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Freestyle Sees New Heights in 2008
It was a year of new beginnings, rookie advancement and personal bests for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. The 2008 season brought athletes like Scotty Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA), Emily Cook (Belmont, MA), Pat Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), Emiko Torito (Steamboat, CO), Michelle Roark (Denver) and Allison Treleaven (Fort Wayne, IN) to the top of their game and pushed forward the emergence of a budding U.S. ski cross program.
"We had a number of athletes who had super success - rookies stepping up and getting on the podium, veterans getting after it as usual and a great deal of personal bests," Freestyle Program Director Polly-Jo Clark said. "The staff and coaches have worked very hard to build successful programs by always evaluating what we do and how we can do it better as we continue to build to 2010. It was a great year all around."
Some of the season highlights include:
-The U.S. had six World Cup wins by five athletes.
-There were 24 World Cup podiums by 12 athletes.
-Treleaven and Deneen were named 2008 FIS Rookies of the Year.
-10 C Team moguls athletes scored World Cup points.
Moguls/Duals: Torito starts a hot streak
In a season that shined with 17 podium finishes by eight different moguls athletes - four of which were wins - it came as no surprise that the bump skiers were committed to success.
Torito took her skills to the next level when she kicked off the season at the Nature Valley Freestyle Cup at Lake Placid, NY, claiming her first World Cup victory. She continued her hot streak by adding three more World Cup podiums to her resume before grabbing the U.S. moguls title at the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships on the 2002 Olympic course at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT.
"Emiko had a great year. She got her first World Cup win and that's only going to help build her confidence and momentum to do well in the future," Freestyle Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen said. "The athletes were all performing really well as we start building up to the level we want to be at for 2010."
Deneen also laid down a show-stopping run at the Lake Placid World Cup for his first career top-3 finish. That paved the way for two additional third place finishes before the World Cup season concluded. In his first year on the international circuit, Deneen was honored with the FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year award, voted on by all the international coaches.
Shelly Robertson (Reno, NV) took a risk at the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort, switching up one of her jumps to reel in her first World Cup victory. Robertson had started out doing a 360, but felt like she wanted to go bigger and switched to a double twister spread for her first podium in four years.
During the same competition, Landon Gardner (Missoula, MT) beat out 2006 Olympic champion Dale Begg-Smith of Australia to make his way to his first career podium in second place.
"First podium, I'm really excited. I definitely wish I could have been a little bit higher on the podium but you know what, I'm just going to enjoy second place," Gardner said.
Aerials: A season of personal bests
It was a season of new heights for Team. No one can attest to that more than veteran Cook who won her first World Cup in Moscow in front of thousands of spectators and the then Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was the first World Cup victory for an American woman since Olympic gold medalist Nikki Stone won in Heavenly, CA in 1999.
Cook, who was fourth after the first round of jumps off a towering scaffold erected in weather challenged downtown Moscow, pushed her way through heavy wind and snow to complete a lay-full including two flips with a twist on the second to win the event.
The 2006 Olympian went on to finish out the season with her third national title.
"We had several milestones on the women's side. To have Emily win was great. I'm pleased with their progression towards Vancouver right now," Wintersteen said.
Bahrke and Dylan Ferguson (Amesbury, MA) each pulled in career bests on the World Cup. Bahrke's landmark also came in Russia in March as he broke through to the top five. Ferguson, a rookie who's quickly making a name for himself, finished 11th at the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort.
"We had some great breakthroughs from Scotty and Dylan. Those younger kids are just coming along well," Wintersteen said.
Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) was part of the wave of podiums on the aerials team, finishing third in a World Cup in Inawashiro, Japan in February.
Ski Cross: A new program for a new Olympic sport
After only five seasons on the World Cup circuit and two World Championships, the newest addition to the Winter Olympic lineup, ski cross has quickly become one of the most popular action sports.
"We started our ski cross program this season and hired Tyler Shepherd in November to be our head coach. He did a fantastic job getting a program together," Clark said. "We were able to get the best athletes together and into World Cups, which earns us quota spots for the next season."
The roster of U.S. athletes who competed in ski cross during the 2008 season included two-time X Games gold medalist Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO), who also added bronze to his X Games collection in January, Olympian Jake Fiala (Copper Mountain, CO), alpine legend Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA), who won gold at the X Games this year, and determined up-and-comers Errol Kerr (Truckee, CA), Cody Smith (Spokane, WA) and Langely McNeal (Sun Valley, ID).
"I think from where we started in November, Tyler has done a great job. We already have a core group of athletes," Wintersteen said. "We're excited to be working with and building a relationship with these athletes. We plan on naming a team in the spring and moving forward from there."
In only his first season of World Cup ski cross, Puckett worked his way to two second-place podiums, including one in front of a U.S. crowd at Deer Valley Resort when the first World Cup ski cross event was held in North America.
Kerr, a rookie with the potential to dominate the sport, finished out the season with his personal best when he came in eighth in Switzerland. At the same race, Fiala tied his career best, finishing behind Kerr in ninth.
"Tyler and the athletes created a great atmosphere and got their jobs done," Clark said. "It was super fun to host the first ski cross World Cup and to get a podium out of it!"
Halfpipe: Hudak dominates the pipe, again
Jen Hudak (Park City, UT) reminded everyone why she's the most dominant woman in U.S. skier halfpipe throughout the season. She posted two second place finishes before winning her first World Cup halfpipe competition during World Cup Finals in Italy in March.
Hudak went on to reclaim the national halfpipe title for her third year in a row to finish out the season.
Success comes from determination
"The success by all of these athletes is a tribute to their commitment to the entire program from on-snow training, conditioning in the gym, endless water-ramping at the Utah Olympic Park to working on technique on trampolines and sports psychology," Clark said. "They understand that it must be a comprehensive package to be successful because each area will be called on every day.
"One of the things that drives the athletes and staff is teamwork - pushing each other, helping to solve challenges in a positive and productive atmosphere. This program really is just a lot of fun - everyone enjoys what they do."
The first U.S. Ski Cross Team will be named this summer as all freestyle athletes move into training, which begins with a moguls camp in May in Park City, UT.
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Freestyle Sees New Heights in 2008
