Happy New Year, Alpine Team!

As we kick off 2026, we asked our Alpine coaches to reflect on their intentions for the year ahead. From athlete development to team culture and personal growth, here’s what we are focusing on as we head into a new year of ski racing together!

We asked each coach three questions:

• What intention are you setting for yourself in 2026?
• What intention do you hope to inspire in your athletes this season?
• One word you hope athletes would use to describe you as a coach?

U12 Head Coach Brett Turner shared:

• Coach intention: Regularly showing up with energy and positivity.
• Athlete intention: Emphasizing continuous growth rather than immediate results.
• One word: Fun!

U14 Coach Dani Larriu shared:

• Coach intention: Being fully present in everything I do, one thing at a time with the best intention. Forgetting about results and fully committing to the process.
• Athlete intention: Helping athletes realize how lucky they are. Inspiring them to use the resources around them, coaches, facilities, and programs, to become better on and off the hill.
• One word: Caring!

FIS Coach Teagan Santin shared:

• Coach intention: Being more organized in all areas of coaching, from session planning to communication, allowing for greater presence, efficiency, and support for athletes.
• Athlete intention: Inspiring resilience by encouraging athletes to embrace challenges, learn from setbacks, and keep pushing forward, building confidence both on and off the hill.
• One word: Energetic!

January Race Update & Results!

Big Sky FIS Races

The FIS Team headed to Big Sky, Montana to jump-start the race season with early-season FIS races. Huge shoutout to Lucy Wirth for an awesome 5th-place finish in GS!

Sean Nurse Memorial (Results are in!)
The Sean Nurse Memorial honors Sean Nurse, a Jackson native and accomplished ski racer remembered for his passion, character, and dedication. The event continues to celebrate his legacy while partnering with mental health organizations to raise awareness and share resources. This year, we competed at JHMR due to the weather. One race was cancelled, but our race crew and awesome coaches pulled off the other three races despite the weather. Big thanks to coaches, crew, and volunteers for getting the Sean Nurse races off despite difficult weather!

JHSC athletes delivered fantastic results across the board! Huge congratulations to Taryn Moe for earning a hat trick, winning all three races, and claiming a spot on the coveted Sean Nurse Memorial Overall Winners Trophy. Shoutout performances to Phoebe Faris, Neve Hudacski, Angus Peightal, and Kaichiro McBride!

Caroline Classic – December 28, 2025
The Caroline Classic kicked off the Club Series for our U8–U12 athletes across Snow King, JHMR, Grand Targhee, and White Pine. Named in honor of Caroline, this meaningful season opener once again saw JHSC athletes skiing fast. Next Club Series race: March 8th!

Wild West Elite FIS – January 14–17, 2026
JHSC athletes will take on top competition from across the West in this key early-season FIS event!

Wes Barron Super G – January 23–26, 2026
Hosted at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the Wes Barron Super G honors the memory of Wes Barron, a beloved member of the Jackson Hole ski racing community known for his passion for the sport and commitment to athlete development. This annual U14 and U16 speed event is a favorite on the Intermountain calendar, offering a confidence-building, development-focused track ahead of speed qualifiers.

Other Races Ahead

• U14 Tech Qualifier | Snow King | Jan 9–11,2026

You Have to Read This…

Mental Skills Spotlight: “Jedi Mind Tricks” for Ski Racing

• Mental imagery helps racers build confidence, focus, and consistency
• Visualizing runs can improve performance just like physical training
• Imagery works best when it feels real — include sights, sounds, and how your body feels
• If you imagine mistakes, rewind and fix them (just like in training)
• Use slow imagery to work on technique and fast imagery to build intensity
• Practicing imagery regularly can help athletes feel more prepared on race day

Read the full article:
https://skiracing.com/use-jedi-mind-tricks-to-improve-your-ski-racing-game/

Finish Line Thought…

“From doubt came confidence. From distraction came focus. From anxiety came intensity. From caution came aggressiveness. From DNFs came consistency.” -Dr. Jim Taylor