Nordic Coaches
August Teague | Nordic Program Director + National Comp Head Coachateague@teamavsc.org
August is an Aspen native and AVSC Alum. He has an impressive 15-year coaching history, helping athletes of all levels achieve their goals while developing a passion for Nordic skiing. August led the Nordic programs at both Whitman College and University of Nevada, Reno, before becoming the Director of Skiing at the University of Nevada, Reno. He then spent 4 years with the Australian Ski Team, leading them through two World Championships and one Olympic cycle. Most recently, August ran his own junior club in Truckee, CA. After his time as an AVSC athlete, August went on to ski for Colorado Rocky Mountain School and eventually the University of Denver. He’s thrilled to be back in CO sharing his love of cold wind in the ears, sun on the face, and skis sliding on snow with AVSC Nordic athletes.
Sari Anderson | CRMS Head Coach, Spring Gulch Bill Koch Youth Ski League Director, National Comp Assistant Coach sanderson@teamavsc.org
Sari has been with AVSC for six seasons now; she loves teaching young kids to get out there on skis because it's a lifelong sport that they can enjoy forever. When she's not sliding on snow with AVSC athletes, you can find Sari mountain biking, trail running, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, and playing in the outdoors with her husband and kids. Sari is a USSA Level 100 coach.
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Garrett Russell | Aspen Bill Koch Youth Ski League Director, Nordic Managergrussell@teamavsc.org
2020 is Garrett's 6th season as Bill Koch Youth Ski League Director in Aspen. Garrett grew up nordic skiing competitvely, and now enjoys nordic and alpine skiing recreationally. He loves working with AVSC because of the community in the Nordic program - he enjoys watching the skiers grow and progress through the sport and helping them along their path. When he's not at AVSC, Garrett is either eating carbs or running and mountain biking so that he can eat carbs. Garrett is a USSA Level 100 coach.
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Austin Weiss | Aspen Devo Head Coachaweiss@teamavsc.org
Austin Weiss is excited to return to AVSC as the Aspen Devo Head Coach. He was born and raised in Baltimore, MD but has lived in Colorado for over 20 years. In addition to coaching nordic skiing, Austin coaches local marathon runners in the off season. Austin has a B.A. in Outdoor Education from Prescott College and worked for Outward Bound for 10 years. He is an avid rock climber and mountaineer and was the team leader for the 1991 American Manaslu Expedition. Austin is currently the Trails Coordinator for the City of Aspen and is responsible for grooming and maintaining the 70+ kilometers of Nordic trails in the Valley.
Emily VanGorp | Co-Spring Gulch Devo Head Coach, Nordic Physiotherapist evangorp@teamavsc.org
Emily has been coaching with AVSC for eight years. She loves working with all of the amazing kids and families in the nordic program, and Spring Gulch is her favorite place to ski - tough to beat that view of Sopris! Emily grew up skiing and competing in Minnesota where she was All State, All Conference, and a member of the State Championship team. She also qualified for 5 consecutive Junior Nationals. Emily then went on to ski for NCCA Division I powerhouse Montana State University. She has a doctorate of Physical Therapy (University of Minnesota) and BS in Human Health and Development (MSU). Emily has previously coached with Bridger Ski Foundation (Bozeman, MT) and the Saukko Ski Club (St. Paul, MN).
Rob Russell | Co-Spring Gulch Devo Head Coachrrussell@teamavsc.org
Rob has been with AVSC for over 10 years. Rob is a life-long endurance athlete; he grew up swimming competitively, eventually competing in triathalons and starting racing road bikes as a category 2 rider. He keeps coming back to AVSC each winter for the camaraderie of the coaches and the energy of the kids. When he's not coaching, he's either at work or searching for the next adventure with his wife and son. Rob is a USSA Level 200 coach.
Nika Meyers | Aspen Devo Assistant Coachnmeyers@teamavsc.org
This is Nika's second season coaching with AVSC! She loves sharing the feeling of flying on snow that Nordic skiing can create with such an enthusiastic group of athletes! She grew up as a four-season athlete competing in x-country, Nordic, Track, and swimming. She raced Nordic skiing from Bill Koch League through high school in Vermont and stayed part of the Nordic community by volunteering at races and working/instructing at ski centers and competing in local races. When she's not at AVSC, you can find Nika on or off trail hiking/running/backpacking/skiing, educating at ACES about the natural world, creating a painting of a magical moment, dancing my heart out, cozied up with a cup of tea and good book, telling/listening to stories, and dreaming up wild adventures. She has recently hiked over 9,000+ miles of long distance hiking trails across the United States. Nika earned her BA from Mount Holyoke College in Art and Environmental Studies.
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Travis Moore | Aspen High School Head Coachtmoore@teamavsc.org
Travis is an Aspen native and product of the AVSC Nordic Team. Travis competed on 4 consecutive Junior National Teams, and went on to ski for the University of Colorado in the early 90’s. When he's not at AVSC, you can find Travis teaching at Aspen High School or nordic skiing, running, riding a mountain bike, climbing, or playing/training with his family. Travis is a USSA Level 200 coach.
Justin Silcox | Spring Gulch High School Head Coachjsilcox@teamavsc.org
Justin is returning to AVSC for his fifth winter with the Nordic team. He loves to share his passion for cross country ski racing with the awesome kids of the Roaring Fork Valley and feels fortunate to have the opportunity to do so at Spring Gulch. He has a long history in the sport both as an athlete and a coach; prior to AVSC, he's spent time coaching with clubs across the country including Jackson Hole Ski Club, Bridger Ski Foundation, Mansfield Nordic, and the Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Team. Justin is a USSA Level 200 coach. When he's not at AVSC, you can find Justin teaching science at Glenwood Springs High School or spending time outdoors in the Roaring Fork Valley with his family and friends.
Casey Ward | Nordic Chief of Competition, Bill Koch Youth Ski League Coachcasey_j_ward@hotmail.com
Bio coming soon!
Charlotte Roennau | Nordic Yoga / Recovery Coachcharlotte@roennau.com
This is Charlotte's first year as a Yoga instructor at AVSC. She has taught professional and recreational athletes yoga for a decade now. Over the course of three years in Denmark, she taught a Premier League Soccer Team (The Danish Champions) and their young academy players. Charlotte lived and worked with them and observed the effect of yoga in these young athletes. The players lived a stressful everyday life with a lots of external and internal pressure. Yoga offered them space and time to be in a non-competitive and supportive environment were yoga served both as active and passive recovery for body and mind. This experience in particular is what Charlotte is looking forward to sharing with young athletes in AVSC. She is excited to support AVSC in creating whole and well-balanced athletes. Charlotte earned her degree in Sports Science from the University of Copenhagen and has the following certifications: 1.000 hours of Yoga Teacher Training (Dansk Yoga), Yoga for Athletes certified, PSIA-AASI Alpine Level 1 and 2, PSIA-AASI Children’s Specialist 1, Mindful Running Certified.
Ben Dodge | Aspen High School Assistant Coachbdodge@teamavsc.org
Ben was a nationally ranked racer in the early 90’s. He has coached with AVSC Nordic for over 15 years. Ben is currently the Executive Director the 10th Mountain Huts.
Wes Engerstrom | Spring Gulch High School Assistant Coachwengstrom98@gmail.com
Bio coming soon!