Meet Joey Nick: A Rising Star with an Olympic Dream!

Joey is 15 years old, a kind-hearted and humble kid who absolutely loves to ski. He dreams of representing the United States in the Olympics and X Games some day, and his chances look very promising. He has been formally competing in freeski for over 6 years now, with last couple seasons seeing exponential growth in his halfpipe skills. He was the youngest competitor on the FIS Revolution Tour (NorAm) halfpipe freeskiing circuit last season, holding his own with competitors five to ten years older than him. Joey won Gold at the USASA Nationals halfpipe (a junior national championship event) in 2024, and last year was selected by the U.S. Freeski team to forerun at the 2024-25 U.S. Grand Prix, a FIS World Cup event held this past December in Copper Mountain, CO. Joey is currently the 23rd highest-ranked American halfpipe skier in FIS. He’s gained a sterling reputation of being one of the most coachable and hardest-working athletes out on the mountain. You’ll frequently see him dropping in runs early morning and hiking up the Copper Mountain halfpipe deck at every open opportunity!

The logistical challenges: Just give Joey a chance to achieve his Olympic skiing dreams!

Competing at the highest levels of this sport requires extensive training year-round, not just during the few months of snow season in North America. The total training costs, including equipment, facility access, coaching, travel and lodging, easily exceeds $80,000 annually. The U.S. ski team’s development pipeline has no funding available for rising athletes like Joey, nor is the team provided any direct government support for funding of their current team athletes. Joey relies solely on the support of his parents, without any assistance from extended family, nor does he have a legacy of family wealth. His parents have had to make extreme sacrifices in his journey, incurring debt and often foregoing valuable opportunities they simply cannot afford. His dad, who works full-time at Caterpillar, has often taken on second jobs to cover expenses. They have permanently relocated twice in the past 5 years, from California to Utah to Colorado, in support of the best training and development opportunities for him. Living near ski resorts naturally comes with high costs of living, and despite a few minor but valuable equipment sponsorships, Joey still needs financial support to bridge the large gap and continue competing at this level. Finances are where Joey needs immediate help, allowing him to train with a clear mind, free of worry about money or any other limitations.

How you can help: Be Part of Joey's Journey

Any monetary contribution you feel led to make here for Joey would be received with extreme gratitude. All donations will go directly to his training costs. We greatly appreciate friends and acquaintances who are willing and able to help contribute, but also understand that many others are not in that position.

Even if you can’t contribute financially, you can still make an impact: