Prep Period Conditioning!

Our inaugural East “RDP” Conditioning Project this week was awesome! Big thanks to:

• GMVS for hosting, housing us, letting us use their high performance facilities

• BMA Coach Brennan Smith for coming and helping support the project

• Burke, GMVS, Waterville Valley, and Bretton Woods for letting us steal (and support!) a few of our region’s top male and female athletes for a few days

• The ATHLETES!!! for attending, putting in the effort, and asking fantastic questions and soaking it all in!

• Barbara Ann Cochran (Olympic Gold medalist!) for an awesome sport psychology session - such incredible, authentic perspective!

• Paula Moltzan for leading by example, putting in the work! … and also pointing us to a killer hike on a beautiful Vermont day!

• Professor Ryan Cochran Seigle for sharing his experience through an honest, organic conversation with these promising development athletes

Short, sweet, local. In three days we got a lot done with a group of young up and coming Eastern men and women from YOB 2006 through 2009. Fitness testing, volleyball, trunk and mobility, gorgeous and intense Green Mountain hiking, sport psychology, weight lifting education and application, force plate testing, and interactive, personal conversation with Olympic and World Cup wisdom.

Our East staff collaborated to organize this project and make it happen “on the ground”.

Whether you are part of one of our regional high performance centers or a grass roots program, take from this summary what you will, but in general I (RK) encourage the following:

• We have a LOT to offer within our region.

• Enjoy and make the most of your time ON snow. Volume on two planks on white frozen crystals of H20 adds value. And is FUN!!!

• Enjoy and make the most of your time OFF the snow. Attention to fitness and athleticism in the gym and in other sports helps you build a foundation for success ON SNOW. It helps not only physically, but also mentally. When you do the work, when you are prepared (with your conditioning, your tuning, your nutrition, your sleep, etc.), it builds your confidence and helps you face the variables that are outside your control. Apply it to what you love (skiing) and it will become intuition for life in other contexts.

Keep making the most of your summer months!

Cheers,

Roger, Martin, Daniel and Spencer

Stifel U.S. Ski Team alpine skier Hunter Salani is making his mark on the professional circuit. A Colorado native and standout from Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, Salani had a breakout 2024-25 season with the national team, highlighted by a bronze medal in the Team Combined event at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships.

A rising star in multiple disciplines, Salani continues to push the limits of his potential. This fall, he will take the next step in his journey both academically and athletically, enrolling at the University of Colorado Boulder and joining the CU Buffs ski team.

Salani is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

We caught up with Salani to dive into his background, reflect on a season of milestones, and look ahead to his goals for 2025-26.

Q: What initially drew you to this sport?
HUNTER SALANI: During my first couple of years at the ski club, we would freeski in the mornings and begin to train gates in the afternoon. I loved free skiing, but when I would train gates, I fell in love with it. I thoroughly enjoyed skiing around the gates with my small giant slalom skis on and I became obsessed really fast. 

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals?
HS:  After I realized I was very talented on skis I started to think about goals. When you are young doing a sport you don't think about goals you are just doing it and having fun. When it hit me that I could go places in skiing, I set out goals. A huge goal of mine is to race on the World Cup. The World Cup is the pinnacle of ski racing and to compete would be amazing.

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
HS: My biggest accomplishment came last year at the Junior World Championships. During the super-G and slalom combine Stanley Buzek and I earned bronze. This was such an amazing experience and to do it with my teammate Stanley was special. 

Q: What is your ultimate goal?
HS: My ultimate goal is to win World Cups. Aside from that, I would love to grow the sport and be a good mentor to the next generation. I looked up to ski racers when I was young and they were a huge part in my success. I want to be the person young skiers look up to and get inspired to race. 

Q: Who are your heroes?
HS: My heroes are Anthony Edwards and Bode Miller. Anthony Edwards has the mindset I strive to gain, he wants to be the best and he wants to beat everyone he goes against. He also does not care what other people think - he is just being himself. What  I loved about Bode was he was also fearless when it came to skiing, especially downhill.

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?
HS: I would save the money and spend it very carefully. I also have stocks right now so I would probably put some of it into those. 

Q: Do you have a budget or follow a spending structure?
HS: I don't have a budget, but I try to spend my money carefully. Since I am not working right now it is important to not blow through all my money. My grandfather is very good at saving his money and I have learned a lot from him. 

Q: What’s one money habit you follow?

HS: I try not to spend a lot of money on food, especially when it is not necessary. Food can add up very quickly, so I try to eat in when I can.

Follow Hunter on social media here

FIS News

• For Season 2025-26, to be implemented starting with the Base List for Season 2026-27:

  • An 8-point adder will be applied to the calculated penalty of Level 2, 3, and 4 FIS events

  • An athlete’s FIS seed points in SL and GS will be calculated by the average of the best three results in that event

• Additional shin pads are not allowed to be worn inside the boot. To treat medical issues, additional protection pads, as soft padding, can be approved by FIS.

• For season 2025-26, using an Airbag is mandatory in DH and SG at World Cup, Olympic Winter Games, and Europa Cup events. Airbags are strongly recommended in DH and SG at South America Cup, NorAm Cup, Far East Cup, and World Junior Championship events.

• Cut resistant lower-body underwear, rated three stars or higher, are required for all Level 0 and 1 FIS events.

Regional Development Team qualified athletes 2025-26

The following athletes have met the high level criteria to be named to the Regional Development Team for the 2025-26 season.  These athletes will be invited to all regional and most national projects (depending on their age), and they will be eligible to receive 50% funding support for their continued development toward the U.S. Ski Team.

Women - East

Kira Hiebert - 2010 (BMA)

Beatrice May - 2006 (DAR) 

Abby Olson - 2007 (BMA) 

Katie Rowekamp - 2009 (BMA) 

Women - Rocky/Central

Paige Dehart - 2005 (CU)

Men - East

Julian Arthur - 2005 (MID) 

Cameron Blatz - 2009 (SMS)

Troy Boissonneault - 2007 (BMA) 

Tor Borgia- 2007 (WMR) 

Colin Hanna - 2004 (BC) 

Sawyer Reed - 2005 (DAR) 

Harper Sargent - 2006 (BMA) 

Men - Rocky/Central

Adrian Beauregard - 2007 (SSWSC) 

Caman Beauregard - 2007 (SSWSC) 

Stewart Bruce - 2006 (SSCV) 

Carson Hume - 2005 (SSCV) 

Fletcher Hutto - 2007 (AVSC) 

Alex Krupka - 2006 (SSCV) 

Aksel Lindenmeyr - 2005 (APEX) 

Jevin Palmquist - 2007 (SUM) 

Trevor Palmquist - 2009 (SUM)  

Men - West

Finnigan Donley - 2005 (UU) 

Carl Ottosson - 2006 (SBSTA)
 

Eastern Region coaching staff update

I would like to introduce our new Eastern Regional Team Men's coach- Daniel Sanz! 
 [email protected]

Dani hails from Spain and has an impressive resume well suited to our Regional & National Development alpine athletic program.  
Most recently Daniel has been 2 seasons with USST WC Men's speed team as assistant coach and lead Strength and conditioning coach. 
He has coached at the U14/U16 club level, coached FIS level athletes with the International Racer Program and was Head Olympic coach for the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee at the Beijing Winter Olympics. 
Daniel holds an MBA in Sports Management from the Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School;
A Bachelor's Degree in physical activity and sports science and;
A Level 3 ISIA  alpine ski instructor (TD3 Alpine skiing Spanish qualification) certification.

Daniel will be in the East July 20-23 for a (3) day Regional Team conditioning camp hosted by GMVS- Green Mountain Valley school alongside Women's coach Roger Kimball and Regional Alpine Director (me) in attendance. 

Welcome Dani!

Insightful and educational podcast to listen to by Arc City- 
Highly recommend!  (link below)

Dane Spencer, Former World Cup Racer and Coach, on... Everything
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dT64kzb0w9vbyOdYIAg9K?si=9ZjdOJIARUqlC4kNnICLnw

That's all for now. Look for the next late Summer update and news soon. 

Please keep in touch and keep chasing the dream! 

Sincerely,
Martin (Spencer, Roger & Dani) 

The Eastern Region is excited to share the 2025-26 Calendar Re-Design.

See below for details.

U.S. Ski Team legend Bode Miller was inducted into the United States Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame as a part of the class of 2025 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. Miller is a six time Olympic medalist and five time World Championships medalist, and has 33 World Cup wins and two overall World Cup titles. 

“We’re proud to welcome the Class of 2025 into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame and to honor the extraordinary accomplishments they’ve made as representatives of Team USA. This induction celebrates not only their remarkable performances and lasting impact but also acknowledges the essential contributions of those who supported their journeys every step of the way,” Sarah Hirshland said, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), in a press release.

Miller’s induction marks his ascension into a select echelon among 210 inductees since 1983 with the 2025 inductees including Olympic greats Serena Williams, Allyson Felix and Gabby Douglas. 

Miller's story reflects more than medals—it’s about innovation, individualism and a relentless pursuit of speed. He is the most successful men’s alpine skier for the United States, having collected the most Olympic medals of any American skier and was the only U.S. man to win in all five major alpine disciplines (downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and combined). He was also labeled as a rebel, consistently pushing the limits both in the sport and outside of it.

Miller officially hung up his race skis in 2017, but continues to have a massive impact on the sport, with many current champions saying they continue to idolize the skier. 

On July 5 in Vail, Colorado, the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team held its annual alpine fundraiser hosted by longtime supporters Karen and John Arnold. The annual event raised over $200,000 with more than 40 guests and seven Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes in attendance.  

"The event was great! It was fun to meet everyone and chat with the people that help us in so many ways," said Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Camden Palmquist.

Athletes in attendance included two-time World Champion Breezy Johnson, World Cup winner Lauren Macuga, 2022 Olympian Bella Wright, along with younger athletes Jay Poulter, Camden Palmquist and sisters Kjersti and Liv Moritz. There was also a strong alumni presence, including two-time Olympian Alice McKinnis Duran. 

"We don’t always get to say thank you directly, and these events make it possible. It is great to see the backbone of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and how much belief there is in the athletes. I am beyond grateful for all the support and I am super excited for this season," said Palmquist. 

The alpine program is one of the biggest sports under the U.S. Ski & Snowboard umbrella; therefore, support from donors is essential as the athletes work to be the best in the world. It is a very important season, with the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games on the horizon, and the skiers are ready to lay it all on the line for a chance at Olympic medals.