It’s no secret that Palisades Tahoe, CA, is the home to many decorated Olympic and world-class athletes. Team Palisades Tahoe’s program covers everything from free-skiing to alpine disciplines, and this year, two of our race athletes are churning up a lot of excitement. Truckee natives David Morken and Allison Mollin compete at elite levels and spend time in the National Projects (US Ski Team training camps) as invitees. They both compete with top athletes currently named to the US Ski Team.
Allison Mollin
Allison is one of the best up-and-coming junior racers in the downhill event. This season, she earned 2nd place at the US Nationals downhill at Copper Mountain in November, while last year, she won the U18 Nationals downhill. The top two racers in the overall North American Cup standings earn a World Cup spot for next season, and Allison is currently ranked 2nd.
Since Allison is doing so well, the next step is to race in Europe. The Europa Cup series is the level right below the World Cup, and most Europa Cup races have many World Cup racers competing in the field. Allison earned a top 30 spot at the Europa Cup—it shows that she can compete with the best in Europe. Allison is the best-ranked competitor of her age in the US.
David Morken
David has been skiing with team Palisades Tahoe from a young age, starting as a Mighty Mite. David was recently invited to a US Team Development Group camp in Italy, a course for those on the cusp of qualifying for the US Team. He was selected because he is among his age group’s most promising up-and-coming racers in the Giant Slalom.
The European technical events are always highly competitive, and David won a race in Italy while at the camp. David is ranked within the top ten in the world for his age.
