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.
- Castleton State College: BS Exercise Physiology
Contact Chris
churka@okemomountainschool.org
802.558.7205
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
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.
- Saint Michael’s College: BA Business Management
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.
- Castleton University: BS Communications
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.
- University of Vermont
- University of Connecticut
- Boston Architectural Center: BA Architectural Drawing
U16/U18 Assistant Coach
USSA Alpine Level 100 Certified Coach
Matilda was born and raised in Sweden, where her love for skiing began at the age of 3. By the time she was 6, she had already embarked on her ski racing journey. Growing up in Sweden, she had the privilege of exploring the beautiful slopes and snowy landscapes the region had to offer. Matilda's passion for skiing led her to attend a prestigious ski academy in Falun, Sweden, where she honed her skills for four years.
During her college years, Matilda continued her ski racing journey as a proud member of the Castleton University team. Her dedication, hard work, and competitive spirit fueled her success on the slopes. But Matilda's interests extend beyond skiing. In her free time, she enjoys staying active through workouts, embracing the great outdoors, and embarking on thrilling adventures while traveling. Additionally, she has a fondness for lacrosse, a sport that allows her to demonstrate her athleticism on a different field. Above all, Matilda cherishes spending quality time with her friends and family. Matilda is currently pursuing a Master’s in Educational Research.
- Castleton University, Bachelor of Science: Sports Management and BS in Business Marketing
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 rated skydiving coach.
- Castleton University, Bachelors of Science: Athletic Training
- Dale Carnegie Leadership Certification
U16 Assistant Coach
USSA Alpine Level 100 Certified Coach
Cameron grew up in New Jersey in a Cuban household, learning Spanish and English side by side. When he was young, he developed a love for snow sports and attended OMS. Shortly there after, he moved to Vermont. He now lives in Mount Holly with his dogs, cat, and chickens.
The 2023/24 season will be Cameron’s third year working with OMS. When he’s not teaching or coaching, he can be found attending concerts, hiking, or spending time in New York City.
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.
- University of Vermont: BA History
Assistant Snowboard Coach
USSA Snowboard Level 200 Certified Coach
Eddie is an assistant snowboard coach at OMS and is a GS/BX coach level 100 certified USASA coach. Eddie grew up in Florida in and around the skate and surf scene competing in ESASA in the bodyboarding class. After a trip to Colorado in 1995, he fell in love with snowboarding and for the next couple of years he snowboarded as much as possible. He moved to VT in 1997 and taught snowboarding at Okemo. Having great success as an instructor, he wanted to take things to a higher level. Along with Gordon Robbins and Rob Bevier, he helped start The Program (now known as Amplitude). After 2 years coaching The Program, he was offered the job as head coach at OMS. During his time at OMS, he traveled extensively with the athletes to competitions all over the US and New Zealand, where he also held summer camps for the OMS athletes.
We are pleased to have Eddie back at OMS working with our athletes in BX and Race training.
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.
Head Freeski Coach
PSIA Freeski Level 3 Certified Instructor
PSIA Alpine Level 1 and Children’s Specialist 1
USSA Freeski Level 100 Certified Coach
AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Certified
Billy grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and began skiing when he was 2. After high school, he moved out west and became a certified ski instructor at Deer Valley, UT in 2014. He spent his first 5 years in the ski industry as an instructor, and the past 5 years as a freeski coach at Seven Springs, PA. Over the years, Billy has been obtaining freeski certification through PSIA. In 2022, he became the first and only PSIA member in the eastern region of the United States to obtain the Freeski Level 3 Certification. He spent his last 2 seasons at Seven Springs as a Snowsports Trainer. In 2022, he joined USSS and gained his Freeski Level 100. When Billy is not skiing he enjoys spending his time playing guitar, mountain biking, and whitewater kayaking.
U14 Assistant Coach
USSA Alpine Level 100 Certified Coach
Sabrina began skiing at age 3 at Hunter Mountain, in New York. She began ski racing at age 10, and continued her career to race for Castleton University. She graduated from Castleton in 2018 with a BS in Secondary Education and History, which will be put to good use as she will be teaching Social Studies and English at OMS this year. Sabrina coached Goshen High School’s ski team in New York in 2018, to a successful season before coming to OMS. In her off time, Sabrina loves to pet dogs, read, hike, or do anything outdoors.