Freeride Program Update: May 2024
April, the final days of our season! This season absolutely FLEW by. Early April was busy with our championship events for both USASA and IFSA going down. Thanks all for a great season, we look forward to seeing you all back on snow next December! The May newsletter will feature a re-cap of what happened in April, followed by updates on what is coming up!
USASA Nationals:
Snowboard: The event began with snowboarders from March 31- April 4. Snowboard coaches Hunter Piggott and Stefan Merriam headed down with athletes Noah Robertson, Ace Emery, Bennet Hultman, and Ivy Swain. “This spring, Freeride Club coaches Hunter Piggot and Stefan Merriam traveled to Copper Mountain, in beautiful Colorado, for the annual USASA National Championships. The Club had some great representation with competition veterans Ivy Swain and Ace Emery joined by their new-to-nationals teammates Bennett Hultman and Noah Robertson.
In a jam-packed week of bell to bell snowboarding, the athletes found more than enough time to explore the endless terrain parks once their competition requirements were fulfilled. While they all faced some serious competition, each of our athletes rode to the best of their abilities and maintained positive attitudes throughout the week. Noah Robertson rode away from his first USASA Nationals Slopestyle with a 6th place finish. We are so proud of the work our athletes continue to do here at the Freeride Club and look forward to their continued growth and success!” - Coach Stefan Merriam
Ski: USASA Ski Nationals followed right up from April 4-11. Coaches Matt Newton and Max Wilbrecht headed down to the event with athletes Liam Thompson, Sally Decker, Taz McBride, Owen Strand, Bryer Strand, Tosh Carr, and Zach Lighthart. Alpine athletes Vadin Singh, Neve Pruzan and James Kail also joined. “A quick trip down to Copper Mountain marked the end of another season of USASA competition for our athletes. JHSC had 10 athletes compete in this year’s ski nationals. Dedication, commitment, and enjoyment towards this sport were shown by all during our week of competition. With some questionable weather, plenty of cold, and the high elevation (over 10,000 feet at the competition venues!), all of our athletes kept smiles on their faces as they competed against the best from around the country.
Notable performances:
Zach Lighthart: 6th Skier Cross
Taz McBride: 8th Skier Cross
Owen Strand: 3rd Skier Cross
A huge thanks is in order for our dedicated athletes, coaches, and especially the parents.” - Coach Max Wilbrecht
IFSA Junior Championships April 7-14
IFSA Junior Champs went down under blue skies and sun in Breckenridge, CO. The venues for both qualifiers and finals were progressive and fun, with lots of strong riding going down from all divisions. New this year was a contingency of competitors from Freeride SudAmerica who came all the way from Chile and Argentina to create a truly international competition experience. They were also a crowd favorite with excellent skiing and high stoke! Myself and head ski coach Matt Newton, brought Jack Kilmain as well as Grace and Tia Deslauriers (power siblings!) who all qualified for this prestigious event. Weather was tough during visual inspection, and we didn’t get a great look at the face until we were on top of it for qualifiers day. All 3 athletes put down clean inspection runs, with Jack and Grace both qualifying for finals day.
On finals day both Jack and Grace put down incredible clean runs ending up in 7th and 13th respectively. The level of skiing and riding at this event is seriously difficult to comprehend without being there. The U15s are skiing stronger than most adults and the U19s would all have been winning the Freeride World Tour 10 years ago. Great work from JHSC athletes for our last competition of the season!
Summer Offerings
Mountain Bike Teams!
*Registration Closes May 15th*
We’re excited to announce that we’ve gotten approval to start a competitive Downhill/Enduro Mountain Bike team for summer 2024. Training will run from the first week school gets out, until school starts back up in the fall. We will be offering a Progression Team for rider’s interested in improving their skills and compete in home events at JHMR/Targhee. Additionally we will be offering a Comp Team for riders interested in traveling to regional events (Montana Enduro Series and Utah Gravity Series). Practice will be held twice weekly in the JHMR Bike Park with JHSC coaching staff.
Registration is now open on our website.
Skateboard Camps
Skate Camps are back for Summer 2024. Stefan Merriam will be taking the lead on these camps. They will follow a similar format to years past, with beginner and advanced levels. Skate camps include transportation to area parks and skate instruction.
Dates:
Beginner: 6/26-6/27, 7/10-7/11, 7/17-7/18, 7/31-8/1
Advanced: 7/24-7/25 8/7-8/8
Open Enrollment: 8/14-8/15, 8/21-8/22, 8/28-8/29
Registration is now open! Link HERE. Please feel free to reach out with any questions (smerriam@jhskiclub.org).
On Snow
Woodward Copper: 6/16-6/22
*Woodward Copper is now SOLD OUT*
We’re excited to be returning to Woodward Copper for Summer 2024. Woodward is a great place for beginner to intermediate riders to work on skills on friendly sized features. It’s also great for advanced riders looking to work on perfecting some of their more difficult skills.
Woodward is open to all athletes who will be enrolled on the Progression, Progression + or Competition Teams next season.
Registration for WW Copper is open now! Register HERE, (make sure to select week 3). At checkout, use code “TEAM2024” for a $400 discount. (This discount code can only be used by Freeride team athletes). Upon completing registration send the registration confirmation to myself and Matt so we know who to account for. Additional coaches expense+transportation is estimated to be $400.
Contact Matt (mnewton@jhskiclub.org) with any questions.
Mt. Hood, Oregon: 7/7-7/13
*Mt. Hood is now SOLD OUT!*
We’re headed to Mt. Hood for some more fun on snow! Mt. Hood is the training ground for national teams from all over the world in June and July. They have all of the features you’ll find at Woodward, plus a halfpipe and pro-sized jump. This trip is aimed for more advanced riders looking to take their skills to L and XL sized features.
Contact Matt Newton (mnewton@jhskiclub.org) with any questions.
Chile: El Colorado/La Parva/Valle Nevado- 8/3 - 8/14
*If you are interested, please register now!*
We’re excited to be teaming up with Uthrive camps to offer an incredible experience in Chile this summer. Uthrive has been doing Freeride camps for years, and has the local scene in Chile Dialed. They have an awesome relationship with excellent guides, shuttles to and from the airport and food and board included. Early Bird pricing (before April 15th) is $5,000 not including competition fees and flights.
Anyone interested in attending will just need to provide gear, and get themselves to and from Santiago (I’ll be traveling with any Jackson athletes who attend and can assist with travel logistics). We’ll be staying in Farellones, home to 3 resorts (El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado). This trip coincides with Andes Freeride week. Riders from all over South America and the world will converge on El Colorado for a week of freeride competition, including a Junior National (Yes this can count as one of your starts for next season’s rankings!) an adult comp, and lots of fun skiing and riding with riders from all over the world!
More information about Andes Freeride week and Uthrive camps is available HERE. If you’re interested in registering, contact Rachel (rachel@uthriveltd.com) to reserve your spot. *only open for athletes 14+ or with a coaches recommendation* Contact Collin (collin@jhskiclub.org) with any questions.
24/25 Season Registration
Registration for next season will go live July 15th for returning participants and August 1st for new families. We expect high demand! Make sure to sign up sooner than later!
Thanks all for tuning in! Have a great summer! - Collin
Quote of the Month: “Skiing?! On the 4th of July?!” - Unknown
