High-level Snowsports Competitors from the Midwest

The American Midwest isn’t usually thought of as a hotbed of snowboarding or downhill skiing, but it has made its contributions to both, even at the highest levels.

When it comes to competition, skiers and riders have to leave the region, but their humble beginnings can take them to the top of the podium. For example, Lindsey Vonn, the reigning champion of downhill racing on the World Cup, started started skiing in Minnesota. Another Minnesota native, Steve Fischer, was for a while considered the top rival to Shaun White. Louie Vito, like Fischer, has been part of competitive snowboarding. He learned to ride outside Columbus, Ohio, before moving to Vermont to hone his snowboarding skills–and finish middle school.

Winter X games 12, which finishes today, features some of the world’s best athletes on the snow. It’s likely, given the history of Vonn, Fischer, and Vito, that some of the X games contenders who now claim Aspen, Breckenridge, Mammoth Lakes or Park City as their hometown learned how to ski or ride on a humble hill in the Midwest.

Two competitors in this year’s games still claim a hometown in the Midwest, and they’re both skiers, competing in slopestyle. Ashley Battersby, of Chicago, finished fifth in the women’s final. ESPN notes that she “got her start as an inline skater back in Chicago.” Nick Goeper, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, started skiing at Perfect North Slopes, which is about as far south as Cincinnati. He took silver in slopestyle.

Note that this list will not include any athletes who hail from the Midwest but who have moved out of region for training other other purposes.

Update: Looks like Vito is in the games after all!