2026-27 U.S. Freeride Team Announced; Stifel Comes On As Team Naming Partner

U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announced the 13 athletes who accepted their nominations and were named to the 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Freeride Team. As part of an extended agreement with Stifel, the financial services company has also become the official title partner of the Stifel U.S. Freeride Team, covering both the ski and snowboard athletes.

The Stifel U.S. Freeride Team heads into its first season under U.S. Ski & Snowboard with eight skiers and five snowboarders. The roster includes three medalists from the first FIS Freeride World Championships, the reigning Freeride World Tour (FWT) women's snowboard champion and two skiers who finished on the 2026 FWT overall podium. All athletes qualified for the team based on freeride criteria.

“Stifel has been a committed partner to our athletes, and we are grateful they chose to stand behind this team from the start,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “We are delighted to have the Stifel U.S. Freeride Team on board and can’t wait to see what these incredible athletes will achieve.”

“Freeride athletes earned their place in the Olympic movement on some of the most demanding terrain in the world, and Stifel is proud to stand behind them as they build toward 2030,” said Ron Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel. “This team already has world titles to its name. We look forward to watching them carry that momentum into their first season as the Stifel U.S. Freeride Team.”

Stifel’s partnership with the Stifel U.S. Freeride Team is in addition to its title partner of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, which supports the alpine, cross country, freeski, moguls, aerials, ski jumping, nordic combined, Para alpine and Para nordic teams, as well as its commitment as the exclusive financial services partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Stifel has been partnered with U.S. Ski & Snowboard since 2022.

On the ski side of the Stifel U.S. Freeride Team, Kai Jones and Molly Armanino both brought home bronze from the inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships in Ordino Arcalís, Andorra, in February 2026. Jones did it as the youngest skier in the men's field. Toby Rafford and Ross Tester spent the 2026 FWT season near the top of the standings, finishing second and third overall. Joey Leonardo, the 2020 Freeride junior world champion, made a strong first impression on the tour, placing second at Val Thorens, France, and wrapped up his rookie season ninth overall. Wynter McBride and Kelly Hilleke also stepped up to the FWT as rookies, after each won their category in the 2025 FWT Challenger series in the Americas. Looking back to 2022, Lily Bradley landed on an FWT podium in their own rookie year, placing third in Ordino Arcalís.

On the snowboard side, Mia Jones had a rookie season to remember. She won three FWT events, including the Xtreme Verbier, on her way to the 2026 overall title. She also became the first FIS Freeride world champion in women's snowboard in Andorra. Blake Moller also knows what it takes to win the tour, having claimed the 2022 FWT snowboard men's title, while teammate Michael Mawn finished fourth overall that same season. Holden Samuels earned his way back onto the 2027 FWT through the 2026 Challenger series in the Americas, and Shayne Blue Sandblom made a quick jump to the pro level, winning the 2025 Challenger series in the Americas with two event wins to compete on the 2026 FWT as a rookie.

The 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Freeride Team will compete around the world this upcoming season, with six stops across four continents for the Freeride World Tour.

2026-27 Stifel U.S. Freeride Team

(Hometown; Club; College; Birthdate)

Ski

Women

• Molly Armanino (Placerville, CA; University of California Santa Cruz; 5/5/1993)

• Lily Bradley (they/them) (Lake Tahoe, CA; Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team; University of California Berkeley; 3/7/2002)

• Wynter McBride (Ogden, UT; Snowbasin Sports Education Foundation; 1/10/2000)

Men

• Kelly Hilleke (Glenwood Springs, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; 12/29/2005)

• Kai Jones (Jackson Hole, WY; 5/5/2006)

• Joey Leonardo (Edwards, CO; Montana State University; 3/3/2003)

• Toby Rafford (Sun Valley, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 3/23/2003)

• Ross Tester (Truckee, CA; University of Utah; 1/5/1999)

Snowboard

Women

• Mia Jones (Truckee, CA; Palisades Tahoe Pursuit Team; Dartmouth College; 6/21/2005)

Men

• Michael Mawn (Bozeman, MT; Montana State University; 11/21/1999)

• Blake Moller (Edwards, CO; Team Summit; 6/14/2000)

• Holden Samuels (Big Sky, MT; University of Colorado Boulder; 11/26/1999)

• Shayne Blue Sandblom (Silt, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; University of Nevada Reno; 4/1/2003)

2026-27 Freeride Coaches & Staff

• Chief of Sport: Anouk Patty

• Senior Vice President of High Performance: Gillian Bower

• Freeride Sport Directors: Skogen Sprang (ski) and Rick Bower (snowboard)