Dear Sugar Bowl Academy Community,

While we are enjoying the pleasant weather here at Sugar Bowl, I feel it is time to bring back those legendary snow dances! With the holiday week of February 15 approaching, fresh snow would be most welcome. We are planning for a full house to celebrate SBA and our special community. If you have not already, do not wait to purchase your tickets to the Academy Soiree. Then gather your gear to represent your favorite country, winter sport, or iconic moment from Winter Olympic history. It will be a great night. For new school families, enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year at SBA is now fully open. We are projecting several school programs to have more demand than available space, so we encourage you to complete the enrollment process as soon as possible to secure your spot. Returning families, financial aid applications are now open, and we will begin publishing team and school program contracts shortly. This past week, we began our schoolwide read of Accountable by Dashka Slater. It has been inspiring to see students reading, thinking, and engaging in meaningful discussions. Each Monday, we will come together as a school community to discuss the assigned reading sections. We encourage parents to join these conversations with your students. There is plenty to learn, like spam accounts or “finstas.” This book offers valuable lessons for all of us. We are excited to welcome Krisin Slye and Nikki Isbell as regular resources for our students and staff. Nikki will be at school on Tuesdays from noon to 6:00 pm. Nikki is available for students to talk about their mental wellbeing and managing the stressors of sport and school, either by dropping in or scheduling a time. We are looking forward to another great week of grit, grace, and courage at Sugar Bowl.

Sincerely,
Stephen
Executive Director

Athletics

SBA Results

Our athletes are continuing to post excellent results as we get deeper into the season. You can always find the latest results on our Results page.

  • Our U10 team competed in the Far West GS race at Palisades last weekend. Catherine Hanbury finished in 2nd and 5th for the girls, and Will Phillips finished in 7th for the boys on Saturday. Full Race Report

  • Meila Ayers picked up two first place finishes in Slalom and GS for the U16 women at the Wild West Qualifier at Sugar Bowl last weekend. Adrienne McMahon also had two top ten finishes. Full Race Report

  • Gabriel Park and Miles Pfeister both made the podium for the U16 men at the Wild West Qualifier at Sugar Bowl, both with 3rd place finishes in Slalom. Miles Pfeister was in the top 10 in all three races, and Ethan Cohen, Ollie Brown, and Bodhi Piziali all had multiple top ten finishes. Full Race Report

  • Our Freeride U15 and U19 teams competed at the Kirkwood IFSA Junior 2* competition last weekend with seven athletes in the top 10. Eli Jaffe took first in U15 Ski Men. Full Comp Report

  • The FIS Men competed at Northstar last week in a 2xSL 2xGS race series, with Mattias Wilson finishing 1st in the first men’s Slalom on Tuesday. SBA had multiple top 10 finishes. Full Race Report

  • The FIS Women also competed at Northstar last week in a 2xSL 2xGS race series. Helena Lesniak took 3rd in the first women’s Slalom on Monday. SBA had multiple women with top 10 finishes overall and in U18. Full Race Report

  • Several of our Snowboard team went to the USASA North Lake Tahoe Series Palisades Cross event. Ziva Levy, Owen Squires, Brent Freedman, and Justin LaBar all made the podium. Full Comp Report

Volunteers Needed - Far West Alpine U10 at Sugar Bowl

We have a U10 race on February 14-15, and we need volunteers! If you are able to help out, please sign up online. Thank you for helping us host events for our teams!

This Week

Thursday, February 5 - Weekly Uphillers Meet Up

All levels welcome and beginners encouraged! Meet at the bottom of Nob at 8:30 am. More information

Friday, February 6 - All Teams 8+

All teams ages 8+ will ski and ride on their normal schedule.

Saturday, February 7 - Sunday, February 8

All teams will ski and ride on their normal schedule.

Saturday, February 7 - SBA Community Adult Game Night

Join the SBA Community for a game night for adults from 7-10 pm. More information

SBA Menu - Week of February 1

Academics

School Wide Book Read: Accountable

This week marked the beginning of our school wide reading of the non-fiction book Accountable. This work explores a series of events that started in 2017; high school students in Albany discovered a private Instagram account used by a group of students to post inappropriate and hurtful content about their classmates. SBA students will use Homeroom on Mondays to explore the major themes of the book with faculty providing structured social-emotional learning and opportunities for self reflection. Students and staff have been asked to read pages 1-47 for Monday, February 2. 

Middle School Update

It was another busy week for our middle school student-athletes here on Donner Summit. From science labs to exploring Ancient Civilizations, our middle schoolers have brought great enthusiasm and engagement to the classroom. If your family is interested in learning more about attending Sugar Bowl Academy for Highschool, there will be an  information session on Monday, February 9, at 4:45 PM at the Academic Building. We hope to see you there!

Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference Nominations - Current Sophomores

Are you interested in developing leadership skills alongside other students in the Class of 2028 this summer? Apply to the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY), a highly respected and selective program with limited nominations per high school.

The Northern California Leadership Seminar will be held at Menlo College in Atherton, June 12–14. Students from across the region participate in hands-on leadership training focused on Leadership for Service, including mentorship, goal-setting, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Participants are challenged to make an immediate impact, beginning with service during the seminar and continuing with a 100-hour community service commitment over the following year. Contact Karen Rowe for more information and to be nominated.

College Planing for Juniors and Families

Please schedule your college planning meeting with Karen Rowe. Create your SCOIR account and complete the survey. Let’s get started on your post-secondary journey!

Upcoming Events

Monday, February 9 - Info Session for Sugar Bowl Academy High School

Join us for an info session for current 7th-8th graders and their families who want to learn more about SBA for high school. More information

Friday, February 13 - Winter Term Parent Coffee and Team Social

Winter Term parents - please join us at Village Lodge Espresso Cafe from 8:30 - 10 am. More information

February 15 - Academy Soiree

Save the date for our annual Academy Soiree. Get Tickets

March 4 - Low Stress Book Club

We will be discussing The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson. More information and RSVP