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Meet the Instructors
All of our instructors at Mammoth Mountain are certified with the official PSIA-AASI (Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors) program, unless otherwise mentioned. There are three tiers of certification with 3 indicating an instructor who has gone through the most training available (also called "fully-certified").
Andrew Braddy, Snowboard, Alpine
Ski
Level 2 certified Snowboard instructor and Level 1 certified Alpine Skiing instructor, teaching groups, families and individuals of all ages.
About Andrew: Andrew comes from Melbourne, Australia and has taught snowboarding, alpine skiing and cross country skiing for the past four years. He prides himself on his patience with both kids and adults, from learning the basics to working in the bumps and steeps. In his free time you'll find him jogging up the hill to Main Lodge, snowboarding in Forest Trail Park or skiing bumps in West Bowl! He does however miss his two-year-old nephews back home in Australia and he can't wait to teach them to ski. Andrew speaks intermediate Spanish.
Alex Di Ricco, Snowboard
Level 3 certified Snowboard instructor teaching all ages & levels with a special emphasis on turning cautious students into confident ones!
About Alex: A former Video Game Designer and IT Professional from San Francisco, Alex realized that life on the snow was a lot more fun than life behind a computer. His philosophy on instructing: "I'm not just teaching, I'm hoping to inspire a lifelong passion for snowboarding." Alex has been sharing his love of snowboarding with students since 2001.
Ben Manning, Alpine Ski
Level 2 certified Alpine Skiing instructor.
About Ben: Ben is now in his 19th season at Mammoth Mountain, only kidding. He moved here 19 years ago and was on the Mammoth Junior Race Team from 1993-2002, also working as a Coordinator for four seasons at Main Lodge. He has now been teaching for three seasons, plus one winter in New Zealand. He has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Chico State University, and was ski instructor of the year in 2010. Every Tuesday you'll find Ben racing in the Village Championships over on Fascination at Main Lodge, and at 3pm most days you'll find Ben getting those last few runs with the three o'clock club skiing out of Eagle Lodge.
Eric Christian, Snowboard
Level 3 certified Snowboard instructor specializing in all ages and levels as well as park and pipe freeriding.
About Eric: Originally from Goshen, Connecticut, Eric has been teaching snowboarding for 17 years. Off the slopes he lives a "double life" as a musician and audio engineer. "If I'm not on the mountain you can find me either playing my bass guitar or running a PA system at a local concert or event."
Gary Paolino, Snowboard, Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Snowboard and Alpine Skiing instructor giving equal patience to all ages and abilities.
About Gary: Gary has been teaching at Mammoth for three decades. His greatest pleasure while teaching is getting to introduce groomed-run skiers to the non-groomed areas of Mammoth Mountain in a safe way. "Skiing is my passion," he says, but in the summer you can find him paddling into waves or hitting the golf course.
Greg Vautour, Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Alpine Ski instructor teaches all levels of adults and children.
About Greg: Greg divides his time between Mammoth and his native Vermont. He has been teaching skiing for 36 years, while in summers manages a large estate property in the green mountain state. "It's nice being close to my family for at least half the year, but I always look forward to returning to sunny California for the winter."
Heidi Goodwin, Alpine Ski, Telemark
Ski
Level 2 certified Alpine Ski and Level 1 certified Nordic Downhill (a.k.a.Ttelemark) Ski instructor specializing in teaching kids and families ranging in age from 2 to 72.
About Heidi: Heidi has taught skiing at Mammoth since 1994. She has lived and worked all over the world: in Mt. Baker, Washington, Antarctica, Brass Monkey, Montana, and Salzburg, Austria. "I am an artist, ex-mineral exploration geologist, ex-wilderness ranger in the Eastern Sierra. A well-traveled dilettante, I am a knowledgeable tour guide relishing my hours as your instructor on a powder day, or any day!" She especially enjoys teaching children and speaks basic Spanish as well as English.
Henry Schlotzhauer, Snowboard, Telemark
Ski, Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Snowboard instructor, Level 1 certified Ski instructor, specializing in all ages and all abilities as well as park and pipe freeriding.
About Henry: Henry grew up in Bozeman, Montana surrounded by the snow so loves to enhance his students' experience. He spent two years in Southern Germany as an instructor, and has been teaching at Mammoth for two winter seasons. Henry is energetic and has a very outgoing, enthusiastic teaching style – his students are guaranteed to have a lot of fun! An avid rock climber Henry loves the outdoors, even in winter you will find him trying to climb as much as possible, spending his summers back in Montana. In his own words "I adapt my teaching style to suit my individual student needs, I want them to achieve their goals in the lesson. Most of all I get huge satisfaction from seeing my students succeed, and have a blast in every lesson". Henry was recently awarded the Black Diamond Service Award at Mammoth Mountain for providing continued exceptional guest experiences.
Joe Gilman, Snowboard, Alpine Ski
Level 2 certified Snowboard instructor who is also certified to teach skiing.
About Joe: Joe is a New Jersey native who has been teaching snowboarding and skiing at Mammoth Mountain for nine seasons. Joe specializes in snowboard coaching and park riding and has coached in the Southern Hemisphere over the last few summers. In his spare time Joe enjoys bowling, walking the rivers of the Owens Valley and enjoying the company of the great people of Mammoth.
Josh Vale, Alpine Ski
Level 2 certified Alpine Ski instructor, specializing in teaching all ages and all skill levels with a patient, fun approach to learning.
About Josh: Josh is originally from Ohio and has been teaching at Mammoth since 2006. In his words "I'm passionate about teaching and helping people to further enjoy their experience on the snow, and most of all have a fulfilling, fun lesson". When not on the snow you'll find Josh rock climbing at various destinations, he loves to travel in the summer to find some of the best climbing terrain. During the summer months Josh also works as a Field Biologist for the Forest Service in the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains, so he knows the area very well. At 3pm most day's you'll find Josh getting those last few runs with the three o'clock club skiing out of Eagle Lodge.
Julia Findley, Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Alpine Ski instructor.
About Julia: Julia teaches all levels and all ages, speaks basic Spanish and is a California native. She has been teaching skiing on the ultimate Mountain...Mammoth, for 35 years, "My office is this mountain. Giving students the knowledge and the tools of alpine skiing so they may experience this incredible mountain with confidence and joy is my passion. I get to change lives everyday...how great is that? The summer season brings the bounty of the things of summer, in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains or at the sea shore. In the summer I am Mrs. DoubtFUR....home and pet caretaker."
Kate McCleish, Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Alpine Ski instructor.
About Kate: Kate was born and raised in Czechoslovakia where she grew up skiing in her back yard. Her passion for skiing really developed when she started skiing at Mammoth in the 1970's. Kate has been teaching for 19 seasons. She finds teaching skiing very rewarding and her goal for every student is to love skiing as much as she does. On her days off you can find Kate searching for the perfect moguls or some untracked powder. Kate spends the off-season in Southern California and traveling with her husband, Bill.
Nick Yuki, Snowboard
Level 3 certified Snowboard instructor.
About Nick: Nick is a Malibu-born snow, surf & skateboard lover, former San Diego ocean lifeguard and junior lifeguard instructor, who lives in Mammoth and New Zealand, with a last name that is literally Japanese for snow. He is exceptional at teaching shredders of all ages and levels from their very first experience all the way to advanced park, pipe, and powder lessons. He specializes in enthusiastic energy, all mountain knowledge, and patience focusing on the core concepts of how to have a great Mammoth Mountain experience through safety, fun, and learning.
Michael "Fitz" Fitzmaurice, Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Alpine Ski instructor who takes great care with coaching hesitant adults and seniors to enjoy the skiing experience.
About Fitz: Fitz hails from Philadelphia and has taught skiing at Vermont (six years) as well as Mammoth (since 1978). He spends the summer traveling with his wife and dog and of course, golfing here in Mammoth: "In the summer I truly enjoy working at the Sierra Star Golf Course – great team, excellent customer relations...and playing golf!"
Patti O'Donnell Dawley, Alpine Ski,
Telemark Ski
Level 2 certified Alpine and Nordic Downhill (a.k.a. Telemark) Ski instructor specializing in teaching kids of all ages.
About Patti: Patti has called Mammoth home since the winter of 1982/83, and has been teaching skiing since 1988. Originally from Camarillo, California, she says her favorite time of year in Mammoth is spring: "We can still ski and enjoy warm weather stuff too!" -- like hiking with her two dogs. Patti speaks some Spanish. She is also Level 1 certified for adaptive skiing.
Rebecca Vokaty, Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Alpine Ski instructor with a particular strength in teaching women and children of all levels.
About Rebecca: Rebecca lives back-to-back winters, following the snow between Mammoth and New Zealand's Cardrona Alpine Resort. She has done this for 14 seasons along with her husband. "Summer? What is that?" she jokes. "Oh, it must be the time I spend mountain biking, hiking, camping and traveling before I head to New Zealand for another winter." Rebecca is originally from Wollongong, Australia.
Richard Naunton-Evans, Snowboard,
Telemark & Alpine Ski
Level 3 certified Snowboard instructor, Level 2 certified Nordic Downhill (a.k.a. Telemark) Ski instructor, Level 1 certified Alpine Ski instructor, Level 2 certified Children Specialist, and a Instructor Examiner. Teaches all levels and all abilities from green circles to black diamond runs, from park to killing the steeps!
About Richard: UK born on Hayling Island on the South Coast of England, Rich is a world traveler. Starting out with five years in France running private chalets and freeriding. Followed by two seasons in Greenland with his last 10 seasons in the USA between Lake Tahoe and Mammoth. Richard likes to do back to back winter seasons previously in New Zealand and recently in Australia – he loves the snow! However he does like to take some time out and hit the surf and have some 'beach' time. In his own words "I like to tailor my teaching style to my students learning needs and abilities, whilst being patient and most importantly fun!"
Ryder McCormack, Snowboard, Alpine
Ski
Level 3 certified Snowboard instructor who also teaches skiing.
About Ryder: Ryder is a Newcastle, Australia-born instructor who enjoys tailoring lessons to his students' differing needs, whether they are families, groups or individuals with different abilities and interests. In his own words, "I'm passionate about Mammoth and snowboarding and enjoy sharing that passion with others." Since 2002 Ryder has been showing students how to make turns on a snowboard; he leads the occasional skier down the hill as well. In the summers you'll find him instructing scuba diving in tropical destinations.
Stephen Rubacki, Snowboard
Level 2 certified Snowboard instructor.
About Stephen: Is originally from England and has been teaching at Mammoth for three seasons, although he has been on the scene for six years after a full season riding and being trained by Mammoth's finest. Stephen believes in the three P's: Park, Pipe and Powder. In the summer months Stephen runs a music venue and bar back in England, occasionally driving a tour bus to summer music festivals.
Wes Morrison, alpine ski
Level 3 certified Alpine Ski instructor specializing in moguls, off-piste, steeps and backcountry (alpine touring) for all ages.
About Wes: Wes has lived in Mammoth and worked at Mammoth Ski School since 1995. "After falling off my first chairlift ride at the age of four, I decided to become a ski instructor. This was not easy, as I grew up in Santa Barbara and spent most of my free time surfing." Since living in Mammoth he has become a skilled winter sportsman, now guiding ski tours in the backcountry and testing and buying skis and boots for a local gear shop.
