Coaches and Staff

Juniors Program Director/U18/U21 Head Coach

Connor McDonald

Conor McDonald hails from Copper Mountain, Colorado. Most people know him as Da Bucky. When he wasn’t pursuing his outdoor adventures of climbing, hunting, and guiding, he ski raced for Team Summit.  After sweeping the Junior Olympics with wins in all four disciplines and qualifying for the US Ski and Snowboard Development team, Bucky broke his back.  After several years off due to surgery, Sparky Anderson gave him a spot to join the Seawolves.  Being involved in the sport, and then away from the sport, Bucky discovered he loves to see how much others enjoy the sport of ski racing.

U14 Coach

Kjersti von Wichman

Kjersti was born and raised in Norway. From as early as she can remember, Kjersti was told to go outside and ski until dinner was ready. Learning early that cross country skiing was not a good fit for her, she gravitated towards downhill skiing when not skijoring with the family dogs. Growing up ski racing in Norway, and being a part of their National team, she was lucky enough to travel all over Europe and experience the Europe Cup and World Cup circuit. She came to the US to study at the University of Utah and skied for the Utes for 3 years. At that point serendipity made her fall in love with Alaska so she moved up here to coach after finishing school in Salt Lake City. Kjersti spent 4 years coaching the UAA Ski Team with fellow Alaskan Paul Crews, followed by 2 years on the women’s US National Tech Team which brought her back to her European roots. Kjersti and her husband, Brad, have 3 kids who all love to ski. She is very excited to be a part of ASC’s U14 programs. Kjersti’s philosophy is that the U14 programs should be FUN and for everybody that likes to ski!

U14 Coach

Rob Carte

Rob grew up in Juneau and learned to ski at Eaglecrest when he was 9. He raced in the Mighty Mite and Junior programs until sustaining a knee injury in high school. After college and earning his Aircraft Mechanic’s license, Rob joined the Alaska Air National Guard and spent 26 years in various jobs around the world. His favorite job was being flight engineer & door gunner on combat search and rescue helicopters where he helped save over 100 lives. He recently retired from the military and works as an instructional lab tech at UAA’s aviation maintenance program. Rob is an Alpine Official and Level 100 coach who loves watching athletes meet their hard-earned goals. When he’s not coaching, he enjoys waterskiing, camping, hunting and fishing with his wife Jessica and their 5 kids.

U16 Head Coach

Nick Foster

Growing up in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire, Nick began skiing at the age of 2. In 8th grade, he attended Cardigan Mountain School and finished high school at New Hampton Schools, where he began ski racing full time. While at University of New Hampshire he began his career at Loon Mountain coaching U10’s & U12’s, working his way up through the program, finishing out as the Head FIS Coach by the time he graduated from UNH in 2006. Following his tenure at Loon, he returned to Cardigan Mountain School where he taught Life Skills and coached soccer, lacrosse, and ski racing. In 2007, he moved to Vail, Colorado and began working for Ski and Snowboard Club Vail as the Men’s then Women’s FIS and Nor-Am coach and race hill manager. After coaching for SSCV for 4 years, he took a hiatus from coaching, which gave him the opportunity to work events for the Vail Race Department and be part of many incredible events such as; Burton US Open, 2015 World Championships (both men’s & women’s), multiple Nor-Am Series races, as well as lead dye crew & section chief for 11 Birds of Prey Men’s World Cup in Beaver Creek. He moved to Tamarack, Idaho for the 2018/19 season, and started coaching for the Tamarack Ski Team. The following season he accepted the position of Executive Director of the Tamarack Ski Team. He is very excited to join the Alyeska Ski Team for the upcoming season.

U16 Coach

Chris Maynard

Chris is a born and raised Alaskan who grew up ski racing with the Fairbanks Ski Team as a Mighty Mite and Junior USSA Athlete. Chris trained with Paul Crews and the NCAA Alpine team at UAA for a season before transitioning to Montana State University in Bozeman, MT to pursue Business and Aviation degrees. While in Montana, Chris started to give back to the ski industry that provided so much growing up in Alaska. While attending MSU, Chris enjoyed teaching as a PSIA Level II instructor for several seasons at Bridger Bowl. Upon returning to Alaska, Chris was recruited to be the head coach for the Junior ski racing program at Arctic Valley for the Anchorage Ski Club. Chris found his way to Alyeska Ski Club where he spent several seasons coaching all ages of the Juniors program and became certified as a level 300 coach within USSA. Chris has spent the previous 4 seasons coaching in the Mighty Mite program and is excited to transition into the Junior Program with his two children. In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and kids flying around Alaska, fishing, hunting and camping.

U14 Coach

Jimmy Henderson

Jimmy Henderson is a passionate ski racing coach and athlete with a strong background in the sport. He grew up racing at the early age of six through Alyeska Ski Club’s Mighty Mites and Devos programs, and progressed into the club’s Juniors program, where he competitively ski raced at the FIS level. After graduating from South Anchorage High School in 2015, Jimmy attended the University of Nevada – Reno, where he was awarded two Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Economics. He later pursued a Master of Accountancy at UNR, which he graduated with in the Fall of 2020. During his sophomore year of college, Jimmy joined Nevada’s Alpine Race Team and participated in USCSA collegiate-level ski racing, helping the team secure a Team National Ski Cross Championship title in 2018. As a coach, Jimmy believes in the importance of building a strong foundation of technical skills and developing athletes’ mental resilience. He also works to create a fun and engaging environment that helps his U14 athletes grow and improve. In addition to his coaching work, Jimmy is also a full-time audit associate at KPMG’s Anchorage office. Overall, Jimmy looks forward to sharing his passion for skiing with the U14 group.

U14 Coach

S.J. Klein

S J. (yes, “S” is really his name) knows firsthand how lucky a child is to grow up skiing at Alyeska. He grew up in the Mighty Mite program, where he learned the fundamentals from legendary coaches Bud Gibbs, Butch West, and Phil Ramstad.

As a Junior Racer, S J. was fortunate to learn from mentors such as Mike Durtschi, Lolly Moss, Jon Gould, Cindy Gibbs, Alex Von Wichman, and Marc Eid. Skiing eventually gave him the opportunity to travel across the East Coast, where he raced at the Division I level under John Laserte and Jonathan Shefftz. He also gained international experience by starting a race program for a ski club on Volcan Villarica in Chile the year after the U.S. women’s team trained there.

S J. has a long history of coaching within the Alyeska Ski Club. He coached with the Mighty Mites for seven years and worked alongside Lex Patten in the SPYDER program for two years. He spent six years teaching kids to “tear up the mountain” in the DEVOS program, followed by four years helping U14 Juniors solidify their technical fundamentals. Since 2023, he has been dedicated to coaching the Alyeska U12s.

He finds great joy in watching skiers gain the skills and confidence necessary to reach their full potential. When he isn’t growing sprouts for his business, Alaska Sprouts, or chasing after his favorite U12s, you can find him honing his own skills with the Alyeska Masters.

U14 Coach

Cristiano Mergozzi

Born and raised in Verbania Italy, right on the shores of Lake Maggiore he learned to ski and mountaineer on the mountains behind his house. After a few years working as a chemical technician in two large companies from Milan, he decided to take another route in his life. Since then, he has worked as a ski racing coordinator and assistant in snow making and slope preparation. Working for one of the largest ski areas in Europe (Breuil – Cervinia Italy) and Nakiska Canada, Cristiano has acquired knowledge in ski racing. Alongside national teams he has learned to create the best working environment they needed. Now adays, he tries to squeeze job, family and mountaineering in his life; and even though he may be a bit busy at times he is always able to finish whatever project he has on his plate.

U12 Head Coach

Tasha Foster

Tasha was born and raised in Vail, CO learning about the outdoors and playing as many sports as possible. At 13, she decided to focus on hockey after having to choose between ski racing and ice hockey. She then played travel hockey for Colorado Selects throughout high school, after which she went on to play four years of college hockey at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. After graduating, she began her coaching career with the Boston Shamrocks U19 girls’ juniors ice hockey team in Woburn, MA. But the mountains were calling, and she headed back home. Once in Vail, she started working for Vail Resorts race department hosting a large variety of ski races and events, including 2015 World Championships, USSA & FIS races, Burton US Open, and was on dye crew and a section chief for three Birds of Prey Men’s Downhill World Cups in Beaver Creek. While in Vail, she was also coaching girls hockey for Vail Junior Hockey Association, the same club she grew up playing in, where she evolved into the roll as Assistant Director of Girls Hockey, and skills coach for U12, U14, & U16 girls teams and U10 & U14 boys teams. In 2018 she moved to Tamarack, Idaho and began coaching for the Tamarack Ski Team. The following season she took on the role of Head Alpine Coach, working mainly with U12’s & U14’s. Tasha has her level 100 USSA Alpine Ski Coaching & Referee Cert’s, along with her level II USA Hockey coaching certification. Whether she finds herself on snow or ice, Tasha loves coaching and is stoked to start a new adventure in Alaska, and to be out there making as many turns as possible with the Alyeska Ski Club kids!

U10 Head Coach

April Ingrim

April Ingrim grew up in Alaska and started skiing with the Alyeska Ski Club at the age of 5 with both Mighty Mites and Devos. April moved up through the Juniors program until graduating high school in 2017. April is currently attending UAA, pursuing a Bachelor degree in Business Management, minor in Real Estate with a concentration in Real Estate Management. Ski racing has had a massive impact on her life. She is excited to be coaching the next generation of skiers and share her passion and love for the sport.

Alpine X Head Coach & Juniors Coach

Morgan Haymans

I grew up ski racing for Alyeska Ski Club. I came up through the Mighty Mite, Devos and Juniors programs. I competed in alpine until I graduated from high school, racing at the FIS/USSA level. I skied in college for Western State Colorado University and competed in freeride and ski cross. I competed at the 4* FWQ level in freeride and won a sickbird award. In ski cross, I was an USCSA All-American all four years in college and I represented the United States at the 2015 World University Games. After graduating I continued racing and competed at the Nor-Am, Europa Cup and US Grand Prix level. I finished 3rd Overall in the SX Nor-Am standings in 2016. In 2017, I was the USASA National Champion. My final year racing I became World Cup eligible before I suffered a career ending injury. I am excited to be back home in Alaska and stay involved in skiing. I am looking forward to working with athletes to help them improve their fundamentals/skills in and outside the race course.

Alpine X Coach

Jason Jeffers

After moving to Alaska in the 1900’s, I learned to ski at Alpenglow and Arctic Valley (back when the military lift was still around). I spent several years skiing with the race team at Alpenglow. Looking back now, the coaches I had during those early years had a very significant impact on the rest of my life. The skiing fundamentals and the passion for the mountains that those coaches instilled in me impacted every day of the following 30+ years of skiing. My hope is to continue the cycle and pass on skiing fundamentals and a passion for the mountains to the next generation of skiers. In the BK (before kids) era, I spent much of my free time climbing and skiing in the backcountry. I also worked for several years as a PSIA instructor. Now my free time is split largely between family time, raising our 4 boys, and praying for snow!

Freeride & Devos Program Director/Freeride Coach

Drew Petrie

Drew grew up as an Alyeska Ski Club Mighty Might starting at age 6. At age 11 he progressed into the Junior racing program for 3 years before realizing his passion in freestyle/freeride skiing. He was one of the original members of the ASC Freeride Team competing for 4 years in Half Pipe and Slopestyle before moving on to Big Mountain skiing. You’ll find Drew on the Kenai River during the summer working as a Fishing Guide and at SkiAK during the winter months working as a Sales Associate.

Freeride Coach

Gabriel DeGange

Gabriel is a lifelong skier and Alaskan. After graduating from High School he moved to Breckenridge Colorado and tested terrain parks. Building the courses for the mountain Dew Tour, and Level 1s movie After Dark. Gabriel is excited to share his experience in freestyle with the next generation. In the summer he operates a gourmet mushroom business in Anchorage.

U12 Head Coach

Jonathan Gurry

Jonathan was born and raised in Seattle, WA. As a kid he was involved in many ski programs/teams. At 18 he moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah and freeski. He started competing in Freeride contests all over starting in 1999 and finishing up in 2009 at an Alyeska Contest. In this time, Jonathan became a Professional Photographer appearing in front of the camera and published in publications such as Powder Magazine, Backcountry Magazine, Telemark Skier Magazine, among many others. He has appeared in and help produce 6 different ski films over the years and continues to create content in the ski media world, as well as photograph many other things such as commercial and portrait work. This is Jonathan’s second season of coaching with ASC, and he truly enjoys coaching the younger athletes just getting into the sport. He believes there is no such thing as a bad day of skiing. There is simply always something fun to do on skis, even if it’s surfing on your skis in the rain.

U14 Head Coach

Alec Stepovich

Alec was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and started skiing at Alyeska at the age of four and hasn’t stopped since. He started out in Mighty Mites and eventually made his way to the Juniors race program. Alec attended several races throughout his time in Juniors but his favorite was the 2014 Arctic Winter Games where he took a bronze and gold medal for alpine skiing located in his fathers hometown Fairbanks. If he’s not on the mountain tearing it up you can catch Alec at Moose’s Tooth slinging pizzas and serving up smiles. Alec has made life long friends through Alyeska Ski Club. You can hear him say regularly “Never a bad day of skiing!’ or “I owe some of the happiest moments of my life to skiing.” He’s elated to be coaching and bring the joy he’s found in this amazing sport to the next generation of “rippers.”

Freeride Coach

Colin Gordon

Colin is excited to be returning to coach for the Alyeska Freeride Team this season. Born and raised in Anchorage he spent as much time as possible on the slopes of Alyeska. For the last dozen winters, Colin has coached Freestyle/Freeride skiing at both Alyeska and Squaw Valley. Colin has a passion for sharing his knowledge and love of skiing with the next generation, and can’t wait to meet this year’s team.

U18 Head Coach

Sage Dudick

Having grown up in Girdwood, Sage began skiing at a young age and spent most, if not all of his free time skiing at Alyeska. Making his way through the Alyeska Ski Club, Sage raced in Mighty Mites then joined the Devos program until becoming one of the original members of the ASC Freeride program for the first two years and competing in slopestyle competitions. After high school, Sage went on to play college baseball at a junior college in Oregon, until realizing he missed the snow too much and returned to Anchorage to finish his degree at UAA. These days, you’ll find Sage working at a public relations firm in Anchorage, skiing as much as he can and exploring Alaska with his camera at his side. Sage is thrilled to see how far the Freeride team has come since being on the team, and is stoked to be able to pass along his love of skiing to the younger generations.

Development & Events Director

Jessica Guess

Jessica grew up in Noblesville, Indiana, and she began skiing when her kids joined Alyeska Ski Club. Jess loves to ski with her three kids, all of which are in ASC Juniors programs. Jess and her family love Alyeska and enjoy the weekend vacation feeling it provides. Jess has been part of the ASC family for 5 years serving in multiple capacities and is currently the Development and Athlete Ski Council Director. Jess has an education from Purdue University and has a background in Sales. During the off season, Jess enjoys biking with her kids and dogs, fishing, cooking/entertaining her friends and family. She also loves traveling to new spots to explore different areas of the world and US.

Finance Manager

Amber Momblow

Amber was born and raised in Alaska. Eagle River is where she calls home. Amber grew up skiing, mostly at Arctic Valley, and later in life spent time living in both Hawaii and New Zealand. Amber joined ASC in 2022 looking to make a difference while being afforded flexibility to spend time with her family. Amber went to college at Northern Arizona University and has a background working in finance for nonprofits. In Amber’s spare time, she loves running (especially on beaches) and singing Jimmy Buffet songs. If Amber could be any animal, it would be a manta ray. She loves their grace, sense of peace, and a steady flow and approach towards life.

U14 Head Coach

Duffy Daniels

Freeride Coach

Joe Gardner

Freeride Coach

Esme Brudie-Janigo

U14 Coach

Peder Rickbeil

Peder grew up in Montana. He was a member of the Silver Run Ski Club where both his parents work. Peder raced at a FIS level and is currently coaching the U14 program. He has a background as a first responder and has worked in multiple industries in rural Alaska. Peder enjoys climbing, mountain biking, vehicle restoration, and just being outside in general. Thus, it was easy and natural for Peder to pick the mountain goat as his spirit animal. He notes that the mountains and the horrible ideas of where to adventure are both hobbies of his. 

Executive Director

Jennifer Danza

Jennifer grew up in the small alpine town of Cervinia, where her passion for skiing began. In 2017, she relocated to Alaska with her husband and two children to join the Alyeska Ski Club. A lifelong skier and dedicated coach, Jennifer is passionate about helping each athlete thrive in a positive and supportive skiing environment. Her enduring goal is to ensure every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of skiing and develop a lifelong connection to the sport—just as she has. She is excited to lead alongside an exceptional team and continue building a strong, vibrant club community.

Leif Mumma

Leif grew up hotlapping Chair 6 and the North Face. Freeskiing with his family and friends has always been a critical aspect of his life for as long as he can remember. He joined the Alyeska Freeride Team when he was 13 and proceeded to compete in competitions throughout college. Bozeman is where he found himself for school, attending Montana State University alongside many days at Bridger Bowl. There he earned a degree in Earth Sciences with an emphasis on Snow Science. During that time, he was lucky enough to compete on the Freeride World Tour in 2023. He moved back to Alaska after school during the summer of 2024 to continue working as a commercial fisherman in the summers and pursue a career in heli ski operations. He considers it an honor to continue to ski his home hill and be a part of the freeride community now as a coach for the AFT.

Kade Lekeits

Danika Kennedy

Danika, Girdwood local whose life has been shaped by the slopes of Alyeska. Her journey on skis began at the age of two and has grown alongside the Alyeska Ski Club, evolving from a Mighty Mite into a pioneer of the original Freeride program. Today, she is proud to give back to the community that fostered her own growth, serving as a mentor to the next generation of chargers.

Danika’s coaching philosophy is centered on a single, powerful mantra: “Do it scared.” She believes that growth exists just beyond the borders of our comfort zones. She encourages her athletes—particularly the young women entering the freeride world—to understand that fear is not a stop sign, but a signal of an opportunity to grow. This mindset extends far beyond the mountain; it is a blueprint for life. Her goal is to cultivate an environment where athletes feel empowered to:

* Embrace the Challenge: Understand that doing hard things is the only path to mastery.

* Reframe Failure: View mistakes not as setbacks, but as essential data points for improvement.

* Build Authentic Confidence: Develop a resilient self-belief that comes from trying, failing, and persisting.

* Foster Coachability: Remain open to constructive criticism and technical refinement to reach peak potential.

“Skiing has given me everything—my community, my husband, and my career. As a coach, I am dedicated to helping my athletes find their unique style and the grit to tackle any line, on or off the mountain.”

Amanda Pelkola

Amanda grew up in the Panhandle of Texas and skied a few times a year on trips to Colorado and New Mexico.  However, it wasn’t until her husband’s military career brought the family to Alaska that skiing truly became a way of life. Amanda quickly learned that chasing Alpine X athletes requires a lot more than a Texas ‘can-do’ attitude—it requires a lot of wax and even more stamina. After years of dedicated volunteering for the club, Amanda now serves as our Events and Volunteer Coordinator. Amanda has a degree in Marketing from West Texas A&M University.  When the snow melts, Amanda enjoys being outside hiking, fishing, camping and going off the grid to the family cabin.

Mark Rainery

Mark was born and raised in Juneau, AK and learned to snowboard at Eaglecrest Ski Area. He quickly merged his passion for snowboarding with video production. He attended film school at Montana State University in Bozeman spending the winters riding Bridger Bowl and Big Sky. After earning his degree, Mark spent several seasons riding and filming all over the PNW, the Rockies, British Columbia, Japan and New Zealand. In 2019 he returned to Alaska and launched The Outliers, a film series showcasing Alaskan DIY backcountry snowboarding. In 2025, he relocated to Girdwood and joined AFT to contribute to their snowboarding program. When not coaching at Alyeska, he works as a heli ski guide with SEABA in Haines, AK.

Meredith Reed

Nathan Chartier

Nathan, also known as “Big Air Nate” was born and raised in Anchorage and grew up skiing Alyeska. Since he could walk, his dad put him in ski boots and the story has not changed since. By the age of 3 he was riding unassisted down from the top of chair 6. Steep technical terrain, hard charging hot laps, and flying like an eagle is his motto. His love for skiing with friends and family and also his love for being a part of the community continued to grow as he aged. At the age of 15 he was a level 2 ski instructor at Anchorage’s local ski hill, Hilltop. Nathan yearned for sharing his passion for skiing to the upcoming generation. Nathan graduated in 2017 from University of Fairbanks with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Since then, he has been actively working full time and has completed multiple building projects within the state at his local engineering firm. He says being apart of the Alyeska Freeride Team is a blessing. He gets to share and continue his passion helping kids gain more confidence, technical skiing capabilities, and most importantly, to have fun doing so.

Payton Ostrinski

Zoe Hancock

Zoe grew up in Alaska and started skiing with the Alyeska Ski Club as a Mighty Mite at age 5. She raced with the Juniors program until she was 13 before shifting her focus to Nordic skiing, competing with the APU junior team. Zoe attended the Claremont Colleges in Southern California, where she coached the downhill ski team and competed nationally in ski cross, GS, and SL. She is currently a first-year medical student at the University of Washington and loves spending her free time in the backcountry and at Alyeska coaching and sharing her passion for skiing.

Ashleigh Alexander

Hunter Eid

Jake Young

Jeremy Anderson

Kilian Gygax

Taryn Miller

Taryn Miller grew up with the Alyeska Ski Club, beginning in Mighty Mites and progressing through the Junior program. Her favorite event is the Super G! After sustaining several injuries, Taryn transitioned to the Freeride program for her final two years of junior competition. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Technology with a focus on professional piloting. When she isn’t skiing, you can find her fishing, hiking, or downhill mountain biking at Alyeska. She also works as a guide at the Veilbreaker Skybridges. Taryn looks forward to giving back to the program that provided her with lifelong friends and coaches—an experience for which she will always be grateful.

Will Cashmore

Will Cashmore grew up on the beach north of Auckland, New Zealand. He spent his ski racing career chasing winters, collecting 24 in a row! In 2022, Will moved to Alaska and joined the University of Alaska Ski Team. While competing in NCAA races across the U.S., he completed his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He’s excited to support the next generation of skiers!

Bre Donovan

Bre was born in Anchorage and grew up skiing at Alyeska (and also has a big soft spot for Hilltop). After college she started spending the summers at Mt. Hood and her first winter coaching was the J4 girls at Schweitzer in 2005. She also coached J4s at Mt. Bachelor, Crested Butte and Snowbird before returning to Alaska and coaching U14s at ASC. In 2017 she started the Rippers program through the Alyeska Resort ski school. The Rippers philosophy is a focus on technical skill development through lots of focused free-skiing, games, synchro skiing, duals, and fun, challenging courses. She’s happy to be back at the club heading up the U10 program. Bre is a Level 200 certified coach and PSIA Level III instructor. She has two kids who also love to ski. Bre was a collegiate distance runner and still loves to get her heart rate up any way she can, mostly through hiking, nordic skiing, and running around at dryland.

Hans Poelmann

Hans Poelmann is a U12 Alpine Coach at Alyeska Ski Club, where he brings a deep love for skiing and years of racing and coaching experience to the next generation of athletes. He first learned to ski at Mount Peter in New York and later continued skiing at Windham Mountain, developing a lifelong passion for ski racing.  Hans went on to race for Castleton University in Vermont, helping the team earn three USCSA National Championship titles and serving as team captain during his last year. After college, he moved to Utah to begin his coaching career, believing it was the best way to help bring the next generation into the sport while continuing his own passion for ski racing. He spent four seasons with Park City Ski & Snowboard, working primarily with U16 athletes and developing a strong foundation in athlete progression and competitive readiness. He then joined Rowmark Ski Academy, coaching there for two years. During his first season, he served as U14 Lead Coach, guiding athletes through key developmental years. While at Rowmark, he also led the Western Regional trip at Mammoth, worked closely with IMD, and supported the Western Region Speed Camp at Palisades Tahoe. In August, he relocated to Anchorage to continue coaching while supporting his girlfriend, Bailey, in her work.

At Alyeska, Hans is committed to creating a positive environment where young skiers can build strong technical foundations, grow their confidence, and discover the joy and challenge of alpine racing.

Administrative Manager

Keri Macdonald