World-Class Teams
Sugar Bowl Academy’s athletic program promotes hard work and discipline, emphasizes a positive environment, and stresses long-term athlete development through sports science. Our coaches push athletes to be their best while ensuring they have the support necessary to succeed, all while celebrating grit, grace, and courage.
Our coaching team includes former World Cup athletes and coaches, the co-founder of the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series, and a blend of European and American coaches. SBA athletes compete on national and international stages. They go on to ski in the Olympics, World Cup, Freeride World Tour, and college.
Sugar Bowl Academy offers Alpine, Backcountry, Freeride, Park, and Snowboard. Our youngest athletes, ages 5-9, learn the foundational skills needed to become expert skiers or snowboarders before concentrating on a specific discipline. Beginning at age 10, athletes select a discipline to continue specialized ski/ride development.
Athletes ages 10 and up can select a winter or full-year program. Athletes in the full-year program also participate in athletic strength and conditioning as part of their program.
Alpine
Alpine ski racing is designed to reward the fastest athletes as they navigate a series of gates down the hill. Alpine racing is where Michaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, and Ted Ligety made their fame representing the United States at the Olympic Games and competing in the World Cup. Alpine racing takes grit, grace, and courage every time you stand at the start gate.
Freeride
Freeride skiing is performed on natural, ungroomed terrain without a set course. The event is about celebrating the natural terrain features on the mountainside in the most elemental format. Skiers choose impossible lines through cornices and cliff faces with big jumps and lots of excitement. Freeride athletes look for the bumpy, rowdy freeride terrain that challenges them to be the best athletes they can be.
Freeski
Our Freeski program provides a unique and advanced environment where freeski athletes can progress through the ranks—mastering everything to get from rookie to pro. Sugar Bowl Parks launched in 2024 and is committed to tailored progression, partnering with some of the top minds in terrain park design to craft a facility that allows athletes to develop their skills at every level.
Snowboard
Our snowboard program is a freeski/freeride program for snowboarders, with more focus on park terrain. Riders can compete in Boardercross, races, and Freeride competitions. In the park, they use park features like rails, jibs, boxes, and a pipes to deliver their big air tricks.