Alpine Competitive Program Director
Deb was employed by the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation in the Ski and Snowboard School during the past winter season. She is a two time Olympian, 1984 and 1988 and won a Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo in Giant Slalom. Over the past 20 years Deb has remained relevant and influencial in the ski industry. Deb's involvement has bridged the best of what the racing and instructional worlds bring to the slopes.  In the racing world Deb has been a guest coach for a number of the USSA National Development System Camps (NDS) and was the Assistant Coach for the University of New Mexico Ski Team.  She also has been a part of the USSA Coaching Certification program conducting Cerification exams for USSA and its coaches.  From the ski instruction standpoint she is a PSIA examiner, a member of the PSIA Alpine Team (Demonstration Team), one of 13 members nationally and most recently has been the Technical Director for the Steamboat Ski and Snowboard School. Prior to that she was a member of the U.S. Ski Team from 1981 to 1988. Deb grew up in the Pacific Northwest where she was an avid  racer, skiing to a US Junior Olympic Championship GS Title, National Champion GS Title, and is an inductee in the National Ski Hall of Fame.

Head Ability/FIS Coach
Returning to Steamboat after 10 years, Gene is a Colorado native who grew up in Boulder.  He earned his PSIA Full certification while working for The Steamboat Ski School in 1997 & started Coaching Ski Racing in Steamboat in 1998, with the SSWSC J5 program.  In 2000 Gene returned to Boulder and coached for Eldora’s J4 and J3 programs for 4 years while competing as a professional Decathlete and earning a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado.  For the past 4 years Gene has lived in Aspen and worked for AVSC as an ability coach and the head strength and conditioning coach. Recently Gene was selected as the National Alpine team coach for the Cayman Islands at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Gene has been a guest coach at numerous Men’s US Ski Team projects in Park City, Mammoth, and Summit County over the past several years.  He brings a strong strength & conditioning background to the SSWSC Ability program.  When not on the snow, Gene spends his summers as a Fly Fishing Guide and aspiring triathlete.

Ability Coach
Eric is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College. He was a member of the Dartmouth Ski Team 2004-2008 (NCAA Champions in 2007). Eric grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and was the Wisconsin High School Champion in 2003. After High School he spent a year racing in Austria and Slovenia before heading off to Dartmouth. He loves being outdoors and active whether it's skiing, hiking, climbing, camping, etc...

Ability Coach
Ryan is a Steamboat native and spent his K-12 years as member of the SSWSC.  He has coached the past three years here with the J3 Program.  This will be Ryan’s first year Coaching in the Ability Program.  Through many years of early mornings, hard work, intense training, and long trips the SSWSC helped engrain many life-long lessons into his daily routine; like hard work, responsibility, time-management, and organization. Now Ryan looks to help the present athletes and future Olympians of Steamboat maintain the love for the sport and enthusiasm that he shares and learn to succeed in all aspects and at all levels in life.

JIII Head Coach
Mike was born and raised in Virginia and raced at Waterville Valley Academy through his high school years. He continued his racing career at the University of New Hampshire where he also competed as a Division I soccer player. He studied Biology and plans to finish his degree here in Colorado. Mike also spends his time coaching two U-11 boys soccer teams for the Steamboat FC and still loves to play whenever he gets the chance. He's very active in many outdoor sports and looks forward to his third year of coaching with the Alpine Program at SSWSC.

JIII Coach
"Gilly"

 

JIV Head Coach
Jeff is a Colorado native from Morrison and grew up skiing with family and friends at the Loveland ski areas. As a junior he raced in the Rocky Mountain Division under the Loveland Basin Ski Club banner, and pursued his love of alpine competition from the time he was 10, on through high school and college. Jeff first competed at the college level as a member of the University of Colorado “B” Team, and completed his alpine racing career at the University of Wyoming, graduating with a degrees in geology and geophysics in 1982. After breaking from the competitive side of the sport to start his own family and a new environmental engineering company in Laramie, Wyoming, Jeff re-emerged in a teaching and coaching capacity in 1995.  Joining forces with his good friend John Marno, another University of Wyoming Alpine Team alum, Jeff coached junior alpine athletes from southeastern Wyoming, and helped fuel the then-burgeoning reputation of the small but mighty Snowy Range Race Team. While members of the Snowy Range team were gathering notable RMD successes in the age-class brackets, both Jeff and John knew from the beginning that if their kids chose to pursue the sport at a high level, they would eventually need “at-home access” to a great mountain, strong peer group, supportive community and understanding school system.  Thus, Jeff and his family ultimately found themselves destined for Ski Town USA, pulling up stakes and relocating in time for start of the Winter Sports Club’s 03-04 season; the Marno family following suit only a year later. Ultimately Jeff re-cast his coaching position with the Winter Sports Club in 2005, and is now starting his sixth season in our age-class program.  This year Jeff has assumed responsibilities of the Alpine Competitive J4 Head Coaching position and is looking forward to another great year on the RMD J4 race circuit.

Development Director
Blair grew up in Minnesota as a competitive figure skater and enjoyed skiing through her youth. Blair moved to Steamboat in 1992 and taught skiing with the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp for 7 years. She started her career with SSWSC as a Buddy Werner League coach in 1992.  She took a few years off to have three beautiful blonde boys; Jett 8, Chase & Trey 6 with her husband, John. In her free time she enjoys alpine & skate skiing, mt. biking, running, knitting and helping in her boys' classrooms.

J5 Coordinator/Coach
Chalsey was born and raised in Truckee, California, where she began skiing at the age of three. She was a ski racer through her high school years, and then started coaching alpine athletes in 1998. Chalsey attended the University of California, Davis, where she received her teaching credential and her Masters Degree in Education.  Before moving to Steamboat, Chalsey taught middle school math as well as kindergarten. Chalsey enjoys playing outdoors, working with children, hanging out with her family, and of course, skiing. 

J5 Coach

Heather Skinner started skiing at 18 months, and grew up ski racing at Loveland Basin Racing Club.  When her parents moved overseas, she attended Lowell Whiteman School, and raced for the SSWSC during high school.  During college, at Middlebury College in Vermont, she discovered that coaching young racers was way more fun than actually racing!  With a major in history, and double minor in Elementary Education and Geology in hand, she headed home to Steamboat to start her life.  She’s been coaching with the SSWSC since 1998.  Her “real job” (the one that pays the bills) is as the Medical Staff and Continuing Medical Education Coordinator at Yampa Valley Medical Center.  She is married to Erik Skinner (Freestyle Program Director), and they spend most nights debating whether Brodie (born 2004), and Quinn (born 2007) will be freestyle skiers or racers!

Anje grew up in Montana, skiing and racing in the western region through college, and began part-time coaching in 1992.  She worked at SSWSC from 1995-1999, then returned to SSWSC in 2006, to later assume her current position.  She has coached men and women at all levels at Bridger Ski Foundation, SSWSC, Team Summit, private coach, and Crested Butte Academy.  Anje has also directed summer ski racing camps in Europe and North America since 1998, is a level 300 USSA coach, and has been a coach at numerous U.S. Ski Team, NDS, Regional, & RMD projects.  She currently serves as an active member of the R/C Alpine Sport Committee, as well as the Selection working group & Ability class committees for Rocky Mountain Division.  Anje loves skiing and hopes to instill a life long love of the sport to all the athletes she coaches.  Anje, and her husband Rob, a Steamboat Springs native & SSWSC Alumni, have two sons, Zane and Cody.