It was a big week for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Freestyle Mogul team at Copper Mountain, Colo., Dec. 19-22 with World Cup starts on the line.
The first freestyle event at Copper Mountain since 1978 was hosted on Rosi’s Pitch, home to the game-changing U.S. Ski Team Speed Center.
Competing in the four-day U.S. Ski Team selections were the best American skiers from all regions along with an international field that included Australia, Japan, Great Britain, Germany and Poland.
SVSEF Comp Team Head Moguls coach Joey Cordeau said, “All in all it was a good week for our skiers who got some very well-deserved experience at a higher level of competition.”
Gold Team SVSEF racer Shane Cordeau, 26, recently named to the 2013 U.S. Freestyle Moguls “C” Team, was awarded a discretionary World Cup spot by the coaches. He earned World Cup mogul starts for Lake Placid, N.Y., and Deer Valley, Utah, Jan. 31-Feb. 2.
Cordeau placed fourth the first day in moguls and 12th the second day. He qualified third going into the duals before crashing in the “Round of 8.”
During the 2011-12 winter, Cordeau had a solid year including third place in dual moguls and fourth in singles at the U.S. National Championships last March in Stratton Mountain, Vt., and Nor-Am Cup wins last February in singles at Killington, Vt., and in dual moguls at Apex, Canada.
“Big air, lots of turns and going fast were the call for an event that featured two singles and one dual event,” said coach Cordeau about the Copper Mountain trip before Christmas.
Morgan Shaver posted a 29th-place finish, earning a spot at Nor-Ams in Telluride, Colo.
Alysha Herich and Renee Shapiro placed in the top 45 of 60 skiers.
In men’s competition, Trevor Norris had a tough week competing hurt with shin and calf pain. He crashed hard after big air on the second jump doing an egg roll that he could not stretch out enough to stop his rotation.
Other SVSEF freestylers who qualified but did not make the trip were Roy Bracken, Wyatt Wilson, Zac Siele and Claire Siderman.
The team now starts a grueling regional event schedule with seven straight weeks of competitions starting Jan. 4-6 at Snowbird, Utah.
2013 SVSEF Freestyle/Freeski Team roster
Freestyle program director—Andy Ware (14th year).
Head freestyle (mogul) coach—Joey Cordeau. Assistant freestyle travel coaches—Josh Zuck and Christine Cordeau.
Head freeskiing (park/pipe) coach—Clint Lightner. Assistant freeskiing travel coach—Ross Falcone.
Comp Team home team coaches—Chris Rybak and Kurtis Fieguth (freestyle), Jeremy Lato (freeski).
Prep Team coaches—Joe Marx and Mike Sheehan.
Development Team coaches—Justine Kaiser, Jamie Collins, Todd Bracher, Penelope Murray and Jennifer Diehl.
Mogul course maintenance—Alden Carter.
Freestyle Gold Team (2)—Shane Cordeau and Tai Barrymore.
Freestyle Travel Team (19)—Perry Boyle, River Curtis, Wilson Dunn, Hayes Gilman, Blake Harmon, Hannah Haupt, Alysha Herich, Alvaro Jiraldo, Timo Gould, River Kelly, Trevor Norris, Alec Poster, Jack Rizzo, Luke Rizzo, Eli Roberts, Renee Shapiro, Claire Siderman, Zac Siele and Wyatt Wilson (tuition $2,525).
Freestyle Comp Home Team (25)—Ben Anderson, Logan Anderson, Jacob Beebe, RJ Bracken, Devon Brown, Brody Buchwalter, Wilder Curtis, Hunter Diehl, Evathea Drougas, Frederick Grathwohl, Will Griffith, Giselle Harmon, Alex LaFleur, Eliza Marks, Katie Markthaler, Parker Nance, Trey Potter, Addison Rafford, Jamie Rollerson, Cooper Roquet, Morgan Shaver, Kobe Tamura, Ian Thomas, Tobias Verheijen and Gil Viesturs (tuition $1,900).
Freestyle Prep Team (13)—Alex Austin, Paxton Bunting, Henry Cherp, Axel Diehl, Luke Jannotta, Anders Nelson, Aloe Orison, Christopher Pedersen, Toby Rafford, Mikel Sanchez-duPont, Rainey Wilson, Jack Wojcik and Logan Wojcik (tuition $1,400).
Freestyle Devo Team (22)—Erik Babcock, Wilson Baker, Blake Beckwith, Frances Cherp, Ridge Dirksmeier, Brian Heekin, Luke Higgins, Ethan Hunt, Adam Kind, Harper Mallett, Joe Markthaler, George Merchep, Dylan Mills, Jamie More, Jack Morton, George Murray, Luke Osborn, Charlie Price, Will Price, Addie Shandro, Samantha Smith and Sam Ware (tuition $1,150).
SVSEF Freestyle Team 2013 schedule
January 3-6Freestyle MogulsSnowbird, Utah
January 8-12Freeskiing Park/PipePark City, Utah
January 10-13Freestyle MogulsSnow Bowl, Mt.
January 13-18USSA Revolution Tour (Park/Pipe)Northstar at Tahoe, Ca.
Thursday, January 17Sun Valley Freestyle SpectacularDollar Mtn., slopestyle
Friday, January 18Sun Valley Freestyle SpectacularDollar Mtn., halfpipe
Saturday, January 19Sun Valley Freestyle SpectacularBaldy’s Race Arena, moguls
Sunday, January 20Sun Valley Freestyle SpectacularRace Arena, dual moguls
January 23-25USASA at Sun ValleyDollar Mountain, HP
January 25-27Freestyle MogulsPark City, Utah
January 31-February 1Freestyle MogulsBridger Bowl, Mt.
February 8-10Freestyle MogulsDeer Valley, Utah
February 9-11Freeskiing Park/PipePark City, Utah
February 12-15Freeskiing Park/PipeSquaw Valley, Ca.
February 14-17Freestyle MogulsSquaw Valley, Ca.
February 25-March 2Canyons Grand PrixPark City, Utah
March 3-10U.S. Junior National Championships.Park City, Utah
March 5-1014th FIS Freestyle World ChampionshipsOslo/Voss-Myrkdalen, Nor.
March 18-20USSA Revolution Tour Finals (FIS/Nor-Am)Sun Valley
March 29-312013 U.S. National Freestyle ChampionshipsHeavenly Valley, Ca.
NOTES—The USSA Revolution Tour Finals at Sun Valley are for skiers and snowboarders. Schedule for freestylers includes skier cross March 18, halfpipe March 19 and slopestyle March 20. Schedule for 2013 U.S. Nationals at Heavenly Valley features moguls March 29, aerials March 30 and dual moguls March 31.
