COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. – Some of the best junior athletes in the nation just finished competing at the USASA National Championships in Copper Mountain, and 36 of them came from a single resort – Sierra-at-Tahoe.
The United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) National Championships are the largest snowboarding and freeskiing competitions in the world, made up of thousands of competitors spanning over 30 regional series. United States Olympic freestyle snowboarders and skiers have typically all competed in USASA events before moving up the pipeline.
The 12-day competition consists of disciplines including slalom, giant slalom, ski cross, boardercross, slopestyle, rail jam and halfpipe. Sierra-at-Tahoe had competitors across most, if not all disciplines.
The event’s final day was April 8 and there were triumphant results for athletes coming from Sierra-at-Tahoe.
Notably, Elya Loge, a Sierra-at-Tahoe-sponsored athlete, got second place in FIS women’s ski cross after placing 14th in Switzerland at the Junior Worlds. “She’s continuing to crush it, she’s doing really well,” said Jake Stern, Content and Communications Manager at Sierra-at-Tahoe.
Remy Simkins secured multiple placements including first place in seven-eight boys snowboard rail jam, second place in seven-eight boys snowboard slopestyle, and third place in seven-eight boys freestyle snowboard overall.
Emma Stewart placed second in 15-16 women’s overall freestyle ski after coming in eighth place in a Future Tour FIS ski slopestyle event at Sugar Bowl Resort earlier in the season.
For 15-16 women’s ski cross, Piper Elliott came out in second place while Hailie Rosatti placed third.
In the 11-12 boys ski cross, Gavin Oliver landed third place.
As of the final day’s results, Sierra-at-Tahoe athletes had 27 top 10s, six podiums and two overall podiums.
“We feel really proud. Our team’s programs are integral to what we do here. We’ve produced Olympians in the past, and we are at the end of a rebuilding period,” said Stern. “This year we have sent the most athletes to USASA Nationals since the Caldor Fire, so it feels like our teams have been rebuilt, we’re strong again, and we’re producing really great athletes. We’re really proud of that.”
Stern also notes how great the energy is at the competitions, and the kids aren’t the only ones having a blast, their parents are having a great time too.
“Our South Tahoe series, our athletes and athletes from Heavenly and Kirkwood, have a really great community,” Stern added. “All the parents will go to each other’s events and support athletes who aren’t their own children and it’s a really awesome community experience.”
