U.S. Nationals: Who is … J1 Andrew Phillips?

It’s hard to imagine the soft-spoken 18-year-old Andrew Phillips as a charging skier, but he surely is.
    This week at the U.S. Alpine National Championships, he has consistently been charging for the podium in a deep field from World Cup racers to juniors. He nabbed fourth overall in slalom, sixth overall in giant slalom and third overall in combined — and took the combi top junior honors.
IT'S HARD TO imagine the soft-spoken 18-year-old Andrew Phillips as a charging skier, but he surely is.
    This week at the U.S. Alpine National Championships, he has consistently been charging for the podium in a deep field from World Cup racers to juniors. He nabbed fourth overall in slalom, sixth overall in giant slalom and third overall in combined — and took the combi top junior honors.
    “It’s awesome being among Tommy [Ford] and a bunch of the older guys training because they have speed you’ve never seen so having them pushes you and when you’re skiing faster than them and you’re pushing them, it’s really cool,” said the U.S. Development team member.
    Phillips was particularly pleased with his GS result on Tuesday. “I’ve had a pretty rough season in GS,” he said. “I’ve had a really good season in slalom, but my GS hasn’t been so solid. Today and this series, I’ve tried to focus more on my GS. It helped me a lot in speed and the combined.”
    Nonetheless, he consistently has been posting results all season long. Phillips said it goes back to his “first big race” in November at the Keystone NorAm. In a field wrought with World Cuppers, he finished 25th in GS, and he was “pretty happy about that.” Then he capped off his season in Spain by placing fifth in slalom at World Alpine Junior Championships, and then polished it off with the U.S. Nationals results.
    Phillips grew up at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon in Sandy, Utah. He got his start at Rowmark Academy in Park City, and then turned to the Park City Ski Club before he was picked up by the U.S. Ski Team. After gate runs, he would freeski.
    “What’s amazing,” he said, “you freeski and learn so much about balance and recovery that when you’re in the course and you have one little slip, it’s so much easier to save it.”
    Being a Utahan and living among the outdoor playland has its advantages in the summer — there is lots to do.
    “In the summer, I’m usually working out pretty hard, three times a day and going wakeboarding,” he said. “I like to play a lot of indoor soccer and basketball.”
    Phillips also is an avid reader. “I like to read. I really like to read mysteries — a lot — like Agatha Christie. It’s pretty weird,” said a laughing Phillips.
    At Nationals, his sister and father came to cheer him on, along with his girlfriend. He has a big family, two older brothers and two younger sisters. “I’m really family-oriented,” he said. Much of it has to do with his religion, something he has in common with a few teammates.
    “I’m LDS along with Steve Nyman and Erik Fisher, that’s pretty cool to have [them] with me,” he said.
    But don’t be fooled by the nice Utah kid; he won’t politely pass you on the hill — he will certainly charge on by. Look for Phillips to take on the NorAm circuit and get his mix of Europa Cups next season.