Sponsored Athletes

Meet our athletes, some of the best skiers and snowboarders in the world. From big mountain skiing to boarder-cross, the athletes below call Alyeska home and we proudly support their efforts.

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof  

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof was raised in rural Alaska, 500 miles away from the nearest chairlift in one of the most remote areas in North America. She started snowboarding when she was seven on a small hill behind her grandpa’s house, advancing to nearby peaks, following her big brother and family up and down mountains on snowmachine. Her progression was somewhat backwards, as she spent her first years on a snowboard in the Alaskan backcountry and later moved to Girdwood with her family when she was 12, where formal training and competition began at Alyeska Resort. She is a Boardercross (SBX) and hard boots/gates specialist.

In 2006, she earned a berth on the U.S. Snowboard Team. She landed on the podium in her first World Cup snowboardcross in Japan, taking the Bronze medal. The same season brought a double title of 2007 U.S. National Champion and Junior National Champion in Boardercross and a 4th-place in World Cup Finals.

Callan is a 2010 Winter Olympian and the Arctic Man Champion, finishing the season with the infamous Valdez Extreme, King of the Hill. She was thrilled to be 5th in New Zealand’s World Heli Challenge and placed 2nd in the 2011 North Face Masters, also wining the Young Gun Award. Even with all her racing success, it's the powder days at Mt. Alyeska and the Alaskan backcountry that are the essence of snowboarding for her.

Get to know more about Callan  Callan featured in Alaska Magazine article 

Kikkan Randall

 Over the last decade, Alaskan Kikkan Randall has slowly and methodically built a career as the best U.S. women’s cross country skier in history.  The 2012 season was a benchmark for Randall as she parlayed five World Cup podiums, including two wins, into the World Cup sprint title – a first for an American woman.  She also dramatically upped the ante in both her classic and distance skiing to finish fifth overall.  A three-time Olympian, Randall broke through with a historic win in Rybinsk, Russia in 2007.  Using that as a base, she moved up through the ranks finishing third in the season-long sprint battle in 2011 before mounting a strong campaign from the opening race last season to take the title.  She capped the season with her 17th U.S. title.  Looking ahead to 2013, Randall is focused medals at the World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, as well as improving on her record 10th place finish in the grueling Tour de Ski stage race and moving up in the World Cup overall.  She’ll also have an opportunity to test the new tracks for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, where the sprint will play to her favored freestyle technique.

Career Highlights
• 2012 World Cup Overall Sprint Champion
• 2010 Winter Olympics - Best American women's finish (8th place women's sprint)
• 2009 World Championship Silver Medalist (women's sprint)
• 8 World Cup Victories
• 18 World Cup Podiums
• 4-time Olympic Top Tens
• 17-time US National Champion
• 3-time Olympian

Learn more about Kikkan 

Elyse Saugstad   

Elyse grew up skiing at Alyeska Resort, alpine ski racing with the Alyeska Ski Team while finding a passion for big mountain skiing. After moving on from ski racing and graduating from the University of Nevada Reno with a degree in International Studies, she decided to pursue a career in professional skiing.

To help establish herself in the professional ski world, Elyse has competed in Freeride Competition events for the past three seasons and has won the majority of events she has entered. She won the title of 2008 Freeride World Champion and in 2009 was voted ‘Best Female Line of the FWT’. Moving forward in her career, Elyse plans to pursue a bigger presence in ski films. She filmed with Rage Films in 2008 and can be seen in Down Days and Such As Life. She says, "I am a native Girdwood freeskier who is lucky enough to call skiing my job. At this point, I am very happy with what I have accomplished and am thrilled to continue on my exciting journey of skiing."

 Some of Elyse's recent accomplishments include:

2009:
1st Place - FWT Stop #2 Squaw Valley, USA
3rd Place - FWT Stop #3 Tignes, France
Awarded FWT 'Rider's Choice Female Line of the Year'

2008:
1st Overall - Freeride World Tour
1st Place - FWT Stop #2 Sochi, Russia
1st Place - FWT Stop #3 Tignes, France
1st Place - FWT Stop #4 Verbier, Switzerland
(the infamous Verbier Xtreme)
1st Place - IFSA's US Freeskiing Open Squaw Valley USA, CA

Learn more about Elyse 

Jason Scheben   

Alyeska Resort athlete Jason Scheben was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and grew up skiing and racing at Alyeska Resort. After one year of racing at the collegiate level for Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison/Crested Butte, he decided to focus primarily on big mountain freeskiing and the backcountry. He spent six seasons in Crested Butte, CO and five seasons in Snowbird, UT, eventually making his way back home to Alaska.

His goal for the resort and other sponsors is to market Alyeska and products endorsed by way of photos in major winter publications. He has been published in POWDER, SKIING, BACKCOUNTRY, ALASKA MAGAZINE, COAST, FREEZE, and Alyeska’s marketing sources including signature images in print ads and on the new website. This is Jason’s 5th consecutive sponsorship with Alyeska and his constant evolving marketing has created a successful relationship with the resort and our mission statement. He is currently sponsored by industry leaders 4FRNT Skis and Bindings, Full-Tilt Boots, Oakley Eyewear and Outerwear, Discrete, Dynafit and Alyeska Resort.

Learn more about Jason 

Clint Butler  

Alyeska Resort athlete Clint Butler is a Girdwood local.  He spent five seasons at Snowbird Utah .  His home keeps him close to Turnagain Pass and Alyeska, two of the best playgrounds on Earth.  His passion is shown in the picture’s featured in Alyeska ad’s among others that can be found in publications in major ski magazines.  He is thankful for the support from Alyeska, being treated well by Oakley over the years, and this year by 4FRNT.  His drive to be creative and ski the technical lines offered at Alyeska motivates him to be on the mountain most days. 

Zach Halverson

Alyeska Resort athlete, Zach Halverson, grew up skiing Alyeska nearly every winter day.  His formal training was as a Mighty Mite skier, Junior team racer, and Freeride team member.  Mostly though, his “training” came in the form of freeskiing laps with friends, day after day. He turned that feeling of freedom into competitive success on the Junior Freeskiing Tour (JFT), a series of Big Mountain skiing competitions held throughout North America.  In 2011, when Zach was 17, he won the overall tour title.  He is also a two-time event winner on the JFT, winning at Stevens Pass, Washington, and Kirkwood, California.  When he was 17, Powder Magazine ranked him the 10th best skier in the world under the age of 18.

Zach now shares his joy of skiing through films and photographs in national magazines. He was part of a team that won the prestigious Eye of the Condor film and photo contest in La Parva, Chile (http://vimeo.com/27315938).  He also filmed two segments for ESPN, highlighting skiing in southcentral Alaska (http://vimeo.com/38119376 and http://vimeo.com/40367230).  In a recent Powder magazine article showcasing Alyeska Resort, Zach had a spectacular, two page photo jumping off Lolo’s at sunset.  He still occasionally competes in Big Mountain competitions, in the adult league now.  He was 2nd place at the Red Bull “Wrangle the Chute” contest in Kicking Horse, British Columbia, 15th in the Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) event at the Argentine National championships, and 17th at the FWT event at the Chilean National championships.

Zach’s adventurous spirit extends beyond skiing too.  He has climbed Kilimanjaro in Africa, the Grand Teton in Wyoming, and numerous peaks in the Chugach mountains.  He is a four time age-group winner at the Mt Marathon race in Seward, AK.  He’s completed a three month adventure thru the Amazon Rainforest including a 30-day canoe trip in the Amazon basin, and a 28-day backpacking trek in the high cerrado of Brazil (look it up).  In the summer, he is a deckhand on a purse seiner in Prince William Sound. Zach says, “The Chugach Mountains are a skiers paradise.  The lift served terrain at Alyeska is as good as most backcountry areas around the world.  Get out and ski it - snow, sleet, rain, or shine and you can ski anything and anywhere.” Zach is sponsored by Alyeska Resort, Blizzard skis, Tecnica boots, Smith Optics, Soul Poles, and Purplejumpsuit Apparel. 

Kieffer Christianson

Kieffer spent his childhood chasing his older brothers on skis down the mountain at Mt. Alyeska.  Now it’s Kieffer whom others are trying to catch.  In 2010 Kieffer was named to the U.S. Alpine Development Team.  He is the first Alaskan to be named to the Team since 2001.  Kieffer learned how to carve his turns as a toddler on the slopes of Alyeska, starting at the Alyeska Ski School at age 2, and skiing in front of his dad in a harness down the face of Mt. Alyeska.  He started racing at age 6 with the Alyeska Mighty Mites, and continued through the  Alyeska Ski Club Junior race program.  He attended Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont for his junior and senior years of high school.  Kieffer first represented the United States in international competition at the Whistler Cup as a 12 year old, competing against skiers from 20 nations. In 2007, while a member of the Alyeska Race Team, he competed at the 47th annual Trofeo Topolino in Italy, the alpine world championship for children age 14 and under, where he won gold and silver medals.  In 2010 and 2011, he represented his country at World Junior Alpine Championships, in Chamonix, France and Crans Montana, Switzerland, respectively.  When he is not skiing with the U.S. Team, Kieffer attends Dartmouth College.

Icy courses in the east are OK when it comes to racing, but they’re not much good for off-piste skiing.  For Kieffer racing is only part of the picture.  Skiing the terrain and powder at Alyeska is a necessary part of skiing and life. Kieffer enjoys training with the Alyeska Ski Club when he’s home, and especially likes the early rides on speed skis. Every holiday season he clicks into his race skis and competes in the Alyeska Coca Cola Classics with his fellow Alaskans. Kieffer is sponsored by Rossignol Skis, Lange Boots, Shred Optics, Slytech Protection, Komperdell Poles, Mountain Tees and the US Ski Team.

Rosie Mancari        

Born and raised in Anchorage, AK, Rosie is a 16 year old honor student at South Anchorage High School.  She began snowboarding at the age of 3 and started competing for the Big Alaska Series at 13.  Currently riding for Chugach Alaska Snowboard Team, Rosie has earned her spot on the podium this year with gold medals in both Giant Slalom and Boarder Cross.  Her goals are to be competitive in the Race to the Cup, Rev Tours and USASA nationals and eventually become a U.S. Olympian.  

Chanc' Deschamps-Prescott

Alaskan born and raised, Chanc began skiing at 14 months. Attracted to competition at a very early age, Chanc' found an outlet for his competitive spirit within the racing gates of the local Alyeska Mighty Mites program at age 5. Two years later, he began his freestyle career and never looked back. Chanc attends his first semester of the school year at South High School and his second semester home schooling, freeing his schedule for traveling to comps around the US in pursuit of solid finishes, fresh tracks, and adrenaline rushes. See Chanc' in action>
2012 Accomplishments:
North Tahoe Junior Freestyle Tour: OVERALL CHAMPION
Chugach Open @ Alyeska Resort Alaska, Junior Division: CHAMPION
USASA Nationals Skier-­-Cross @ Copper Resort Colorado: 5th place
Junior Freestyle Tour Championships @ Snowbird Resort Utah: 7th place
Junior Freestyle Tour Overall, Boys 15-­-18 Division: 8th place

Mike Leake

Mike "Mikey" Leake recently moved to Alaska to be with his fiancée, Michelle, and ski the great AK mountains that he has grown to love and he is proud to call the Chugach home and Alyeska his home resort.  Until this past summer, Mike spent most of his life in the Teton Valley region of southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming, with a few years spent in the Tahoe area.  Both Tahoe and the Tetons have been essential in his progression as a big mountain skier, and now they have proven to be meaningful stepping stones in his migration to the big mountains of Alaska. 

Over the past 14 years Mike has been fortunate to have the opportunity to film and shoot with some amazing companies and people, as well as compete on the Freeskiing World Tour on-and-off for 10 years.  He has transitioned to judging various events and is an advisory board member with the International Freeskiers & Snowboarders Association (IFSA).  With AK as a home base, Mike has begun to include more expedition-oriented adventures to his resume and goals and has also had the opportunity to work in the ski industry as a videographer, associate producer, guide, marketing consultant, team manager, coach, event coordinator, event judge and a professional ski patroller. 

Liam Ortega

Liam Ortega began his Olympic dream when he first started playing hockey at the age of seven. Raised by his mother in Alaska, Liam quickly aquired the technical skills to seriously pursue his dreams. After early competitive success, a terrifying on-ice crash a year before the 2010 Olympic trials left Liam in a coma on life support and ICU for a week. The road to recovery was a long one, but this insurmountable adversity turned into a speed bump with the fire it lit within him.  A National Champion and American Cup Champion speedskater, Liam's dream is to become the first Alaskan named to the U.S. Olympic speedskating team in 2014. 

Off the ice, Liam founded the non-profit Driven to Move with it’s mission inspire youth to greatness by teaching goal-setting and healthy lifestyles to youth in schools. He also organizes annual community events including THE RUCKUS in THE MUCKUS and a golf tournament benefiting Special Olympics of the Tanana Valley.

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