The cheering will grow a little more intense around the Village at Northstar in February when a couple of local athletes compete.
Earlier this week, both freeskier David Wise and slopestyle snowboarder Chas Guldemond were named to the U.S. Winter Olympics team. It’s the first Olympic berth for both Wise and Guldemond, who call Northstar California their home mountain.
The Winter Olympics in Sochi run from Feb. 7-23.
A member of the US Freeskiing Team, Wise enjoyed a strong season a year ago with gold medal performances at the Winter X Games, US Grand Prix and WIS World Championships.
The devoted father and husband, who lives with his family in Reno, says Northstar creates a unique opportunity to stay close to his family while training on some of the best conditions in the world.
Wise is the only skier on the Northstar Pro Team, which features some of the world’s top snowboarders including two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White, Chas Guldemond, Elena Hight, and Eero Ettala. 
“Wise is pushing the limits of what’s possible and we believe he will be a top competitor in the Olympic Winter Games,” said Northstar spokesperson Rachael Woods. “He couldn’t be a better fit for the Northstar Pro Team. His perseverance, positivity and incredible talents are admirable and we cannot wait to support him through the Olympic year, and cheer him on in Russia.”
Wise grew up in Reno and has trained at Northstar the past decade and credits some of his success, which includes the 2013 FIS World Champion title, to the design and builds of Northstar’s parks and pipes.
“I was never the most talented kid on the mountain, but I was determined to constantly improve, and I’ve had some great opportunities and supporters along the way,” Wise said. “Each season has been a little better than the last one. And here I am.”
Guldemond lives in Lake Tahoe and has been snowboarding since 1996, competing since 1997, and turned pro in 2006.
“It’s been so much hard work and sacrifice to get to this point,” Guldemond said. “I’m exhausted from all these (Olympic) qualifying events.”
Guldemond is another member of the first-ever U.S. Olympic slopestyle team. He’s in good company, joining heralded teammate Shaun White, who has also trained at Northstar the past two years, and Sage Kotsenburg of Park City.
“Not only is Chas one of the most talented athletes; he is an outstanding individual with a phenomenal work ethic,” Woods said. “The number of hours he devotes to practice is truly remarkable, and we are so thrilled for him that he’ll compete in Sochi.”
Although his road toSochi only included one podium finish in this year’s qualifying events, Guldemond is certainly capable of earning a medal against an international field at the Olympics. One of his go-to tricks is the double backside.
A year ago, Guldemond had two first-place finishes, including the Copper Grand Prix Slopestyle. Among his five first-place finishes in 2012 was the US Open Big Air.
