A handful of Windells Academy students are causing quite the commotion in the emerging freeski lineup. Most recently, Senior Academy student and Indiana native, Nick Goepper, took first in Men’s Ski Slopestyle at the Winter Dew Tour Championships at Snowbasin. Nick’s performance won him the number two spot for overall Dew Tour Slopestyle athletes, as well as his fifth consecutive podium at a major event. Nick was named the Mitch Breakthrough Male Athlete of the Year. Currently, Nick holds the number one spot for Men’s Slopestyle in the AFP Top 100. Huge congratulations, Nick, from all of us at Windells! Read more about Goepper’s win from Freeskier Magazine and Alli Sports.
PC Freeskier Magazine
Alex Beaulieu-Marchand, Senior Windells Academy student from Quebec City, Canada, took 10th in Men’s Ski Slopestyle at the final Dew stop. ABM placed 9th at the Waterville stop and he was runner up for the Ballpark Rookie of the Year award. ABM has had an impressive year and the Windells Academy staff of teachers and coaches are ecstatic about his overall performance.
Both Nick and ABM have received offers from the US and Canadian Freeski Teams. Mike Hanley, Windells Academy President, describes both boys as academically driven. After graduation, Alex has his sights set on Universite Laval in Quebec and Nick plans to attend Westminster in Utah.
Windells alumni are continuing their successes years after they graduate from the Academy. Maggie Stout, Pennsylvania native, placed second in Women’s Pipe at the North Face Open. Congrats, Maggie!
Nick was featured in a recent article in his local newspaper.
Nick Goepper is a rising you am on the freeskiing scene. Since last season, Nick has been showing up on podiums at major slopestyle events, turning heads with his style and large bag of tricks. More than that, Nick is only getting better. He’s a student at Windells Academy and a pretty awesome guy, too. He let us in on what he felt like, winning silver at Winter X Games 2012. Continue reading →
Nick Goepper, a third-year Windells Academy student, placed second in the Men’s Ski Slopestyle finals at this year’s Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. The event took place Thursday night under the lights on the challenging slopestyle course. “Wall Street”, as the announcers nicknamed the urban-style jib features, includes a 25ft cargo container that 17-year-old Goepper and Gold medalist, 24-year-old Tom Wallisch, had no problem topping. After the urban portion, the athletes face four 60 to 70 foot jumps. Goepper and Wallisch landed almost identical, nearly perfect runs. Goepper qualified first in the elimination round with a score of 93.33 and finished second, just 1.34 points behind Wallisch’s record setting 96.00.
The first night of X Games was blanketed by a spirit of celebration in light of the recent loss of our dear Sarah Burke. Nick tweeted last night after the big event, “I’m going to sleep well tonight. Thanks, Sarah, for an epic night!” Burton’s Kelly Clark and a handful of other X Games athletes were showcasing Celebrate Sarah stickers on their helmets.
Photo credit Aaron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Goepper attends Fall, Spring and Summer semesters at Windells Academy. Nick’s commitment to training in the off-season has allowed him to podium at professional level events. Nick’s next big competition is the Dew Tour Championships in Ogden, Utah, February 9th.
Watch Nick’s qualifying run and go to ESPN.com to watch his second run at finals.
This summer, Windells was home to the “Be A Pro” contest sponsored by Marker, Volkl, and Dalbello. Every session, coaches and staff kept an eye out for the ski campers who were throwing down the hardest and putting in that extra effort to achieve their summer goals.
So who was the winner you ask? Well congratulations to Alexander “Nigeria” Brown! Alex is the proud owner of some serious swag from our sponsors at Marker, Volkl, and Dalbello. Use it well Alex, you deserve it!
Nick Goepper with "Be A Pro" Winner Alexander "Nigeria" Brown
Windells counselor, Riley Snyder, posted a recap of Session 1 skiing on Newschoolers.com. Riley will be posting an article on Newschoolers each session, so keep your eyes peeled for sweet shots and all of the ski news from camp! Check out the Session 1 ski recap here.
According to the Chinese calender 2011 is the year of the rabbit. According to the 2011 ski event calender this is the year for the “Guppy”. Windells Academy student, Nick Goepper doesn’t skip a beat and walks away with 1st place and $12, ooo at this year’s Dumont Cup.
From the West coast to the East coast, Europe and back, Goepper has been traveling and competing with the industry’s top free skiers throughout the 2011 season. You’ve seen him place in competitions including the Dew Tour and North Face Open series, get invites to world renown events including the US and European X Games and now finish first at the Dumont Cup held at Sunday River, Maine. Despite many miles on the road and jet lag Goepper has got what it takes to stay on top. When asked about his 2011 season Goepper shares, “I worked hard to get to where I am and I’m stoked it has paid off. I’m looking forward to continue doing the same thing in the future”.
At Windells Academy we have watched Nick progress and become a top athlete right before our eyes. Coaches, fellow students and staff members couldn’t be happier for Nick and his accomplishments. Friend and Windells Academy student, Cristian Santini gives Goepper a shout out, “I’m stoked for Nick to have come such a long way and he kills it wherever he goes! I’m excited to see what the future has in store for him.” Congratulations, Nick!
Rising star and Windells Academy student Nick Goepper is flying over the pond today to compete in the European X Games. “Guppy,” as he is known to his friends and family, is a rookie to the scene but has been making a lot of noise since his arrival. Taking home 3rd place at Killington’s Dew Tour stop and the North Face Open, Goepper has absolutely begun to make a name for himself. The small town native is practicing hard and gearing up for a tough competition. Go big Nick! Everyone from Windells is cheering for you!
