Elite Athlete Spotlight: Sadie Hinson

As part of MMCF’s Elite Athlete Spotlight Series, I’ve been spending time riding chairlifts and skiing laps with some of the incredible young athletes supported through our Elite Athlete Grant program. This week, I met up with 14-year-old ski racer Sadie Hinson for a few slushy spring laps around Mammoth Mountain.

By this point in the season, Mammoth has fully entered spring mode. The snowpack is rapidly shrinking under warm bluebird afternoons and the occasional dramatic thunderstorm, leaving behind wet snow, deep ruts, and terrain that changes by the hour. Conditions that feel difficult for most skiers somehow still seem effortless for these athletes.

Sadie and I met around noon at Chair 1 on one of those classic sunny May afternoons. Quiet and easygoing, she immediately came across as someone who would rather let her skiing speak for itself. Originally born in New Mexico before moving to the Eastern Sierra at a young age, Sadie now lives in Lee Vining and commutes to Mammoth nearly every day for training.

As we made our way across the mountain, it quickly became obvious just how strong of a skier she is. At one point, Sadie casually informed me we were skiing a Super-G training lane while I bounced my snowboard through chopped-up spring snow trying desperately to keep up. Even well within her comfort zone, she was still absolutely smoking me down the hill.

Looking back on your season, what stands out most to you?

Sadie described this season as better than she expected in almost every way.

One of her biggest accomplishments was qualifying for Western Regionals, a milestone she had been working toward throughout the season. She also earned her first-ever top five finish at one of the final races of the year.

“At the beginning of the season I was mostly getting top-20 finishes,” she explained. “By the end of the year I was getting top-five and top-10 finishes, which was really exciting.”

Like many athletes this winter, Sadie also had to navigate inconsistent snow conditions and weather-related challenges. Living in Lee Vining added another layer of unpredictability, with difficult road conditions occasionally causing missed training days.

Still, she spoke positively about how much progress she made over the course of the season.

What were some of your biggest accomplishments this season?

For Sadie, the biggest takeaway from this season wasn’t just individual race results — it was seeing measurable improvement over time.

In addition to qualifying for Western Regionals and earning her first top-five finish, she said it was rewarding to watch her consistency improve throughout the year as her confidence grew.

Sadie competes in Slalom, GS, and Super-G events as part of Mammoth’s Alpine Team and will continue racing in the U16 division next season.

How did the MMCF Elite Athlete Grant support your season?

The MMCF Elite Athlete Grant helped offset many of the costs that come with competitive ski racing, especially travel and equipment expenses.

“It definitely made getting to races and traveling a lot easier,” Sadie said.

Traveling regularly to Tahoe for competitions and training weekends can become expensive quickly, particularly for families commuting from communities outside Mammoth. Sadie explained that the grant funding helped with race entries, travel costs, lift tickets, and equipment throughout the season.

One purchase she was especially excited about was a brand-new speed suit — her first that wasn’t a hand-me-down.

“That made a really big difference for me,” she said.

What does a typical training day look like for you?

Sadie’s days start early. After commuting from Lee Vining, she begins training mornings with team warmups that include dynamic stretching, agility work, balance exercises, and conditioning before heading out onto snow.

From there, the team spends hours inspecting courses, running training laps, and adapting to changing conditions throughout the day.

“It’s definitely a lot of dedication,” she said. “You have to be here every day, all day, training hard.”

She also pointed out that while ski racing may look glamorous from the outside, the reality can be physically and mentally exhausting — especially late in the season when conditions become rough and repetitive.

Outside of winter, Sadie stays active through summer workouts, hiking, and dryland training with teammates.

Who has been the biggest influence on your season?

Sadie immediately pointed to her dad as one of her biggest supporters.

“He drives me here every day from Lee Vining, helps me with my skis, and comes to almost all of my races,” she said.

Balancing school, travel, and high-level ski racing takes an enormous amount of family support, and Sadie spoke with a lot of appreciation for the sacrifices her parents make to help her continue competing.

What’s next for you?

Looking ahead, Sadie hopes to qualify for Regionals again next season, with Nationals remaining a longer-term goal as she continues progressing through competitive racing.

She also plans to continue focusing on Slalom racing, which she described as her favorite discipline.

When asked to describe the season in one word, her answer came quickly:

“Unpredictable.”

Given the constantly changing snowpack and weather conditions this winter, it felt like a pretty fitting answer.

Speed Round ⚡

Favorite Run at Mammoth:

Top of Chair 3 down through World Cup and St. Anton

Go-To Hype Song:

“Anyways” by Zach Bryan

First Chair or Last Chair?

Definitely first chair

Dream Place to Ski:

Canada — especially Whistler

Athlete Inspiration:

Mikaela Shiffrin

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Spending the afternoon skiing with Sadie was another reminder of just how much dedication these young athletes bring to their sport. Between long commutes, demanding training schedules, school, and competition travel, there’s an incredible amount of hard work happening behind the scenes that most people never see.

A huge thank you to Sadie for taking the time to ski a few laps with me, answer my endless questions, and once again remind me how fast Mammoth’s youth athletes really are — even in slushy spring conditions that felt more like survival mode for me than ski season. We’re excited to continue following her racing journey in the years ahead.