2026-27 U.S. Freeride Team Nominations Announced

U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announced the 13 freeride ski and snowboard athletes nominated to the inaugural U.S. Freeride Team roster. It is the first freeride team recognized by U.S. Ski & Snowboard, as the sport officially became a discipline following the International Olympic Committee's announcement to include it in the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.

The team includes 2026 FIS Freeride World Champion Mia Jones, World Championship medalists Kai Jones and Molly Armanino and Junior World Champion Joey Leonardo, among many others. The 13-person roster blends veteran depth with promising newcomers, with all athletes well-positioned to contend for freeride podiums throughout the winter.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announces its teams in two phases: nomination and acceptance. The athletes are formally nominated to the U.S. Freeride Team in August. Pending their acceptance of the nomination and adherence to the team's expectations, the 13 athletes will be officially announced to the team in October. The athletes are nominated based on predetermined selection criteria for both freeride ski and snowboard.

2026-27 U.S. Freeride Team

(Hometown; Club/College (if applicable); Birthdate)

Ski Team

Women

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

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

• Wynter McBride (Ogden, UT; Snowboard 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 Team

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; 2003)