Today sees the official confirmation of the US Freeski team for the all-important Olympic year. Of course, with only 4 Olympic spots per gender for each of halfpipe and slopestyle/big air, competition amongst the team will be fierce. The full press release from US freeski can be found below:
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PARK CITY, UTAH (Nov. 11, 2021) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced an all-star roster of 26 pro-level and 15 rookie freeskiers for the 2021-22 season. This year’s team features a mix of veteran podium talent and exciting next-generation youth.
For the men, the star-studded cast includes the 2021 U.S. Grand Prix Champion Aaron Blunck, 2021 FIS slopestyle and overall Crystal Globe winner Colby Stevenson, five-time X Games medalist Alex Hall as well as Olympic medalists David Wise, Alex Ferreira and Nick Goepper. Olympic medalists Brita Sigourney, Devin Logan and seven-time X Games medalist Maggie Voisin return to set the tone for the women. A hungry group of rookies continues to push their boundaries, including Wy’East Academy’s Konnor Ralph, Stratton Mountain School’s Charlie Gnoza, and Aspen’s own Tristan Feinberg. Hanna Faulhaber, Marin Hamill, and Rell Harwood all graduated from the rookie to the pro team following breakthrough seasons.
“We have such an amazing group of returning veterans and new athletes to the team this year. Along with really experienced coaches, technicians, filmers, and high-performance staff,” shares U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “I’m really looking forward to finalizing the Olympic qualifying process at the upcoming World Cups and Grand Prix competitions and then competing in Beijing.”
Each U.S. Freeski Team athlete receives world-class program support, along with access to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard USANA Center of Excellence, as well as athletic benefits including sport science, sports medicine and education opportunities.
The team has had great success in training camps at official training sites of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, Oregon; The Stomping Grounds Park in Saas-Fee,
Switzerland; PRINOTH X Camp, Italy; and Prime Park at Stubai Glacier, Austria.
“The summer and fall camps have been super fun and productive, but now all eyes are on the big Olympic season ahead,” says U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “With a solid mix of both experienced veterans and fresh faces, we’re looking for great things to come from this awesome group of freeskiers sending it into 2022.”
The U.S. Freeski Team is looking ahead to a packed competition season of tryout events heading into the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games beginning in Stubai, Austria, Nov. 17-20 with the slopestyle season opening of the FIS Freeski World Cup. The Visa Big Air presented by Toyota FIS World Cup is up next at Steamboat, Colo. from Dec. 2-4. From there, both the slopestyle and halfpipe teams plan to make their way to Copper Mountain, Colo. for training as well as the halfpipe tryouts at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Dec. 8-10, followed by slopestyle and halfpipe tryouts at the Winter Dew Tour Dec. 16-19.
Following the holiday break, the halfpipe team heads to Calgary from Dec. 30-Jan 1, for the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Canada Olympic Park. And then it’s on to the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Jan. 6-8, at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif. for slopestyle and halfpipe competitions marking the final U.S. Freeski Olympic tryout event ahead of the 2022 Olympics scheduled for Feb. 4-20 in Beijing.
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HALFPIPE
PRO TEAM
Women
Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.; Intermountain Series; 1/17/90)
Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.; Mount Snow Academy; Southern Vermont Series; 2/17/93)
Annalisa Drew (Andover, Mass.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Southwest Colorado Series; 5/28/93)
Carly Margulies (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 12/24/97)
Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 5/26/98)
Hanna Faulhaber (Carbondale, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/04/04)
Men
Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/12/96)
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)
David Wise (Reno, Nev.; 6/30/90)
Lyman Currier (Boulder, Colo.; Winter Park Freeski Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/28/94)
Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 10/01/98)
Taylor Seaton (Avon, Colo.; 7/16/90)
Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/17/00)
Cassidy Jarrell (Aspen, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/31/99)
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ROOKIE TEAM
Women
Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Freeride Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/02)
Riley Jacobs (Oak Creek, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/14/2003)
Men
Hunter Carey (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/12/02)
Connor Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/26/03)
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)
Tristan Feinberg (Aspen, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/23/2003)
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SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR
PRO TEAM
Women
Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 12/14/98)
Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 2/2/00)
Darian Stevens (Missoula, Mont.; Missoula Freestyle Ski Team; 10/29/96)
Rell Harwood (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 6/1/01)
Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 4/5/01)
Men
Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 9/21/98)
Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/4/01)
Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 10/3/97)
Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Cork Technologies and Consulting; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/14/94)
Willie Borm (Chaska, Minn.; Midwest Freeskiing Association; 5/21/97)
Cody LaPlante (Truckee, Calif.; Squaw Valley Freestyle and Freeride Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/15/02)
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ROOKIE TEAM
Women
Grace Henderson (Madbury, N.H.; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 4/28/01)
Bella Bacon (Ellicottville, N.Y.; Agenda Freeski; Western New York Series; 1/29/04)
Jay Riccomini (He/Him) (Port Matilda, Penn.; Team Summit Colorado; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/12/2004)
Men
Hunter Henderson (Madbury, N.H..; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 12/28/2002)
Richard Thomas (Orono, Minn.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Upper Midwest Snow; 8/16/01)
Troy Podmilsak (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 8/23/2004)
Konnor Ralph (Helena, Mont.; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Mt. Hood Series; 1/27/2003)
Charlie Gnoza (South Londonderry, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/2/2003)
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