The U.S. Moguls Ski Team wrapped a successful week of training at Colorado's Wolf Creek Ski Area on November 11. Due to a lack of snow in Austria, the team had to change their original plans of training in Kaprun for a nine-day prep camp in November. Luckily mother nature cooperated in Colorado where early and consistent snow has fallen, allowing many resorts to open earlier than expected.

Wolf Creek opened to the public on October 13, the second earliest opening date in the resort’s history. The resort has received 58 inches of its characteristically dry, light snow so far this season, and the U.S. Moguls Ski Team was all too excited to get to work on it.

“The snow is fantastic in Wolf Creek,” said Caleb Martin, world cup moguls coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “The 28-inch base is skiing really well. The course is in a natural gully where additional snow has blown in. Wolf Creek is providing the best mogul training in the world at this time. It’s amazing to have this kind of high-quality training during the first week of November.”

Just because a ski area is open, that doesn’t mean it is ready to host moguls training. It took three days of hand shoveling before the course was ready for athletes. U.S. Ski & Snowboard staff Matt Gnoza, head moguls coach; Caleb Martin, moguls world cup coach; Vladimir Lebedev, moguls world cup coach; two Telluride Freestyle Team staff and four Wolf Creek employees all pitched in time and hard work to make this camp a reality.

The result was a 150-meter long course, featuring 14 top turns into a jump site with a 30-degree landing, followed by a 12 turn finish. The pitch averaged 28 degrees overall. The U.S. Moguls Team trained six days on the Wolf Creek course, averaging about 12 runs per day, per athlete.

“We target 60 days of on-snow training during our ‘prep period,’” explains Martin. “It is a goal to have at least six days on snow each month. Since our nine days of projected on snow training in Kaprun was canceled, we filled the void with six days in Wolf Creek, and added four more days to our pre-World Cup Ruka training."

Not only did athletes get in quality skiing time, they also spent quality time with their fans on Saturday (November 10) afternoon. Team members met spectators and aspiring professional skiers alike, signing water bottles, helmets, stickers and anything else that would hold a signature for over an hour and a half.

“Our training camp at Wolf Creek exceeded all of our expectations, The venue was awesome, the resort was amazingly supportive and the local skiers cheered us on while we trained. At a time when we didn’t have any other options for training, Wolf Creek stepped up and provided us with the perfect scenario leading up to our first World Cup in Finland next month.”
    - A Team Member Tess Johnson

The moguls team will head next to Ruka, Finland, for 10 more days of on-snow training preceding their season-opening World Cup event on December 7.

Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) leads the 16-member 2018-19 U.S. Cross Country Team, announced today by U.S. Ski & Snowboard, with a strong focus on the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. The team kicks off the 2018-19 FIS World Cup Cross Country season in Ruka, Finland, Nov. 24-25.

“The 2018-19 World Cup season has the potential to be one of the best in history for the USA,” said U.S. Cross Country Head Coach Chris Grover. “The athletes who earned 16 of a record 17 World Cup podiums last season are returning and are motivated to pick up where they left off.”

The team had a historic 2017-18 season with Diggins and Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, Alaska) winning the first Olympic gold medal for the U.S. in the team sprint. Diggins also finished the season ranked second in the overall World Cup standings, and third in the distance World Cup standings. Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.) finishing third in the World Cup sprint standings. Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) also had a breakthrough season with four individual podiums, finishing sixth in the overall World Cup standings. The 16-member team will look to carry that momentum into the 2018-19 World Championship season.

“I’m looking forward to kicking the season off with the team in a few short days,” Caldwell said. “Our team will go into each weekend with big goals, but our biggest focus this year will be World Champs in Seefeld, Austria, where we have had some success before.”

In addition to the grueling season-long World Cup schedule, many of the athletes will start the seven-stage Tour de Ski December 29 -January 6 – as a major focus of the season. Some athletes will race through the Val Mustair stage, while a select few will likely compete in the full tour in preparation for the upcoming World Championships.

“Our focus for the season is the Seefeld World Championships, which begins quite late in February, so we are not focused on being in top race form in November or December but will undoubtedly have some success then as well,” Grover said. “ Look for the USA athletes to be coming into top form in the Tour de Ski and beyond.”

A veteran group of athletes will headline the U.S team at the FIS World Championships in Seefeld, Austria February 19 - March 3 with favored events for the U.S. team, including freestyle sprint; men’s 30k and women’s 15k skiathlon; and a classic team sprint.

2018-19 U.S. Cross Country Team
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

A TEAM
Men
Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 5/14/87)

Women
Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 11/21/89)
Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 3/22/90)
Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 8/26/91)
Ida Sargent (Orleans, Vt.; Craftsbury Green Racing Project; 1/25/88)

B TEAM
Men
Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 7/14/91)
Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, Wisc.; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 4/11/93)
Patrick Caldwell (Lyme, N.H.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 2/18/94) )
Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 1/28/92)

D TEAM
Men
Ben Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; 2/13/00)
Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars; 7/25/00)
Ian Torchia (Rochester, Minn.; Northern Michigan University; 3/8/96)

Women
Hannah Halvorsen (Truckee, Calif.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 2/19/98)
Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 9/12/97)
Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; 11/17/97)
Hailey Swirbul (Aspen, Colo.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 7/10/98) 

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the 2018-19 U.S. Snowboard Team today, featuring eight Olympic medalists, including 2018 gold medalists Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), and Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.).

“We have such an amazing group of returning athletes along with talented new Rookies this year,” said U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Director, Jeremy Forster. “We are looking forward to starting our U.S. competition season at the Copper Mountain Grand Prix, and building towards the World Championships in Park City.”

With the 2018 World Cup season already underway, defending World Cup slopestyle champion Chris Corning (Denver, Colo.) already has two podium results in big air competition, including a victory in the season-opening event in Cardrona, New Zealand. Corning will be gunning to not only defend his overall World Cup and slopestyle titles but add a World Championship medal to his trophy collection.

“U.S. Team riders have had a fun and successful offseason with camps at Timberline, Ore. and on the European Glaciers this fall,” said U.S Freeski and Snowboard Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “We have a super solid group of riders and everyone is ready to get competition underway this season.”

Indeed, with a long list of Olympic medalists, including Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Kelly Clark (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Kyle Mack, (West Bloomfield, Mich.), Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.), Alex Deibold (Manchester, Vt.) and Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.), the U.S, Snowboard Team is ready to tackle some of the season’s most high profile events including the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain Dec. 5-8, and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area March 4-9. As always, Team riders mark the X Games, Dew Tour and the Burton U.S. Open among the season’s top goals. Alongside the park and pipe athletes, the snowboardcross and alpine teams will embark on the FIS World Cup circuit, covering significant ground before returning home to home soil for arguably the biggest event of the season. U.S. Snowboardcross B Team member Jake Vedder (Pinckney, Mich.) will be joining his teammates on the World Cup circuit following his victory at the 2018 FIS Junior World Championships in August.

This February provides a rare opportunity for U.S. Snowboard Team athletes to go for glory on their home soil at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota right in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s home state of Utah. It will also mark the first World Championships for both Kim and Gerard, both of whom exploded onto the snowboard scene last February at the 2018 Games. Jacobellis will also be defending her 2017 snowboardcross world title in February.

“The boardercross crew is really stoked to be racing the World Championships on home snow at Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah,” said U.S Snowboardcross Head Coach Peter Foley. “The addition of the new Olympic event of team boardercross will give fans another chance to cheer on the U.S. Team as they race the other nations for medals in this exciting relay.  We’ve had amazing training camps in Switzerland and Copper Mountain, Colo. this fall and everyone can’t wait to start racing.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have a strong history of performing at their very best at recent FIS 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. More specifically, Lindsey Jacobellis is the defending snowboardcross champion as well as Hagen Kearney and Nick Baumgartner are defending team snowboardcross champions. The U.S. Snowboard Team will look to continue that success heading into the 2018-19 season.
 

U.S. Snowboard
Name (Birthdate; Hometown; Club; USASA Series)

HALFPIPE
Pro Team
Men
Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/99)
Gabe Ferguson (Bend, Ore.; Central Oregon Series; 4/16/99)
Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/17/93)
Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Big Mountain West Series; 3/31/95)
Toby Miller (Mammoth Lakes, Calif; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/14/00)
Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/30/98)
Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/3/98)

Women
Kelly Clark (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mount Snow Academy, Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Southern Vermont Series; 7/26/83)
Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/4/96)
Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/23/00)
Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/22/00)

Rookie Team
Men
Jake Canter (Silverthorne, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen Snowmass Series; 7/19/03)
Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.; Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/17/99)
Jason Wolle (Winter Park, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/30/99)
Jack Coyne (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 01/17/2002)

Women
Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 10/10/03)
Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series 1/27/02)

SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR
Pro Team
Men
Nik Baden (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/13/98)
Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/7/99)
Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 8/22/99)
Brandon Davis (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 8/30/95)
Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/22/98)
Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/29/00)
Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/3/01)
Chandler Hunt (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 11/4/98)
Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.; Great Lakes Snow Series; 9/6/97)
Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska; Auburn Ski Club; Big Alaska Series; 10/23/92)

Women
Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.; South Tahoe Series; 9/13/90)
Jessika Jenson (Rigby, Idaho; Big Mountain West Series; 8/7/91)
Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; North Tahoe Series; 8/2/00)
Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.; Southern Vermont Series; 9/11/97)
Karly Shorr (Milford, Mich.; Auburn Ski Club; Great Lakes Series; 5/18/94)

Rookie Team
Men
Jake Canter (Evergreen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen Snowmass Series; 7/19/03)
Dusty Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/2/03)
Sean Fitzsimons (Hood River, Ore.; Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; Mt. Hood Series; 9/22/00)
Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.; Kirk’s Camp; Rocky Mountain Series: 12/18/00)

Women
Nora Healey (Plymouth, N.H.; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 6/16/98)
Courtney Rummel (West Bend, Wisc.; Wisconsin Advanced Ski and Snowboard Program; Midwest Best Series; 11/12/03)
Ty Schnorrbusch (Monroe Township, N.J.; Tom Anderson, Rocky Mountain Series 5/15/02)
Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 1/27/02)

SNOWBOARDCROSS
A Team
Men
Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.; Great Lakes Snow Series; 12/17/81)
Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, Mass.; Maine Mountain Series; 4/17/85)
Alex Deibold (Manchester, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 5/8/86)
Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/30/91)
Nate Holland (Sandpoint, Idaho; North Tahoe Series; 11/8/78)
Hagen Kearney (Norwood, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/6/91)

Women
Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/24/92)
Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.; Stratton Mountain, School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/19/85)

B Team
Men
Jake Vedder (Pinckney, Mich.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/16/98)

Women
Rosie Mancari (Anchorage, Alaska; Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club; Big Alaska Series; 1/22/94)

Development Group
Men
Cole Johnson (Reno, Nev.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; South Tahoe Series; 9/21/93)
Senna Leith (Vail, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/8/97)

Women
Meghan Tierney (Edwards, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/15/97)
Stacy Gaskill (Golden, Colo.; Winter Park Snowboard Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/21/00)

ALPINE
B Team
AJ Muss (Rumson, N.J.; Rocky Mountain Series; 12/15/1994)
 

Official U.S. Snowboard Partners
Uniform/Licensees
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Wax/Tools/Supplies
Boot Doc
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U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the 2018-19 U.S. Freeski Team today, featuring eight Olympic medalists, including 2018 PyeongChang medalists David Wise (Reno, Nev.), Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.), Alex Ferreira (Aspen, Colo.) and Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.).

“We have a great mix of experienced veterans and newcomers on the team this season,” said U.S Freeski and Snowboard Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “After a successful Olympics in 2018, these athletes are aiming to continue the momentum into 2019.”

In addition to the PyeongChang Olympic medalists, there is also a long list of Sochi Olympic medalists bringing a wealth of competition experience and knowledge to the table including Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, Colo.), Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.), Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.), and Joss Christensen (Park City, Utah). Also, capping off a long list of stars and coming off an incredibly successful training camp in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, is Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) - the 2018 X Games slopestyle gold medalist - who, after just missing the podium in PyeongChang, will be a force to reckon with this season.

The 2018-19 season features a range of high profile events on the freeski circuit including X Games, Dew Tour and numerous rounds of the FIS World Cup. These World Cup events include two Toyota U.S. Grand Prix events taking place at Copper Mountain Dec. 5-8, 2018, and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area March 4-9, 2019. Copper will host the season opener of the FIS World Cup freeski and snowboard halfpipe competition, while Mammoth will host slopestyle and halfpipe FIS World Cup competition.

Highlighting the season, the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships Feb. 1-10 will offer a  rare opportunity for U.S Freeski Team athletes to go for glory on their home soil in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s home state of Utah.

“We have a really talented group of athletes and coaches that are ready to get the season started,” said U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “It will be an exciting season with the World Championships in Utah, and the inclusion of big air as a new Olympic competition.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have a strong history of performing at their very best at recent FIS World Championships. At the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, U.S. athletes collected six gold medals, three silver medals, and four bronze medals across all disciplines. More specifically, Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.) is the defending halfpipe champion and McRae Williams (Park City, Utah) is the defending slopestyle champion. In addition, Alex Ferreira is the 2018 World Cup halfpipe champion. The U.S. Freeski Team will look to continue that success heading into the 2018-19 season.

2018-19 U.S. Freeski Team
(Hometown; Club; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE
Pro Team
Men
Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/12/96)
Lyman Currier (Boulder, Colo.; Winter Park Freeski Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/28/94)
Alex Ferreira (Aspen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 8/14/94)
Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Freeride Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/26/99)
Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, Colo.; Telluride High School; Southwest Colorado Series; 10/1/91)
Taylor Seaton (Avon, Colo.; 7/16/90)
David Wise (Reno, Nev.; 6/30/90)
Torin Yater-Wallace (Basalt, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 12/2/95)

Women
Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Sierra-at-Tahoe Education Foundation; South Tahoe Series; 1/10/94)
Annalisa Drew (Andover, Mass.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/28/93)
Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.; Mount Snow Academy; Southern Vermont Series; 2/17/93)
Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.; Intermountain Series; 1/17/90)
Carly Margulies (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 12/24/97)

Rookie Team
Men
Jacob Beebe (Bend, Ore.; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Big Mountain West Series; 6/15/99)
Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 10/01/98)
Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/17/00)
Dylan Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/29/01)
Sammy Schuiling (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/16/00)

Women
Anna Gorham (Bend, Ore.; Central Oregon Series; 7/22/00)
Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 5/26/98)
Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Freeride Team; Rocky Mountain Series 2/27/02)
Eileen Gu (San Francisco, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; North Tahoe Series; 3/09/03)

SLOPESTYLE/BIG AIR
Pro Team
Men
Bobby Brown (Denver, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/5/91)
Joss Christensen (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 12/20/91)
Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Hanley Consulting Inc.; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/14/94)
Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 9/21/98)
Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, Colo.; Telluride High School; Southwest Colorado Series; 10/1/91)
Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 10/3/97)
McRae Williams (Park City, Utah; Intermountain Series; 10/13/90)

Women
Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 2/2/00)
Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; New Hampshire Series; 6/7/97)
Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.; Mount Snow Academy; Southern Vermont Series; 2/17/93)
Darian Stevens (Missoula, Mont.; Missoula Freestyle Ski Team; 10/29/96)
Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 12/14/98)

Rookie Team
Men
Willie Borm (Chaska, Minn.; Midwest Freeskiing Association; 5/21/97)
Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/4/01)
Cody LaPlante (Truckee, Calif.; Squaw Valley Freestyle and Freeride Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/15/02)
Richard Thomas (Orono, Minn.; Midwest Freeskiing Association; Upper Midwest Snow; 8/16/01)

Women
Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 4/5/01)
Rell Harwood (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 6/1/01)
Grace Henderson (Madbury, N.H.; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 4/28/01)
Eileen Gu (San Francisco, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; North Tahoe Series; 3/09/03)

OFFICIAL U.S. FREESKI SUPPLIERS
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The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team’s moguls and aerials rosters have officially been named for the 2018-19 competition season. Twenty-nine athletes will represent the United States across national and international competitions, including a hometown 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, taking place February 1-10, 2019 in Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain, and Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah.  

“We have a really talented group of athletes and coaches that are ready to get the season started,” said Jeremy Forster, director of the U.S. Freestyle, Freeski and Snowboard Teams. “It will be an exciting season with the FIS World Championships in Deer Valley and the inclusion of team aerials as a new Olympic competition.”

Defending World Champions Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.) and Jonathon Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.) headline a young 13-member aerials team, which will compete in seven World Cup and World Championships events across three continents. Aerials will seek to fill 10 World Championship spots, two more than any other nation competing, as both Caldwell and Lillis have already secured their own spots as defending World Champions. New to the FIS World Championship competition roster will be the team aerials event, which turns a traditionally solo discipline into a team effort. Team aerials will add another layer of drama to an already thrilling sport.

“Having the FIS World Champs in Park City in an incredible way to start the four-year cycle,” says Caldwell on this competition season. “We have a young team this year, it will be exciting to see them entering their first World Cups and championships events in this Olympic cycle. Aerials in the Beijing Olympics in 2022 will be one of the biggest events of the Games.”

“Deer Valley is a special place for Freestyle Skiing and we could not be more excited about the opportunity to compete at the FIS World Championships in our hometown,” said U.S. Aerials Head Coach Todd Ossian. “ We have a variety of athletes at different stages of their careers that will all have a solid chance to perform well.  Ashley Caldwell and Jon Lillis looking to defend their World Championship titles is going to be a show of its own!”

Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.), the second-ranked female moguls skier in the world and a 2017 World Championships medalist, along with 2017 World Championship medalist Brad Wilson (Butte, Mont.), lead the charge for the 16-member moguls squad, which will compete in 12 World Cup and World Championships events across three continents. A-team members Olivia Giaccio (Redding, Conn.) and Casey Andringa (Vail, Colo.) will look to change the moguls game this season as both have the potential to perform runs featuring the hardest degree of difficulty in their respective genders. Moguls brought home a silver and bronze medal from the 2017 World Championships and will look to add more hardware in 2019.

“This season is not about the past and it's not about the future,” explained U.S. Moguls Head Coach Matt Gnoza. “It's about right now and this team is ready to perform. I know they are going to be successful because they have all put in the time, effort, and hard work it takes to become champions. This season is about the team and not about any one person. They all support one another and when one of them wins they will all share in that moment because they have been on this journey together.”  

“Our team is looking really strong right now and we are definitely all getting anxious and excited for the season to kick off!” said Kauf, “I’m really confident about our team right now and know there will be a lot of great stuff coming from my teammates. I think we’re all excited to show the world what we are capable of and continue working towards being the best we can be.”

At the 2017 FIS World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team took home four medals, including a pair of golds in aerials. Athletes will have the opportunity to showcase their talents on home soil and at a favorite stop on the World Cup circuit - Deer Valley Resort. Freestyle athletes from across the globe will compete under the lights on White Owl and Champion ski runs February 6-9, 2019, for four nights of intense competition in aerials, team aerials, moguls and dual moguls. The competition season for moguls kicks off December 7, 2018, in Ruka, Finland, with the season-opening World Cup event. Aerials will compete in their first World Cup event in Lake Placid, N.Y., January 19, 2019.

2018-19 U.S. Freestyle Ski Team
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

MOGULS
A Team
Men
Casey Andringa (Boulder, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 10/6/95)
Brad Wilson (Butte, Mont.; Wasatch Freestyle; 6/5/92)

Women
Olivia Giaccio (Vail, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 8/15/00)
Tess Johnson (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 6/19/00)
Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 9/26/96)
Morgan Schild (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 8/25/97)

B Team
Men
Jesse Andringa (Boulder, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 12/15/97)
Hunter Bailey (Vail, Colo; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 3/24/96)
Joel Hedrick (Fort Collins, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; 5/30/97)
Jack Kariotis (Tiburon, Calif.; Team Park City United; 1/17/97)
Thomas Rowley (Long Beach, N.Y.; Hunter Mountain Freestyle Team; 7/2/94)
Emerson Smith (Frisco, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 2/13/97)
Dylan Walczyk (Rochester, N.Y.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; 6/25/93)

Women
Nessa Dziemian (East Hampstead, N.H.; Park City Freestyle Ski Team; 4/14/94)
Hannah Soar (Somers, Conn.; Killington Mountain School; 6/4/99)
Avital Shimko (Manhattan, N.Y.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 4/24/96)

AERIALS
A Team
Men
Jon Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.; Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team; 8/20/94)

Women
Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 9/14/93)

B Team
Men
Alex Bowen (Springville, N.Y.; Buffalo Ski Club; 5/21/92)
Chris Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.; Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team; 4/10/98)
Eric Loughran (Pelham, N.H.; Loon Mountain Freestyle; 12/4/95)

C Team
Men
Nick Novak (Stafford, Va.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 3/15/96)
Patrick O’Flynn (Penfield, N.Y.; Bristol Mountain Snow Sports Club; 8/5/97)
Justin Schoenefeld (Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 8/13/98)
Harrison Smith (Pittsford, N.Y.; Bristol Mountain Snow Sports Club; 9/12/97)

Women
Megan Nick (Shelburne, Vt,; Elite Aerial Development Program; 7/9/96)
Morgan Northrop (Haymarket, Va.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 4/16/94)
Winter Vinecki (Salem, Ore.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 12/18/98)
Madison Varmette (Stafford, Va.; Elite Aerial Development Program; 5/8/96)

Official U.S. Freestyle Ski Team Suppliers
Gloves: Auclair
Socks: Smartwool
Bags: High Sierra

PARK CITY, Utah (November 9, 2018) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s new slopestyle and big air national development coach Nichole Mason is set to host the first ever all-female USASA freeski and snowboard Level 100 and 200 clinics from Dec. 3-6 at Copper Mountain, Colo. The Level 100 clinic will take place Dec. 3-4 and will target intro level coaches who will be working with Phase 1 and Phase 2 athletes. The Level 200 Clinic will take place Dec. 5-6 and will target more experienced coaches who have been working with athletes for a number of years and whose goals are to expand their knowledge and skill set to better work with Phase 3, 4 and 5 athletes.

To participate in the the Level 100 class you must be at least 18 years old, currently working as an active coach, registered as a member of USASA and work over 60 hours per season. Additionally, you must have your clinic registration verified by a supervisor/program director of a USASA or USSA program, USASA Regional Series Director or a supervisor of an AASI/PSIA member ski or snowboard school. Lastly, you must have a First Aid/CPR Certificate from a qualified provider, USOC Safesport certification and CDC Heads Up certification. Level 200 prerequisites include all of the above with the addition of a Level 100 certificate. Click here for more detail on course prerequisites.

Mason is one of the many snow sport enthusiasts who started her career as a young competitive athlete with USASA. She coached Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club for five years, where she was the 2017 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Domestic Coach of the Year, and Development Coach of the Year. Mason went on to be the first-ever female coach in her current position with U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Through empowering the female community and bridging the gap between USASA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard, these all-female clinics will create new opportunities for both female athletes and industry professionals.

“I am excited about this new project on several levels,” said Mason. “First, the partnership between U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA to reach the common goal of strengthening our coach education curriculum is critical. In addition, we look forward to providing a broader spectrum of support to our female coaches in the industry. This clinic provides an opportunity to talk openly about the struggles women encounter being in a male-dominated industry, what we can do together to slowly change that dynamic and empower female athletes in the sport. We historically have significantly lower numbers on the female side for both coaches and competitive athletes. Our goal is to strengthen the female coaching community and watch that empowerment trickle down the line to keep more female athletes in the sport.”

USASA has 20 clinics currently scheduled across the United States. For additional information or to register for another clinic visit https://usasa.org/resources/coaches/coaches-clinics.

About USASA:

The United States Snowboard and Freeski Association is the first step in the Olympic pipeline. USASA is represented by 32 regional series and made up of over 5000 athlete members, 1000 + coaches, officials, and judges and hosts over 500 snowboard and freeski events annually at over 120 resorts nationwide. The USASA National Championships are held annually at Copper Mountain, Colorado and span twelve days with over 1,800 participants making it the largest snowboard and freeskiing event in the world and is entering its 30th year.  USASA aims to facilitate fun and fair events for all ages across the country, to attract snowboarders and freeskiers, promote their development, provide member education, and influence the future of our sports.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body for ski and snowboard sports in the USA. One of the oldest and most established sports organizations worldwide, directly tracing its roots back to 1905, the organization, based in Park City, UT, provides leadership and direction for elite athletes competing at the highest level worldwide and for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders in the USA, encouraging and supporting all its athletes in achieving excellence wherever they train and compete. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. U.S. Ski & Snowboard receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund athletic programs that directly assist athletes in reaching their dreams and achieving the shared goal of being Best In The World.

Media Contact
Andrew Gauthier
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Marketing and Communications Manager
andrew.gauthier@usskiandsnowboard.org

U.S. Moguls Team skiers, Casey and Jesse Andringa (Boulder, Colo.) are not your average athletes. These brothers have a unique story on how they were named to the U.S. Ski Team, as well as a unique mode of transportation en route. 

Growing up in Boulder, Colo., and traveling to Winter Park and Vail to train, Casey and Jesse have been passionate about skiing for as long as they can remember.

“We have been balancing skiing and school our whole lives. Last year was our first full year off school to just focus on skiing.”
    - Jesse Andringa 

In May 2017, the Andringas’ father bought them a pop-up camper which they promptly drove to Steamboat Springs where they lived in their new pop-up home. Casey and Jesse trained intensely at Steamboat Resort in hopes of making the U.S. Ski Team. “Our dad bought us a popup camper to save money,” said Jesse, “so really we were just camping up in the mountains and training the whole summer.”  
 
Yes, you read that right. These two were so dedicated to moguls skiing that they lived in a pop-up camper during the entire summer of 2017.  

“The hard thing about skiing is it’s so time-consuming, but there isn’t a lot of money in it,” admitted Casey. “Our parents were going to help us with rent wherever we were going to live and to offset those costs I jokingly said ‘You know, what about instead of renting a place somewhere we just get a popup camper and we just live in the woods for free…’ I was 80-percent kidding and then, like, three weeks later my dad calls me up and told me he found our home for the summer.”     

Determined, Casey and Jesse trained throughout the summer in Steamboat with Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s moguls team. They also “went rogue” by adding their own training regimen into their schedule. “We would go to the high school track, run sprints and do obstacle courses for hours,” said Casey.  

With a diet of oatmeal for breakfast, showering in the gym they paid a membership at whenever they could (with no towels), and going to bed at 9:30 p.m. each night, the Andringa brothers lived a rugged life in the summer of 2017.

But all that hard work paid off when both Andringa brothers were officially named to the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team in April of 2018. Jesse has been on the Freestyle team for a year and podiumed in NorAm events during the 2018 season. Casey has been on the team for a year and a half, and competed in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea, coming close to the podium with a fifth-place finish. 

The two brothers have been working hard this summer as well, but their living and training conditions are slightly different. “We have an apartment in Park City now, which is a new thing for us,” laughed Casey. “We still do the camper living on road trips, but we have upgraded a bit.”  

In addition to an actual home, these two are overwhelmed with the facilities they are provided as U.S. Ski Team members. “We have PTs with us all the time, and strength coaches who are arguably the best in the world,” said Casey. 

“We have a nutritionist, a cook, and a structured regimen,” added Jesse.  

With state-of-the-art facilities and staff, the Freestyle Ski Team’s training is vigorous: strength training at the Center of Excellence, summer training camps in Mount Hood, Ore., and water ramping sessions at the Utah Olympic Park. “Essentially you have four weeks of hard work at a time, then a week off, and you repeat that all summer,” reflected Jesse.  

When they aren’t hitting the gym or shredding the slopes, Jesse and Casey can be found surfing the coasts of Oregon and California. The brothers got into surfing about three years ago and get in at least 20 days a year. 

“Every day off we have when we are up at Mount Hood, we drive two and a half hours to go to the beach and surf,” commented Casey. “Instead of sitting there and dwelling on what you did wrong or right in training, we just go to the beach and totally let go of it all and surf. When you come back you are fresh and ready to work hard again.”  

In addition to being seasoned campers, surfers and skiers, the Andringa brothers also have a passion for sharing their experiences visually through photography. “I realized that we are going to the most beautiful and incredible places in the world, so I might as well try to document it,” said Casey. He hopes to continue with photography and is currently pursuing capturing photos for different companies in order to help offset expenses. He is selling prints to the public as well, in an effort to raise more funds for them both. Jesse also has a talented eye and takes his film camera wherever he goes.   

With summer training winding down and winter training gearing up, these two have high goals for this upcoming season. “My goal would be to get all the World Cup starts and make some finals and super finals,” noted Jesse. 

Casey wants to “get to the podium. Fifth place is cool and all but I’m ready for more.” With new tricks up both of their sleeves, Casey and Jesse are hoping to impress everyone this season.

The Adventurous Casey and Jesse Andringa are two names to watch out for. Follow along in their adventures on Instagram: Casey @butteredt0ast and Jesse @jesse_barre. 

Excitement is building for U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and staff as the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships presented by Toyota gets set to take place Feb. 1-10, in the USSA’s own backyard in Park City, Utah. With 10 days of competition at three of the best resorts in the country - including Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain, and Solitude Mountain Resort - this will be the biggest winter sports event to be held in Utah since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Find some interesting facts that speak to the significance of the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships below:

World Championship Success

Five individual U.S. Ski & Snowboard champions from the 2017 FIS Sierra Nevada World Championships will look to defend their titles: Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.), McRae Williams (Park City, Utah), Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt), Jonathon Lillis (Rochester, N.Y.) and Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.). Also, Hagen Kearney (Norwood, Colo.) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.) are defending team snowboardcross champions.

There are three returning U.S. Ski & Snowboard 2018 FIS Crystal Globe winners: Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.), Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.) and Alex Ferreira (Aspen, Colo.). Corning claimed the snowboarding titles in slopestyle, big air and overall.

Size and Scale

More than 1,800 athletes and team officials will attend the Championships.

29 competitions including qualifying and final rounds with 13 FIS events showcased, and $750,000+ in prize money.

Three new Olympic events will be hosted for the first time at a FIS World Championships: freeski big air, mixed team snowboard cross, and team aerials.

55,000 spectators are expected across the 10 days of competition.

An international TV audience of more than 270 million viewers are expected to tune in on television and stream on digital devices. This estimated TV audience size has in turn caused TV coverage to exponentially increase: 28 hours of coverage on NBC and NBCSN will be broadcasted, a number that has almost doubled since the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships in Beaver Creek.

Athletes

PyeongChang Olympic freeski gold medalists expected to compete include Cassie Sharpe (Canada), Oystein Braaten (Norway) and Sarah Hoefflin (Switzerland).

PyeongChang Olympic Snowboard gold medalists expected to compete include Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), Sebastien Toutant (Canada) and Anna Gasser (Austria).

Notable aerial athletes expected to compete include 2018 PyeongChang Olympic gold medalists Oleksandr Abramenko (Ukraine) and Hanna Huskova (Belarus).

Moguls competitors heading to Park City include 2018 Olympic medalists Michael Kingsbury (Canada), Matt Graham (Australia), and Sierra Nevada 2017 double world champion Ikuma Horishima (Japan).  For the women, Olympic medalists include Perrine Laffont (France), Justine Dufour-Lapointe (Canada) and Yulia Galysheva (Russia).

Park City, Utah

The mayor and City Council of Park City have made it a mission to put environmental sustainability a priority during the 2019 FIS World Championships. The Environmental Sustainability Team has partnered up with Park City resorts to ensure that the execution of each World Championship event puts environmental sustainability as a top priority.  

Park City, Utah hosted the FIS Freestyle World Championships in 2003 and 2011 at Deer Valley Resort, but 2019 will be the first time a U.S-based World Championship will include all events across the snowboard, freestyle and freeski disciplines.

Volunteer Efforts

Amongst staff, there will be about 900 people working the events; 650 people will be volunteers, equating to a combined 25,000 hours of both working shifts and volunteer commitment.

Featuring the best athletes in the world, world-renowned venues, and several brand-new events, you will not want to miss the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships presented by Toyota. In fact, there are many ways to get involved, with over 650 volunteer opportunities for anyone 15 years of age and up. Volunteers will be able to experience events up close and contribute to making the World Championships the best it can be. If you have an interest in joining the team, Click Here to Sign Up.
 

Twenty-year-old U.S. Freeski Team member Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah) wrapped up the FIS Freeski World Cup big air in Modena, Italy, with a second-place finish Sunday. Norway’s Birk Ruud won the event, while Swiss Andri Ragettli rounded out the podium in third.

“I’m so hyped to get on the podium today,” said Hall, who scored his second career World Cup podium. “The level of riding was insane, so it’s an honor to be on the podium. Also, the vibes were all time!”

For the women, the gold and silver medalists from PyeongChang Olympics wasted no time getting back on the podium this season with Swiss freeskiers Mathilde Gremaud and Sarah Hoefflin first and second respectively, while Germany’s Kea Kuehnel was third.

After failing to make the big air finals in the opening World Cup of the season in Cardrona, New Zealand, Hall was on a mission in Modena. He landed a switch double cork 1440 with a very unique seatbelt cuban double grab that was rewarded by the judges. Hall was in the top spot going into their second round of three jumps. After a fall and a jump not scored in the second round, Hall landed a double cork 1620 opposite tail grab which put him in second place where he would remain to close out the competition.

First-year U.S. Pro Freeski Team member Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah) finished ninth overall and put up some incredible highlights when he pulled a double cork 1440 with two grabs, which he learned in training the day of the competition. He landed this trick flawlessly but unfortunately missed his grabs slightly on both attempts. Although Stevenson didn’t end up on the podium with a fall on his third run, it was a positive step in the right direction moving into the 2018-19 season.

“I just learned that trick today, so I’m really happy to put it down,” said Stevenson. ”I learned it right here on the scaffolding before finals so I’m blown away.”

U.S Freeski Team members Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.) finished ninth, and just missed advancing to the finals, while U.S. Rookie Team member Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) finished 22nd overall. Americans Quinn Wolferman (Missoula, Mont.) and Ryan Stevenson (Washington, N.J.) finished 31st and 41st respectively.

The crowd was not disappointed in Modena. With technical and innovative tricks including multiple triple corks, a nose butter takeoff from Sweden’s Henrik Harlaut; pre grab take-offs from Kai Mahler (Switzerland); double grabs and even a mid-air inverted pretzel from Jesper Tjader (Sweden) - as described by freeskiing legend and U.S. Freeski Team Ambassador Tom Wallisch. Also, Alex Beaulieu-Marchand (Canada) kept it fun throwing it back to freeskiing roots with a huge corked Cossak on his third and final run.

Competition continues for the U.S. Freeski Team at the Stubai, Austria, World Cup slopestyle Nov 22-24. The 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.

RESULTS
Men’s big air finals
Women’s big air finals
 

Editor's Note:
​Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) recently sustained an ACL tear that has sidelined her for the 2019 season. Throughout Johnson's road to recovery, she'll be sharing the ups and downs of rehabilitation here in a column of her own, entitled "Patient Notes," in hopes that you will follow along for the journey to learn how challenging it is both physically and mentally to return to snow at the elite level. Being an injured athlete can be challenging and lonely, and we're hoping that by writing this column, Johnson will be able to stay connected to the community and her sponsors.

Johnson kicked off her series with a poignant pre-surgery piece and with Patient Notes: Volume 2, she brought you all the post-op nitty gritty. She's thankful for your support and invites you to follow along on her Instagram. All of the words below are Johnson's thoughts, straight from her journal to your computer screen.

Enjoy the journey,

Megan Harrod 
Alpine Communications Manager

------------------

10/30/18: 57 days post-injury, 40 days post-op, 6 days post-second op

Ferocity and Frustration

When I announced my injury, I stated that the coming months would be excruciating—excruciating in the mental sense. Thinking back now, I didn’t know all of the ways that this would test me. I still can’t say if I will be better for it. It’s been a while since I’ve written; almost six weeks to be exact. But I have faced tests I couldn’t even imagine. Have those tests made me better? Only time will tell.

Those who know me know I have a force of willpower unmatched in the average person. I do know others with this force. Many of my fellow competitors also have this ferocity. Perhaps that seems like an insult, but I argue otherwise. “Ferocity” doesn’t have to be directed at other beings in a negative manner—and the ability to be ferocious in the face of obstacles and adversity, is perhaps what distinguishes the great from the good. I have, for many years, approached ski racing with this ferocity. We often teach children—especially girls—to be kind, wait, ask for permission. But in elite level sport, as in much of life sometimes, we cannot be herbivorous. We must, like a cheetah on the Savanna, chase down and kill our prey. We must take what we need because if we wait until it is given, we will never get it.

I have lived much of my career in this manner: move forward, work harder than anyone thought possible, and then go take what you have earned. When my doctor told me my diagnosis, I resolved myself to do so again. I thought to myself ‘Go work harder on your recovery than anyone thought possible and take back your health, your speed and your sport.’ It has been more exhausting and frustrating than I thought possible.

While my sport has always been grueling, occasionally taking time off or hanging with friends rejuvenated my brain and my body. Days off, relaxing with teammates, served to both make me happy and provide a critical piece in allowing me to progress. Now it feels as if some of that has turned against me. I traveled home [to Victor, Idaho] two weeks ago; my first trip home since surgery. While the time in the Tetons gave me mental rejuvenation, that came with immense physical pain and swelling. Going out to movies with friends did the same. Even sleep, which I have loved all of my life, has turned against me. I am mostly a stomach sleeper, but in my work to lower the swelling in my knee joint I sleep on my back now, with my knee up on six pillows and my ice machine running on and off through the night. Everything that once healed me and helped me progress, is now seemingly my nemesis.

This is hard. Really hard.

A young ski racer recently messaged me and asked how we get through these setbacks. It’s difficult; I won’t lie. I think we just do what we can every day. While unfortunate to say, I think in some ways we simply must resolve ourselves to months of pain and frustration. We must hunker down and endure the storm. Some might call it resilience...but it isn’t really. We simply have no other option; no other road to take. It’s survival. The body has a remarkable ability to heal. It truly awes me every day. Your body can, in its infinite wisdom, take a piece that is broken and fix it. During times of injury, some of what we must do is simply wait for our body to do its job. No amount of will or ferocity can help. And so we wait, frustrated and lost, until our amazing cells and nerves and ligaments figure out how to deal with the problems we have caused.

While my ferocious attitude has helped me in my recovery, I am slowly realizing that I must adapt and be less aggressive in my return to sport. As many know, I recently had to go back under the knife to deal with a skin infection in an incision. I was frustrated, for weeks, having to deal with setbacks that were not my own creation. I felt that I didn’t deserve to deal with the extra setbacks. I’m sure many of you—and many of my U.S. Ski & Snowboard teammates—have felt the same way. I’m not perfect, and I’m not there yet, but I’m beginning to realize that it doesn’t matter. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t my fault. The problems were mine nonetheless, and I have the choice to either solely have problems with my body or problems with my body AND my mind. But as I turn the corner (hopefully) toward putting this infection behind me, I’m beginning to let go of what I wish I was doing and simply focus on what I can do now.  I vow not to lose my ferocity, but I have to be able to be more fluid about the obstacles in front of me.

If not for my body’s sake, certainly for my mind’s sake.