Mammoth Lakes, CA – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) national slopestyle, halfpipe and alpine teams spent time this month soaking up the California rays and training on Mammoth’s famous spring corn.
Athletes including Ted Ligety, Simon Dumont, Scotty Lago and many others participated in one of the final team training sessions in North America before next winter’s Olympic games in Sochi, Russia.
The U.S. women’s World Cup speed team, including Leanne Smith, Stacey Cook and Laurenne Ross, in early May wrapped up their training block that was abbreviated as the athletes were fresh off an additional week-long training period in Beaver Creek, Colo. in April. Lindsey Vonn and Alice McKennis remained absent as they rehabilitate from injury, and Julia Mancuso opted to instead take some time off snow after recently testing skis in Norway with Head.
Members of the men’s tech team, including Ligety along with Robby Kelley, Thomas Biesemeyer and David Chodunsky, also visited Mammoth this month for spring gate training.
This month’s training camp was the first in a multi-year agreement that will see Mammoth hosting USSA for spring training through 2019. U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding Pro Teams will also be based at Mammoth Mountain’s Unbound Terrain Park this November to prepare for the Olympic season.
“I couldn’t be more excited that Mammoth Mountain Ski Area has been selected by the USSA to provide elite-level training facilities to the U.S. ski and snowboard teams for alpine, slopestyle and halfpipe training,” said Mammoth Mountain CEO Rusty Gregory. “Ted Ligety, Kelly Clark and crew are already here on the mountain and it has been inspiring to watch the world’s best rip it up through my office window.”