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Breckenridge’s Bonenberger, Frisco’s Gionfriddo excel at 2018 USASA nationals at Copper Mountain

Summit County up-and-coming freeski stars Axl Bonenberger of Breckenridge (left) and Noah Gionfriddo (right) of Frisco earned podium finishes in the highly-competitive Freeski Breaker 12-13 division at the annual United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association national championships at Copper Mountain Resort last week. Carbondale resident Kai Morris won first place overall.
Photo Courtesy United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association

A week after Copper Mountain’s own Fynn Bullock-Womble finished in second place in the highly competitive Boys Snowboard Breaker 12-13 division, a pair of Summit County locals also excelled in the stacked Freeski Breaker 12-13 division at the annual United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association Championships at Copper Mountain Resort.

Axl Bonenberger continued to showcase he’s one of the best young, up-and-coming freeskiers in the country by winning the slopestyle competition and placing in second place in the halfpipe competition for the Freeski Breaker 12-13 division. Bonenberger’s success came after he was the overall 10-11 boys freeski champion at last year’s USASA event.

To secure the 2018 Freeski Breaker 12-13 division slopestyle win, Bonenberger earned 2,065 points, 230 points more than Kai Morris of Carbondale. But Morris edged Bonenberger in the halfpipe competition, 1,570 points to 1,455 points.



Morris’ first-place finish over Bonenberger’s second-place finish in the halfpipe helped him win the overall Freeski Breaker 12-13 division title, as did Morris’ fourth-place finish (1,425 points) in the ski cross competition, in which Bonenberger placed 27th (480 points).

Frisco’s Noah Gionfriddo rounded-out an all-High Country Colorado podium sweep in the Freeski Breaker 12-13 division.



The Frisco resident amassed 3,885 total points over the three competitions — slopestyle, halfpipe and ski cross.

Gionfriddo showcased consistent success across all three disciplines, finishing in sixth place in the ski cross (1,295 points), seventh place in the halfpipe (1,080 points) and eighth place in slopestyle (1,510 points).

Full Results: 2018 USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain Resort

Freeski Breaker (12-13) Boys

1. Kai Morris, Carbondale, Colorado, 4830

2. Axl Bonenberger, Breckenridge, Colorado, 4000

3. Noah Gionfriddo, Frisco, Colorado, 3885

Freeski Breaker (12-13) Girls

1. Ava Surridge, Vail, Colorado, 3405

2. Hanna Faulhaber, Carbondale, Colorado, 2785

3. Elaina Krusiewski, West Dover, Vermont, 2605

Freeski Grommet (8-9) Boys

1. Owen Ciaglo, Glastonbury, Connecticut, 3105

2. Gavin Higashi, Dana Point, California, 2570

3. DJ Gray, Crowley Lake, California, 2490

Freeski Grommet (8-9) Girls

1. Finley Good, El Prado, New Mexico, 3175

2. Ainsley Larson, Bend, Oregon, 2880

3. Tatym Smith, Bend, Oregon, 2510

Freeski Jams (18-22) Men

1. Joseph Cawthon, Estacada, Oregon, 2365

2. Nick Imhoof, Laconia, New Hampshire, 2350

Freeski Junior (16-17) Men

1. Matthew Ruiter, Rocklin, California, 1875

Freeski Kahuna (50-59) Men

1. Pete Loughlin, South Lake Tahoe, California, 2875

Freeski Menehune (10-11) Boys

1. Campbell Burrows, Redlands, California, 4790

2. Ben Fethke, Boise, Idaho, 4450

3. Conrad Sweatman, Stowe, Vermont, 4045

Freeski Menehune (10-11) Girls

1. Kate Gray, Crowley Lake, California, 3225

2. Megan Ciaglo, Glastonbury, Connecticut, 3130

3. Marley Leavitt, Bend, Oregon, 2865

Freeski Open Class Men

1. Eli Vossler, Bend, Oregon, 1355

2. Dominic Bowler, Bend, Oregon, 1310

Freeski Open Class Women

1. Hannah Johnson, Bend, Oregon, 2075

Freeski Ruggie (7-and-under) Boys

1. Walker Woodring, Ketchum, Idaho, 3085

2. Barrett Beyer, Sun Valley, Idaho, 2840

3. Ariston Short, Bend, Oregon, 2300

Freeski Ruggie (7-and-under) Girls

1. Evelyn Hickey, Carlisle, Massachusetts, 3040

2. Riley Juricich, Irwin, Pennsylvania, 2745

3. Colby Loughlin, South Lake Tahoe, California, 2060

Freeski Youth (14-15) Men

1. James Kanzler, Wanship, Utah, 3585

2, Eli Derrick, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 2095

3. Noah Rodarte, Truckee, California, 1905

Freeski Youth (14-15) Women

1. Ali Macuga, Park City, Utah, 2835

2. Lizetta Dardenne-Ankringa, Mammoth Lakes, California, 2255

3. Emma Dardenne-Ankringa, Mammoth Lakes, California, 1720


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