Clubhouse Chronicles: AVSC senior spotlight — Hilleke, Nelson, Smalls, Yang
Clubhouse Chronicles
AVSC/Courtesy Photo
As the 2023-24 winter season comes to an end we want to congratulate and celebrate all of our graduating Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club seniors! To celebrate their careers and dedication to AVSC, we asked each of them a few questions about their time with the club and what lifelong values they will carry with them from their time with AVSC.
Below are some responses from our graduating freestyle athletes, Kelly Hilleke (KH), Owen Nelson (ON) Zala Smalls (ZS), and Bodhi Yang (BY). The remainder of our athletes will share their responses in Part II.
AVSC: What standout moment or memory at AVSC will you cherish the most as you reflect on your time here?
KH: It would have to be the many days lounging in the sun around the trampoline with friends and coaches, pushing each other to learn new things.
ON: My favorite memory from AVSC was from the Development program. While I was still a younger athlete I had ambitions to land my backflip. I had a coach at the time who was eager to help my dreams become a reality. With a borrowed shovel from the lifties we found a spot we thought suitable. We worked to build a jump. That day I was able to try and land my first flip, a moment that not only helped to grow my love for the sport but also was the day the Broncos won the Super Bowl, a pretty good day, and an awesome memory.
ZS: I will cherish all of the little moments I have had at the club throughout my time and participation in a variety of different programs from pre-devo to the alpine team and my final seasons with the freeride program.
BY: A memory I will forever cherish during my time at AVSC is my experience at Junior Worlds in Austria with coach Johnny. I had such a great time skiing in Europe for the first time, competing on such a fun venue, and creating lifelong friendships.
AVSC: Among AVSC’s core values of Commitment, Integrity, and Teamwork, which one has had the most profound impact on you personally, and how?
KH: Commitment has had the most profound impact on me personally for sure. Commitment has helped me make difficult decisions and maintain the course I’ve been on my whole life. Without my commitment to skiing I don’t know where I would be.
ON: Commitment has been the core value I have felt most impacted by. I have always been committed to skiing and I believe my love for the sport has made being committed an easy task.
ZS: I think commitment has had the most profound impact on me as I have always strived to balance my athletics and academics, and maintained a high level of commitment and drive in both.
BY: I would say that teamwork has the greatest impact on me because although skiing is an individual sport, you rely on your friends to succeed whether it be during a comp inspection or backcountry skiing. I’ve learned that skiing requires trust and communication for the individual to be successful.
AVSC: What aspirations do you have for your future endeavors, and how do you see AVSC contributing to those aspirations?
KH: I see myself competing on the Freeride World Tour, an aspiration which AVSC has prepared me extensively for.
ON: I hope to keep skiing in the future. AVSC has helped me become the athlete and person I am today and they made it possible for me to continue to chase my dreams on and off the skis.
ZS: I aspire to continue my journey in some adult freeride competitions, and I hope that the coaches and mentors that have become a part of my life through AVSC will continue to support me in my efforts.
BY: I want to continue skiing both in competitions and for fun. I think the coaching and wisdom I’ve received from my years at AVSC will always be with me, both in skiing and in life.
AVSC: Reflecting on your journey at AVSC, what advice would you offer to younger athletes just starting their journey with the club?
KH: I have found great success in my ski career so far, and I would highly recommend to all young athletes that they make the most of every opportunity to get better at skiing. This means spending every minute on the hill, and learning the whole time.
ON: Reflecting on my journey through AVSC I would tell any young athlete to always have fun skiing. It is easy to feel blocked by challenges along the way but at the end of the day skiing is the best thing to do so enjoy the journey and never stop working towards your goals.
ZS: Enjoy it! It flies by way too fast so enjoy every training, competition, and dryland session with your awesome coaches and friends.
BY: Some advice I’d offer to younger athletes is to ski hard, but also preserve your body so that you can ski your whole life. Skiing will always be there, so you want to be able to enjoy it when you’re older.
AVSC: If you could sum up your AVSC experience in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
KH: It would have to be the word “teamwork.” It has been a long ride with AVSC, and the most consistent thing between all of the different programs, coaches, and peers Ive had the pleasure of interacting with has been an overwhelming love for being in the mountains.
ON: AVSC summed up in one word would be “adventurous” because I have had some of the best experiences of my life while on the team and those experiences have felt like a true adventure.
ZS: Impactful. Both on myself and the community around me, AVSC has played a shaping role in every aspect of my life.
AVSC: What is next for you?
KH: Maybe college, maybe trade school, maybe a gap year or few. Only thing for certain is that I’ll be skiing a lot.
ON: I am excited to continue to pursue skiing! Due to my love for skiing I am going to hold off on college for at least a year to compete in the sport further.
ZS: In February 2025 I will join the class of 2028.5 at Middlebury College in Vermont. I look forward to continuing my dedication to academic excellence and exploring new places.
BY: After graduating from AHS, I am planning on studying environmental/civil engineering at college. I’m not sure yet where I’ll be going, but I am also hoping to continue competing in FWQ events while mainly focusing on my education. I’m excited for what the future holds, and thank you so much AVSC for shaping me into who I am today.
