Featured Image: U.S. Ski & Snowboard:
Six New Faces Join the 2025 Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team
You’ll notice six new names on the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team this season—these rising talents bring impressive credentials and a hunger to prove their speed.
Annika Hunt
Rooted in Racing and Family
Hailing from a ski racing family and cutting her chops in Park City, Utah, Annika Hunt already has a solid taste of racing success.
She grew up chasing her older siblings on both alpine and Nordic skis—her dad a former alpine racer and her mom a Nordic skier. Hunt spent her weekends hitting cliffs, bowls, and high speeds on the skate ski track. But she leaned into alpine racing, joining Park City’s “Farm Team” at age 8 and skiing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.
“We would ski around everywhere on the mountain, and every once in a while, we would have a race. I fell in love with these races, so I decided that I wanted more. My older siblings had also started racing on more legit teams by that time, and I looked up to them a lot, so I wanted to follow their lead,” Hunt says.
Drawn to the Chaos of Competition
For Hunt, the most alluring aspect of alpine racing is its imperfection.
“There are so many variables that come into play in every race, and there are so many varying skills that a ski racer must have to be successful,” she says. “Alpine skiers must be technically and tactically sound, courageous, agile, strong, powerful, quick. Because there are so many different aspects of this sport that come into play, it is almost impossible to be perfect. Perfect runs are rare, and I love that because it means that there are more ways than one to be fast.”
Versatile and Victorious
Now 18, Hunt stands out as one of the increasingly rare racers who excel in every discipline.
Last season, she won or reached the podium in slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and downhill. As a result, she secured the NorAm overall title—along with the super-G and downhill discipline titles.
“Winning any titles at all wasn’t my goal at the start of this season, but I worked as hard as I could trying to get a little bit better every single day, and my hard work really paid off,” she says. “I achieved much more than I had set out to do, and that was one of the best feelings in the world.”
Ambitiously Looking Ahead
Hunt graduated from Burke Mountain Academy this June and will take a post-grad year to fully focus on racing—with her sights set on reaching the World Cup podium.
“I am most looking forward to my new team of coaches, technicians, and teammates. I have gotten to know most of the girls on the U.S. Team pretty well, so I am very excited to ski with them more and spend more time with them,” she says. “I am also excited for all of the resources that the U.S. Team has to offer. I am really looking forward to next season.”
Jeremy Nolting
HEAD skis, boots and bindings
Park City Roots and Global Goals
Also a Park City native, Jeremy Nolting “learned to ski pretty much the same time I learned to walk” at age two. He joined the Learn to Rip program when he was eight and spent his days skiing all over the mountain—hitting the gates and the terrain park and even the ski jumping slope.
“I always wanted to go fast, so in the end I chose racing,” he says. “I love the competitive aspect of skiing. I really like that it pretty much comes down to me and what I can do. I also really like the community in skiing and how well- connected everyone is. I love traveling all over the globe and being able to see friends from all over the world.”
Climbing the Ranks
Competing with Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Nolting has already seen a glimpse of international success. He made an impact on the NorAm circuit and delivered strong performances at last season’s FIS Junior World Ski Championships. The 19-year-old placed eighth in giant slalom, 12th in slalom, 14th in downhill, and 18th in super-G.
Those results reinforced his potential—and his ambition.
Eyes on the Globe
Nolting dreams of winning the overall World Cup Globe and sees his U.S. Ski Team selection as a major step toward that goal.
“It means so much,” he says. “I am grateful and honored to be able to represent my country in the sport I’ve grown up doing my whole life. I am looking forward to continuing my career with as much effort or more than I have given in the past, but I am excited for the opportunity to use all of the resources that have not been available to me before.”
Logan Grosdidier
Following the Family Path
The youngest of the newly appointed U.S. Ski Team squad, 16-year-old Logan Grosdidier joins her older sister Tatum on the national team. She learned to ski in Washington alongside her three older sisters and quickly set out to follow their lead after seeing how much they loved racing.
“I love skiing because it has become such a meaningful part of my life,” she says. “It helps me set aside stress, especially when I’m surrounded by great friendships and strong competition. Skiing is a mentally and physically challenging sport, but it keeps me in tune with myself and constantly shows me how much further I can push myself.”
Rapid Rise Through the Ranks
Now a high school sophomore in Wenatchee, Wash., Grosdidier has spent several seasons racing in Colorado with Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. She has already earned NorAm podiums in slalom, giant slalom and super-G. However, her proudest achievement so far came last season when she placed seventh in GS at World Juniors.
Eager to Learn and Level Up
With her U.S. Team appointment, Grosdidier now sets her sights on reaching the World Cup.
“I’m really looking forward to getting more exposure this upcoming rookie season and learning what it takes to compete at the next level. It’s such an exciting opportunity to train with some of the top athletes in the country and to see how I stack up against a higher level of competition,” she says. “I want to compete at the highest level, stay consistent, and keep learning with each season. My main focus is on steady progress and getting better with every opportunity.
Nolan Sweeney
East Coast Grit
The only East Coaster among the U.S. Ski Team’s 2025 rookie squad, Nolan Sweeney brings a background reminiscent of another New Hampshire legend.
He learned to ski at age two from his grandfather, an instructor at Bretton Woods, and got his first season pass at Cannon Mountain when he was 5. From there, Sweeney skied every weekend with his brother and parents.
“Cannon is cold and icy, and it makes you a good skier,” he says. “The Cannon community has a genuine love of the sport. It has always been a dream of mine to follow in the footsteps of Cannon Mountain ski racing greats like Ronnie Berlack and Bode Miller.”
Late Start, Steady Climb
Sweeney never planned on racing. He simply wanted to ski with a group of friends, so he joined the Franconia Ski Club at seven. At 14, he began racing for Burke Mountain Academy and graduated in 2022.
After a couple of tough seasons marked by injuries and health issues, he spent the past two years racing NCAA for Colby College in Maine. Last February, he earned his first collegiate podium with a GS result at Whiteface Mountain.
“My Colby teammates and coaches reignited my passion for racing,” he says. “I would like to thank Winterfell Alpin for supporting me in chasing the U.S. Ski Team in college.”
Eyes on a Bigger Stage
Now 21, Sweeney plans to take the coming year off from Colby to pursue his U.S. Ski Team opportunity.
He counts his second-place NorAm GS finish last January in Lake Louise as his biggest achievement so far. Still, his goals extend far beyond that.
“My ultimate goal is to win World Cup globes and Olympic medals. I am looking forward to traveling the world and chasing my dreams,” he says. “I want to thank my parents and all of the people who have supported me over the past 15 years of my ski racing career. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the U.S. and compete at the highest level.”
Viktoria Zaytseva
Nordica skis and boots, Marker bindings
Finding Her Speed Early
Growing up in Edwards, Colorado, Viktoria Zaytseva began skiing at age 3 with her parents at Beaver Creek. While neither parent raced, they supported her passion after she entered a school ski race with a friend and instantly fell in love with the sport. Soon after, they enrolled her in the Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, where her competitive journey began. Last season, Zaytseva took a bold step and joined the Apex2100 program in Europe, seeking new challenges and opportunities to grow.
“I love that skiing is not a judged sport,” she says. “The only thing that matters is your time. It doesn’t matter what you look like. At the end of the day, it’s how fast you ski.”
Climbing Fast, Crashing Hard
A U18 national champion and two-time U16 national champion, Zaytseva began competing in NorAms and university races in 2024. She quickly moved up the ranks in slalom, giant slalom, and super-G, earning NorAm podiums in GS and SG. She also scored a podium in just her second NorAm downhill, last February in Kimberley, B.C.
However, her speed series ended abruptly when she crashed in the following super-G. The result: a fractured tibial plateau and a torn meniscus.
Youth, Recovery, and Determination
Still only 17, Zaytseva will be a high school senior this season. She attended Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy through 10th grade before switching to online coursework with ICL Academy.
“Joining the U.S. Team is an exciting step in my career. It’s a goal that I’ve worked towards for a long time,” she says. “I’m proud to have the opportunity to represent the U.S., and I’m looking forward to getting back on snow after my injury and being part of a strong team where I can push myself in new environments and keep getting faster. My ultimate goals are to podium at World Cups, World Championships and Olympics.”
Tanner Perkins
HEAD skis, boots and bindings
From Powderhorn to the Podium
The most senior member of the 2025 U.S. rookies, 24-year-old Tanner Perkins has accomplished plenty—and not just on the racecourse.
His ski journey began when he was six, when his family moved from Texas to Grand Junction, Colorado. At Powderhorn Mountain, Perkins first clicked into skis and joined the Sunday race program.
“From there, I was put into the Sunday race program so my parents could get a day away from me and ski on their own. Little did they know the road that would send me down,” he says. “Since I was a little kid, I loved speed and to race. The freedom of expression had me hooked.”
A Nontraditional Path
After the family relocated to Crested Butte, Perkins kept racing while also working local ranch jobs, helping at a bike shop, and training in emergency services and mountain rescue. At 16, he joined Aspen Valley Ski Club and raced there until he was 20.
Despite struggling to land on a college team and narrowly missing U.S. Team criteria, Perkins kept going. He lived out of a van, maintained his EMS and fire certifications, and kept racing.
His persistence paid off. Three years ago, he joined the Montana State University ski team. He delivered solid university results, especially in giant slalom, including a podium last season. On the NorAm circuit, he competed in all disciplines but gained momentum in speed, landing his first super-G podium last February.
Hooked on Speed
“What I love most about the sport is how it makes me feel alive,” he says. “I crave the start of a downhill, the way I am more alert, and the rush from the top to the bottom. I think about speed and jumps on a downhill or SG track all the time.”
For Perkins, joining the U.S. Ski Team is both a reward and a relief.
“For me, joining the U.S. Ski Team means so much. It means I finally have access to the resources and training I’ve never had my entire life,” he says. “I’ve never been able to enter this season and not worry about how I will pay for my travel and hotels, food and races.” I’m obviously excited to wear a coat with USA on the back, but really, what is most important for me is that all I have to do now is focus on becoming a faster skier. A huge thank you to STIFEL and all the other amazing donors that make it possible for guys and gals like me to go out and build a legacy of American ski racers.”
Racing Toward the Future
Perkins has studied nursing for three years and has just one semester left to graduate from Montana State. He plans to pause his studies to pursue skiing at the highest level.
His goals are clear: become one of the best in the world in downhill and super-G.
“I am really looking forward to making some big leaps in my skiing and learning to work with a professional program in an efficient way to get the most work done possible. I hope to contribute to a winning team environment that supports each other and has a lot of fun,” Perkins says. “I would also like to set an example for any and all kids around the country, because I feel that if I can make it there, anyone can. I hope to one day have a platform to stand on that helps me grow the sport and give back to American ski racing.”
About the Author: Shauna Farnell
