Athletics

Ski Cross

Carrabassett Valley Academy is proud to be one of the few academy-based Ski Cross programs in the United States, built on long-term athlete development and elite competition pathways. CVA athletes earn USASA National Championship titles, attend U.S. Ski & Snowboard Project Gold camps, and compete successfully in top-level FIS events.

CVA Ski Cross athletes have represented Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games, contributed to a Marc Hodler Trophy victory at the Junior World Championships, and achieved the highest finish ever recorded by an American woman at the Senior World Championships.

The CVA Difference

World-Class Training Venue

Sugarloaf offers an extended season, progressive terrain, and an Olympian-designed ski cross course giving athletes the ideal environment to advance quickly and train with purpose.

Expert Coaching
Our coaching team brings World Cup level competitive experience and a strong commitment to athlete development. With backgrounds in international competition, our coaches combine technical expertise and real-world insight to help each athlete reach their full potential.

Program Pathways

Development Team
Skill progression through USASA events with the goal of qualifying for USASA Nationals.

FIS Team
For athletes ages 16 and older, centered on advanced techniques, race tactics, and mental preparation. Competitions include FIS and Nor-Am events with the goals of Junior Worlds and World Cup opportunities.

Year-Round Training

Fall and Spring training supports:

Strength and conditioning
Cross-training
Mental performance development
Goal setting and athletic evaluations

Off-season, athletes gain experience at specialized facilities and on-snow venues globally to refine skills and compete at the highest levels.

Start Your Journey

Join a program with proven results, expert coaching, and unmatched mountain access.

Apply today and take the next step toward your ski cross goals.

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List of 2 members.

Nate McKenzie

Action Sports Director & Freestyle Program Manager

207-441-4759

Bio
After attending the University of Maine Farmington Ski Industries program, Nate founded the Freeski program at CVA. Over the last 25+ years, eight of his athletes have gone on to compete in the X Games, and six have been named to the U.S. Ski Team. He remains the Program Director for the longest-running Freeski program in the country.

Each year, Nate works diligently to fold in new training protocols to meet the demands of the sport and keep CVA athletes at the forefront of competition. He works closely with the coaching staff to keep them up-to-date with their training and certifications, subscribing to the belief that the knowledge of the coaching staff, and their ability to impart that knowledge to the athletes, is the backbone of the program.

He watches for new training opportunities and venues that meet CVA’s needs and facilitate a top competitive program. He also works to understand each athlete individually, focusing on detail, fundamentals, and individual goals as the foundation for any successful athlete. The stronger an athlete's fundamentals are, the more apt they are to be able to try new skills, to push themselves, and the sport, forward.

Nate says “There’s no question I truly love, and have loved this sport, right from the beginning. Every year, working with the younger athletes refuels me – I see their fresh excitement, their realization of the passion they have for the sport, it reignites my desire to help them get to their goals.”

Nate holds the following certifications: Level I U.S. Gymnastics, Level II U.S. Ski & Snowboard Moguls, Level IV U.S. Ski & Snowboard Aerials
Mazie Hayden

Head Ski Cross Coach, Mountain Bike Coach

Bio
- Mazie attended Killington Mountain School for ski cross, graduating in 2018. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2023 with a B.A. in Health and Society and a Minor in Sociology and Psychology. Mazie is a Vermont native and grew up skiing, biking, and rock climbing at a competitive level. During her ski cross career, she won USASA nationals multiple times, podiumed at Junior Worlds, and had a few top 15 World Cup finishes. Now, she competes internationally in downhill mountain biking. She was able to rediscover her love for ski cross through coaching privately in recent years, and is thrilled to take the next step with CVA!

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Carrabassett Valley Academy

3197 Carrabassett Drive
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
(207) 237-2250

Carrabassett Valley Academy prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any member or group based upon age, gender, race, color, religion, disability, categories sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic predisposition, ancestry or other categories protected by Maine or federal law. CVA does not discriminate on these bases in the administration of its admission process, scholarship and aid programs, educational policies, athletics, or other school-administered programs.