By Kathryn Reed

Like all athletes, even skiers need coaches. Maddie Bowman and David Wise, who in the next two weeks will try to defend their Olympic gold medals, credit Andy Woods for some of their success.

Woods was first named as a coach to the U.S. Freeskiing Halfpipe Team in 2011. This was in advance of the 2014 Olympic debut of the sport.

Under his tutelage leading up to the last Olympics, Bowman, who grew up in Meyers and still has family there, was on top of the podium at the Sochi Olympics in halfpipe skiing. Wise, a native of Reno, collected gold in the same contest for the men.

David Wise and Maddie Bowman will represent the Reno-Tahoe area in the Olympics — again. Photo/LTN

Bowman said of Woods that they are very much alike in balancing a “laid back style with an attention to detail.” She told Lake Tahoe News she is impressed with how far he’s come, going from “just a skier” to accomplished coach.

Before the 36-year-old was hired, several members of the U.S. team were consulted. This was in part because some knew him so the higher ups wanted to make sure there would be a symbiotic relationship.

Plus, Woods didn’t have any coaching experience prior to then.

“He and I have an amazing relationship. We are both introverted,” Wise told Lake Tahoe News. “He and I will obsessively watch video over and over again. We will pick apart different pieces.”

Woods grew up in Vermont, with his home resort being Smugglers’ Notch. He went from moguls, to doing tricks. At age 19 he and some buddies planned to go to the U.S. Open at Vail. They flaked out, he went. His parents went along, too. What a show they got to see.

He finished in the top 20 in slopestyle, and then competed in the big air event.

“I had the idea in my head of doing a 1260, thinking, ‘Maybe if I do this, I can get past the first couple rounds’,” Woods told Powder magazine. He fell. He tried again. This time he landed it. He also landed on top of the podium.

In that same event it was Jon Olsson who placed second and Squaw Valley’s Jonny Moseley in third. (Moseley had won gold at the 1998 Olympics in moguls, he was fourth in 2002.)

Woods continued to compete for several years, winning multiple events. But injuries forced him to stop competing in 2007. He went on to be a judge at various events. Then the call came from the U.S. Ski Team – he’s never looked back.  

—–

Notes:

Opening ceremonies for the PyeongChang, South Korea, Olympics are tonight. Here is a link to the entire NBC television schedule.