{"id":2450839,"date":"2019-11-07T10:10:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T17:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=315595"},"modified":"2019-11-07T10:10:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T17:10:00","slug":"top-athletes-and-storylines-of-the-2019-20-ski-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/top-athletes-and-storylines-of-the-2019-20-ski-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Top athletes and storylines of the 2019-20 ski season"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.9119496855346\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-315595-567\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-1024x732.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Tanzi Propst\/Park Record | Aspen's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Aspen&#8217;s Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship&#8217;s freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)<\/strong><br \/>Tanzi Propst\/Park Record<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-1024x732.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-1-731x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Tanzi Propst\/Park Record | Aspen's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Aspen&#8217;s Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship&#8217;s freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)<\/strong><br \/>Tanzi Propst\/Park Record<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-1-731x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-2-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Olympic silver medalist halfpipe skier and Aspen native Alex Ferreira at the top of Aspen Highlands on Friday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Olympic silver medalist halfpipe skier and Aspen native Alex Ferreira at the top of Aspen Highlands on Friday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-2-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Olympic silver medalist halfpipe skier and Aspen native Alex Ferreira at the top of Aspen Highlands on Friday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-3-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Alex Ferreira celebrates his 2018 Olympic silver medal with the community atop Aspen Mountain in 2018.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Alex Ferreira celebrates his 2018 Olympic silver medal with the community atop Aspen Mountain in 2018.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-3-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Alex Ferreira celebrates his 2018 Olympic silver medal with the community atop Aspen Mountain in 2018.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-4-732x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Tanzi Propst\/Park Record | Aspen's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Aspen&#8217;s Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship&#8217;s freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)<\/strong><br \/>Tanzi Propst\/Park Record<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-4-732x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-5-1024x768.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"U.S. Ski Team\/courtesy | Aspen's Simi Hamilton competes in a cross-country ski race.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Aspen&#8217;s Simi Hamilton competes in a cross-country ski race.<\/strong><br \/>U.S. Ski Team\/courtesy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-5-1024x768.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen's Simi Hamilton competes in a cross-country ski race.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-6-1024x768.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Alex Ferreira, left, and Torin Yater-Wallace take part in an Aspen Olympic send-off event on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, at the base of Aspen Mountain.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Alex Ferreira, left, and Torin Yater-Wallace take part in an Aspen Olympic send-off event on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, at the base of Aspen Mountain.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-6-1024x768.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Alex Ferreira, left, and Torin Yater-Wallace take part in an Aspen Olympic send-off event on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, at the base of Aspen Mountain.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-7-1024x681.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"File photo | Torin Yater-Wallace talks during a past X Games press conference.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Torin Yater-Wallace talks during a past X Games press conference.<\/strong><br \/>File photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-7-1024x681.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Torin Yater-Wallace talks during a past X Games press conference.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-8-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-8-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Nordic skier Hailey Swirbul poses for a photo on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times).\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Nordic skier Hailey Swirbul poses for a photo on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times).<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-8-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Nordic skier Hailey Swirbul poses for a photo on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times).\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-9-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-9-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times | U.S. Ski Team member Alice McKennis tests out the course before the 2017 World Cup Finals in Aspen.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>U.S. Ski Team member Alice McKennis tests out the course before the 2017 World Cup Finals in Aspen.<\/strong><br \/>Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-9-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"U.S. Ski Team member Alice McKennis tests out the course before the 2017 World Cup Finals in Aspen.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-10-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-10-1024x768.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Aspen halfpipe skier Cassidy Jarrell before the 2018 Snowmass Grand Prix.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Aspen halfpipe skier Cassidy Jarrell before the 2018 Snowmass Grand Prix.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-10-1024x768.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen halfpipe skier Cassidy Jarrell before the 2018 Snowmass Grand Prix.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-11-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-11-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Basalt halfpipe skier Hanna Faulhaber before competing in the Aspen Snowmass Freeskiing Open on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, at Buttermilk Ski Area. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times).\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Basalt halfpipe skier Hanna Faulhaber before competing in the Aspen Snowmass Freeskiing Open on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, at Buttermilk Ski Area. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times).<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-11-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Basalt halfpipe skier Hanna Faulhaber before competing in the Aspen Snowmass Freeskiing Open on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, at Buttermilk Ski Area. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times).\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-16-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-16-1024x732.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Tanzi Propst | USA's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, February 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>USA&#8217;s Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship&#8217;s freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, February 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)<\/strong><br \/>Tanzi Propst<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/cover-atw-110719-1-16-1024x732.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"USA's Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship's freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, February 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/top-athletes-and-storylines-of-the-2019-20-ski-season\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/top-athletes-and-storylines-of-the-2019-20-ski-season\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Who knows what happened to fall, but with the Aspen mountains having received more than 3 feet of snow in October, we can go ahead and say winter is here. With snow comes the season for skiing and snowboarding, and therefore competitions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The Roaring Fork Valley has always had its share of high-level winter athletes to watch each season, and the 2019-20 calendar looks no different. Aspen\u2019s own Alex Ferreira has become a bona fide superstar and is a must-watch during X Games, the timeless Simi Hamilton is within striking distance of another Olympic run, and Wiley Maple looks to right all the wrongs from a 2018-19 season with so much unrealized promise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">This winter also brings the return of the NASTAR national championships and the U.S. Alpine Tech Championships back to Aspen, not to mention the annual spectacle of X Games over at Buttermilk, meaning some serious shreddage is about to go down this season here in our own backyard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">So to help get us amped, here are some of the top storylines to watch out for this winter regarding our local athletes and local competitions.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote p402_hide\" readability=\"1.5\">\n<blockquote readability=\"6\">\n<p>My main goal is to get both of them in the Olympics in 2022.\u201d- Coach Peter Olenick on Aspen-based halfpipe skiers Cassidy Jarrell and Tristan Feinberg<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">X GAMES<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Not that X Games isn\u2019t always the highlight of the winter, but without the Olympics or a world championship this season, X Games packs even more weight than usual when it comes to satisfying an athlete\u2019s need for competition. ESPN\u2019s annual winter showcase returns to Buttermilk for the 19th consecutive year from Jan. 23-26, 2020. Prior to last year\u2019s competition, ESPN and Aspen Skiing Co. inked a new five-year deal to keep the event around through at least 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThe reality is there aren\u2019t many places in the world like Aspen,\u201d X Games Vice President Tim Reed told The Aspen Times last year. \u201cThe community is awesome. All of the local support we get and our partners with (Aspen Skiing Co.), they are the best and we love working with them. We are thrilled to obviously add on five more years to the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">There is potential that this year\u2019s X Games may be missing a few major stars. The chances of Shaun White returning seem nil at best, and Chloe Kim announced she was taking the season off to focus on her studies at Princeton, but maybe she\u2019ll decide to take a break and try and defend her women\u2019s snowboard superpipe gold in a few months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Around here, it\u2019ll be all about cheering on Alex Ferreira. Aspen born and raised, he finally won X Games gold in the men\u2019s ski superpipe last winter at age 24, the first local to win gold since 2010 when both Gretchen Bleiler (women\u2019s snowboard superpipe) and Peter Olenick (men\u2019s ski superpipe high air) each won.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cBest day of my life every day,\u201d Ferreira said in June of winning X Games gold. \u201cI just continue to be grateful and I will forever remember that moment. It\u2019s so, so beautiful to know it\u2019s been accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">With Basalt\u2019s Torin Yater-Wallace, another X Games mainstay, possibly leaving the halfpipe behind, Ferreira could be the only valley local competing at X Games this year, although there are a couple knocking on the door of a possible invite.<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">NASTAR AND TECH<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">These aren\u2019t World Cup races, but it\u2019s still pretty cool. The NASTAR national championships will be in Snowmass from March 24-28, 2020, the first time they\u2019ve been held there since 2015. NASTAR, which stands for National Standard Race, calls itself the \u201clargest public grassroots ski racing program in the world.\u201d Originally founded in 1968, NASTAR is a way for ski racers of all levels to compete against each other from all across the country through the more than 100 resorts that have NASTAR courses, including Aspen Mountain and Snowmass.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Organized somewhat in tandem with the NASTAR national championships are the U.S. Alpine Tech Championships, to be held March 28-31, 2020, at both Snowmass and Aspen Highlands. This will be the first time Aspen has hosted the tech championships in 60 years, which is hard to believe considering the area\u2019s rich skiing history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWhen (the U.S. Ski Team) came to us with an opportunity to bid on it, it was kind of in tandem with this discussion around the U.S. Ski Team tech championships,\u201d said Deric Gunshor, director of event development for Aspen Skiing Co. \u201cTheir vision is really to bring the two sides of racing together and we were excited to be able to offer a unique combination of venues so the two events could overlap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Don\u2019t plan on seeing Mikaela Shiffrin compete, but most everyone else on the U.S. Ski Team currently at the World Cup-level is fair game. The festivities will include both men\u2019s and women\u2019s slalom and giant slalom races, as well as the parallel slalom national championships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Another event to keep an eye on is the annual Aspen Snowmass Freeskiing Open, held Feb. 13-15, 2020, at Buttermilk. The Nor-Am Cup event is held at the X Games venue and will feature some of the top up-and-coming talent in the country, if not the world. The next X Games star could very well compete in the freeski open.<\/p>\n<h4>THE VETERANS<\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">There are a handful of high-level winter sport athletes from the valley with plenty of experience, but none with the resume quite like Aspen\u2019s Simi Hamilton. He\u2019s long been one of the best sprinters for the U.S. men\u2019s cross-country ski team, having competed in three Olympics (2010, 2014, 2018) and five world championships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Prior to the 2018 Games in South Korea, Hamilton admitted retirement wasn\u2019t far off. Yet, at 32, he looks ready to embark on yet another season competing on the World Cup. Maybe he\u2019s feeling fresh based off his recent relationship status, which went from engaged to married only last month when he tied the knot with fellow U.S. Ski Team athlete Sophie Caldwell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Not yet married but still chasing his skiing dreams, Wiley Maple is a go for another season on the World Cup. The 29-year-old Aspen cowboy is as entertaining as it gets, and is once again going solo as he isn\u2019t officially on the U.S. Ski Team. This hasn\u2019t proved to be a hurdle in the past, as some of his best seasons have come when he\u2019s done his own thing, such as the 2018 season when he made his first Olympic team and got a start in the men\u2019s downhill, finishing 30th.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Another Alpine skier to watch out for is Alice McKennis. The 30-year-old veteran is from New Castle and grew up skiing at Sunlight Mountain Resort. She briefly trained with the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club and was a longtime teammate of Lindsey Vonn\u2019s on the speed team. One of her last significant races came when she finished a shocking fifth in the downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics. A few weeks later in Are, Sweden, she made her first World Cup podium in five years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019m not ready to stop that dream,\u201d McKennis told the Vail Daily over the summer, during her rehab. \u201cI still want to pursue it for a few more years and see what I can accomplish. From when I was young, it was always my dream to do this. So, I\u2019m just not ready yet. I still think I have a lot to give to the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">McKennis, who got married in May, is set to return from a major knee injury she suffered at an end-of-season training camp in Mammoth that cost her the entire 2018-19 season. With Vonn retired, there is an opening for someone like McKennis to step up and lead the charge for the U.S. women\u2019s speed team.<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">THE ROOKIES<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">While some, like Hamilton and McKennis, are close to the finish line, others here in the valley are just getting started. While not technically a rookie, Basalt Nordic skier Hailey Swirbul is one to watch. This will be her second year on the U.S. Ski Team and she is set to begin the winter competing on the World Cup, a major step for the rising 21-year-old who goes to school and trains in Anchorage, Alaska.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cIt will be a rude awakening to the season no matter what. But I\u2019m ready. I\u2019m really excited,\u201d Swirbul told The Aspen Times earlier this fall. \u201cProbably going over there to get my butt kicked for a couple of weeks, but I think I\u2019ll learn a lot. That\u2019s my long-term goal is to excel on the World Cup one day, so I want to see what it\u2019s like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Definitely keep an eye out for Aspen\u2019s Cassidy Jarrell, as well. The 20-year-old is the next star in a long pipeline of great freestyle skiers and could join Ferreira in the X Games halfpipe sooner rather than later. This will be Jarrell\u2019s third season competing on the World Cup-level, and looks primed to make a jump. Getting coached by Aspen legend Peter Olenick certainly helps. Should he make his way onto one of these early-season World Cup podiums, Olenick says an X Games invite could come Jarrell\u2019s way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Only a short way back of Jarrell are Tristan Feinberg and Hanna Faulhaber, who both made a big jump onto the big stage last winter as halfpipe skiers. Faulhaber joined Winter Park\u2019s Svea Irving as the only two women on the U.S. Rookie Team this winter, while Jarrell is one of eight men. Don\u2019t be surprised to see Feinberg\u2019s name added to that list for the 2020-21 season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cMy main goal is to get both of them in the Olympics in 2022,\u201d Olenick recently said of Jarrell and Feinberg. \u201cAnd the path they\u2019ve been on and the training they\u2019ve been doing, I think, is really good and they have a good shot at it. It\u2019s still a ways away, but those next two years will go by quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Shirttail\"><a href=\"mailto:acolbert@aspentimes.com\">acolbert@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/top-athletes-and-storylines-of-the-2019-20-ski-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aspen&#8217;s Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship&#8217;s freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)Tanzi Propst\/Park Record Aspen&#8217;s Alex Ferreira competes in the FIS World Championship&#8217;s freeski halfpipe finals at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. (Tanzi Propst\/Park Record)Tanzi Propst\/Park Record Olympic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2450839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 08:13:03","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2450839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450839\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2450839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2450839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2450839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}