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 four competitive teams:

  • Alpine - Our Alpine teams train and race in Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G and Downhill.

  • Freeride - Our Freeride teams focus on big mountain skiing in natural, ungroomed terrain and compete in IFSA Freeride events.

  • Freeski - Our Freeski teams focus on jumps, jibs (boxes and rails) and in the halfpipe and compete in USASA events.

  • Snowboard - Our Snowboard teams combines Park and Freeride styles with boarder cross and bank slaloms. Competitions vary based on athlete interest.

In addition, athletes who are not focused on competition but want to continue to become expert skiers and riders can select from our non-competitive teams. These programs are not available for students enrolled in the school program:

  • Backcountry - Our Backcountry team focuses on avalanche awareness, tour planning, navigation, and decision making and ski inbounds when not touring.

  • Ski & Ride - Our Ski & Ride team focuses on all-mountain skiing on a range of terrain that prepares athletes to enjoy any mountain in any conditions.

Our youngest athletes, ages 5-7, learn the foundational skills needed to become expert skiers or snowboarders before concentrating on a specific discipline. Between 8-10, athletes begin to select a specialization to continue ski/ride development.

Athletes in grades 6-12 can select a school or team program. Beginning at age 10, athletes in a competitive discipline can choose a winter or full-year school program or a winter team program. Athletes ages 14 and up also may participate in a full-year team program, which includes athletic strength and conditioning.