The freestyle ski team has opened its competition season with two first-time competitors: Nate Benjamin ’26 and Ben White ’26. Both athletes made their competitive debuts this winter, gaining valuable experience and strong results in their initial events.
Benjamin White ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.
White has competed once so far, entering a rail jam at Titus Mountain. In a rail jam, skiers focus exclusively on rails and are judged on their tricks, consistency, and variety. Benjamin competed in both a slopestyle event at Whiteface Mountain and the rail jam at Titus Mountain, his first time in each format. Slopestyle competitions feature a line of jumps with rails integrated into the course, and athletes are judged on the same criteria of trick difficulty, consistency, and variety.
This is White’s first year at Northwood School and his first season on a freestyle team. Still relatively new to freestyle skiing, he has been working hard on fundamentals. At the rail jam, White chose to stick with the tricks he knew rather than attempting higher-risk maneuvers, recognizing that completing a clean run is better than falling in competition. That approach paid off, as he placed third, an outcome he credits to consistent training and smart decision-making.
“My first time competing was a little nerve-wracking,” White said. “But I spent the entire day skiing, which was fun. I also received support from my coach and teammates, making it easier for me. I learned a lot from the rail jam, and one of my biggest takeaways was to wear more protective gear while skiing. I ended up placing third and was satisfied with my result and performance.”
Protective gear plays an important role in freestyle skiing, where falls can result in injuries that sideline athletes for days, weeks, or even months. White has been enjoying his experience on the freestyle team, praising the coaching and daily opportunity to ski. His favorite trick is a front 270 off a rail. “Nothing flashy,” he says, but a fun and reliable core trick.
Nathaniel (Nate) Benjamin ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.
Benjamin, meanwhile, has been on the freestyle team for two years, though this season marks his first time competing. Last year, he focused on developing fundamentals during his first season of freestyle skiing. This year, his progression has been significant, as he has learned more difficult tricks and pushed himself further. His slopestyle competition went well, earning him a first-place finish, which he attributes to focused training on jumps. At the rail jam, Benjamin placed second, finishing just behind White.
“My first time competing was exhilarating, but also nerve-racking, having judges watch me,” Benjamin said. “I learned many of the tricks on the spot at the event, which was cool. I learned that I should train even harder in the future because I feel behind where I should be right now. I want to be a good skier when the competitions get harder and the skiers are better. The competitions were not as competitive as I thought they would be, but the crowds pushed me to throw bigger tricks and put on a show instead of being lazy.”
Benjamin has also enjoyed training with new team members and expanding beyond freestyle-only terrain. He believes incorporating all-mountain skiing into training has helped everyone become more well-rounded skiers. His favorite trick during competition was a lip-on rail slide to front 270 out, while his favorite tricks overall are backflips and big 360s. Although backflips may appear more intimidating, Benjamin notes that a 360 is fundamentally harder because it requires more precise mechanics, even if committing to flipping backward feels more daunting.
With their first competitions behind them, both Benjamin and White have gained confidence, experience, and motivation as the freestyle season continues.
