BY HEATHER FOSTER AND KAREN BOSSICK

A member of Sun Valley Education Foundation’s Alpine U16 Team punched his ticket to the Alpe Cimbra FIS Children Cup in Folaria, Italy, thanks to his showing at the Burke National Performance Series.

Tucker Reimund will compete in Italy at the event showcasing “the future of alpine skiing” from Jan. 31-Feb. 8. The event in the northern Italy resort, which brings together 800 young athletes from all over the world, has been a launching pad for such skiers as World Cup alpine ski racer Alberto Tomba.

He will be one of six U16 athletes representing the United States—three boys and three girls.

Five members of the SVSEF Alpine U16 team were selected to represent the Western Region for the 2025 Burke National Performance Series U16 project, which took place Jan. 3-10 in Burke, VT.

SVSEF’s Anna Taylor, Ava Huey, Conway Selznick, Huxley Flood, and Tucker Reimund were accompanied by SVSEF Alpine U16 Assistant Coach Nik Angriman.

This is the sixth season for the Burke NPS U16 project, which brings together a national U16 peer group to provide increased peer-group intensity for U16s through head-to-head training and competition. It also offers the U16s national exposure and team-building.

Ten athletes per gender from each of the three U.S. Ski & Snowboard regions (Western, Rocky/Central, Eastern) are invited to the project and all regions collectively do everything together, including meals, conditioning, ski prep, meetings and all on-snow activities. 

The athletes had four days of training and four races, including two Giant Slaloms and two Slaloms. Right from the get-go, the athletes were dealt a brutal east coast weather pattern with temperatures dropping into the negatives, along with wind chill, snow, and humidity making for some challenging conditions.

“I felt our group was in a good place and having a great experience,” said Angriman. “Personally, I think this opportunity for our athletes goes far beyond the results. In ski racing, one of the most important things is to learn how to adapt—in different snow and weather conditions, at different venues, courses, environments, etc.”

At Burke, the athletes were tested through all of this, and as Angriman told the athletes, “I’m really proud of ALL of them for how they challenged themselves, how they stepped out of their comfort zone, and for how they acted on and off the hill. These are little steps but with a huge relevance to grow as an athlete and as a person.”

Reimund placed sixth and 12th in Giant Slalom and fourth and sixth in Slalom.

Additional SVSEF Athlete Results at Burke NPS:

Anna Taylor 13th and 15th GS, 9th in SL

Ava Huey 15th and 26th in GS, 23th and 19th in SL

Conway Selznick 12th and 17th in GS, 24th and 20th in SL

Huxley Flood 15th in SL