Aspen Nordic skier signs with Bridger Ski Foundation’s pro team
Weiss Family/Courtesy photo
Anders Weiss spent this past week pumping his thighs and ripping across powder in an underground ski tunnel in Torsby, Sweden. The international Nordic workout was a monumental moment for the Aspen native’s career: He’s now training as a member of a professional team.
Earlier this week, the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club (AVSC) announced that Weiss, 20, signed with Bridger Ski Foundation’s Pro Nordic Team, a professional Nordic ski-racing team based in Bozeman, Montana.
“I was excited for sure,” he said Wednesday. “Last season, I had the opportunity to work alongside the pro team, and I was really lucky to do that and start building a relationship with the team and coaches, so I had a good idea of what it was going to be like.”
Weiss, an Aspen High School graduate, is a notable alumni of AVSC’s Nordic program, with many notable athletic achievements in his career. He represented the U.S. at the 2023 World Junior Championships at Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, and the 2024 OPA Cup in Toblach, Italy.
According to his online BSF Pro profile, he “fell in love with all things sports, such as skiing, running, and mountain biking at a very young age” while growing up in the Roaring Fork Valley. “He started his academic career at Montana State University in 2021 but decided after this first year that he wanted to chase his dreams of being a professional skier racer.”
Weiss skied with BSF Pro last season when he pivoted from collegiate skiing to pursue full-time racing.
“Anders Weiss was an easy pick for our roster this year,” BSF Pro Team Coach and four-time Olympian Andy Newell said in a news release. “He has shown his potential to compete against the best in the country through his junior results and shows promise in longer distances, as well. His third-place finish in the Boulder Mountain Tour last year was very impressive.”
BSF Pro placed second in the national rankings last winter and has become the team to watch for emerging talent. The team’s mission is to provide a clear development pipeline for racers to become U.S. Ski Team and Olympic-level competitors.
Weiss hopes to join the ranks of BSF Pro athletes that compete at the World Cup level.
“I am looking forward to continuing to train with and race for BSF Pro, and I’m feeling strong and excited for the upcoming season,” he said in the release. “I am grateful for this exciting opportunity.”
His ultimate goal? Becoming an Olympian.
“I was really stoked to get the spot and be getting that support,” he said of signing with BSF Pro.
Weiss was the 2022 recipient of AVSC’s Pursuit of Excellence and Andy Mill Awards. He skied with AVSC Nordic from second grade through high school.
In addition to previously representing the U.S. at World Juniors, he placed second overall junior (first U.S.) finish at 2023 U.S. Nationals. He nabbed a fifth-place finish U20 at Swiss Nationals and three top-10 finishes at U.S. Junior Nationals. He also achieved a top-five Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association finish and his top U.S. junior results at U.S. Nationals.
“Anders’ AVSC community is so proud to see him take the next step in his professional skiing career by joining the BSF Pro Team,” Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, AVSC Nordic comp team head coach, said in the release. “We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for him and look forward to cheering him on this winter.”
Anders is brother to fellow local Nordic skier Elsie Weiss. Their parents are Austin and Rebecca Weiss.
Ray K. Erku can be reached at (970) 429-9120 or rerku@aspentimes.com.
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