We are officially at the midpoint of our season. Every group has had opportunities to race and size themself up against the competition. Midseason provides the perfect time to revisit the roadmap of where you want to be by the end of the year. A quick check in with your goals provides a great opportunity to ask some critical questions. Are you getting faster? Is your technique improving? Have setbacks like bad conditions or crashes thrown you off track? Or are you already ahead of where you wanted to be? Re-evaluating at halftime helps you adjust your training, refocus your mindset, and make sure you’re setting yourself up for a strong finish. Small changes now can make a big difference when it counts—in March. In revisiting our written goals now, we are able to refocus priorities and charge into the end of the year. SBSEF athletes have had some really impressive results this year, it’s been exciting to watch. Looking forward to an even better end of the season. 

~ Bo Maciejko

Alpine Director

Ski Camps:

SBSEF Alpine and Freeride are working on several options for athletes to get time on snow during the off-season. As of now, here are the confirmed dates:

Mt Hood Tech camp
June 25 – July 2nd (JFAST, U14, U16 Alpine athletes)
    • 25 – 28 GS
    • 29 – Off
    • 30 – 2 SL
  • Mt Hood: August 1- 8 SBSEF + IMD U16 camp
    • Ali will be sending out more details soon
Aspen Camp Nov 19 – 25
    • JFAST, U14, U16
    • GS / SL camp

Devo Update

Devo’s are halfway through the season and the coaches are seeing big improvements in everyone’s skiing.  It seems like every Saturday we have had snow so we have done a lot of powder skiing!  With the fresh snow, our Devos had been able to explore lots of new terrain they hadn’t been in before.  Get Serious Chutes is a big one for Devos and a lot of athletes have had their first runs down Get Serious.  We have also had a few groups hike Baldy for the first time.  Last week Athletes also got to explore Tiger Tail with fresh powder.  These first tracks for the athletes are big confidence boosters!
    
We had the Cookie Cup at the end of January and below where are the fastest Devos:

  • U8 Boy Sat:  Ford J
  • U10 Boy Sat:  Spencer S
  • U12 Boy Sat:  Tagg N
  • U8 Girl Sat:  Amina K
  • U10Girl Sat:  Penny B
  • U12 Girl Sat:  Lexi R
  • U8 Boy Sun:  Kenta R
  • U10 Boy Sun:   P Rock S
  • U12 Boy Sun:   Oliver F

 

  • U8 Girl Sun:  Amina K
  • U10Girl Sun:  Pfeiffer P
  • U12 Girl Sun:  Abby C
This past weekend our Transition Team attended the UOP Kombi and we came home with some medals:
  • Penn A:  4th Place U8 Boys
  • Bond A:  5th Place U8 Boys
  • Anders T:  2nd Place U10 Boys
  • Jackson V:  9th Place U12 Boys
Earlier in January our Transition Team also attended a YSL GS at Brighton, here are some top results:
  • 5th Place U8 Boys:  Penn A
  • 6th Place U8 Boys:  Bond A
  • 5th Place U10 Boys:  Anders T
  • 8th Place U10 Boys:  Gus P
  • 10th Place U10 Boys:  Max P
  • 5th Place U12 Boys:  Easton A
Next up for Devos is the Hot Cocoa Slalom on Saturday, March 1st, and Sunda,y March 2nd.
Head Devo Coach

Jfast Update

SBSEF JFAST Team Kicks Off February with Strong Performances at UOP SL Races

The SBSEF JFAST team started February on a high note with two slalom (SL) races at the Utah Olympic Park—boys competing on February 1st and girls on February 2nd. Building on the confidence and speed gained from January’s GS races at Snowbird, the team delivered some fantastic performances.

Podium Finishers

Boys:

  • U10 – Lukas S (1st, 1st)
  • U12 – Banks A (3rd)
  • U14+ – Ford K (2nd, 3rd), North L (5th), Ryan D (1st)

Girls:

  • U12 – Tate A (2nd, 2nd)
  • U14 – Willow G (4th), Adie Orino (3rd)

Notable Top-10 Finishes

Boys:

  • U10 – Gus P (9th), Sam N (6th)
  • U12 – Beck B (6th, 8th), Forest K (9th), Chace K (10th, 7th)
  • U14+ – Scott H (7th), Ryker F (8th, 8th), Austin R (9th, 9th), North L (7th)

Girls:

  • U10 – Nora R (7th, 8th), Emery C (10th)
  • U12 – Abbie Y (8th, 10th), Alba C (9th), Elka K (7th)
  • U14 – Willow G (7th)

JFAST Athletes: Excelling Beyond the Racecourse

A core value of the JFAST program is developing well-rounded skiers—both on and off the racecourse. Demonstrating this versatility, Banks A took 1st place in the IFSA U12 Freeride competition at Snowbird, while his sister, Tate A, claimed victory at the IFSA U12 competition at Snowbasin the following weekend.

Looking ahead, SBSEF athletes Benny A and Jett F are set to compete in the IFSA freeride event at Solitude next week. Their dedication to mastering all terrain is a true testament to the JFAST philosophy: “Bell to bell, peak to peak” skiing. Keep up the incredible work!

February Athlete Spotlight: Alba C

This month, we’re highlighting Alba C for her standout performance at the UOP SL. She finished 11th overall (9th in her age class) in the first race, marking her best result to date.

Alba’s improvement this season has been nothing short of remarkable. Her focus and commitment to technical skiing have been an inspiration to the team for years, but this season, her freeskiing has truly elevated her performance. JFAST coaches have been emphasizing the importance of skiing the fall line, and January’s storms provided the perfect opportunity for athletes to hone this skill outside the course. For Alba, it all started to click—both in and out of competition.

Keep pushing, JFAST athletes! The season is shaping up to be an exciting one.

U14 Team Update

This month, Snowbird’s U14’s have continued to push deeper within a historically successful team! Athletes thrived at the Wes Baron Memorial in Jackson, Speed Camp at Soldier Mountain, South Series SL at UOP, and our SG qualifier at Tamarack. With 6 days of early morning SG cancelled at this point for snow this season, there was reason to wonder how we would stack up.. Our results highlighted below, indicated to the coaching staff what we already knew- that powder skiing at Snowbird is the best training an athlete can have to develop incredible skiing skills!

Highlights:
Wes Barron Memorial: 2nd year U14 SG at Teton Village, WY. (places based on U14’s competing)

Arlo H. 4th, 3rd, 4th.

Vonn K. 6th, 6th.

Miles Y. 7th, 2nd, 5th.

Axel S. 10th, 4th, 9th.

Hendrick W. 11th, 9th, 10th.

Jack G. 14th, 13th.

Liz E. 1st,1st.

Heidi B.  6th, 13th.

Speed Camp at Soldier Mountain, ID. 

Most Improved: within mixed IMD groups of U14 athletes.

Steely A.

Carston A.

Evelyn V.

Addie O.

Gage S.

South Series SL at the UOP, UT: (places based on U14’s competing)

Willow G. 5th, 7th.

Addie O. 3rd.

Ford K. 2nd, 3rd.

North L. 4th, 7th.

Austin R. 8th, 9th.

Tamarack ID. U14 SG Qualifiers:

Cedric S. 2nd, 3rd.

Arlo H. 6th, 3rd, 6th.

Quinn W. 7th, 10th.

Vonn K. 9th, 4th, 5th.

Miles Y. 10th, 2th, 2th.

Jack L. 12th.

Axel S. 9th, 4th.

Hendrick W. 7th.

Liz E. 1st,1st,1st. (2nd place a combined 4.5 seconds out)

Heidi B. 2, 9, 13

Norah C. 8, 14

Our athletes are on fire! And are having an incredible time pushing limits and supporting each other. I had a parent from another team approach me at Tamarack, and tell me that their athlete wants to join our team next year, because our athletes have such a good vibe going- and that they were inclusive to other athletes as well! This kind of feedback makes our coaching staff incredibly proud to be coaches at Snowbird!

February U14 Athlete Spotlight: Axel S.

Axel had a scary crash on the first SG race run in Tamarack. Luckily, there was no major injury- but Axel had boot bang so severe he was having difficulty walking. After consulting one of our Team Ortho’s (Thanks Bill G.) we came up with a plan to pad Axel’s boot, and he was keen to give it a shot. Not only did Axel compete- but he pushed himself to the limit and finished with a podium finish- meeting one of his season-long goals. Axel displays grit, determination, perseverance and a positive-growth mindset, all attributes that we celebrate on this team.

Keep pushing U14’s, let’s finish strong!

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Ben Reeder

Head U14 Alpine Coach

U16 Update

Time seems to have flown by, and winter is already halfway over. We’re heading into our final IMD qualifiers this weekend, and it’s been incredible to witness the substantial progress all athletes have made in their skiing, reflected in their improving results.

As Bo and Bridger have emphasized, success doesn’t come without its challenges. We’ve all faced obstacles like unpredictable snow conditions, shifting race schedules, and countless other variables that we juggle daily. Navigating these challenges and achieving success requires a growth mindset. It’s crucial to dedicate time to reflect on the season thus far and the path forward to continue reaching your individual goals. This time spent in introspection is never wasted; it’s an investment in your continued development. Remember that setbacks and obstacles are not failures but opportunities for learning and growth. By maintaining a positive outlook and focusing on your goals, you can overcome any challenge and achieve success.

Notable top 30 results:

Wes Barron SG Series in Jackson

  • Axl D
  • Sebe B
  • Cedar K
  • Samantha E
  • Quinn C

Laura Flood Memorial SL in Sun Valley

  • Sebe B
  • Cedar K

Laura Flood Memorial GS in Sun Valley

  • Samantha E
  • Quinn C
  • AJ L
  • Axl D
  • Sebe B
  • Cedar K
  • Jack W
  • Ashton C

~ Ali Spencer

Head U16 Coach

FIS Team Update:

The general flow for the annual FIS team schedule generally goes as follows. November Camp – get back on snow, reacquaint ourselves with fundamental ski racing. Return from camp to scrounge up training for 4-6 days and quickly get into race mode before the first and only race in December. Find the important take-a-ways from this series and bring them into Christmas camp, where we try to get a solid block of speed training and again hone in on technical improvements and tactics to prepare for the bulk of the next 6 weeks. This 6 week chunk is a mad-dash push which encompasses probably 70% of the seasons volume of racing, and that also determines who qualifies for U18 Nationals and U.S. Nationals (the main Championship series for our age group). 

For some, this is a stressful time where goals are either achieved, or need to be recalibrated. For others this is the first experience being on the FIS circuit, and getting acquainted with the exciting level of competitive skiing that surrounds us. I’m excited to be able to say that this year we have two SBSEF Athletes who have qualified for U18 Nationals this season: Campbell Jones and Talise Larsh. I want to highlight their individual efforts and talents that contributed to this milestone in their ski racing careers. Campbell: for never backing down, and to seemingly bring out her best skiing the more difficult the course, the terrain or conditions! And Talise: for coming back from an ACL injury last season, for her patience with herself and the process, and the resilience to continue fighting no matter the obstacles.

Lastly, I want to express my and the rest of the staff’s appreciation for the efforts, progress, and mutual respect for each other coming from the rest of the group as well this season. We have a large group and big spread of abilities. Between the long travel days, sharing living quarters, and navigating the stresses of racing and training – I  feel like everyone has done a really good job contributing towards a positive, productive and fun culture day-to-day. Keep up the good work!

~ Brennan Rubie

Head FIS Coach

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