Forever Wild Grabs Gold at National Champs

The Snowshoe Mountain-based Forever Wild Freestyle Team capped off their season with impressive results at Nationals, securing two overall wins, a Snowboard Giant Slalom victory, a Snowboard Cross victory, and a variety of podium finishes and top 10s. The event took place over two weeks, with snowboarders competing in the first week and skiers following in the second. In total, the team earned 8 podium finishes from snowboarders and 7 from skiers.

Among the standout performances was Georgie Fritz, who made a significant leap this year after finishing 3rd overall in 2024. Fritz triumphed in the 7-8 year-old Girls Snowboard category, becoming the National Champion. She also earned first-place finishes in Slalom and Snowboard Cross, as well as second in Slopestyle, marking the first National Snowboard Freestyle medal for the team. Reflecting on her success, Fritz credited her progress to a more daring approach: “I chose to go bigger,” she said. In addition to her victory, Fritz secured a third-place finish in Giant Slalom, with teammate Chloe Anderson claiming first in that event, and the first gold medal for the team.

Chloe Anderson and Georgie Fritz on the Giant Slalom Podium

Georgie Fritz with her Overall Gold Medal.

On the ski side, Evelyn Simmons made a notable leap in competition, moving up a category from last year. Despite the increased challenge, Simmons managed to tie for the Overall win in the 9-10 year-old Girls Ski category. Her performance included a third-place finish in Slopestyle, a sixth in Ski Cross, a seventh in Superpipe (a halfpipe with 22’6″ walls), and a fourth in Rail Jam. “I had a lot of fun doing it, but I had to put in a lot of work,” Simmons said. She credits much of her improvement to dedicated training sessions with her family and coaches. “When I finish school, we’d go out and ski. It takes a lot of time, and time with my coaches,” she added.

Evelyn Simmons with her Overall and Slopestyle medals.

Coach Bradin Baum highlighted the importance of Snowshoe’s Mountaineer Rope Tow in the team’s development. “With the help of the rope tow, we’re now getting as many hits in one weekend as we would have in a whole month of practice before,” he said. This added training proved beneficial for Simmons, who was able to master skills like spinning on and off rails and tackling larger jumps in competition. According to Simmons, the first two jumps at Nationals were roughly the size of Snowshoe’s largest jumps in Evolution Park, with the final jump nearly twice as large.

Ari Gavrilets, a 9-10-year-old skier, had a breakthrough performance this year, overcoming previous struggles with consistency in Slopestyle and Rail Jam events. “He really showed out,” Coach Baum said. Gavrilets landed both of his first runs in Slopestyle, advancing to the finals, and ultimately finishing with a 4th-place Overall finish. “It kind of just became to not matter. It just went away,” Gavrilets shared, explaining how a shift in mindset helped him perform better under pressure. “I was just like, this is fine. Let’s just have fun for this one. And then I had a blast.”

The team’s continued success has been fueled by the addition of Junior Coaches Nolan Street and Bridget Moyer, as well as Coach Stephanie Fritz. Fritz, who also serves as the mother of two athletes on the team, reflected on the unique culture of the team: “I think one of the biggest contributors to this team’s success is the community the coaches are fostering. It’s almost more like a family than a team. Because of that, these kids feel safe to try hard and want to be there. They’re putting in more effort because they know their coaches see them, care about them, and want them to succeed.”

Other standout results include a 3rd Overall for Keenan Joyner in his second year competing at Nationals, a 2nd in Ski Superpipe for Isla Zollars along with a 4th Overall, a 3rd in Ski Cross for Leo Heroy, a 3rd in Superpipe and 3rd Overall for Ilan Gavrilets, Payton Moyer took a 3rd Overall supported by a 4th in Slalom and 5th in Snowboard cross, a pair of 7ths for Nolan Street in Superpipe and Ski Cross in the most competitive category, and Zara Fanning also with a 7th in Giant Slalom in her first year at Nationals.

Keenan Joyner on the Overall Podium

Isla Zollars on the Superpipe Podium

Ilan Gavrilets on the Superpipe Podium

Leo Heroy on the Ski Cross Podium

Head Coach Seth Ruckle also credits the team’s achievements to the athletes’ and families’ dedication. “Several gold medals and overall wins show our progress this year, not just in racing but in freestyle events as well,” he explained. “We’re bringing home two Superpipe medals from a mountain that doesn’t even have a halfpipe. That shows the commitment to travel and training for these athletes and their families.”

With such strong performances this season, Forever Wild Freestyle Team members are poised for even more success in the future. Keep an eye on them as they continue to dominate the slopes in the coming season!

Forever Wild Team photo from the USASA event at Snowshoe earlier this year.

Snowboard Roster and Results

Georgie Fritz – 1st OA, 1st Slalom, 1st Snowboard Cross, 2nd Slopestyle, 3rd Giant Slalom, 8th Halfpipe, 11th Rail Jam

Zara Fanning – 7th Giant Slalom, 10th Slalom, 20th Snowboard Cross

Payton Moyer – 3rd OA, 4th Slalom, 5th Snowboard Cross, 10th Rail Jam, 13th Halfpipe, 15th Giant Slalom

Evelyn Prandi – 9th Snowboard Cross, 27th Giant Slalom, 24th Slalom

Chloe Anderson – 1st Giant Slalom, 2nd Slalom, 5th Snowboard Cross

Bridget Moyer – 17th Slalom, 17th Snowboard Cross, 22nd Giant Slalom

Ski Roster and Results

Nolan Street – 7th Superpipe, 7th Ski Cross

Arthur Heroy – 30th Superpipe, 39th Slopestyle, 38th Skiercross

Ilan Gavrilets – 3rd OA, 3rd Superpipe, 4th Slopestyle, 9th Ski Cross

Ali Gregory – 10th Ski Cross, 10th Superpipe, 13th Slopestyle

Leo Heroy – 3rd Ski Cross, 10th Superpipe, 26th Slopestyle

Keenan Joyner – 3rd OA, 10th Ski Cross, 20th Superpipe, 52nd Slopestyle

Nathaniel Fritz – 26th Superpipe, 16th Ski Cross, 52nd Slopestyle

Eleanor Geyer – 17th Superpipe, 18th Slopestyle, 26th Ski Cross, 7th Rail Jam

Isla Zollars – 2nd Halfpipe, 8th Ski Cross, 21st Slopestyle

Linus Heroy – 35th Superpipe, 39th Slopestyle, 58th Ski Cross

Ari Gavrilets – 4th OA, 8th Skiercross, 12th Slopestyle, 20th Superpipe, 8th Rail Jam

Evelyn Simmons – 1st OA, 3rd Slopestyle, 6th Ski Cross, 7th Superpipe, 4th Rail Jam

Kennedy Harris – 7th Superpipe, 9th Ski Cross