Last year saw Sun Valley Freestyle Team skiers raise the bar as they pushed themselves towards bolder and bigger air maneuvers. For Ross Falcone and Kurtis Fieguth, two of the young team's older leaders, this season should be an opportunity to raise that bar yet another notch.
Last season, the two made huge strides in Big Air competitions: Fieguth was landing 1080s (three airborne revolutions) while Falcone was attempting the unthinkably difficult 1440.
"There aren't too many people in the country doing that," said freestyle coach Andy Ware of Falcone's gutsy table top launches. Falcone wasn't able to cleanly land such attempts last season, but with a year of strength training under his belt, this winter brings new hopes.
It's unclear whether Baldy, and its lack of a clearly defined terrain park is a training help or hindrance to skiers such as Falcone and Fieguth. It has oft been said that our mountain is an unmatched natural terrain park, but for freestyle skiers, this often means taking high speed jumps off of cat tracks and landing on steep, fast landings. This dangerous training-ground does, however, make typical terrain parks seem tame in comparison.
Ware said that his team would absolutely benefit from a legitimate, groomed terrain park on Baldy, such as has been recently discussed by Sun Valley Company management. With a small park established on Dollar last year, is seems baby steps are being taken.
The improvement of Baldy's halfpipe will also benefit the freestyle team, which plans on training in the pipe at least one day a week. A halfpipe competition is scheduled to compliment the annual Roundhouse competition the weekend of Jan. 27.
Along with Falcone and Fieguth, Ware and Freestyle Program Director John Zuck are hopeful about Lauren and Kali Phillips, both of whom have been very motivated in early training. Additionally, the coaches are looking to younger skiers North Parker, Austin Bourret, Austin Moses and Zana Davey for the team's future.
Overall, both Ware and Zuck are optimistic about this year's young squad despite suffering at least one glaring setback, the loss of phenom Sophia Schwartz. Schwartz, who has enrolled at New Hampshire's Holderness boarding school, had a breakout season last winter, demolishing competition from far older girls. Holderness is nestled in New England's chilly White Mountains (Bode Miller's stomping ground), so odds are good that Schwartz's post-Sun Valley career will be successful.
One of the main assets Sun Valley bumpers and jumpers carry into the season is a three-week summer trip to Argentina. Seven skiers joined Zuck for a southern hemisphere adventure that included a lot of fresh snow days, mogul and aerial training sites and the start of a solid Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation tradition.
This week, Falcione and Kurtis and Katie Fieguth have joined Zuck in Winter Park, Colorado for the NorAm qualifying races. According to Ware, this opening event is akin to starting the season with "the Superbowl of skiing."
Meanwhile, recent snowfalls on Baldy have made for "excellent early season training -- there are moguls all over the mountain," said Ware, who plans to have his team skiing the Roundhouse Slope mogul course by the end of the weekend.
The first all team competition takes place at Snowbird, Jan. 6-8 and will include halfpipe, moguls and dual moguls events.
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2005-06 Sun Valley Freestyle Roster
Freestyle program director—John Zuck (16th year).
Coaches, staff—Andy Ware, head coach. Tom Kennedy, full-time coach; also, Jeff Page, Debbie Page and Erin Resko.
Freestyle full-time team (17)—Austin Bourret, Sam Colesworthy, Alexander Conn, Cameron Conn, Zana Davey, William Eagan, Ross Falcone, Kurtis Fieguth, Katie Fieguth, Austin Moses, Nathan Moses, Trace Page, North Parker, Lauren Phillips, Aunika Phillips, Kali Phillips and McClain Porter. (Tuition $1,870, including on-snow sessions Tuesday through Sunday and dryland training starting in October, at least one on snow summer camp, and water ramp training at Utah Olympic park).
Freestyle part-time team (27)—Cheston Bailey, Trevor Brand, Sierra Brand, Christopher Clark, Bryce Ervin, Chloe Gordon, Alexandra Haupt, Hannah Haupt, Jake Kaiser, Jacqueline King, Kroger Schwartz, Alec Strandberg, Stewart Strandberg, Adam Vorsteveld, Alec Poster, Anita Vorsteveld, Parker Page, Hannah Thacker, Hampton King, McKeanna Collins, Madison Hendrix, Drew Deffe, Sophia Schwartz, Luke Robertson, H. Mitchell Steinman, Henry Rickbeil and Wyatt Wilson. (Tuition $650, non-travel team with on-snow training on weekends, Wednesdays and on holidays).
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Sun Valley Freestyle Team 2005-06 schedule
December 30-31 Freestyle Olympic Trials Steamboat Springs (Colo.)
January 6-8 Intermountain Freestyle Snowbird (Utah), HP/M/DM
January 9-14 Deer Valley World Cup Deer Valley (Utah)
January 21-22 Intermountain Freestyle Deer Valley, M/DM
January 27-29 Intermountain Freestyle Sun Valley, HP/M/DM
January 27-29 Bogus Basin Nor-Am Bogus Basin
February 4-5 Intermountain Freestyle Bogus Basin
February 12 Winter Olympics Women's Moguls Torino, Italy
February 15 Winter Olympics Men's Moguls Torino, Italy
February 18-20 Intermountain Freestyle Park City (Utah), M/DM/HP
February 22 Winter Olympics Women's Aerials Finals Torino, Italy
February 23 Winter Olympics Men's Aerials Finals Torino, Italy
February 24-26 Intermountain Freestyle Grand Targhee, BA/M/DM
March 2-5 Intermountain Divisional Championships Snowbird, Utah Olympic Park
March 14-18 Junior Olympics .Park City
March 23-26 U.S. Nationals Killington, Vt.
NOTES—Schedule for Junior Olympics March 14-18 at Park City Mountain Resort includes big air March 14, halfpipe March 15, dual moguls March 16, aerials March 17 and moguls March 18.
