Noah Hoffman was born in Aspen, Colorado in 1989 and began ski racing in 7th grade. Under the coaching of John Callahan during his high school career, Hoffman placed 4th at JOs in the classic race for J2s and began training hard and consistently with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Olympic Develoment Team soon after.

Originally an alpine skier at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, Liz Stephen switched to Nordic in 10th grade. In her six years as a Nordic skier, Stephen has quickly ascended the ranks of Nordic competition under the coaching of Matt Whitcomb and the support of her teammates at Burke as well as on the U.S. Ski Team.

Morgan Arritola was born in Bend, OR in 1986 and began skiing at 16 for the Sun Valley Sports Education Foundation. Despite her late start, Arritola clinched four JO titles and has been a member of the World Juniors team and U23s for the last 4 years. Arritola credits her coach Rick Kapala from SVSEF for her success as well as her teammate and training partner Liz Stephen.

Sadie Bjornsen began skiing and racing with her siblings Erik and Kaley when she was six in her homestate of Washington. Encouraged by Jim Bishop, a family friend and coach of former Olympian Becki Scott, Bjornsen developed a love of endurance sports, including running and biking as well as skiing. When Bjornsen chose to focus on skiing in her freshman year of high school, she quickly became one ...

Marshall Greene was born in Bend, Oregon in 1981 and began skiing as cross-training for running in his freshman year of high school. Although Greene competed in JOs three times, he didn’t believe he could be competitive at the national level until he began racing for Middlebury College. “It says something about the strength of that team that all of us [Middlebury teammates Garrot Kuzzy and Co...

Nicole DeYoung was born in 1982 in Anchorage, Alaska. After hating her first race as a J2, DeYoung found herself racing on her high school team, working her way to a top five finish at JOs. DeYoung began her collegiate ski career at APU but switched to UAA to participate in NCAA events.

James Southam was born in 1978 in Anchorage, AK and began skiing as a freshman in high school after he was cut from the basketball team. The highlight of Southam’s junior ski career was when his team won the relay at Junior Nationals. Southam attended both the University of Nevada and Western State before joining the APU program that allowed more flexibility for athletic development.

Zach Violett is a native of Brownsville, CA and began ski racing at eleven in the Echo to Kirkwood backcountry race. Violett credits Jeff Schloss and Glenn Jobe for his success as a junior, Torgeir Skrede for coaching in Norway, and Trond Flagstad for his collegiate career at UAA.

Bryan Cook was born in Rhinelander, Wisconson in 1983 and began skiing at the age of two. Cook credits his family as the most influential force in his shaping his ski career, including his parents and four siblings who raced with him every year in the Badger State Games.

Becca Rorabaugh is a native of Anchorage Alaska, began skiing in first grade, and has continued ever since. Although at one point during middle school, she was skiing, playing basketball, volleyball, soccer, and running cross country, Rorabaugh is currently skiing full time before continuing her academic career at Dartmouth.

Caitlin Compton began her ski career as an alpine skier and switched full time to Nordic her junior year of high school. After winning a race at JOs in 1999 and being named to the Junior World Team in 2000, Compton pursued her studies at Northern Michigan University.

Rosie Brennan is a native of Park City, Utah and began skiing in 8th grade. After a slow start as a J2, Brennan believes that she “really began to understand ski racing” in her first year as a J1 in 2005. She attributes much of her quick rise in the skiing arena to the support of her family, her close friend Tiffany Callahan during her junior years, and her coaches in Park City. In 2007-2008,...

Lindsay Williams was born in Hastings, Minnesota, and began ski racing on the Hastings High School Nordic Ski Team. As a junior, Williams was not only the Minnesota High School State Champion, but also a three time Junior National Sprint Champion, and a member of the World Junior Team.

Kristina Owen grew up skiing for her local club in Wenatchee, Washington, claiming to be “more into the M&Ms they had at the finish than the races themselves.” After coming in last in her first JO race, Owen came back to win the 10K classic the following year in Lake Placid.

Johanna “Jojo” Winters was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and began skiing in 8th grade when her friends convinced her to join her high school ski team. Since then Winters has placed 4th in the Minnesota State High School Nordic Skiing Championship, competed in five consecutive Junior Olympics, and earned a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay.

Katie Ronsse was born in Anchorage, Alaska and spent many years as a child in remote Eskimo villages where her parents were teachers. She learned to ski at age five as a Polar Cub in Anchorage’s Junior Nordic Program. By ten, she was practicing with the Alaska Winter Stars, and at twelve, she raced in the Arctic Winter Games.

Morgan Smyth was born in Northfield, MA in 1986 but now refers to Vermont as her home after her family moved to the town of Vernon when she was thirteen. Smyth began racing in the Bill Koch League when she was nine and attended Stratton Mountain School during her junior ski career.

Hailing from Truckee, California, Matt Gelso began his ski racing career with Great Ski Race from Tahoe Cross Country Center to Truckee, a 30k effort as a fifth grader, and hasn't looked back since. After developing into one of the strongest juniors in the US, Gelso decided to attend perennial powerhouse University of Colorado, where he raced to All American Status in the NCAA Championships as a ...

Alexa Turzian switched from alpine to nordic racing in eighth grade, encouraged by her coach, Rick Kapala, and the support of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. In 2007 Turzian clinched the 2007 10K National Title, in 2009 finished fourth and sixth at the NCAA Championships, and is using the 2009 season to recover before the upcoming Olympic year.

Garrott Kuzzy first began ski racing in eighth grade in his hometown of Hayward, Wisconsin. Kuzzy competed in his first World Cup in 2008 in Canmore, clinching ninth in the freestyle sprint.  He will be part of the 2010 Olympic team in Vancouver.

Tazlina Mannix began skiing to and from school in rural Alaska at age five and was racing at the Junior World Championships at 19 in 2005.Throughout the 2008 season, Mannix placed eighth at the U23 World Championships in the 15K freestyle and hopes to be even more competitive in the U23 World Championships this season, with the ultimate goal of reaching the 2010 Olympics.

Leif Zimmerman was born in Bozeman, MT in 1983, clinched his first national title in Rumford, Maine, and placed fifth in the skate sprint at World Juniors in Solleftea, Sweden-- the best result by an American at JWCs. Zimmerman made the 2006 Olympic Team and now hopes to be a regular on the World Cup tour.

Brayton Osgood is a native of Putney, VT and began skiing with the Prospect Mountain Bill Koch Ski League at the age of five. After his dreams of being a major league baseball player died “somewhere during Little League,” Osgood improved steadily as a junior skier under the coaching of Zach Caldwell and Sverre and Amy Caldwell at Stratton Mountain School.

Laura Valaas was born in Wenatchee, Washington in 1984 and began skiing with the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club. After college, Valaas has been able to focus more on racing, competing in her first World Cup race in 2007, placing 11th in the team sprint with Kikkan Randall at the 2007 World Championships as well as 24th in the classic sprint, and began her 2008 season with a strong second in the i...

Lindsey Dehlin was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1984 and began racing when she was seven. Dehlin made the 2002 Olympic Team while she was in high school and the 2006 Olympic Team while in college. In 2008 Dehlin clinched her first national title in the team sprint in January and aims to compete at the World Championships in Librec, CZE this coming February.

Michael Sinnott began skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho. As a junior, Sinnott won two Junior National Championships in McCall, Idaho, and Jackson, New Hampshire, respectively. From 2004-2007 Sinnott raced for Dartmouth College, balancing his training with a major in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. According to Sinnott, attending college “was a simple decision. Skiing is not a ...

Brian Gregg was born in 1984 in Winthrop, Washington and began skiing (and sharing only one pair of skis and poles) with his twin brother at a young age. As a J3, Gregg began traveling and racing throughout the Pacific Northwest under the enthusiastic coaching of Laura McCabe (1998 Factory Team).

Colin Rogers began skiing in the Bill Koch Youth Ski League in Northwestern Vermont, and the highlight of his young ski career was getting a lollipop every time he crossed the finish line. He continued his training at Middlebury College from 2000-2004, graduating with a degree in Environmental Geology. "I knew I wanted to go to college,” Rogers says, “so it was not a hard decision to make."

Holly started this season out with a bang, winning three SuperTour races and taking second in three more.  With these races Holly put herself in position to be named to the 2010 Olympic Team.  Most recently, in the Canmore World Cups she took 21st in the sprint qualification and 24th in the 10km skate.