Tim McClellan

Tim received his award in 2012. With the use of his scholarship back he was able to compete in the Ski The East Freeride Tour. Although that season there was a low snowfall, he still managed to enjoy that season more than any other. Since then Tim has moved on the tremendous features and has much to fill us in on. Here is what he had to say:

Tim McClellan

“In August of 2012, I started school at UVM as an environmental science major. I quickly became involved in both the freeskiing team and the ski and snowboard club there. My home mountain shifted from primarily mad river to primarily Stowe, as that’s where the freeskiing team (UVMFST) was based. As an FST member, I continued to compete on the ski the East freeride tour throughout college. At the end of my second year at UVM, I became an officer on the FST with the goal of growing the

Tim McClellan

free ride side of the team. Also during my second year at UVM, I started filming with Ski The East for a number of different web series they were making. The Freeskiing Team remained a big part of my life during my time at UVM. During my senior year, I became president of the team which gave me an opportunity to expand it into the free ride sector of the sport even more. In 2016 I graduated from UVM with a degree in Environmental Science concentrating in Conservation Biology, and a minor in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. Over the course of my four

Tim McClellan

years at UVM, I met a ton of awesome people and got to travel all around Vermont, the East, and parts of the West. However, I still wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to ‘do’ with my life. After graduating, I continued to work for a local tree service where I had worked summers during college. That winter I coached for the Mad River Glen freeskiing team, something I had always wanted to do but didn’t have the time during college. During that year after graduation, for reasons familiar to all skiers, the call of the West grew stronger. In the fall of 2017, two friends and I

Tim McClellan

bought a bus, installed beds, a wood stove, and countertop for cooking, and moved to Jackson, WY. That winter all three of us got jobs working for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in their Retail Warehouse, a gig ideal for ski bums that gave us passes and allowed us to work only nights, and ski during the day. The Tetons exemplify western skiing to its fullest extent and getting to explore these mountains has been and still is an awesome experience. I’m now on my third winter in Jackson. The bus we drove here in is gone, but the generations-old story of an eastern skier reveling in the mountains of the West continues. In the summers, I am

Tim McClellan

still doing tree work. It turns out the skills I learned back in Vermont apply to Wyoming trees as well.

In the eight years since I first became involved with the Flyin Ryan Foundation, a lot has changed- I’ve gotten a degree, made new friends, held different jobs, and moved across the country. But a lot hasn’t. I still love to explore new places. I still enjoy meeting new people. And I’m still happiest when I’m spending time with my friends and family in the mountains.”