By U.S. Ski & Snowboard

World skifest’s United States team entry will be led in men’s moguls by Butte contestant Brad Wilson, who trains on the Deer Valley course at Park City, Utah.

Wilson is ranked No. 8 on the men’s World Cup circuit. The U.S. men’s entry in the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, has four members in the team slot. The World Championships are to be taking place in Utah from February 1 – 10.

The moguls portion of the huge meet are set for February 8, to be followed the next day by the dual moguls.

Wilson is a two-time Olympian. The 26-year-old played tennis while attending Butte Central Catholic High School following his winters each school year in world-caliber ski competition and training. He is also the reigning U.S. men’s national champion. His older brother Bryon, 30, and former Butte Miners American Legion baseball second baseman, captured the Bronze Medal in men’s moguls during the 2010 Winter Olympics and has been helping coach the Team USA junior freestyle skiing program in recent weeks.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Director – Snowboard, Freeski, Freestyle Jeremy Forster said, “We are fielding a strong team that will be on display at the 2019 World Championships. It’s a great group of athletes, including five defending World Champions who are all excited to be competing for World Championship titles on home soil. Having the events in our backyard, at Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort, is a great opportunity and we are all looking forward to seeing them face off against the best the world has to offer, right here in Utah.”

Another Montanan, two-time Winter Olympic Team member Maggie Voisin of Whitefish, will be competing in women’s slopestyle skiing in the World Championships.

Quotes from Reigning World Champions:

McRae Williams – “I could not be more stoked to have the opportunity to defend my title in my home town of Park City, Utah. Not only will I have the home field advantage, but I’ll have all my friends and family there cheering me on. That’s a win in itself. Gonna be a special week.”

Aaron Blunck –  “I am super stoked to be a part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard World Championships team and even more stoked to try and defend my title. Sierra Nevada, Spain went really well and I’m hoping this time around is no different. It is on home turf and in a halfpipe I really like so it should be a fun event! “

Lindsey Jacobellis – “Really excited to be attending my sixth World Championships, and even more excited to be in the USA. I look forward to the venue that Solitude Mountain has put together as well as the mix gender team race.”

Jonathon Lillis – “It has been one of the great honors of my life representing the sport that I love so much as the World Champion for the past two seasons. I can think of nothing better than being able to come back to Deer Valley and defend my title in the town that has opened its arms and been home to me for the past seven years. I know with the support of my teammates and my brother Chris at my side we have the ability to do anything. We are ready to come in and handle our business. I continue to be ever-grateful for each person who has supported me in this journey, all the way down to the volunteers who work so hard to keep us safe. Being able to compete at home gives us the perfect opportunity to make them proud! Team Lillis will be in full effect, so watch out!”

Ashley Caldwell – “Deer Valley is always at the top of the list when it comes to an aerialist’s favorite place to compete. Having this year’s event upgraded to World Championships makes the event even more prestigious and exciting. While defending  my title as World Champion comes with pressure and anxiety it also gives me an opportunity to show all of the hard work, resilience and passion of myself, my team and my coaches to our friends, family, and sponsors that come to cheer us on!”

2019 U.S. FIS World Championships Teams:

SNOWBOARD

Halfpipe

Men

Toby Miller – Mammoth Lakes, Calif., (2/14/00)

Jake Pates – Eagle, Colo., (7/30/98)

Chase Josey – Hailey, Idaho, (3/31/95)

Chase Blackwell – Longmont, Colo., (2/27/99)

Women

Chloe Kim – Torrance, Calif., (4/23/00)

Maddie Mastro – Wrightwood, Calif., (2/22/00)

Arielle Gold – Steamboat Springs, Colo., (5/4/96)

Tessa Maud – Carlsbad, Calif., (10/10/03)

Slopestyle/Big Air

Men

Chris Corning – Silverthorne, Colo., (9/7/99)

Red Gerard – Silverthorne, Colo., (6/29/00)

Lyon Farrell – Haiku, Hawaii, (11/22/98)

Judd Henkes – La Jolla, Calif., (4/3/01)

Snowboardcross

Men

Jake Vedder – Pinckney, Mich., (4/16/98)

Nate Holland – Sandpoint, Idaho, (11/8/78)

Mick Dierdorff – Steamboat Springs Colo., (4/30/91)

Nick Baumgartner – Iron River, Mich., (12/17/81)

Women

Lindsey Jacobellis – Stratton Mountain, Vt., (8/19/85)

Meghan Tierney – Edwards, Colo., (1/15/97)

Anna Miller – Orem, Utah, (7/16/1996)

Stacy Gaskill – Golden, Colo., (5/21/00)

Livia Molodyh – Hubbard, Ore., (6/30/1999)

Parallel Slalom & Parallel Giant Slalom

Men

AJ Muss – Rumson, N.J., (12/15/94)

Robert Burns – Mount Shasta, Calif., (11/11/90)

Cody Winters – Steamboat Springs, Colo. (4/20/00)

Ryan Rosencranz – Weston, Mass., (4/23/94)

Women

Abby Champagne – Park City, Utah, (1/2/96)

Kaiya Kizuka – Sinking Spring, Penn., (5/26/99)

Lynn Ott – Boston, Mass., (10/20/67)

Alexa Bullis – Slinger Wisc., (3/1/00)

FREESTYLE

Moguls

Men

Bradley Wilson – Butte, Mont., (6/5/92)

Casey Andringa – Boulder, Colo., (10/6/95)

Hunter Bailey – Vail, Colo., (3/24/96)

Dylan Walczyk – Rochester, N.Y., (6/25/93)

Women

Jaelin Kauf – Alta, Wyo., (9/26/96)

Tess Johnson – Vail, Colo., (6/19/00)

Olivia Giaccio – Redding, Conn., (8/15/00)

Nessa Dziemian – East Hampstead, N.H., (4/14/94)

Aerials

Men

Jonathon Lillis – Pittsford, N.Y., (8/20/94)

Chris Lillis – Pittsford, N.Y., (10/4/98)

Alex Bowen – Springville, N.Y., (5/21/92)

Eric Loughran – Pelham, N.H., (12/4/95)

Nicholas Novak – Stafford, Va., (3/15/96)

Women

Ashley Caldwell – Ashburn, Va., (9/14/93)

Madison Varmette – Stafford, Va., (5/8/96)

Winter Vinecki – Salem, Ore., (12/18/98)

Morgan Northrop – Haymarket, Va., (4/16/94)

Kaila Kuhn – Boyne City, Mich., (4/8/03)

FREESKI

Halfpipe

Men

Aaron Blunck – Crested Butte, Colo., (4/12/96)

David Wise – Reno, Nev., (6/30/90)

Alex Ferreira – Aspen, Colo., (8/14/94)

Birk Irving – Winter Park, Colo., (7/26/99)

Taylor Seaton – Avon, Colo., (7/16/90)

Women

Brita Sigourney – Carmel, Calif., (1/17/90)

Maddie Bowman – S. Lake Tahoe, Calif., (1/10/94)

Abigale Hansen – June Lake, Calif., (5/26/98)

Annalisa Drew – Andover, Mass., (5/28/93)

Slopestyle/Big Air

Men

McRae Williams – Park City, Utah, (10/13/90)

Alex Hall – Salt Lake City, Utah, (9/21/98)

Nick Goepper – Lawrenceburg, Ind., (3/14/94)

Mac Forehand – Winhall, Vt., (8/4/01)

Willie Borm – Chaska, Minn., (5/21/97)

Women

Eileen Gu – San Francisco, Calif., (9/3/03)

Maggie Voisin – Whitefish, Mont., (12/14/98)

Caroline Claire – Manchester Center, Vt., (2/2/00)

Julia Krass – Hanover, N.H., (6/7/97)

Skicross

Men

Tyler Wallasch – Los Angeles, Calif., (6/8/94)

Women

Tania Prymak – Goshen, N.Y., (10/12/92)

Leta McNatt – Ridgeway, Colo., (12/13/94)

Whitney Gardner – Zephyr Cove, Nev., (6/24/94)

— Compile by Bruce Sayler for buttesports.com