Sierra Athletes Shine Bright
Last time we talked, the Sierra Athletes were in full competition mode vying for a chance to represent the good ol’ US of A at this year’s Winter Olympics. Fast forward to today, and that dream has come true for two of our athletes. Plus, the others deserve an honorable mention! Here’s the scoop on what Kyle, Hannah, Jamie, and Maddie have accomplished, what they’re doing looking forward, and where you can spot them!
Kyle Smaine has had an amazing comeback season. An early-season trip to Austria allowed Kyle to get his ski legs back for the first time since his injury, and further training put him on par with the best skiers in the ski halfpipe circuit. Kyle solidified his position on the world stage when he won gold at the U.S. Grand Prix Olympic Qualifier event in Mammoth, CA this past month. This victory put Kyle in contention for one of four spots on the Olympic team, but it wasn’t quite enough to get him over the bubble. Still, Kyle’s comeback and humbleness amaze us, and we are so glad he is part of the Sierra family! Looking forward, you can bet your bottom dollar that Kyle is going to get after it. He always has something cookin’, whether that be mountain biking, ski touring, hanging with friends, or pow days at Sierra!
Hannah Teter continues to warm hearts and lay it all out when she straps in to her snowboard. In recent competitions, she put down some BANGER runs. She fell a little shy of making the Olympic team, but her performance was nothing to sneeze at! Aside from working on philanthropic business ventures, Hannah has recently been working with another noble cause: the Special Olympics ! As the newest Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics, Hannah hopes to advocate for people with intellectual disabilities to gain them more recognition in mainstream action sports. We don’t know how Hannah manages to balance so much kindness, talent, and fun activities, but we’re stoked she is a part of the Sierra Team. Don't forget to say hi to her when you see her shredding Sierra’s slopes in her free time!
Jamie Anderson has been SLAYING the competition scene (no surprise) and inspiring people wherever she goes. This rad lady made history by winning her 5 th gold, and 14 th career X Games medal this past month! That’s the most medals of anyone in Women’s Slopestyle history. This only further solidified her spot on the US Olympic team, which she clinched last December. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s in her bag of tricks as she makes her 2 nd Olympic appearance. In the meantime, keep a look out for Jamie in milk commercials and helping young shredders achieve their dreams. Check the Olympic event schedule for women’s slopestyle snowboarding and mark your calendars so you can root for Jamie in PyeongChang!
Maddie Bowman has also been dominating competitions. She won a gold medal at X Games recently, putting her back on the top of women’s halfpipe skiing. Four years ago, Maddie won the inaugural pipe event at the Sochi Olympics. With strong performances on the competition circuit this season, she earned a chance to do the same in PyeongChang. We are stoked to have her represent Sierra and Team USA at the Olympics for the 2 nd time. There’s no doubt she’ll throw down some crowd-pleasing tricks! Until then, catch her alongside fellow athlete Jamie Anderson as the two promote #milklife, as well as advocating for Protect Our Winters, an organization that educates people on climate change and what they can do to slow it. Make sure you check out Maddie’s event times on the Olympic schedule while you’re at it, and cheer on women’s ski halfpipe!
It’s awesome to see our athletes competing at such an elite level in their respective disciplines. We hope to see Kyle and Hannah cruising down our slopes, and will definitely be rooting for Jamie and Maddie when their time comes to shine during the Olympics! Whatever happens, we know they’ll do great and that they have a home at Sierra. Be sure to tune in to watch these ladies on the world stage, and stay posted for a celebration of Olympic proportions when the events draw to a close!