KSC/KMS Administrators
KSC/KMS Development Program and KMS Event Director
Chuck Hughes
Chuck started coaching ski racing in 1975 for the Pico Ski Club, since then he has taught and coached ski racing for Burke Mountain Academy, Killington Resort, Winter Park, and Killington Mountain School. Chuck took the first group of Killington Mountain School athletes to train in Europe in the early 80’s and continued to organize and manage European training camps for over 15 years. Chuck was the Promotions and Competitions Director for UVEX Sports North America 1985-1992. Working very closely with world class athletes in ski racing, ski jumping, snowboarding, luge, bobsled, and biking, Chuck managed product testing, team product distribution in North America and managed racing service representative teams. He coordinated all marketing, equipment and logistic activities at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games, 1989 Vail World Championships and all North American World Cups for UVEX Sports.
Chuck is an International Technical Delegate representing the Federation of International Skiing (FIS), and is a Nationally ranked Certified USSS Alpine Official, with endorsements of Chief of Race and Chief of Course as well as Referee, Course Official, Start and Finish Referee. Chuck is a USSS Alpine Level 300 certified coach and a member of the Class of 1980 USSS Coaches Academy, in Squaw Valley. As a FIS Technical Delegate for Alpine (Speed certified and Speed examiner, as well as World Cup Certified), he has been a TD at the Lake Louise World Cups, and officiated at the Beaver Creek World Cup races, Canadian National’s, NorAm Cups, FIS UNI’s Races, EISA Championships, NCAA Championships, South American Cup, USCSA Regional Championships, and at all levels of FIS and USSS alpine ski races.
Chuck has served as a member of many boards including former President and board member of Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA), former Chairman of the Eastern Alpine Officials Committee, a past member of the Eastern ACC Committee, a past board member of the KSC, former chairman of the VARA Alpine Officials, and the USSS Alpine Sport Committee, Chuck is currently Chair of the USSS TD Working Group, as well as being a member of the USSS Rules and Tech Committee, and US FIS TD Working Group.
Chuck served as Chief of Course for the 2016 Killington AUDI FIS SKI WORLD CUP, and was appointed to Chief of Race for the 2017 -2024 Killington AUDI FIS SKI WORLD CUP.
Chuck was the recipient of the Burckett/Dodge Award for Outstanding Officiating in the Eastern Region and the VARA Volunteer of the Year Award. Chuck received the West Family Award at the 2015 USSS Congress in Park City:
Presented in recognition of service as a USSS Alpine Official by Tom Kelly VP Communications
USST -
“Chuck Hughes has been a coach, parent, FIS Technical Delegate, Eastern AO Chairman, Program Director at Killington Mountain School, Vermont Officials Chair and a VARA Board Member. He has dedicated much time to the betterment of alpine skiing. He handles himself with grace and has earned the respect of the national and international community of ski racing”
Chuck holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation, with a concentration in Ski Area Management from Lyndon State College, 1983. Chuck is a Justice of the Peace for the Town of Killington.
Chuck’s wife, Betty, was the Director of Academics and Headmaster at Killington Mountain School for 17 years, and has been a coach in the Killington Ski Club/Killington Mountain School program for over 20 years. Betty is presently a High School Counselor for the Rutland Public School’s.
Chuck’s children (Tyler Hughes, Megan Trayner & Stefan Hughes) all grew up in Killington and skied for the KSC and attended KMS. They all competed in alpine racing and skied internationally in Europe and South America. Some of the many accomplishments are; MID VT Champions, Vermont State Champions, VARA TEAM, Junior Olympic Champions, Whistler Cup, USSA EASTERN Ski Team Members, JR World Championship Team Members, NCAA Champions, NCAA All-Americans, World University Games Participants, and US Ski Team Members and graduates of the University of Vermont, Middlebury College and the University of Colorado. They all continue to coach ski racing today and are certified coaches and officials and have a lifelong love of the sport of skiing.
Currently Tyler coaches in the KSC/KMS Devo Program, Megan is currently private coaching in Park City, Utah, and modeling for various ski companies, and Stefan is the US Competitions and Team Manager for Head Tyrolia Winter Sorts USA.
Chuck and Betty, have a few grandchildren; Aurora Trayner, Carter Hughes, Tessa Trayner, Asher Hughes and Cairn Trayner, Spencer Hughes, Gioia Hughes, and Oliver Hughes who looks down from heaven daily.
Development Program, Events and Summer Experience Coordinator
Jeannine Bennett
KMS Event Crew Chief
Tyer Smith
Tyler grew up ski racing at Mountain Creek in New Jersey. Graduate of Wallkill Valley High School before attending Castleton University in the fall of 2012. Four year member of Castletons Alpine Ski Team. Helped the Spartans to three podium finishes at USCSA Nationals and captured a Regional Championship in 2016. Graduate of Castleton University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in adventure recreation. Tyler has also been a part of Spartan race since 2013 traveling the country setting up their various lengths of obstacle course races. Tyler has been with KSC/KMS since 2016 as the events crew chief. Tyler is also involved with the Killington Audi FIS ski world cup serving as the assistant chief of course for the races. Tyler currently resides in Killington with his wife Lauren and their dogs.
Alpine Coaches
Helen Bruno
Alpine U12
Helen’s main love when young was skiing and biking and that is still the case today. During her
educational years she was a junior alpine competitor then move onto the PSIA Ski Educational path.
Soon after she was asked to work with Killington Alpine Development initiatives and has been involved
in that world for the past 20 plus years.
In 2015 Helen was voted VARA Development Coach of the year. Many athletes she coached to this day
are ground in alpine skiing as parents of current competitors, successful alpine competitors and some
who are now coaches as well. You won’t see her just on the weekends during the winter you’ll see her
mid-week skiing, skinning up the mountain, guest coaching and mountain biking in the wood.
Helen is USSS Level 200 certified, Alpine Offical and U12 KSC/KMS Head Alpine Coach.
Tobias Walther
Alpine U12
Tobias grew up skiing and racing in the Alps of southern Germany and Austria. He has been skiing for more than 45 years and is still enjoying racing, particularly in Slalom gates, and also loves ski touring, moguls, cross-country skiing and any kind of snow activity. Tobias has made Killington his home mountain and has been coaching U12 and U14 athletes here for several years. He is a USSA Level 200 coach and alpine official. In his spare time, Tobias researches and teaches biochemistry, cell biology and metabolism as part of MSKCC and HHMI in New York.
Craig Bennett
Alpine U14
Craig is coaching his seventh season at KMS and continues to utilize his skills and experience with the KMS and KSC/KMS U14 Alpine Team. Previous to coaching full time at KMS, he coached athletes from U8 to U19 at the KSC/KMS Development Program and at Middlebury Ski Club. Since his coaching debut in 1997, he has coached many current KMS athletes, KMS US Ski Team and NCAA Division I alumni, and even the KMS Head Master, Claire Butler, in their younger days. Craig brings with him a great understanding of the development of alpine athletes through the age groups. He was also a ski racer in his youth, competing as a NHARA/USSA athlete in NH before racing NCAA and USCSA for the Clarkson University Golden Knights leading his team to USCSA Nationals in 1993 and 1995 before he graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. His wife Jeannine is KMS’s Race Administrator, Development Program, Events & Summer Experience Coordinator and their daughter Sydney and son Aidan, both KMS alpine alumni, continue to ski to this day attending Montana State University and St. Lawrence University respectively.
Joe Bovaconti
Alpine U16/U19
Joe joined KSC/KMS after coaching with the Eastern Mass Buddy Warner League and Tri-State. He comes to us with a life long history of skiing. Formerly he was a member of the Gore Mountain Alpine Race Team for six years. During that time, he attended a small ski academy within the NYS Olympic Regional Development Authority for four years. Every year during that time, he represented New York State at the Junior Olympics, racing in the speed events.
After Joe stopped racing competitively, he continued with the sport he loved. He has over a million vertical feet logged in British Columbia with Canadian Mountain Holiday(CMH). In 2003 the was inducted into the Million Foot Club by Hans Gmoser, founder of CMH.
He is currently a USSS Level 200 coach and alpine official. This year will be the 7th consecutive year coaching the U16/U19 group with KSC/KMS.
After leaving New York, Joe attended Johnson State College, Johnson, Vermont. He graduated in 1993 with a BA in Business Management. Joe is a thriving small business owner and is now in his 33rd year of operations. He currently resides in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and Bridgewater Corners, Vermont, with his wife Laura and children Mary and PJ. Mary is a current coach with KSC/KMS Future Stars and is on the Alpine ski team at Castleton University. PJ is a freshman at Plymouth State University, where he will be racing Division I Alpine.
As a family, they enjoy skiing, traveling, and music. Joe is an avid cyclist when he is not working or skiing
Anthony Dellechiaie
Alpine U10
Anthony grew up in New Jersey, honing his racing skills at Mountain Creek while representing Don Bosco Prep and spending weekends skiing at Killington from the age of three. He later attended the University of Vermont before heading west for a few seasons in Jackson Hole, WY. Upon returning to the East Coast, Anthony joined the National Ski Patrol, where he now trains new candidates in Emergency Outdoor Transportation at Mountain Creek.
He began his coaching career with the Future Stars program and currently works with the U10 team. Outside of skiing, Anthony manages a sand and gravel mine in northern New Jersey during the week and races sailboats in the off-season.
Anthony and his wife, Jennifer, are raising their two children with a deep appreciation for both the mountains and the sea. Their family actively participates in the KSC/KMS alpine programs and spends summers harnessing the wind while navigating the water.
Jim McClellan IV
Alpine U14
Jim McClellan is a life-long member of the Killington Ski Club and a KMS graduate in 1989. He continued his ski racing career at Dartmouth College and started coaching weekends at Killington in 1994. Jim has coached all age groups from U19 to U8 and currently has two children in the development program. Jim holds a USSS level 100 alpine coaching certification, but we think he likes to sneak into the Woodward Park a little too often.
Sean Graves
Alpine U12
Sean has been working in the ski industry for the last twenty six years. He started out teaching at a little ski area called Crotched Mt in NH in 1986. When they went bankrupt he moved over to Magic Mountain in Londonderry, VT and was there for two years until they closed their doors. Okemo was his next stop, spending about seven years as an instructor there. As his tenure at Okemo ended, he graduated college and working full time in the industry ended. As the full time industry job ended, the real world job of a high school teacher started. This led him across Route 131 to Ascutney Mountain Resort where he spent the next twelve years. While there, he was the Director of the Children’s program called Young Olympians. Both of his children learned to ski there and it was pretty much home for his family. He also re-started my “racing career” at Ascutney.
Heidi McClellan
Alpine U12
The 2024-2025 season marks my 11th year coaching in the development program at
KMS/KSC. I developed my love for ski racing at a young age at West Mt and Gore Mt, New
York. I am a graduate of The Stratton Mountain School and The University of Vermont where
I was an All American and Captain of the Alpine Ski team. I work as a Certified Athletic
Trainer at Alice Peck Day Hospital Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics and live in White
River Junction, Vermont with my husband and 2 boys. Luke is a U12 alpine racer in the
program and Max is a first year FIS Alpine athlete. I have truly enjoyed helping young
athletes in the program realize their strength, perseverance and independence as young
skiers and ski racers.
Andy Wright
Alpine U16/U19
Jay Nash
Alpine U14
Mikkel Forsthuber
Alpine U10
Geoff Hadley
Alpine U10
Freestyle Coaches
Alex Lewis
Freestyle A
Bob Fischer
Freestyle B&J
USSS Level 2 Mogul and Level 1 Aerial.
Bob has a rich history in the sport of freestyle and alpine skiing, and has been a KSC/KMS coach since the 2000 season. However, prior to arriving at the Big K, he was a longtime backcountry skier in the Lake Tahoe area and was a USSA Far West freestyle competitor from 1989-92. He also competed in Alpine events during the 1970's and 80's at Holiday Valley, Kissing Bridge and Red Jacket, New York.
Bob graduated in 1987 from SUNY College of Buffalo. Off the slopes he is the Water Quality Superintendent for the City of South Burlington, Vermont. Bob has achieved numerous awards including the 2022 American Public Works Association (APWA), National Professional Manager of the Year in Water Resources, Vermont Governor's Award Environmental Excellence and is the New England Environment Association (NEWEA) President-elect.
Catherine Toupence
Freestyle B&J
Chris Covell
Freestyle B
Chris has been an avid mogul skier at Killington for over 20 years. He became active in the KSC/KMS programs in 2015 when his oldest son Jackson joined the ski program. Today Chris has 3 kids; Jackson, Evan and Vivian that all compete for the KSC/KMS team. When not on the slopes, he has spent much of his free time coaching youth sports, including coaching his son’s various baseball teams that resulted in two consecutive trips to the NY State championship tournament. Chris is a graduate of Northeastern University and has spent most of his career as an entrepreneur in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industry.
Graham Cunningham
Freestyle B&J
Guy Keefe
Freestyle B
Guy is in his third year coaching Freestyle with the KSC/KMS program. He attended Castleton State College and currently works as a Division Manager at Maine Drilling and Blasting.
He has been skiing for 40 years, 25 of which have been at Killington. He has competed in the infamous Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge 16 times.
His two children are currently in the KSC/KMS program and he is passionate about skiing and loves teaching the sport of mogul skiing.
Kevin V. Osinski
Freestyle B
Kevin has been coaching moguls for the KMS Freestyle Development team since 2015 and
has been involved as a KMS/KSC volunteer since 2009. He has level 200 Mogul and Aerials
certification and judging credentials from USSS. He is a certified airbag operator and has
Safesport, CPR/first aid and concussion protocol training. Prior to joining KMS, Kevin
coached travel and town league soccer teams. Kevin is an avid skier who has attended
multiple summer mogul training camps and worked as a ski reporter during and after
college. He has been skiing Killington since 1983. In his spare time during the week, he
works as a Pension Actuary/Benefits Consultant and in the summer months he and his
family like to mountain bike at Killington and surf. Kevin and his family are from Fairfield, CT.
Kris Pepe
Freestyle Mogul Program Director
USSS Level 2 Mogul and Level 3 Aerial.
From 2008-2014, Kris was the head mogul FIS/Nor-Am coach at Telluride, and served most recently as the head freestyle coach at Aspen.
Kris began his freestyle career as a competitive athlete out of Hunter Mountain, NY. From there he traveled to Park City to compete nationally, attaining strong results. Kris got his start in coaching at Park City, before moving on to Telluride where he was instrumental in developing one of the most highly successful FIS programs in the country.
Most recently, at Aspen, Kris has been tasked with building a grassroots freestyle mogul program. He has been developing training plans, athlete development models, and appropriate coaching plans from the ground up, focusing on what athletes need at each stage of development from U8′s through U21′s.
Matt Vance
Freestyle B&J
Matt grew up in Wisconsin where he skied the Icy terrain Midwest skiing is known for since the age of five. Upon relocating to the Northeast six years ago Matt and his family became members of the Killington Ski Club making Killington their winter home. His passion for the sport has always been with mogul/freestyle skiing and he gets great joy in sharing his love for the sport with children. Matt has two daughters that are active in the program and is excited for a great winter!”
Mike Altobell
Freestyle A
Mike started skiing at Killington in 1966 and attended Rutland High School. He was adopted by a ski house in 1979 where he earned the nickname "Rutland Mike.” He competed in USSA mogul competitions from 1986 to 1989, but most importantly he earned three 3rd places in the first few Bear Mountain mogul challenges.
Freeski Coaches
Brandon Westburg
Freeski
Brandon grew up in Rutland, Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont in 2019 with a Bachelor of Sciences in Business with a focus in Marketing. Brandon grew up racing for the Pico ski club for most of his childhood, before transitioning into a freeskier during his time at Rutland High School. Brandon went on to compete in both Slopestyle and rail jam events and was crowned the 2019 USCSA National Champion with the UVM Freeski team. Brandon is a level 200 Freeski coach and spends his summers in Mount Hood, Oregon coaching freesking at Wy’East Academy. Brandon is truly passionate about freesking and skis as many days as possible each season no matter the weather conditions. Rain, sleet, snow, sun, he’s still having fun. Brandon also is a ski expert at Curated.com, and his hobbies include skiing, skateboarding, and disc golf.
Peter Dubois
Freeski
Big Mountain Coaches
Future Stars Coaches
Elizabeth Martin
Future Stars
John Quinn
Future Stars
Born and raised Rutland, VT, 66 years old
Began ski lessons at Pico in 1967
High School: Mount Saint Joseph Academy 1976 (ski team GS and SL racing)
United States Navy 1976 – 1981
University of Vermont – B/A Economics 1985
Part-Time Ski Instructor at Sugarbush 1982-83
Part-Time Ski Instructor at Smuggler’s Notch 1983-84, 1984-85
Weekend Ski Instructor Killington/Pico Junior Program 1986-87 to 1995-96
Killington Ski Club Hopefuls Coach 1996-97 to 2008-09
Killington Future Stars Coach 2022-23 to present
Justin Happel
Future Stars
Dr. Justin W. Happel was born and raised in Livingston NJ. He began skiing at the age of 2 and ½ and was Co-President of his high school ski club. He started his alpine racing career at Camelback MT in PA; and shortly after changed his home base to Killington. Justin went through the KSC Alpine Racing Program from 2004-2007. He attended and raced for Green Mtn College in 2008 and Castleton State College 2009-2012; where he received his B.S. in biology. Justin later joined the KSC/KMS coaching staff in 2012 working with the J1-2 girls under head coach Doug Tucker. The next year he coached with the FutureStars program until 2016. From 2016-2019 Justin attended Ross University of Veterinary Medicine where he received his D.V.M. He has since returned to his coaching position with FutureStars. Justin is a Level 100 USSS Alpine coach, Safe Sport, CPR, AED, and basic life support certified (for people). Dr. Justin works at a veterinary clinic in Rutland VT and loves talking about and seeing pictures of your pets. He is the proud father to an orange and white cat and has twin brother that works at a local ski shop.
Kurt Naser
Future Stars
As a native of Arlington, MA, Kurt grew up skiing at Killington on the weekends. His racing career started with the Hopefuls program through the KSC at age 6. Kurt continued through the KSC before attending the Killington Mountain School in high school. This excellent foundation in ski racing led to standout performance on the Clarkson University Ski Team where he was a multi-year USCSA All-American at Nationals. On Thursday nights, look for Kurt racing in the Corporate Race League at Bolton Valley. These days he calls Essex Junction, VT home with his wife, Lindsay, and two boys, Wyatt and Everett. When not on the slopes he is a Director of Preconstruction with PC Construction, based out of South Burlington, VT.
Mary Bovaconti
Future Stars
Merisa J. Sherman
Future Stars
On skis at 20 months, Merisa joined KSC at 8 years old and went through the race program. She attended KMS until switching to Deerfield Academy, where she continued to ski race until college. Having coached FlatWater Canoe Racing for over 20 years, Merisa switched to participate in DI Crew at Colgate University, as an athlete then coach. She eventually dropped out of graduate school to become a ski bum.
Happy to be back in Killington, Merisa spends 150-203 days on snow a year, including countless hours in the Vermont & New Hampshire backcountry. When she first moved here full time, she joined her father working for the Killington Ski School, successfully running the MiniStars (4-6 yo) Program for several years. Wanting to bring skiing to more kids, Merisa helped reopen Whaleback Mtn, where she served as Ski School Director & established the AfterSchool program. Merisa returned to the KSC to supervise the FutureStars Program, then coached Big Mountain for a few years before finally going back to her favorite age group: the KMS Kindergarten!
Merisa currently lives in Killington with The BF, local drummer Aaron Normand, and is a Realtor with Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty, Bartender at Liquid Art, currently serves on the Development Review (Zoning) Board & elected Trustee of the Public Funds for the Town of Killington and writes a weekly column for The Mountain Times called “Living the Dream."
Tyler Hughes
Future Stars
An avid skier for over +35 years, raised in Killington, Tyler started his ski career with KMS/KSC at the energetic age of 5. Tyler grew through the program to be a top athlete, competing at all levels of USSA and FIS, where he attended KMS then went on to BMA. A stint with the US development traveling team attending camps and races then went on to University of Vermont where he was a member of the Division I Alpine Ski Team. After college, Tyler ran the U14 program at Pico, as well as an assistant coach at GMVS, where he developed multiple athletes into top eastern region level contenders and state champions. Tyler then joined KSC/KMS weekend program coaching U19, U16 and U14 athletes. He currently lives in Ridgefield, CT with his wife, Hilary, and (3) boys Carter, Asher & Spencer where he works for Diageo leading North American eCommerce Partnership and Strategy.
Snowboard Coaches
Devon Gulick
Snowboard
Devon started coaching at Loon Mountain in 2009 after moving from Bethlehem, CT to Lincoln, New Hampshire. He then got a position as Head Snowboard Coach at Holderness, and has now been at Killington Mountain School for 7 years. Devon has been riding his snowboard for 23 years and is passionate about teaching his craft to the next generations. His other passions are photography, mountain biking, and fly fishing.
Betty Hughes
First Tracks
Hilary Hughes
First Tracks