January was action-packed, with three 2★ competitions already in the books—and our athletes came out firing.

Stop 1: Sugar Bowl (1/3–1/4)

The season kicked off strong at Sugar Bowl with competitors in both U15 and U19 divisions.

In U15, Conrad Barazza, Flynn Gurushanthaiah, and Zachary Zavlasky represented Bear Valley with confidence. Competing in a split field, Conrad stepped into his first U15 event and delivered a solid 10th place in Panel A. Flynn and Zach followed up with standout runs, finishing 5th and 16th, respectively.

On Sunday, Saxon Schreiber held it down in the U19 division, earning an impressive 10th place. Michael Zavlasky went big but unfortunately lost a ski, resulting in a DNF. Michael also suffered a knee injury and is sidelined for now—he’s recovering well, and we’re all cheering him on.

Stop 2: Palisades Tahoe  (1/10-11) – Enchanted Forest

Momentum continued the following weekend at Palisades.

In a stacked U15 Panel A, Flynn and Zach charged hard, placing 6th and 19th. In U19 Panel B, Saxon backed up his early success with another strong finish at 13th. New team member Isaac French made his competition debut, sending it big before a ski loss led to a DNF—no injuries, all heart.

Cameron Smith returned to Palisades with a fast, aggressive run. Despite a slide-out, he stayed on his gear and finished 23rd in U19 Panel A.

Stop 3: Kirkwood (1/24–1/25) – Thunder Saddle Ridge

Kirkwood brought the heat—and the cold. Saturday featured brutal wind and frigid temps at Thunder Saddle Ridge, but the team showed true freeride grit.

In U15 Panel A, Zach skied smooth and controlled to 21st, while Conrad charged his way to 29th. Over in Panel B, Flynn sent a massive 360 off the diving board in a bid for the top spot, but a ski loss on landing resulted in a DNF.

Sunday flipped the script with blue skies, warmer temps, and prime conditions.

U15 women led the way, with Evelyn Satrom skiing clean and confident to 17th, and Penny Cook making her season debut—sending big air off the diving board and finishing 26th after a slide-out (skis stayed on!).

In U19, Saxon once again delivered, finishing 14th in Panel A. Isaac French showed grit and determination in Panel B, battling through slide-outs to finish 26th.

And then there was Cameron Smith.

Cameron absolutely stole the show—charging top to bottom, stomping airs, dropping cliffs, and igniting the crowd. His reward? A huge 4th-place finish and the best result of the weekend for Bear Valley.

🔥 Huge congratulations to the Bear Valley Freeride Team for multiple top-10 finishes, fearless skiing, and representing Bear Valley Mountain Resort with style and intensity.

Stay tuned for the next update after the February and March competitions.
As always in freeride—go big or go home!