click on photo to enlarge
Chris “Hatch” Haslock - Executive Director/Head Coach
Modern freestyle skiing pioneer Chris “Hatch” Haslock has a deeply rooted background in skiing and snowboarding, ranging from Alpine ski racing to aerials; ski-film star to world-champion coach. A 1988 Olympian, he retired from his competitive career in 1989, ranked seventh in the world in aerials.After achieving certification in 1984 and working as a freestyle coach at every level, in 1990 he began coaching full time, including two Olympics and four World Championships. He founded FLY Freestyle in 2001, which, under his direction, was named the 2005 Freestyle club of the year. To continue giving back to the sport he loves, he recently launched AXIS Freeride, a club dedicated to helping young athletes pursue their own life dreams by combining the best of the ‘old school’ — going back to the roots of the sport — with cutting-edge ‘new school’ training techniques to create a lifelong love of skiing. For more information on Chris, take a moment to read his extended bio.
click on photo to enlarge
Jason Stinsmen - Coach
Jason has an extensive background in inline skating as well as a ski background in Freestyle and Big Mountain. His major inline skating acheivements include scoring top finishes in the X Games, Gravity Games and Australian Summer X Games and being the Top Professional Inline Skater on Action Sports Association World Tour. Jason achieved the world record for inline skating in the Guinness World Records 2001. He has spent 8 years training young athletes in summer programs in Pennsylvania and is excited to work with Axis athletes to improve their skills.
click on photo to enlarge
Max Kuszaj - Coach
Max has been a professional Freeskier since 1999. He has competed and coached for many years worldwide. He has been featured in many publications including Skiing Magazine, Skier Magazine and Powder Magazine as well as being a featured skier in worldwide media such as Warren Miller movies and others. Max is also very visible in the B.A.S.E. jumping world and is one of the top jumpers in the world. Visit his website at www.skierinblack.com
click on photo to enlarge
Mike Campbell - Assistant Coach
Mike started racing at a young age and developed those skills for four years training and competing. He discovered Freeride at age 15 and has been training full time ever since. He has competed in many events including the Breckenridge Freeski Tour and the Bear Mountain Freeski Tour and does the Beaver Mountain Big Air Comp every year. He is especially strong at spinning in both directions and switch maneuvers. He has decided now is a good time to give back to the sport and is enjoying working with and teaching the kids.
click on photo to enlarge
Steve Benally - Assistant Coach
Steve is PSIA Certified Alpine level 3, PSIA Certified park and pipe level 3, Including level 2 USSA Aerial and slopestyle coach. Steve has 12 years of instructing experience and 4 years of park and pipe coaching. He is a regular at the water ramps during the summer and is a featured freerider in the Flying Ace All Stars Ski show. Steve loves to ski moguls, big mountain, race courses, half pipe, terrain park, and his primary focus is to teach safety, confidence and skills to anyone.
click on photo to enlarge
Zeb Evelhoch - Assistant Coach
Zeb is a featured freeride skier in the Flying Ace All Stars Ski Shows that happen all summer up at the Utah Olympic Park. He is a USSA level 1 freestyle coach with two years of coaching experience. He has skiied for Rossignol and Smith. He competed in the U.S. Open and the American Freeski Tour and took 2nd in the Warren Miller Rail Jam. Zeb enjoys teaching through example.
click on photo to enlarge
Rich Fahey - Assistant Coach
Rich started skiing when he was 11 at a small hill in Indiana. At the end of that season he entered a big air competition and received 1st place. Now at the ripe age of 19, and nearly 50 competitions later, he finds himself in SLC attending the University of Utah and skiing the “Greatest snow on Earth.” Rich has a solid competition background in Slopestyle, Big Air and Rail contests, and attends several of the bigger competitions each year including Aspen Open & Big Bear Open. Also, he has coached at Pink Flamingo Ski Camp at Perfect North Slopes in Indiana each spring for the last 4 years. Through competing and coaching Rich has learned what works and what doesn’t and enjoys passing his skills on to those willing to learn.
click on photo to enlarge
Kyle Lukacs - Assistant Coach
Kyle grew up skiing on a small resort in Pennsylvania. After skiing there for 14 years and progressing in freestyle as well as other areas of skiing, he decided to move on to Utah’s bigger and better mountains. He moved to Utah to attend the U of U as well as ski the greatest snow on earth. After a year of exploring the back country and riding Utah’s world class parks, Kyle decided to pass his knowledge of the many different ski disciplines on.
click on photo to enlarge
Olivia Akerley - Assistant Coach
Olivia has been skiing since age 2, competing in freestyle since age 6. She is the 2006 Jr Dual Mogul National champion and the 2006 National Slopestyle champion. Olivia has been training at the water ramps since her family moved to UT. Last Febuary, Olivia had a ski injury from a cork 7 and tore multiple ligiments in her knee and fractured bones. Olivia doesn’t take skiing for granted anymore, and is always happy to be on snow.
click on photo to enlarge
Tyler Peterson - Assistant Coach
Tyler has been skiing since age 3. He has competed in freestyle events for the last 9 years. Tyler is a slopestyle and halfpipe specialist. He also loves to freeski and believes that being good in all aspects of skiing is very important. He has competed in events such as the Jon Olsson Invitational, World Superpipe Championships, FIS World Championships, US Open, and Open’s Freeski Tour. Tyler loves to coach the new generation of ski superstars.
Dylan Akerley - Assistant Coach
Dylan has been skiing since he was 3 and competing (in Moguls and Aerials) since he was 7. He specialized in Freeride two seasons ago and has started coaching and competing (in Halfpipe and Slopestyle). He is sponsored by Fischer skis and DNA clothing and has competed in national freeride competitions where he has had several top 10 finishes. Dylan has had prior coaching experience with other local ski clubs and loves working with youth.
Catherine Warchal - Assistant Coach
Catherine started out as a ski racer and is now focusing on Freestyle skiing. She attended Waterville Valley Academy during high school to be able to focus on both skiing and studies. She has competed all over the world in racing and freestyle competitions.
click on photo to enlarge
John Kutcher - Assistant Coach
Kutcher started skiing at a very young age and has been learning ever since. He had his first season pass to Park City Mountain Resort at 22 months old. He loves ever aspect of skiing whether it is rippin’ in the park or shredding deep lines, it is his release. Last year he logged 130 days. He is an expert in terrain park and slopestyle and is excited to share his knowledge with kids with his same passion. He is studying film at the U of U, which is his second love.
click on photo to enlarge
John (LJ) Strenio - Assistant Coach
LJ is from Vermont where he learned to love skiing. Having been an avid rollerblader, he quickly became introduced to freestyle skiing. He attended Waterville Valley Academy in New Hampshire where he began competing. He graduated early and moved to Utah to ski for the winter and decided to come to the U of U the following year. This past season alone, he skied more than 24 different resorts and competed in numerous major competitions. He considers skiing the most important part of his live and is thankful that he is able to spend the time when he is not skiing on his own, helping introduce others to the sport.
click on photo to enlarge
Tim Maney - Assistant Coach
Tim has been skiing his whole life. He went to Okemo Mountain School for high school which was amazing and gave him hours of training as well as a school education. He moved to Utah to shred powder and attend the University of Utah. He has competed in Moguls, Slopestyle and Halfpipe for many years.
click on photo to enlarge
Nicky Keefer - Assistant Coach
Tricky Nicky started skiing at age 2. He is from Huntsville, UT and grew up skiing back country at Pow Mow and Snowbasin. In 2nd grade he started racing in Down Hill and Super G. He switched to Freestyle after watching a few freestyle flicks and thought, “I can do that!” He competes in Slopestyle, Halfpipe and Aerials. He took 2nd in USASA Nationals in Slopestyle in 2008 and has competed in the US Freeskiing Open, North American Open and many USSA competitions. He is currently one of the Flying Ace Allstars that perform at the Utah Olympic Park. Goals for the future…X Games and to have his own production company.
click on photo to enlarge
Nic Quilter - Assistant Coach
Nic has been competing in Freestyle for five years, mostly focusing on Aerials. He finished 4th and 5th respectively in the 2007 and 2008 US Freestyle Junior Olympics. He has also qualified for US Nationals Competitions. Nic lives in Park City and loves it and wants to be here the rest of his life. He has trained with Hatch for the last five years. The other passion in his life is music and he tries to spend a lot of his time on that too.
Katie Sciuto - Assistant Coach
Katie has a strong background in Aerial Freestyle skiing. She has trained in aerials for many years and made the US Ski Team in Aerials last year.
click on photo to enlarge
August Simmons - Assistant Coach
August Simmons, or Auggie, has been freestyle skiing ever since he moved to Park City seven years ago. He has competed in the 2006 junior olympics for aerials and big air. He also competed in the 2006 U.S. nationals for aerials and the U.S. freeskiing open. August is stoked on teaching kids the basics and the fundamentals of freestyle skiing. August also loves to tear it up on his guitar and playing local gigs with his band.
MC Waryas - Assistant Coach
MC was a ski racer and competitor from age 7 until she was 16 when she switched over to Freeride. She has competed in Moguls, Halfpipe and Slopestyle and foreran the Winter X games–for the mens events before women could compete in the X Games and then for the womens events when they were included in the Games. Her current focus in Big Mountain skiing.
Other coaches TBA as needed depending on athlete loads.