Daron Rahlves has a new ski home– Palisades Tahoe.
The decorated World Cup and Olympic ski racer is joining the athletic team at Palisades Tahoe, formerly Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows.
For the last two decades, Rahlves has represented Sugar Bowl, where he worked on building ski events like the Banzai Tour and mentoring local youth athletes. He was the most decorated male American downhill skier in history.
Rahlves is no stranger to Squaw Valley. He has a long history with the Tahoe ski resort. He grew up skiing at Squaw and is thrilled to be able to return to the slopes where he got his start, and be able to watch his kids do the same.
“Now is the perfect time for me and my family to make the move back to Palisades Tahoe,” Rahlves said. “I have so much more desire to pass on the passion to all skiers – young and older – in race, freeride and general ski enthusiasm.”
Rahlves joins legendary athletes Jonny Moseley, Jeremy Jones, Cody Townsend, Michelle Parker, JT Holmes, Travis Ganong, Bryce Bennett, Amie Engerbretson, Connery Lundin, Sammy Luebke, Keely Cashman, and AJ Hurt on the Palisades Tahoe Athlete Team
“Having Daron working with Team Palisades Tahoe will bring an incredible benefit to our athletes,” said Bill Hudson, the resort’s Director of Teams. “Daron knows what it takes to win, and he knows that part of that is learning to read this mountain and have fun on skis. His philosophy of mixing hard work and training with skiing the entire mountain aligns with our goals.”
Rahlves’ very first day on skis was at Palisades Tahoe, when he was age 3. His family drove up from the Bay Area every weekend, before deciding to move to Alpine Meadows full-time.
Rahlves joined the Alpine Meadows Ski Team when he was 7 and would meet up with the ski team to train gates and do drills. But most importantly, the young group of talented skiers would rip around Hot Wheels Gully.
He was on the ski team until he was 14, when he went to the East Coast to attend the ski academy – Green Mountain Valley School. He would still come home every spring to enjoy the skiing in Tahoe.
Rahlves had an impressive ski racing career. He was named to the U.S. Ski Team in 1994, and competed in downhill, Super-G and Giant Slalom for 15 years. He won the Super-G ton the tour’s most challenging course – the Hahnenkam – in 2003 and again in 2004.
Rahlves credits his first World Cup win in 1995 to the unique influence of the mountains and athletes of Palisades Tahoe.
“Daron has been a champion for skiing and the Tahoe community for decades, as well as a strong role model for kids, especially our athletes on snow,” said Dee Byrne, president and COO of Palisades Tahoe. “Having Daron on our team fits perfectly with who we are, especially as we enter the next chapter of this resort’s history.”
As a member of the athlete team, he will represent the mountain, but also has a special interest in assisting Team Palisades Tahoe, and will help train and mentor the athletes on the team.
“I definitely feed off the high-energy vibe here, and continue loving the challenge of all the terrain both mountains have to offer,” Rahlves said.
