Ingrid Backstrom Crystal Mountain Freeride Team since 2007

Skier

Ingrid Backstrom grew up in Seattle where she spent her winters skiing down Crystal Mountain, WA, and her summers hiking back up them on backpacking trips with her parents and two younger brothers. After graduating from Whitman College, the call of the mountains drew her to Squaw Valley, California, to put in what she thought would be a yearlong stint as a ski bum. It only took a few freeskiing contests, however, for Ingrid to realize that she had found her niche, and that she'd be calling the mountains home for a long, long time. Ingrid's star is on a phenomenal rise, as her string of first-place titles shows. She recently won awards for "Best Female Performance" and "Breakthrough Performance" (for her segment in Matchstick Productions' film Yearbook) at the 2005 Powder Magazine Video Awards, Best Female Performance at the 2006 Powder Awards, and People's Choice Award at the 2007 Powder Awards. When she's not skiing, Ingrid still stays outside as much a possible, running and biking to relax and keep fit. Ingrid is grateful for the opportunities that her sport brings her, especially getting to travel and ski with "amazing people around the world."

Mike Yoshida

Photographer

From the ghetto of Mt. Baker’s E-lodge cafeteria to the rarified world of K2 team photog, Yosh’s star has risen perhaps higher than any other lensman in the last year. From his home mountain and frontcountry jump sessions , Yosh gets the epic pow sessions, the mental wall rides, the monster booters as well as the aimless days in European train stations. Dogs become worthy jib material in Yoshida’s world.

Pat Mccarthy

Rider

Pat McCarthy has been a fixture on the professional snowboarding scene for some time. He started riding in 1989 at Stevens Pass, Washington and soon became inspired by the terrain at Mt. Baker to make the move and become a permanent local. Not your typical contest guy, Pat craves the Northwest backcountry style of snowboarding, whether it’s accessing it by a snowmobile or hiking out of a lift.

SCOTT MACARTNEY – Crystal Mountain Ambassador since 2008

Skier

Crystal Mountain is proud to welcome Scott Macartney as an official Mountain Ambassador. Stay tuned for info on autograph signings and “Ski with Scott” opportunities along with updates on his races and the road to 2010.

Scott Macartney grew up in Washington State skiing at Crystal Mountain where his mother and father (both ski patrollers there) taught him to ski. Scott skied in his first race – the Cherry Tree Charge Downhill – at age 7. He was hooked. Chasing his older brother Matt and friends from the area, he trained with the Crystal Mountain Alpine Club and worked his way through races in the Washington, the Pacific Northwest, the Western Region and then the entire U.S.

TYLER CECCANTI – Crystal Mountain Freeride Team since 2007

Skier

Tyler is 18 years old and has been a Crystal local all his life. Starting at the young age of 2 his parents taught him how to ski and soon put him into the CMAC program for the next 8 years until eventually wondering off into the backcountry. He entered in his first Big mountain competition at 13 years of age in the mens division. Tyler finds competing very exciting and challenging but his true passion is coming home to Crystal Mt. and filming in the backcountry and over all just skiing with fellow friends. Tyler has been shooting with K2 skis and starting his production company BHP with friend John Rutherfurd and hopes to have full movie out next year. He would like to thank his sponsors and esspecially his parents for never stopping to push him to be the best he is and for all the support no matter what.

LAURA OGDEN – Crystal Mountain Freeride Team since 2006

Skier

Although Laura’s mom swears it is the risk gene, Laura knows it’s her love for the mountains that created her passion for skiing. Or, it could have been the freedom found in a drivers license and Crystal Mountain on the weekends in high school. Laura grew up primarily playing soccer, which she played at Colorado College while pursuing a biology degree in the Rocky Mountains. However, she also pursued another passion at Arapahoe Basin, Jackson Hole, Snowbird, Alta, Whistler/Blackcomb, and eventually back at Crystal Mountain. She followed her dream of skiing professionally by competing in all the freeskiing competitions, winning her first one at Crested Butte in 2004. She went on to win the overall North American Tour in 2005, and the World Tour in 2006 (with conviction – she won all the events in the tour!). She is still competing and working on a killer film segment with Rage Films. She would like to thank her parents for letting her put off a corporate job as long as possible.