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May 12, 2023 - PARK CITY, Utah - U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced its Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team nominations for the 2023-24 competition season. Nominations include those active athletes who qualified based on published selection criteria in the prior season. Twenty-nine aerials and moguls athletes have been nominated to the team.
“The 29 athletes nominated to the 2023-24 Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team represent the best in the world at freestyle skiing,” said Matt Gnoza, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Freestyle Director. “We have an awesome mix of accomplished veterans and fresh rookies eager to prove themselves. This crew accomplished a lot last season and I look forward to supporting them to build on the momentum we created. It’s an exciting time for American freestyle skiing!”
The 2023-24 team is highlighted by 2023 World Championships medalists Ashley Caldwell (gold, mixed team aerials), Chris Lillis (gold, mixed team aerials) and Quinn Dehlinger (gold, mixed team aerials; silver, men’s aerials), as well as double 2023 World Championship silver medalist Jaelin Kauf (moguls and dual moguls).
The 2023-24 FIS Freestyle World Cup calendar is expected to be confirmed by the International Ski Federation (FIS) later this month, but boasts a more robust schedule than the freestyle circuit has seen in years, including two World Cups in the United States: the Intermountain Health Freestyle International at Deer Valley and an additional moguls/dual moguls World Cup.
Each athlete accepting the nomination to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team receives world-class program support, along with access to the USANA Center of Excellence, as well as athletic benefits including elite coaching, sport science, sports medicine, high performance staff and education opportunities.
An official Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team announcement will be made in the fall.
2023-24 Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team Nominations
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)
MOGULS
A TEAM
Women
Men
D TEAM
Women
Men
AERIALS
A TEAM
Women
Men
D TEAM
Women
Men
*First nomination to the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team
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Moguls officially closed their 2022-23 competitive season with the Snowbird FIS Open with moguls on Friday and dual moguls on Saturday. The events drew participation from the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, American club-level athletes and international competitors.
Snowbird’s freestyle history extends back to 1976 when the resort hosted the Professional Freestyle Association’s World Championships. Snowbird has hosted a regional freestyle event annually since 1981, 13 U.S. Freestyle Moguls Selections events, 12 Freestyle Moguls NorAms, three U.S. National Freestyle Moguls Junior Championships and 4 U.S. Championships. The resort is also home to Wasatch Freestyle, which can trace its history back to 1988.
Elizabeth Lemley won Friday’s event, Sami Worthington took second and Abby McLarnon (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) took third. Korea’s Daeyoon Jung won the men’s event, Dylan Marcellini took second and Ryan Tam (Olympic Valley Freestyle Team) skied to third.
On Saturday Lulu Shaffer (Park City Ski & Snowboard) dueled it out to beat the field and come in first for dual moguls, McLarnon took second and Worthington came in third. Marcellini beat Jung in the Big Final to come in first. Jung came in second and Jack Petrone (Killington Mountain School) came in third.
"I never really felt so much emotion before, it was just so rewarding to finally see all of my hard work through my rehab pay off," said Worthington of her first competition back from injury, and as a Stifel U.S. Ski Team member. "These results will give me a lot of confidence and motivation going into the prep season. I know what I am capable of now."
RESULTS
Women’s Moguls
Men’s Moguls
Women’s Dual Moguls
Men’s Dual Moguls
The U.S. Freestyle Moguls Ski Team closed out their competitive season with the Toyota Dual Moguls National Championships Sunday at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Jaelin Kauf and Cole McDonald both became double 2023 National Champions, winning for the second day in a row.
Kauf was honored to finish what has been one of her career best seasons at a double national champion. “It’s been three years since I’ve been able to ski Nationals so I’m stoked to be competing here again!” she said. “It’s such a fun event to get to ski and compete with all of the regional athletes.”
"It feels super amazing to end the year this way," said McDonald. "Coming together is always super fun and special at Nationals. It is great to see new faces and also the progress that young skiers have made in the past couple of years."
U.S. National Team athletes went head-to-head with the country’s top regional athletes. Nationals is an event that inspires the next generation of skiers by providing an opportunity for up-and-comers to compete on the same course and same event as the nation’s top athletes.
On the women’s side Olivia Giaccio earned her second podium of the weekend with second place after dueling Kauf in the Big Final. Elizabeth Lemley bested Hannah Soar for third in the small final. Dylan Marcellini earned his second podium of the weekend with his second place after going against McDonald in the men’s Big Final. Landon Wendler won the Small Final against Nick Page for third place.
Moguls breaks for some R&R before getting back to the grind in preparation for the 2023-24 season.
RESULTS
Women’s Dual Moguls
Men’s Dual Moguls
Despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, the Toyota U.S. Freestyle Championships kicked off Saturday at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire with individual moguls. U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athletes Jaelin Kauf and Cole McDonald were crowned the 2023 U.S. National Champions, skiing a challenging course made especially firm from rain earlier in the week. This marks Kauf’s fourth U.S. Championship title and McDonald’s first.
U.S. Nationals brings the whole American mogul skiing community together, with national team members competing alongside regional clubs.
“Nationals is such a fun event, especially skiing with these younger athletes,” said Kauf. “The course was really firm and challenging today. But it was fun for our team going back and forth with those top spots all day.”
Kauf was joined on the podium by teammates Olivia Giaccio and Hannah Soar, who took second and third, respectively. “It’s a nice way to end the season,” said Giaccio of skiing to the Nationals podium.
On the men’s side, Dylan Marcellini and Landon Wendler went second and third.
The weekend closes with Dual Moguls National Championships on Sunday. Watch live on Twitch.
RESULTS
Women’s Moguls
Men’s Moguls
The future of mogul skiing looks bright following a strong showing from up-and-coming athletes at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Chiesa in Valmalenco, Italy, March 23-25.
Newly crowned FIS Rookie of the Year skier Alli Macuga became a double Junior World Champion, winning the Team Dual Moguls with teammate Asher Michel and Dual Moguls events Friday and Saturday.
“It was a very fun weekend with a tough course, with it being the end of the year it’s been a bit of a battle,” said Macuga. “I’m happy with the past few days and my results. I was really just trying to push after singles day to my best. Since it’s the end of the season I wanted to go out with a bang. Thanks to my family and my team and my sponsors again.”
Athletes competed in three events in three days. Friday was the single moguls event, where Macuga was the top American finisher, just off the podium in fourth. Kasey Hogg took fifth, Kylie Kariotis sixth, and Skylar Slettene 17th. On the men’s side Asher Michel took bronze, Jack Petrone finished 11th, Charlie Mickel 12th and Peyton Billeisen 15th.
The Team Dual Moguls event ran Saturday with Macgua and Michel representing Team USA. The pair won gold, beating Team Canada in the Big Final.
“It was a very fun team event and to ski with Asher, stoked for him,” Macuga said. “Having a partner was fun, he’s a very fast skier. I was happy to be at the top of the box with him.”
Sunday the American women went 1-4 in Dual Moguls. Macuga took gold, Slettene silver, Kariotis bronze and Hogg fourth. Petrone was the top American finisher for the men in fifth, Michel took 10th, Mickel 14th and Billeisen 29th.
RESULTS
Women’s Moguls
Men’s Moguls
Team Dual Moguls
Women’s Dual Moguls
Men’s Dual Moguls
The aerial skiers of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team closed out their competition season under bluebird skies at World Cup Finals in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Sunday.
Three women represented the U.S. in finals: Kaila Kuhn, WInter Vinecki and Dani Loeb with Kuhn and Vinecki both advancing to the super final round. Kuhn performed full full in the first final round so as to have her higher degree of difficulty trick for Supers - double-full full - which earned her a score of 89.18. She held in third position until Australia’s Laura Peel wowed the crowd with her lay tuck full to win the event. Kuhn was the top U.S. finisher of the day in fourth. She ends the season ranked fourth overall - a career best.
“It got a little bit challenging today, the jump was a little soft so a bit of a journey for everybody to get used to,” Kuhn said. “I’m happy with my consistency this season. I ended up fourth overall this year, best so far. It was my first double-full full on this site, so I am happy to have put it to my feet.”
Vinecki performed double-full full to qualify into Supers, which left her with full full for her final jump. She earned 79.69 for fifth place. Dani Loeb finished 12th and Megan Nick 14th. Australia went one-two on the podium with Peel and Danielle Scott, respectively, and Canada’s Marion Thenault took third.
Chris Lillis and Derek Krueger both made finals appearances. Lillis stomped a full double-full full to qualify in second for the super final round. He called double-full full double-full - a quint - but had difficulty in his takeoff and didn’t have the room to complete five twists. He took it down to a quad to safely land to his feet. Aerial skiers must perform the trick they call prior to takeoff or it’s considered a DNF so Lillis unfortunately earned no score for his jump and finished the day in sixth.
Krueger finished tenth and Quinn Dehlinger 16th.
Switzerland went first and second with Permin Werner and Noe Roth, respectively, and Canada’s Emile Nadeau finished third.
The U.S. Aerials Freestyle Ski Team earned the Nations Cup, an impressive feat for a season with only six events to draw points from.
“It feels really good to be part of the team that's been so consistent this season,” said Kuhn. “To win the Nations Cup again, along with moguls this weekend, shows how hard we’re training and that all of it is paying off. I can’t think of a better way to end the season.”
“It is great to win the Nations Cup,” said Head Aerials Coach Vladimir Lebedev. “I’m glad the whole team is healthy and that we finished the season strong.”
RESULTS
Women’s Aerials
Men’s Aerials
Women’s Discipline Standings
Men’s Discipline Standings
The mogul skiers of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team battled it out Saturday one last time at the Dual Moguls World Cup Finals in Almaty, Kazakhstan to secure the discipline’s Nations Cup. Jaelin Kauf snagged another podium with a second place finish and Olivia Giaccio earned her third-career World Cup podium with a third pace finish.
Kauf dueled against teammate Hannah Soar in the Quarter Final and Giaccio in the Semi Final to make it to the Big Final against France’s Perrine Laffont.
“Today was good, really fun,” said Kauf. “Unfortunately, I did have to take out a few teammates.”
The battle for the top position pitted Kauf and Laffont together for one last time this season. Kauf had the advantage down the middle section but Laffont managed to cross the finish line first to take the win. “I was just trying to get to that top air first, make Perrine chase me a little. I focused on skiing my run and keeping it as clean as possible. She kind of snuck ahead on that bottom air and got me. I left it all out there, that’s all I can do.”
With this result Kauf ends the Dual Moguls season ranked third overall. “I am really stoked with that.”
Giaccio battled teammate Alli Macuga in the Small Final to take third. Giaccio has been knocking on the door of podium positions all season, so to end the tour on this note felt especially sweet.
“It feels really good, feels like a little bit of a relief in a sense to know that I can kind of break that barrier again,” Giaccio said. “It’s been tough throughout the season feeling so close yet so far. I’m thankful that I managed to make it happen. Big thanks to my coaches, to my family and my mentors for helping me push through run by run.”
Macuga’s fourth place finish marks a career best for the newly minted Rookie of the Year. It was a strong showing for the women overall, with five going two through six: Kauf (second), Giaccio (third), Macuga (fourth), Lulu Shaffer (fifth - a career best) and Soar (sixth). Tess Johnson finished tenth and Kasey Hogg finished twelfth.
On the men’s side Dylan Walczyk was the top American finisher in sixth place. The Americans met some heavy hitters in the quarter final round. Landon Wendler dueled against Sweden’s Walter Wallberg to finish the day seventh. Nick Page met Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury and finished the day in eighth. Cole McDonald finished 11th, Charlie Mickel 19th and Asher Michel 25th. Kingsbury won, Wallberg finished second and Australia’s Matt Graham took third.
Moguls finishes their competitive season at Waterville Valley Resort for U.S. Freestyle Nationals March 22-26.
Head Coach Bryon Wilson was proud to finish the tour strong and looks forward to the work ahead. “It was a really great weekend here in Kazakhstan,” he said. “Leaving here with four medals, and leaving with both Nations Cups in moguls and dual moguls is incredible.
“I am impressed with the development crew and excited where we’re headed as a team. It fires me up going into prep season! We’re going to take a couple days to finish off the season at Nationals, get a little breather, and then back to work this spring and summer.”
RESULTS
Women’s Dual Moguls
Men’s Dual Moguls
Women’s Discipline Standings
Men’s Discipline Standings