“Starting this season, we’ve got a 10-year run-up to the 2034 Salt Lake Olympics,” BSF Nordic Pro Team Coach Andy Newell says. “I think about it every single day.”
Why, you might ask? In short, because the Olympic dream is infectious. And, as if that weren’t enough, because the repercussions of that dream are already coming to life right here, right now, in our very own backyard.
“I have seen first hand the value that an Olympic development program can add to a club,” Newel says, referencing his time with Vermont’s Stratton Mountain School during his own racing career. “What we [the BSF Pro Team] are really about is… letting any BSF skier see how far they can take this thing.” The BSF Pro Team is doing just that–from showing up to guest-coach groups of BSF six-year olds to taking victories at some of North America’s top races.
A four-time U.S. Olympian himself, Newell believes in the big picture: that what the BSF Pro Team brings to the community has the potential to lift everyone up, from the kindergartener taking her first shuffle at Lindley Park to the high-schooler learning to dream big to the grandparent proudly watching their skier learn the life lessons of the sport.
The catch? “It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long-term vision,” he says.
For some, that vision is not so far off. The BSF Pro Team qualified four athletes onto the World Cup Circuit during the 2023-24 season–an important first step for athletes looking to earn a coveted spot on the U.S. Ski Team and additional support towards making the Olympic dream a reality. This year, Pro Team member Erin Bianco has earned starts for Period 1 of the World Cup in November and December, while her eight teammates have their eyes set on joining her as they race the U.S. domestic circuit.
In January 2025, Bozeman will be one of the top-stops in North American ski racing. Shortly after U.S. Nationals (taking place in Anchorage, Alaska, from January 2-7), Montana State University will host the U.S. Super Tour at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center on January 24-26. BSF Pro Athletes will be vying for final spots on the U.S. World Championships Team in front of their home community and on the very same trails as BSF junior skiers looking to qualify for U.S. Junior Nationals or getting their first taste of competition.
For all of these skiers, their families, and our community, perhaps the vision isn’t all so far off either. Whether we stand on the sidelines watching the BSF Pro Team believe in something big or we are strapping on skis as juniors and learning to do the same, the Olympic dream–the BSF Pro dream–is already very much alive and well thanks to their presence.
