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U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced its U.S. Freeski Team halfpipe, slopestyle and big air nominations for the 2022-23 season. Nominations include those active athletes who have qualified based on published selection criteria in the prior season.
The 2022-23 U.S. Freeski Team nominations include 23 pro-level and 14 rookie freeskiers. These athletes make up the winningest freeski team in the world, earning an incredible five 2022 Olympic medals and 20 World Cup podiums this past season alone.
2022 Olympic silver and bronze medalists, David Wise and Alex Ferreira, headline the U.S. Halfpipe Team on the men’s side, along with fellow Olympians Aaron Blunck and Birk Irving among the deep field of veteran athletes. Winter Park Competition Center’s Dylan Ladd is bumping up to the pro ranks following a breakthrough season taking his place among this nine-man team.
On the women’s U.S. Halfpipe Team, it’s 2022 Olympians Brita Sigourney, Hanna Faulhaber and Carly Margulies. Seventeen-year-old Faulhaber ended the season ranked second in the World Cup standings, along with Sigourney in the top ten.
The U.S. Halfpipe Rookie Team is getting a major boost with three-time Junior World Championship medalist Kate Gray, hailing from the Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team, joining the women’s team and two-time Junior’s medalist Matt Labaugh from Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, along with Pro Team Foundation’s Kai Morris and Park City Ski and Snowboard’s Ben Fethke adding to the men’s team.
The U.S. Slopestyle Pro Team is once again packed, with 2022 Olympic Slopestyle gold and silver medalists Alex Hall and Nick Goepper, and Big Air silver medalist Colby Stevenson on the men’s side. The deep field also includes Olympian Mac Forehand, who finished this season ranked third in the World Cup slopestyle points list and eighth overall. Waterville Valley BBTS’s Hunter Henderson is making the jump up to the pro team after an incredible season, where he also finished among the top ten in World Cup slopestyle points.
The U.S. Slopestyle women’s field features 2022 Olympians Maggie Voisin, Caroline Claire and Marin Hamill, who finished the season fifth in World Cup slopestyle standings. And Grace Henderson earned a bump up to the pro team—Henderson also hails from the Waterville Valley BBTS team.
“These men and women have so much to be proud of in being nominated to this ‘best in the world’ 2022-23 U.S. Freeski team,” shared Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “They all operate with true passion and full dedication to the art of freeskiing. And the reward has been the top-notch results they have achieved so far. You can trust that they will continue to represent the USA with everything they have.”
Each athlete accepting the nomination to the U.S. Freeski Team 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.
An official U.S. Freeski Team announcement will be made in the fall.
2022-23 U.S. Freeski Team Nominations
(Hometown; Club; USASA Series; Birthdate)
*Newly named to the U.S. Freeski Team
HALFPIPE PRO TEAM
Women
- Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.; Intermountain Series; 1/17/90)
- Carly Margulies (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 12/24/97)
- 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)
- Dylan Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/29/01)
- Cassidy Jarrell (Aspen, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/31/99)
- Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 10/01/98)
- Taylor Seaton (Avon, Colo.; 7/16/90)
HALFPIPE ROOKIE TEAM
Women
- Kate Gray (Crowley Lake, Ca.; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series, 06/29/2006)*
- 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
- Kai Morris (Aspen, Colo.; Pro Team Foundation, Rocky Mountain Series, 3/22/2004)*
- Matt Labaugh (Avon, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, Rocky Mountain Series, 01/05/2004)*
- Tristan Feinberg (Aspen, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/23/2003)
- Ben Fethke (Boise, Idaho; Big Mountain West Series; 04/14/2006)*
- Connor Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/26/03)
- Hunter Carey (Winter Park, Colo.; Winter Park Competition Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/12/02)
SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR PRO TEAM
Women
- Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 2/2/00)
- Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 12/14/98)
- 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)
Men
- Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 9/21/98)
- Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Cork Technologies and Consulting; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/14/94)
- Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 10/3/97)
- 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)
- Hunter Henderson (Madbury, N.H..; Waterville Valley BBTS; New Hampshire Series; 12/28/2002)
SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR ROOKIE TEAM
Women
- 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
- 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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