South Lake Tahoe's Piper Arnold named to 2024-25 Stifel U.S. Freeski Team

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announced the 36 athletes who have accepted their nominations and will join the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team for the 2024-25 season. The announcement was made in Park City, Utah on Friday, and South Lake Tahoe native Piper Arnold is on that list.

Piper, who turned 17 this summer, is on the halfpipe rookie women's team, joining pros Hanna Faulhaber, Svea Irving, Riley Jacobs, and the other rookie, Kate Gray, 18, of Crowley Lake who skis for Mammoth Mountain.

Cody LaPlante of Truckee and David Wise of Reno are the other two area athletes named to the US Team. Wise is on the men's halfpipe team, and LaPlante is on pro slopestyle/big air.

Piper is currently ranked 13th in the world and one of the youngest in the World Cup series this year. Mom Terri Arnold said Piper had three top 10s last season, including one final on the World Cup Tour, a 1st on the Aspen Rev Tour, 3rd Overall Nor-Am Cup, and 4th at the 2024 Youth Olympics in South Korea.

Sierra At Tahoe is Piper's home resort and she is supported by several local organizations, scholarships, and businesses in town including Sierra At Tahoe Ski and Snowboard Foundation and The Smaine Fund ( in memory of Kyle).

2024-25 Stifel U.S. Freeski Team

(Hometown; Club; College; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE

Pro Team: Men

Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/12/1996)

Tristan Feinberg (Aspen, CO; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/23/2003)

Alex Ferreira (Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 8/14/1994)

Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, IN; Cork Tech Freeski; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/14/1994)

Hunter Hess (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Salt Lake Community College; Central Oregon Series; 10/1/1998)

Birk Irving (Winter Park, CO; Winter Park Freeski Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/26/1999)

Cassidy Jarrell (Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/31/1999)

Dylan Ladd (Lakewood, CO; Winter Park Freeski Team; University of Colorado Boulder; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/29/2001)

David Wise (Reno, NV; 6/30/1990)

Women:

Hanna Faulhaber (Carbondale, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Colorado Mountain College; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/4/2004)

Svea Irving (Winter Park, CO; Winter Park Freeski Team; University of Colorado Boulder; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/2002)

Riley Jacobs * (Oak Creek, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Colorado Mountain College; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/14/2003)

Rookie Team: Men

Ben Fethke (Boise, ID; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 4/14/2006)

Nick Geiser (Carbondale, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Colorado Mountain College; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 10/4/2004)

Matthew Labaugh (Avon, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Colorado Mountain College; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/5/2004)

Connor Ladd (Lakewood, CO; Winter Park Freeski Team; University of Colorado Boulder; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/26/2003)

Cael McCarthy ** (Park City, UT; Cork Tech Freeski; Big Mountain West Series; 5/18/2005)

Kai Morris (Aspen, CO; Pro Team Foundation; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/22/2004)

Women:

Piper Arnold ** (South Lake Tahoe, CA; Sierra at Tahoe; South Tahoe Series; 6/1/2007)

Kate Gray (Crowley Lake, CA; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 6/29/2006)

SLOPESTYLE & BIG AIR

Pro Team: Men

Mac Forehand (Winhall, VT; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/4/2001)

Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 9/21/1998)

Hunter Henderson (Madbury, NH; Waterville Valley BBTS; University of Utah; New Hampshire Series; 12/28/2002)

Cody LaPlante (Truckee, CA; Olympic Valley Freestyle and Freeride Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/15/2002)

Troy Podmilsak (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 8/23/2004)

Konnor Ralph (Helena, MT; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Salt Lake Community College; Mt. Hood Series; 1/27/2003)

Colby Stevenson (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 10/3/1997)

Women:

Marin Hamill (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 4/5/2001)

Rell Harwood (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 6/1/2001)

Grace Henderson (Madbury, NH; Waterville Valley BBTS; University of Utah; New Hampshire Series; 4/28/2001)

Jay Riccomini * (he/him) (Port Matilda, PA; Team Summit Colorado; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/12/2004)

Rookie Team: Men

Henry Townshend (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 2/16/2006)

Walker Woodring (Sun Valley, ID; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/13/2010)

James Kanzler (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 10/15/2003)

Hugh MacMenamin ** (Hudson, WI; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Mt. Hood Series; 1/23/2006)

Women

Ella Andrews ** (Northampton, MA; Killington Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 2/23/2007)

Kate Gray (Crowley Lake, CA; Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; 06/29/2006)

* promoted to Pro Team
** newly named to the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team