BY WILL FALLTRICK

While four Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation alumni have been showcasing their skills as some of the best of the world’s skiers and snowboarders at the 2026 Winter Olympics, younger SVSEF athletes are showcasing their skills on snow, as well.

SVSEF Alpine FIS Team athletes kicked off their speed season at Mammoth Mountain in California and came home with some first- and second-place finishes.

The FIS Western Region Speed Series held Feb. 2–6 marked the first true FIS speed races of the winter for many SVSEF athletes and featured a deep field representing states across the West, including California, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Utah.

The five-day series included two downhill training runs followed by two downhill races and two Super G races. For several SVSEF athletes, the Super G results proved especially meaningful as strong performances earned qualification spots for the U18 Junior National Championships later this season.

“For many of our athletes, these were their first true FIS speed events, and the progress they made over the week was incredible,” said Charlotte Gourlay, SVSEF Assistant Alpine Director and FIS Assistant Coach. “Downhill and Super G can be truly intimidating, but the athletes showed great determination, mental fortitude, and a strong desire to learn and grow with each run.”

FIS skier Alyssa Huntsman echoed that sentiment, noting the value of the experience both on and off the course: “I think the race series went really well for all of us athletes. We gained more experience, learned a lot and overall had a really fun time. The weather was amazing, the vibes were high and the courses were fun but challenging, giving a lot of athletes great experience. It was an awesome way to kick off our first speed races of the year.”

SVSEF athletes posted an impressive slate of results throughout the week, highlighted by multiple overall podium finishes and consistent racing across both downhill and Super G disciplines.

Samantha Milne claimed back-to-back Super G victories, while Henry Roberts and Ulrich Rossi each earned podium finishes and led the U18 field in multiple races. Ava Huey delivered a series of strong top ten finishes, and the SVSEF squad showed depth across the board, with athletes steadily improving their results as the series progressed. 

SVSEF Athlete Results

Men’s Downhill – February 3

1st – Henry Roberts (1st U18)

4th – Huxley Flood (2nd U18)

11th – Conway Selznick (7th U18)

15th – Tucker Reimund (11th U18)

Women’s Downhill – February 3

5th – Ava Huey (5th U18)

7th – Elliot Leahy (6th U18)

23rd – Lucy Olson (20th U18)

27th – Alyssa Huntsman (24th U18)

28th – Perri DeGennaro (25th U18)

Men’s Downhill – February 4

3rd – Henry Roberts (1st U18)

4th – Conway Selznick (2nd U18)

9th – Huxley Flood (6th U18)

20th – Tucker Reimund (15th U18)

Women’s Downhill – February 4

5th – Ava Huey (4th U18)

11th – Elliot Leahy (9th U18)

23rd – Lucy Olson (19th U18)

26th – Perri DeGennaro (22nd U18)

30th – Alyssa Huntsman (26th U18)

Men’s Super G – February 5

5th – Henry Roberts (1st U18)

7th – Ulrich Rossi (3rd U18)

10th – Conway Selznick (6th U18)

22nd – Tucker Reimund (16th U18)

Women’s Super G – February 5

1st – Samantha Milne (1st U18)

3rd – Ava Huey (3rd U18)

11th – Elliot Leahy (10th U18)

12th – Lucy Olson (11th U18)

26th – Alyssa Huntsman (23rd U18)

Men’s Super G – February 6

2nd – Ulrich Rossi (1st U18)

4th – Henry Roberts (2nd U18)

16th – Conway Selznick (11th U18)

19th – Tucker Reimund (12th U18)

30th – Huxley Flood (21st U18)

Women’s Super G – February 6

1st – Samantha Milne (1st U18)

6th – Ava Huey (5th U18)

15th – Lucy Olson (14th U18)

Complete results can be found at https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=AL&eventid=58644&seasoncode=2026.

Up next for the SVSEF Alpine FIS Team is an Elite Series race in Utah at Snowbird and the Utah Olympic Park Feb. 17-20. Fifteen SVSEF athletes qualified for it.