Angel Collinson joins the team from Backcountry.com on Vimeo.
Freeskier Angel Collinson announced yesterday that she has signed with Team Backcountry.com, whose roster includes such big-name skiers as Jenn Berg, Seth Morrison, and Grete Eliassen. Also on Team Backcountry.com is Collinson’s brother, Johnny, with whom she shares a strong skiing pedigree. As children the siblings split a five-by-twelve-foot bedroom in the employee housing of Utah’s Snowbird Ski Resort, where their father continues to work in the snow safety department.
Collinson, 20, exploded on the freeskiing scene this year, taking both the overall title in the U.S.-based Freeskiing World Tour and placing second in the Europe-based Freeride World Tour. This was just her second season competing in both tours. On her way to the podium, Collinson also had to endure the loss of her boyfriend, freeskiier Ryan Hawks, who passed away in March from injuries sustained during a competition at Kirkwood, California.
In the off season, Collinson attends the University of Utah where she’s studying environmental law on full academic scholarship.
No doubt both Collinsons will be worth keeping an eye on in upcoming seasons.
–Michael Webster