Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athletes represented the local ski club well at the IFSA Junior Freeride Championships, in Kirkwood, Calif., April 6-13. The top finish was from Reid Graham, taking first for U15 snowboard male.
Branigan Murphy was third for U15 Ski Male.
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) had seven athletes competing: Reid Graham (U15 Snowboard Male), Jayla McGlone (U15 Snowboard Female), Riley McNew (U19 Snowboard Female), Vander Zuck, Branigan Murphy, Banks Ward (U15 Ski Male), and Ryan Montgomery (U19 Ski Male). Two SSWSC alumni also qualified—Ellie Reynolds (U19 Ski Female) and Gavin Murphy (U19 Ski Male). This marked Ellie’s fourth invite and Riley’s second appearance at Junior Freeride Championships.
Press Release from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; April 17, 2025/
Steamboat Springs Athletes Bring the Heat to IFSA Junior Freeride Championships in Kirkwood
Branigan Murphy takes home 3rd place for U15 Ski and Reid Graham wins the gold for U15 Snowboard
Photos: Matti Hill
Reid Graham – U15 Men Snowboard Win (blue pants)
Branigan Murphy – U15 Men Ski 3rd place (shiny jacket)
Jayla McGlone – U15 Women Snowboard 5th place (flowers around neck)
Athletes Banks Ward, Branigan Murphy and Vander Zuck (sitting on snow)
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Freeride was keeping the vibe high in Kirkwood, California last week, April 6–13, 2025, for the final event of the season. The IFSA Junior Freeride Championships marked the culmination of the western hemisphere’s 2025 junior freeride season, with athletes representing Argentina, Chile, Canada, and the United States. Out of more than 2,700 athletes who competed this season, only 244 earned an invitation to the championship event.
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) had a strong presence, with seven athletes competing: Reid Graham (U15 Snowboard Male), Jayla McGlone (U15 Snowboard Female), Riley McNew (U19 Snowboard Female), Vander Zuck, Branigan Murphy, Banks Ward (U15 Ski Male), and Ryan Montgomery (U19 Ski Male). Two SSWSC alumni also qualified—Ellie Reynolds (U19 Ski Female) and Gavin Murphy (U19 Ski Male). This marked Ellie’s fourth invite and Riley’s second appearance at Junior Freeride Championships.
The competition took place on the legendary Kirkwood Cirque—typically closed to the public and held in high regard in the freeride world. This iconic venue has hosted Freeride World Qualifier Challenger Series events, past Junior Freeride Championships, and even a Freeride World Tour event. Junior athletes took on the same terrain as the pros, underscoring the strong progression in the sport.
Though the week kicked off with gloomy conditions and a delay, the rest of the event was defined by high temps, soft snow, and huge sends. The snowboarders started things off in the Eagle Bowl zone for their qualifying runs. With airs, carves, and stomped runs, all three SSWSC snowboarders qualified for finals. Reid and Jayla both qualified in 3rd for their respective fields, and Riley McNew qualified in at 5th. Moving into the aptly named Hell’s Delight zone for finals, all three riders brought intensity and style to their runs.
Jayla McGlone dropped straight into the guts of the Hell’s line and shredded through the steep rocks. She lined up an air off the Thing 1 rock as she made her way to the Handrail for her final show-stopping drop. Dropping in a few riders after Jayla came Reid Graham. Reid started his run off with a down the fall line charge to an air in Hell’s. Keeping the speed up, he caught his next air in off of Thing 2 and, without missing a beat, got into the very technical Turkey Chute area to cap his run off with a big air with big style. Riley McNew was the last SSWSC rider to drop in, and she brought her skills into the Rabini Wing zone. Taking a big air near Hell’s Buttress, she continued her shred down the venue to cap her run off with a switch air out of the Turkey Chute zone.
With the increase in temperature, the Eagle Bowl zone became untenable for the ski qualifiers, so they moved over to qualify on the Hell’s Delight zone. Hosting qualifiers on such a gnarly venue shows the level of shredding these athletes are capable of achieving. Starting the day for Steamboat, Banks Ward caught air right out of the start gate as he worked his way into Hell’s. Coming out of the zone with a big air, he proceeded to keep the vibes and the aggression up as he laced huge airs and big 3’s up and capped his run off another great air to bring it to the finish line. Branigan Murphy was next up, and to say his run was off the charts would be an understatement. He threw 360s wherever possible and ripped through the venue towards his final goal: the Turkey Tower. A 30-foot air with a tight landing zone, he stomped it to bolts and cruised his way to the final round. Vander Zuck followed up his teammates later in the day and into the finals with a heater of a run, stomping a final air that was a bit out of the box but in the running for best stomp of the day.
In the U19 qualifiers, Ryan Montgomery started his run off with a technical narrow chute entry to a very solid 360 in a zone where mere mortals would dare to leave the ground. Ryan took his line into the big natural kicker feature to throw one of the biggest 360’s that feature would see for the day. A little washout kept Ryan from finals, but his run was an absolute stunner. SSWSC alums Ellie Reynolds and Gavin Murphy also qualified for finals with Gavin skiing through a meter-wide super-long chute to come out into the main meat of the venue at warp speed.
On the ski finals day, the juniors moved to the Chicken’s start above the Rabini Wing zone. Though named Chicken’s, this start was not for the faint of heart. Starting the day for SSWSC was again Banks Ward. Airing into the venue, Banks dropped almost 15 feet to land on rocks but was able to stay upright and charge through the venue into the Wing chute with a mandatory air out of it. Banks’ run was cut short after a big crash off the natural kicker. Vander dropped next and entered through the Bucket Chute with speed into a cross-court air. Into the Rabini Chute with the mandatory air out, he slayed it with style. With a left 360 over rocks, Vander ripped to the Money Booter to land another 360 and ski clean to the finish line. Branigan Murphy was the final SSWSC athlete to drop in. Off the Bucket Air, Branigan took it deep to clear the rocks and airspace as he brought heat into his next drop. Into the natural kicker, he stomped a huge 360 and used his clearance for takeoff to take the legendary Tester air into a massive 360. Ellie Reynolds stayed clean as she worked through the venue with airs and drops on a line that required pinpoint precision and outstanding technical skiing. Gavin Murphy’s run was cut short on the bucket air as he landed on the rocks, which held onto his skis as he left them behind.
At the end of the competition, SSWSC proved to the free ride world that we are a force to be reckoned with. In the U15 Snowboard Female group, Jayla McGlone claimed 5th place. In U19 Snowboard Female, Riley McNew came away in 11th. In the U19 Ski Male field Ryan Montgomery placed 40th and Gavin Murphy in 29th. Ellie Reynolds claimed 11th place in U19 Ski Female. In the U15 Male ski, Vander Zuck finished 20th, and Banks Ward followed in 32nd. Climbing up the podium at the event were Branigan Murphy in 3rd for U15 Ski Male and Reid Graham with the gold in 1st for U15 Snowboard Male.
Not only were awards given out for this final event of the season, but also for the IFSA overall awards. After his big win, Reid claimed 3rd overall in his field. In their fields, SSWSC athletes also claimed for the overall: Riley 6th, Jayla 8th, Branigan 14th, Vander 34th, Banks 48th and Ryan 49th. With the finals in the rearview mirror, the road ahead for these athletes is looking like the express lane to the top.
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