Frank Knaack

Assistant Snowboard Coach

Frank began snowboarding in the late 1980s and grew up competing in the Green Mountain Series (now called the Southern Vermont Series) and USASA nationals, where he won multiple events. He was part of the first class of snowboarders admitted to the Stratton Mountain School and after graduating from SMS he spent four years competing on the ISF World Cup and other professional snowboard tours throughout the U.S. and Europe. He is also a former member of the U.S. Junior World Snowboard Team. 

Since returning to Vermont in 2021, Frank has coached the weekend snowboard competition team at Okemo. He is excited to transition to OMS, where his daughter is a student and snowboarder

Prior to joining OMS, Frank spent 20 years as a human rights advocate across the U.S. and in the Middle East, including serving as the executive director of the ACLU of South Carolina, the Montana Innocence Project, the Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, and the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. As part of this work, Frank oversaw multiple development programs that achieved substantial revenue growth for the organization.

Frank is a graduate of the University of Vermont (BA in History and Political Science) and The American University in Cairo (MA in International Human Rights Law).

Frank lives with his wife and two children in Landgrove, VT.

Years at OMS: First year

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Ashley BillingsSnowboard
Cassy Gates

Head Freeski Coach

USSA Freeski Level 100 Certified Coach

Cassy is an Okemo Mountain School alumna who started her skiing career in alpine racing before shifting her focus to slopestyle. She moved to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, where she competed in slopestyle, rail jam, and big mountain events. Cassy served as captain of the CU Freeski Team and later returned as a coach for the program. She holds a U.S. Ski & Snowboard Level 100 Freeski coaching certification and is passionate about helping athletes progress their skills safely and confidently.
Outside of skiing, Cassy helps manage PinnaclX, a family-run unmanned aircraft systems company specializing in power line inspections, training, and consulting. She is an avid long-distance runner and also enjoys mountain biking and snowmobiling. Cassy lives in Ludlow, Vermont, with her fiancé and two dogs, Maple and Gracie.

Years at OMS: First Year

University of Colorado Boulder: B.A. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Ashley BillingsFreeski
Chris Hurka

Alpine Program Director

USSA Alpine Level 100 Certified Coach

Chris Hurka raced USSA out of Wilmot Ski resort before racing for Castleton State College. He coached for 3 years at Killington Mountain School under Stever Bartlett, US women’s team coach. He was then the head U19 coach for the Pico Ski Club and the Rutland High School team for seven years before coming to Okemo and coaching what was J4s and 5s (U14) for several years.

He lives in Clarendon, Vermont with his wife and 3 boys. He is a carpenter in the summer and specializes in building professional skate parks. Aside from skiing, he enjoys snowmobiling, bike riding, kayaking, and tennis.

Years at OMS: 12

- Castleton State College: BS Exercise Physiology

Contact Chris
churka@okemomountainschool.org

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KatieAlpine
Charles (Jet) Robbins

U14 Head Coach
Director of Development Camps

USSA Alpine Level 200 Certified Coach

Jet grew up racing in Vermont at Killington and Pico. He graduated from Castleton State College; Jet had the privilege of competing in USCSA Nationals the last three years of college. Jet served as a U18 and a U16 Coach at Stratton Mountain School. He currently lives in Tinmouth, Vermont with his wife, Shelby, and two children. In his free time, he enjoys being with his family and participating in outdoor activities, especially water skiing.

- Castleton State College: B.S. Business Administration

Contact Jet
jrobbins@okemomountainschool.org
802.353.8691

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KatieAlpine
Mike Cronin

U12 Head Coach

USSA Alpine Level 300 Certified Coach

Mike grew up skiing Mount Ascutney almost every day after elementary school. While attending Saint Michael’s College in Colchester VT, Mike spent as much time on snow as possible while earning a degree in Business Management. Mike promotes a strong fundamental foundation, good technical mechanics, and an overall love of skiing in his athletes.

Years at OMS: 14

- Saint Michael’s College: BA Business Management

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KatieAlpine
Bobby Jones

U16/U18 Head Coach

USSA Alpine Level 300 Certified Coach

Bobby grew up skiing in Western Massachusetts and racing out of the Tri-State division of USSA as well as racing FIS all over New England. He raced all four years at Castleton and competed each year at USCSA Nationals. He was team co-captain his senior year and the USCSA Thompson Division Skier of the Year in 2010. Bobby enjoys fishing, hiking and golf in the off season.

Years at OMS: 13

- Castleton University: BS Communications

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KatieAlpine
Marc Stuart

U16/U18 Assistant Coach

USSA Alpine Level 100 Certified Coach

Marc competed on the US Ski Team from 1979-1981 and was a past competitor in the Europa Cup. He then went on to a professional alpine ski racing coaching career for over 30 years. In 2008 he was named Ski Coach of the Year. Marc coaches the U16 athletes at OMS and lives in Ludlow with his family.

Years at OMS: 34

- University of Vermont
- University of Connecticut
- Boston Architectural Center: BA Architectural Drawing

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KatieAlpine
Luke Bonang

Freestyle Sports Program Director/ Head Snowboard Coach

USSA Snowboard Level 200 Certified Coach

Luke is a Vermont native who graduated from UVM in 2003. After college, he spent the majority of his winters out west, where he spent a five years in both Colorado and Mammoth Lakes. He was a rider with Rossignol Snowboards during college on a regional level in California. He was also involved with several Rossignol promotional and business projects, including event promotion, product evaluations, team focus groups and being an RS Coach in France.

During the off-season, Luke works as a dry stone mason. Outside of coaching, Luke enjoys the outdoors, sports-related activities, fishing, music, traveling, and spending time with his wife, Michelle, his three children, Henry, Luke, and Livvy, and his dog, Trooper. Luke lives in Weston, VT.

Years at OMS: 16

- University of Vermont: BA History

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KatieSnowboard
Nate Bedell

U18 Men’s FIS Assistant Coach

USSA Alpine Level 200 Certified Coach

Nate has been ski racing since 2016. He joined his high school team and later Smugglers Notch Ski Club, and ultimately the Castleton Ski Team for four years. Nate has been coaching his whole life in many different sports, including a master instructor rank in taekwondo. He started ski coaching in high school through local Learn to Ski programs and later coached the U10 group at Smugglers Notch. Nate is a USPA Tandem rated skydiving coach.

Years at OMS: 3

- Castleton University, Bachelors of Science: Athletic Training

- Dale Carnegie Leadership Certification

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Guest UserAlpine
James "Hobie" Chittenden

Assistant Snowboard Coach

USSA Snowboard Level 100 Certified Coach

Hobie began his snowboarding career in the early 1990s and continued through the early 2000s. He played a significant role during the heyday of East Coast snowboarding, when Vermont hosted the US Opens. A competitor in all events, consistently in the top 10 national rankings. His skills landed him a spot as a playable character in Xbox game Amped, also recognized in magazine publications and ads, often featuring him on covers. His highlights are collaborating on his pro-model snowboard and exploring Europe, capturing footage, competing, and indulging in the thrill of riding.

After his pro snowboarding career, Hobie transitioned into a different profession. For two decades, he dedicated himself to logging and timber harvesting. However, his love for snowboarding never waned. He is grateful for the OMS coaching opportunity, and a return to his snowboarding roots. 

He resides in Londonderry, VT with his wife and their two children. When he's not on snow, he can be found skateboarding, dirt biking, engaging in outdoor activities, or tinkering with small engines. 

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