2018 Olympic Athletes with Roots at Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows

Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows served as the host of the Winter Games in 1960. That Olympic spirit has continued through the years with numerous athletes getting their start and /or training for the Winter Games on these very same slopes.

This year’s Olympic athletes include the “Big Man” Bryce Bennet as well as two former Alpine Meadow protégés, David Wise and Brita Sigourney.

 Meet the Athletes

Bryce Bennett

• Sport: Alpine Skiing
• Mountain: Squaw Valley

At 6’7” Olympic downhill racer, Bryce Bennett, is the tallest of all 242 American athletes competing in PyeongChang. Growing up on the Squaw Valley racing team, Bennett blasted onto the U.S. ski team scene back in 2011. He’s has been hard charging down the slopes in elite competitions ever since. His height has led to a few monikers such as Big Bird and Yeti. Although his height may make him a bit less aerodynamic there is also a big advantage:

Bennett “can move his body to move over terrain — absorb terrain. He’s by far the best in the world in absorbing rolls, like rolls that come back at you.”

Sasha Rearick, head coach of men’s Alpine U.S. ski team

Career highlights include four Top 10 World Cup finishes in the past two years and a spot on the 2018 U.S. Olympic team, for which he is the highest ranked American in his field. He finished a respectable top 20 for both of his events: Alpine Combined and Downhill.

 David Wise

• Sport: Freestyle Skiing
• Mountain: Got start at Alpine Meadows

David Wise is a former Alpine Meadows race team member who early on showed more of in interest in grabbing big air than charging through race gates. He’s collected a mountain of hardware and stood atop many a podium ever since. Some highlights include winning the inaugural gold medal in men’s ski halfpipe in the Sochi Olympics and three back-to-back gold medals in the Winter X Games.

Freestyle skiing in the PyongCheng Olympics is set to kick off next week.

Brita Sigourney

• Sport: Freestyle Skiing
• Mountain: Got start at Alpine Meadows

Brita is a two-time Olympian (2014, 2018) who started out on the Freestyle team at Alpine Meadows at age 8. She finished 6^th in the halfpipe in Sochi and has been on a tear leading up to the 2018 Olympics. Three podium finishes in January 2018, including 1^st place in the Mammoth Grand Prix, has placed her at the top of the World Cup ladies ski halfpipe standings heading into these Olympics.

Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows offers two more ways to amp up your Olympic spirit

#1 Toyota Olympics Watch Parties:

Check out Squaw Valley’s own Olympic Watch party. Catch all the skiing action and cheer on Team USA amid the mountain scenery right at the Plaza Bar. For viewing times and more details, see here.

#2 Olympic Museum:

Take a walk down memory lane of the 1960 Winter Games while visiting the Olympic Museum at High Camp. A few of the stand out exhibits at this recently renovated museum include authentic Team USA uniforms as well as current Squaw Valley athlete memorabilia from the likes of Julia Mancuso, Travis Ganong and more.

For more museum details click here.