Age: 19 | Vitals: 5’9”, 150 lbs | Years skiing: 15 | Current Residence: Colorado Springs, CO
Background:
I grew up in Darien, Connecticut, adopted the role of Weekend Warrior, and bashed moguls with the freestyle team at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. I started skiing moguls competitively at age 10, and from that point forward, my life has been consumed by skiing. I transferred high schools twice, finally settling on a boarding school in Plymouth, NH, near Waterville Valley ski area, which allowed me to ride every day after class.
Even though my focus was primarily on mogul skiing, I was captivated early on by the skiing of guys like JP Auclair, JF Cusson, Tanner Hall, and Jon Olsson – all skiers who broke away from the constrictive competitive mogul and racing environments to explore what else could be done with a pair of skis. Since then, I’ve logged quite a few hours in terrain parks while continuing my competitive mogul skiing career.
With a hectic travel and competition schedule, I’ve never quite found the time for backcountry exploration, but if I have a little down time, nothing beats charging through a tree run in Jupiter Bowl at Park City Mountain Resort, my home during the winters.
That said, some of my favorite memories on skis recall springtime hot laps in the Loon Mountain Park. To me, nothing beats slushy, sunny park riding with good friends on some of the most fun, innovative features that you’ll find anywhere. Beyond that, tight tree skiing and a fast zipper bump line will definitely get me hooting and hollering.
If growing up skiing on the east coast teaches you anything, it’s how to make the best of even the worst conditions, and that a bad season in Colorado or Utah is still pretty damn good overall. The east doesn’t breed fair weather skiers; if the lifts are shut down due to high winds, I’m sure there’s at least a rail that we can hike rather than driving back home.
Currently, I am a student at Colorado College, though I take the winters off to live in Park City, Utah, so I can ski, travel, compete, and have as much fun as possible on a pair of skis.
Skis I’m stoked on: 10/11 Nordica Ace of Spades; 10/11 Rossignol S4
An edit of Scott: