Paul Crews, Program Director
Paul grew up at Alyeska and was the Alaska Division Champion in 1964 and 1965.  After skiing for Western State College (Colorado).  In 1971 Paul was named to the U.S. Ski Team where he raced the downhill event.  Paul retired from racing to become head coach for ASC from 1975 through 1981.  Paul was the Alpine coach at the University of Alaska Anchorage until he retired in 2002.

J-1/2 Coaches

Andy Gannon, Head Coach, J1/2 FIS Coach
Andrew began ski racing with Ski Club Vail as Buddy Werner kid (J4/5/6). Moving east to NH in 1978 he spent the rest of his time junior skiing for Crothced Mountain Ski Club, a grass roots program started by Ted Sutton in Francestown, NH. Upon graduation from Contoocook Valley Regional High School he attended UNH. In the fall of 87 Andrew enlisted in the US Army. In 1994 after leaving the Army he enrolled at UMass Amherst as an exercise and sport science major, and began his coaching career with their alpine teams. Upon completion of his studies he spent the next five seasons as the head alpine coach at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH. Here he also worked as the assistant track and field coach. Andrew is currently in his fourth season with the Alyeska Ski Club
   
Matt Underhill, Assistant Head Coach, J/2 FIS Coach
Matthew began his ski racing career at Mt. Sunapee in New Hampshire, where his dad (Robert Underhill) is still involved as the head coach.  As a J3, Matt moved up the road to work with Jeff Pier at the Ford Sayer Academy in Lyme, NH.  As one of the best aspiring juniors to come out of New England, Matt’s racing career was cut short by a knee injury.  In the fall of 2001, Matt traveled the Alaska Highway to start his coaching career with the Alyeska Ski Club.  In his sixth year with our club, Matt continues to foster our home-grown talent.    

Matt Hood, Assistant J1/2 Coach
I learned to ski at Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe VT when I was 5 years old. When I was in elementary school, I started racing for the Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS). I trained with GMVS through high-school and raced for my local high-school ski team. Despite my desire to move to the west and become a ski bum, my parents insisted I go to college first. So in the fall of 1996 I dragged my heels across the border to NH and attended Dartmouth College. I raced for the Dartmouth Ski Team development program for four years. After graduating in 2000 with a BA in Engineering Sciences, I stayed for two more years to get my Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and to assistant coach for the Dartmouth Ski Team, once again delaying my future Ski Career. In 2002 I finally left the East Coast and drove to Alaska. I only lasted a few months before heading to Utah to live out my dreams at Alta and to dominate the Alta town league racing circuit. Much to my chagrin, by the end of the season I discovered that I had stayed in school too long and that my student loans were too large for me to afford on a ski bum’s salary. I was pulled back to Alaska in the Spring of ‘03 by my future wife Erin and started working for the Muni as a Structural Engineer.  In the Fall of ‘04 during dryland training, my wife overheard Sparky and Duffy discussing their need for more coaching staff and I was literally signed up before I knew it. The ‘06-’07 season will be my third season with ASC and will continue my progression out of student loan debt and my return to the skiing lifestyle. When I’m not on the hill I currently work for Reid Middleton Structural Engineers, designing the buildings in and around Anchorage.
 

J-3 Coaches

Neil Barkel, Lead J3 Coach
Neil is the latest addition to our staff.  Neil grew up and raced in Michigan and brings many years of coaching experience to our program.      

Chris Bataille, J3 Coach
Started skiing at age 2, started racing at age 10, New Hampshire state team and U.S. Development Team (Eastern Region) 1971-73, Rocky Mountain Junior National team 1973-74, Nor-Ams 1975, Professional and Semi-pro racing circuits in East and Europe 1978, 1979, Northeastern University Ski Team head coach 1979-80, Junior program coach Crotched Mountain N.H. 1981-1982, Fairbanks Alpine Coach 1983-1991, Program Director/Head Coach Moose Mountain Alpine Sports Club 1992-2004, Certified USSA coach since 1984, awarded National Level coaching certification at U.S. Ski Coaches Academy 2001. Worked with European coaches on FIS circuit winter of 2001-02, organized and directed summer ski camps in French Alps summers of 2002 and 2003.

Scott Dahl
Scott began skiing and racing in South Central Alaska in the early 1970’s and  competed through his junior years for the Alyeska Ski Club. After taking time off to compete for the Western Region team in the Nor-Am series, he returned to Alaska to race for the UAA ski team. After completing 4 years of college racing and earning his degree in engineering, Scott relocated to Juneau and began coaching with the junior program there. After 3 years of full-time coaching in Juneau, Scott returned to Anchorage and was the lead J3 coach for the Alyeska Ski Club for the 1992-1993 season. Over the last 14 years  Scott has continued to enjoy coaching youth sports, as time allows, through the ASC Devo program as well as local competitive soccer programs.  

Julie Pierre LeClerc, Assistant J3 Coach
Julie started ski racing in Bromont, Quebec at the age of 5. She skied for the Eastern Town Ship and Quebec teams, and raced the FIS and Nor-Am circuits. She won a couple FIS races before coming to Alaska to ski for UAA in 2002. Her best results were all 4th place in SL. She has also qualified 3 times for NCAA Nationals. She has completed her 4 years has an athlete and is still to this day, completing her bachelor’s degree in professional piloting and aviation management. Julie was also the 2006 Arctic“woman” alpine winner. She is starting her second year with the Alyeska Ski Club coaching J3s. Besides skiing, Julie loves to play soccer and certainly needs to stay active.
   
J-4 Coaches

Ari Stasney, Lead J4 Coach
Ari Stiassny, a J1/2 Assistant Coach, started racing in 1990 in Anchorage, AK, competing in the Gary King Youth Ski League races for team Spyder. Ari graduated from Robert Service H.S. in 1999. Named to the AK elite team and AK alpine academic team in high school, his ski racing ambitions and academic endeavors led him to Whitman College, where he competed at the USCSA collegiate level for three seasons. Ari graduated from Whitman with a degree in Biology in 2003. Since then he has spent summers commercial fishing, working as a National Marine Fisheries observer, and working for Fish and Game in Emmonak, AK. The past three winters Ari has been skiing in Chamonix, France, Innsbruck Austria, and Park City, UT; before returning to Alaska last season after a much too long six winters away. Along with skiing, Ari enjoys ski touring all the mountains he used to look at from Alyeska, but have only recently been fortunate enough to start climbing. Other interests include sailing and beach combing Alaska’s coast, hiking, hunting, and reading.
   
Martin Stewart, J4 Coach
Martin grew up ski racing in the great state of Wyoming in the late 1960’s and 70’s. A graduate of the University of Wyoming (’82), Martin has been coaching for 12 years beginning with the Alyeska Mighty-Mites, progressing to the Devos, and is now in his third year with the J4 program. Martin has been a member of the Alyeska Ski and Snowboard Club board of directors since 1998 and is now the sitting president. In the real world he is the chief operations officer for Alaska Telecom and enjoys being with his family while skiing, biking (co-founder of Mighty-Bikes), hunting, fishing, and flying.