As has been the case often in the past, Tahoe-Truckee will have many fine athletes in the Games. Following is a list of known competitors as well as those who are still vying for a chance to compete in Torino.

Alpine Skiing
Daron Rahlves
Age: 32
Hometown: Truckee, Ca.
Training: Sugar Bowl, Ca.
Years on the Team: 13
Golden Moment: 2001 World Super G Champion; 9 World Cup victories.
The Skinny: With more than 13 years of international experience and two Winter Olympics to his credit, the six-time US National champion is the leader of a talented U.S. national ski team that placed second overall on the World Cup circuit. With his wins already in downhill at Beaver Creek and Bormio, he's won more World Cup races (in downhill and super-G) than any other American male. He's most proud of the fact that he's the first non-Austrian to win a downhill and Super G on the fabled Kitzbuehel course. The one goal that has eluded him so far in his career is an Olympic Medal.

Marco Sullivan
Age: 25
Hometown: Tahoe City, Ca.
Training: Palisades Tahoe, Ca.
Years on the Team: 7
Golden Moment: 2001 North American overall DH/SG champ; ninth in 2002 Olympic downhill; 1st place 2002 US National Super G.
The Skinny: The former ski Racing Junior of the Year is on a comeback trail from tearing knee ligaments last season and he continues to impress coaches with his touch for speed. He finished 17th overall on the World Cup in 2003.

Kirsten Clark
Age: 28
Hometown: Raymond, Me
Training: Palisades Tahoe, Ca.
Years on the Team: 12
Golden Moment: Won 2001 World Cup downhill, Lenzerheide, Sui: Second place at the 2003 Word Championships.
The Skinny: Coming off a season plagued by injuries, Clark remains optimistic about an Olympic medal in Downhill and Super G. Once a consistent, top-15 finisher in downhill, the Palisades Tahoe resident and 4-time National downhill champ had two top-ten finishes in 2005. So far her comeback has been successful.

Jonna Mendes
Age: 26
Hometown: South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Training: Heavenly
Years on the Team: 10
Golden Moment: 2001 U.S. Women's Giant Slalom National Champion; Bronze medal in Super G at the 2003 World Championships; 1st place 2005 US National Downhill.
The Skinny: The two-time Olympian came into the season in tip top shape after working with a personal trainer all summer. The four-time National champion acknowledges that she needs more consistency to return to the first seed on the World Cup.

Julia Mancuso
Age: 21
Hometown: Palisades Tahoe, Ca.
Training: Palisades Tahoe, Ca.
Years on the Team: 6
Golden Moment: First World Cup points in 2001 at age 16; Double bronze (GS, SG) at the 2005 Worlds; 11 US Championship medals; Five World Cup top-5s in 2005 in all five disciplines.
The Skinny: Already a proven talent, she has learned to keep focus and confidence on the courses. A veteran of the Salt Lake Winter Games, Julia has already placed in the top ten of each World Cup discipline this season. There's no doubt in many minds that a podium awaits Julia in Torino.

Stacy Cook
Age: 21
Hometown: Truckee, Ca
Training: Mammoth Mt. Ski Team
Years on the Team: 3
Golden Moment: 2004 NorAm Downhill Champion; Sixth place 2005 US Championships Super G.
The Skinny: The UNR student has been knocking on the door of World Cup downhill, placing in the top 32 twice in 2005. An outside shot at the start of the season to make the Olympic Team, Stacey raised a lot of eyebrows with two top-ten finishes in Lake Louise in December.

Katie Hitchcock
Age: 20
Hometown: Truckee, Ca.
Training: Sugar Bowl
Years on the Team: 3
Golden Moment: Won the Swiss junior national GS title in 2003; Silver in slalom at the 2003 US Championship slalom; Bronze in slalom at the 2004 US Championship slalom.
The Skinny: She's a long shot to even make the Olympic Team, but anything is possible with this hard working and talent technical skier.

Freestyle
Shannon Bahrke
Age: 25
Hometown: Tahoe City, Ca.
Training: Palisades Tahoe, Ca.
Years on the Team: 8
Golden Moment: Has won five World Cups; 2003 World Cup Champion; 2002 Olympic Silver medalist (moguls); 19 World Cup podiums.
The Skinny: The four-time National Moguls Champion remains a favorite to medal at Torino after rehabbing a 2005 knee injury. "I know what I'm capable of," says Shannon. "And that's turning Silver into Gold at Torino."

Travis Cabral
Age: 22
Hometown: South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Training: Sierra-At-Tahoe
Years on the Team: 7
Golden Moment: Winner 2003 World Cup Moguls title; Four World Cup Victories: two national titles.
The Skinny: Back in 1999 he burst out of the Lake Tahoe region to become the nation's youngest ever U.S. mogul's champ. Four years later (2003) he flipped the trick again as the youngest person to win the overall World Cup moguls title. Entering his seventh season with the U.S. national team, the
South Lake Tahoe native and aspiring filmmaker hopes to lead an American sweep in Torino.

Laurel Shanley
Age: 22
Hometown: Palisades Tahoe
Training: Palisades Tahoe Freestyle Team
Years on the Team: 6
Golden Moment: 9 top ten World Cup finishes in 2005.
The Skinny: Laurel's career took off after a 7th place finish at last year's World Championships. One of the team's top mogul skiers, she's working on new tricks in the bumps to make the Olympic Team.

McKenzy Golding
Age: 18
Hometown: Reno
Training: Palisades Tahoe Freestyle Team
Years on the Team: 2
Golden Moment: Second place Dual Moguls, Second place moguls 2004 US Championships.
The Skinny: McKenzy has made a strong case for her talents with four top-twenty finishes on the World Cup in 2005 and two top twenty finishes so far this season.

Shelly Robertson
Age: 26
Hometown: Reno
Training: Palisades Tahoe Freestyle Team
Years on the Team: 7
Golden Moment: 13 top ten finishes on the World Cup.
The Skinny: She won back-to-back US Championships in dual moguls in 2004 and 2005 and is one of the team's steadiest and experienced skiers.

Snowboarding
Nate Holland
Age: 26
Hometown: Sandpoint, Idaho
Training: Palisades Tahoe, Ca.
Years on the Team: 3
Golden Moment: 3rd overall in 2005 World Cup SBX standings; First place SBX Sierra Nevada, Spain; First place 2004 Ultracross, X-Games; First place 2004 Mammoth Mountain Grand Prix.
The Skinny: The super boardercross athlete established himself as the athlete to beat this season by winning the first SBX World Cup in Saas-Fee, Switzerland last October 22. Dedicated to success, the Palisades Tahoe resident built himself a spring-loaded simulated start gate in his driveway this summer. So far his training has helped with results. Going into this new year he's 3rd overall, 1st for US, and the number one seed going into the Olympics. He's loaded and primed to podium in Torino.

Jayson Hale
Age: 20
Hometown: Sierra City, Ca
Training: Sugar Bowl
Years on the Team: 2
Golden Moment: Third place, 2005 SBX World Championships
The Skinny: He's a passionate ripper on course and gained a lot of confidence with his first World Cup podium in 2005. Late season knee surgery set him back, but the Sugar Bowl local has no doubts he'll be ready for battle at Torino.

Joanie Anderson
Age: 19
Hometown: South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Training: Sierra-At-Tahoe
Years on the Team: 2
Golden Moment: She first became noticed at age 17 when she made the bordercross final at the 2004 X-Games. Since then she made strides for the Torino Olympics by earning a place on the first ever, US Snowboarding SBX team by winning the 2004 USASA nationals in both SBX and halfpipe.

Disabled
Candace Cable
Age: 51
Hometown: Truckee, Ca.
Training: Alpine Meadows, Ca.
Years on the Team: 13
Disability Class: LW-11 (Mono-Ski)
Golden Moment: Silver medal, two Bronze at 1992 Albertville, France Paralympics; 2004 World Cup sit-ski champion
The Skinny: The U.S. Ski Team's first female sit-skier takes aim on her fifth Paralympics this winter. She is third in top-ten World Championship finishes, including a fifth place finish on the Olympic cross-country course site of the Torino Paralympics.

Kevin Bramble
Age: 33
Hometown: Truckee, Ca
Training: Alpine Meadows
Years on the Team: 6
Disability Class: LW-12/1
Golden Moment: 2004 World Championship downhill champion; 2002 Paralympics Downhill champion; 6 top-five World Cup finishes.
The Skinny: The UNR student sat out all but two races last year because of a pressure sore, but he hopes to return in time to compete this winter. A noted designer of mono-skis, he's helped push disabled equipment technology enabling more and more people to get out on the mountain.