We are excited to announce that longtime SSWSC youth coach Linda Curzon has been named Youth Winter Program Director. Linda has already begun meeting with outgoing program director Ali Givnish, who is helping Linda get up to speed for a smooth transition, and will step into the role full-time beginning August 17, 2026. Linda has been involved with SSWSC youth programs since 1997. She served as U8 Head Coach for many years and was instrumental in developing the Junior Coach Program. With a ski racing background, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Level 100 Coach certification, and PSIA Level 3 Instructor certification, Linda brings deep knowledge of skiing fundamentals, athlete development, and youth mentorship to this role.
ABOUT LINDA
Alongside more than 30 years of service to SSWSC, Linda brings deep leadership experience from the outdoor industry, where she built and led high-performing service and sales operations teams across multiple brands. Her rare blend of community commitment, coaching experience, and organizational leadership will serve SSWSC athletes, families, coaches, and programs well.
SSWSC has also been a family touchstone for Linda. She met her Kiwi husband, Mike, in New Zealand while they were chasing winters and teaching skiing year-round. Her adult children, Matai and Natasha, both grew up as SSWSC athletes, and Natasha continues the “family business” as a ski instructor in New Zealand.
Linda graduated from Amherst College, where she captained the collegiate ski team and earned a degree in Fine Arts. After college, she moved to Steamboat Springs to teach skiing at Steamboat Resort for “one winter” in 1990. More than three decades later, she has built a life rooted in the mountains, community, coaching, and connection.
Many in the community may also know Linda as a yoga teacher and personal growth coach at Out Here Yoga. As she takes on her new role with SSWSC, she looks forward to building on her long history of mentoring youth athletes and junior and senior coaches while creating athlete-to-coach pathways within the SSWSC community. Her leadership has helped generations of young athletes build confidence, develop strong fundamentals, and discover the self-leadership to succeed — in sport and in life.
Please join us in welcoming Linda into this new leadership role with SSWSC!
THANK YOU ALI GIVNISH
Athletic Director Dave Stewart also wanted to take the opportunity to thank Ali Givnish for her contributions to SSWSC and the community as youth program director. “Ali is someone I have truly enjoyed working with every day, and I want to list just a few of her many innovative accomplishments as program director,” said Stewart. “During Ali’s tenure, she championed multisport programs and was the logistics queen of SSWSC, combining alpine, cross country, and ski jumping into comprehensive programs for hundreds of 4-10 year olds on every day of the week with a small army of coaches. Ali spearheaded and ran the new Steamboat Cup Series – Free, after-school, entry-level competitions throughout the winter that have introduced hundreds of Steamboat kids to competition in a fun, welcoming environment right here at Howelsen Hill. Ali started the successful ‘firefighter’ program, adding a layer of support for coaches and athletes to take care of all the little things that happen on a daily basis, allowing coaches to keep coaching. And from parent feedback on the program, to coach retention, to the hundreds of Steamboat kids participating today, Ali has set a high bar. Thank you, Ali!”
