The Lowell Whiteman School

Freestyle

The SSWSC Freestyle Ski program is one of the oldest and most prestigious in North America. Many current and former members of the team have gone on to national and international success. Former SSWSC Freestylers and Lowell Whiteman graduates include:

Travis Mayer (‘00), Silver Olympic Medalist

• Placed 2nd at the 2004 World Cup in Tignes, France

• Placed 1st at the 2005 World Cup in Lake Placid, New York

• Graduated from Cornell University and is presently earning his MBA at Harvard

• Ranked 5th in the 2006 World Cup Standings and placed first at the 2005 World Cup Event in Lake Placid, NY

• 2005, he was nationally ranked 2nd in Men’s Moguls

• 2002 Men’s Moguls Gold Cup Winner; placed 3rd in the 2003 World Cup Grand Prix

• 2002 FIS Rookie of the Year with a 50% career World Cup Podium rate

Ryan St. Onge, (01) US Ski Team Member

• Three-Time Olympian - placed 4th in Aerials, 2010 Olympics, Vancouver

• 2009 World Champion Aerials Gold Medalist

• Worlds ‘03, ‘05, ‘07, 09, many podiums

• 2008 U.S. Aerials Champion

• 7 World Cup Aerial wins, 5 U.S. titles

• Five Junior Worlds medals (two golds), ‘09, ‘08, ‘05, ‘03 and in ‘02 was U.S. Aerials Champion.

• Attended University of Denver and is attending Westminster in Utah.

Check out Ryan St. Onge’s Training Video - he breaks it down for you step by step so when you watch Aerials on TV or in person, you know what’s involved. Or check out Ryan’s page.

Emiko Torito, (’99) US Ski Team Member

• 2008 First World Cup win (Lake Placid, NY) 2008 U.S. Moguls Champion

• 2006 – Two more top-10s in World Cup

• 2003 Worlds, 2002 earned a 2nd Steamboat duals, 2002 – Junior Worlds Moguls silver

• 2001 was Junior Worlds duals champ, 2000 earned a Junior Worlds moguls silver.

• Attends Denver University.

See Emiko’s National Championship win video below.

Emiko Torito, Ski Team Member

Eliza Outtrim (’03) – US Ski Team Member- breakthrough season in 2009 World Cup, qualified for U.S. Selection events in December. First World Cup, Jan. 13, 2006 at Deer Valley in Utah (7th in moguls). Tied for second in NorAm moguls standings in 2005, and earned a ticket to the U.S. Ski Team.

Pep Fujas (02,) is now one of the stars in the Extreme Skiing circuit. He began in the SSWSC Freestyle program and went on to a creer in Extreme and movie-making. He won the Silver medal in the ‘03 X Games slopestyle, the Rocky Mountain Freestyle Rookie of the Year, 1998 and a Junior National Team Member, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 9th in Junior Nationals, 2000. Pep was ranked the 6th best skier in the world and is now considered one of the most innovative skiers on record.

SSWSC FreestyleProgram

The SSWSC Freestyle Ski program is one of the oldest and most prestigious in North America. Many current and former members of the team have gone on to national and international success. Former SSWSC Freestylers include Olympic Bronze Medalist Nelson Carmichael and Silver Medalist Travis Mayer. The SSWSC Coaches teach a disciplined and organized system that focuses on a step by step building of skills designed to help each athlete maximize their abilities.disciplined and organized system that focuses on a step by step building of skills designed to help each athlete maximize their abilities. To learn more, check out SSWSC Freestyle.

Current Students

Michael DeGrandis (’11) – ranked 14th in the US, Dual Moguls, 10th at US Nationals, Dual Moguls (2009), won the SSWSC Hobart Freestyle Award 2009, George DeGrandis (’13), Taylor Miller (’10), Shelby Dyer (’11), Kevin Broten (’11), Jonathon Roser (’13) Freeskier, Colin Klein, (’11) Freeskier, Brian Alsberg, (’11) Freeskier.

Three-time Olympian, Ryan St. Onge is one of the up and comiong aerialists to watch. Narrowly missing a medal (placed 4th) at the 2010 Olympic Games, he continues to be a contender. Known for his knife-edge precision and ability to focus, Ryan had this to say about Lowell Whiteman School. “I have known since I was young that school is important, but it always compromised school. That is, until, I went to the Lowell Whiteman School. LWS provided me with the opportunity to be educated and pursue my dreams in skiing. The teachers and the environment instilled in me a deep love of learning. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience in skiing and school.”

History of Freestyle in Steamboat

In the 1970s, some skiers in Steamboat started doing “weird” things on skis never seen before – they started throwing multiple flips off jumps, dancing on skis (ballet), and skiing bumps like they’d never been skied before. Scandalous, but the start of something really great and unexpected. With that kind of history, it’s no wonder that Steamboat is still a center for Freestyle. The little town nestled in the mountain boasts excellent freestyle training and competition venues, coaches and Olympic athletes.

Travis Meyer, 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist

Under the direction of veteran coaching, the Freestyle program at SSWSC has consistently produced high ranking members on the U.S. Freestyle Team. Past coaches and U.S. Team members include Chris “Fuzzy” Federson, (three Olympic games) and Cooper Schell, the U.S. Freestyle Team Coach at the Nagano Olympics, 1998 to name a few. With the combination of Howelsen Hill (in town), and the 3600 vertical feet of terrain at Steamboat Ski and Resort, freestyle skiers take advantage of miles of runs that are ideal for mogul and jump training. For the aerialists, Howelsen offers a freestyle aerial facility that is in compliance with USSA specifications. The program has been enlarged to include water ramp training and has taken advantage of Steamboat’s terrain parks at the mountain.

To learn more about Freeski and Extreme skiing, check out this New York Times Article.

Current Coaches

Erik Skinner, Program Director
As program director of the Freestyle Program, “Skinner” brings a dedication and knowledge to the sport that are certain to keep the renowned freestyle heritage of Steamboat going strong.

Jonah Drescher, Freestyle Ability Coach
Ability Nor-Am Coach-2nd year with SSWSC Grew up in Winter Park and Boulder, Colorado.

To learn more about the SSWSC, see their site or call (970) 879-0695 and ask for the coach in your discipline.