck yourself off aerial jumps?
I have always placed function over form. I am interested in finding things that work, and I don’t pay much attention to how they look. However, I find that things designed entirely for functionality are usually the most beautiful and transporting things I have ever seen.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
I suppose if I did not get involved in skiing I would most likely be an investment banker. Then after that I would like to teach tenth grade English.

What can we look forward to seeing out of you this coming season?
My hopes are to keep doing what I am doing, but just a little bit better. My major projects are completed, but there’s still a lot of work to be done assimilating new way of doing old things.

Four Named to Ski Hall of Fame

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (April 4) – Four legendary skiing athletes were inducted Saturday into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in ceremonies at Deer Valley Resort in Park City. Olympic freestyle medalists Liz McIntyre (Granby, CO) and Nelson Carmichael (Steamboat Springs, CO), along with ski mountaineering legend Bill Briggs (Jackson Hole, WY) and two-time alpine Olympian Cary Adgate (Boyne Falls, MI) were honored as members of the Hall of Fame's class of 2008.

PHOTO: Inductees show off their medals including Nelson Carmichael, Bill Briggs, Liz McIntyre and Cary Adgate. (USSA)

Carmichael and McIntyre made history during freestyle skiing's debut Olympic period, with Carmichael taking moguls bronze in 1992 and McIntyre silver in 1994. The Olympic medalists will be recognized alongside Adgate, a six-time U.S. champion, and Briggs, who has a collection of famous first descents to his name.

"Recognition by the Hall of Fame is a great personal honor for each of these four athletes who have made outstanding contributions to their sport," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. "Nelson Carmichael's bronze medal in the new sport of freestyle moguls in 1992 was an historic achievement. And while Liz McIntyre is most known for her 1994 Olympic silver, one of her most significant contributions in recent years was as an influential coach of a host of Olympic and World Championship medalists."

McIntyre's career spanned 20 years with the U.S. Ski Team, first as an athlete on the freestyle moguls squad from 1986-98, then as the moguls technical coach until retiring in 2006.

As an athlete, the culmination of McIntyre's career came during the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer where she led the qualifying round and went on to take the silver medal. With an athletic career filled with accolades, McIntyre also stood on top of the World Cup podium four times (all in Tignes, France) and earned 18 other World Cup top tens, and competed in three Olympics - 1992, '94 and '98.

McIntyre put that experience to good use as U.S. Ski Team moguls technical coach. She coached Olympic medalists Shannon Bahrke, Toby Dawson, and Travis Mayer. In 2003, her athletes Bahrke and Travis Cabral swept the World Cup titles. She coached from the heart, challenging the athletes with fresh ideas and new training methods, and dedicated herself to getting the most out of them. She led athletes into a new era in the sport when inverted maneuvers were approved for competition after 2002.

Carmichael, a Steamboat Springs native, jumped into a spot on the U.S. Ski Team straight out of high school in 1984. He struggled during his first couple of seasons, but by 1988 found his stride and won the World Cup mogul championship. In 1989 he repeated his World Cup title and then set his sights on the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, where he won bronze when freestyle debuted as a sport in the Olympics. During his career with the U.S. Ski Team, he also won six U.S. Championships and 12 World Cup events.

After the Olympics Carmichael continued his successful ski career, winning several professional tours and, after retiring from competition, established himself with Steamboat Ski Resort.

Adgate was a Midwesterner who made his first race turns on Boyne Mountain in Michigan. In 1971 he won the U.S. Junior National Championship at age 17. He joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1973 and in that year won the Can-Am Overall Championship, the Can-Am GS Championship and the Roch Cup downhill/overall championship. He earned the U.S. Alpine Championship title in slalom or combined six times, and was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1976 and '80.

Adgate turned to professional skiing in 1981, competing in Bob Beattie's World Pro Skiing Tour. He became the only skier to win back-to-back races in his pro debut, going on to win 25 professional victories and the 1984 U.S. Pro Championships.

In 2005 he won three U.S. Masters Championship events and was named Ski Racing Magazine's 2005 Master Racer of the Year. He currently is Boyne USA Resorts' Snowsports Ambassador and mentors several racing programs.

Briggs was a pioneer first-descent skier and is considered a leader of American ski mountaineering. He started his professional ski career as a fully certified instructor in 1955 and founded the Bill Brigg's Ski School at Suicide Six Ski Area near Woodstock, VT in 1958.

With three companions, he made the first 100-mile traverse from the Bugaboos to Rogers Pass, BC in 1958. He made a series of first-ski-descents from Mount Rainer in 1961, Middle and South Teton in 1967, Mount Moran in 1968 and, most famously, the Grand Teton in 1971.

He founded the Great American Ski School, which models his own ski teaching ideology and technique. His system established the Certainty Training Method (CTM) for ski instructors and he still holds the position of director at the Snow King Ski School in Jackson, WY.

The induction was held at Deer Valley Resort's Silver Lake Lodge and was emceed by freestyle skiing legend and Hall of Famer Trace Worthington. According to Hall of Fame President and CEO Tom West, a formal enshrinement ceremony will be held in September at the Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, MI.

"We're especially proud that the Hall of Fame selected our hometown for its induction," said Marolt. "Our organization began over a century ago in the Hall's home of Ishpeming, Michigan under the leadership of Carl Tellefsen. We've come a long ways in those hundred years and are excited to introduce a home of future Hall of Famers with the opening of our Center of Excellence training and education center here next month."

The U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame's Class of 2008 was selected by an independent selection committee of ski professionals, historians, and writers chaired by Paul Bousquet and voted on by a national panel. Any interested individuals are welcome to make nominations through the Hall's selection process.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the birthplace of organized skiing of Ishpeming, MI, is dedicated to honoring America's skiing and snowboarding professionals, pioneers and athletes. The museum houses one of the largest collections of skis and snow sport related memorabilia in the United States.

The induction was jointly organized by the U.S. Hall of Fame, along with the local Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation, Deer Valley Resort, and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Multimedia
Audio of Inductee Presentation
Photography of Induction Ceremony

Championships on Versus

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (March 31) - U.S. athletes from across the nation were in top form last weekend as they fought for the honor of being best in the U.S. during the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships in Squaw Valley, CA, and the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships in Alyeska, AK. Versus, one of America's leading action sports networks, will bring the action to ski fans in April.

Packed with moguls and skier halfpipe action, the 2009 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships from Squaw Valley will air April 4 beginning at 4 p.m. ET with the Nature Valley Freestyle Challenge dual moguls competition, and then continuing at 5 p.m. ET with the skier halfpipe and individual moguls events. The best national athletes, including World Cup champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), Olympic medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) and 2009 moguls and dual moguls champion Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA) will all be on hand and fighting for the top of the podium.

World Cup overall winner Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) are among the athletes who will compete as the speed and precision of the 2009 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships from Alyeska Resort airs April 11. Downhill and slalom races will be featured on the show, which starts at 4 p.m. ET.

Fans are invited to tune in to see all the action during the first half of April on Versus. You can also follow the latest broadcast updates on twitter.com/usskiteam.

2009 Versus April TV Schedule:

April 4:
Nature Valley Freestyle Challenge (Dual Moguls) - 4:00 p.m. ET on Versus
Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships (moguls and skier halfpipe) - 5:00 p.m. on Versus

April 11:
Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships (downhill and slalom) - 4:00 p.m. on Versus