Skip to main content

Steamboat Magazine

Meet the Stars of the Slopes: Sammy Schuiling

03/10/2022 10:00AM ● By Dan Greeson
Sammy Schuiling, 21
Freeskiing
Trained with Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club

How did growing up in Steamboat Springs affect your training and the path you took as a freeskier?
Growing up, what was really cool was that I ended up water ramping and training in the summer with the mogul team. I worked with them and that really helped my technical skiing. All my tricks kind of started at those Steamboat water ramps. I’m really into strength training and offseason training, and that started with that training in Steamboat. That was kind of all built and instilled through the Steamboat program. Steamboat Ski Area recently had that big air event and left the jump up for people to train on, so that’s super rad. I think there’s no better place to do it than Steamboat.

What qualities make a good freeskier?
I think confidence and determination are two of the biggest ones. You have a one-foot-wide place to land, and you have to be confident and determined in your training, and focusing during the contest. Even if you had a tough training session the day before, you have to know you can still pull through, and have the confidence to go and do it.

What do you enjoy most about being a pro freeskier?
I think really any time I get on the chairlift with younger athletes, and they’re stoked on watching me ski or a video I put out, because that was me when I was younger – I just wanted to watch those athletes compete. Pretty rad, that transition period going from being that kid to having others come up and say you skied great.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten related to your sport?
I think the advice I got from my dad frustrated me: do all the different skiing disciplines. But all of that plays a major aspect into how I’m able to ski the halfpipe today. Doing everything as long as you can will build a well-rounded base. Also it makes it a lot easier to not get burnt out.