Alice Duran (aka McKennis) Joins Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Coaching Staff
There is nothing more inspirational to an aspiring young athlete than to meet an accomplished athlete in their sport who has achieved at the highest of levels, and even more exciting, to spend a day being coached by them. SSCV is incredibly excited to provide the above opportunity to its athletes day in and day out through the hiring of Alice Duran (who many of you may know by her maiden name Alice McKennis) as a U12 alpine coach fresh off her World Cup career.
“Hiring Alice reinforces Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s continued commitment to excellence in coaching across all ages. This will be an amazing opportunity for young SSCV athletes to learn firsthand from one of the best in the world,” said SSCV Alpine Program Director Brad Wall. “On days when Alice is not coaching U12 athletes we expect her to have a tremendous impact across the entire alpine program, passing along her extensive knowledge and passion for developing strong speed skills across all ages.”
Born in New Castle, Colorado, Duran learned to ski at age 2 at Sunlight Mountain located near Glenwood Springs with her father and older sister Kendra. “I can remember holding onto my father’s ski pole as he taught me to turn! Some of my earliest memories skiing include the feeling of awe that there was so much to explore on the mountain and the freedom I had to ski my own way and find the speed for myself,” Duran said.
And speed she did find! Alice was a US Ski Team athlete for 13 years (2008-2021) and competed on the FIS World Cup circuit in both Downhill and Super- G from 2009 – 2020. As a two-time Olympian (2010 and 2018) Alice placed fifth in Downhill in the 2018 Olympics. She was a World Championships team member in 2013 and 2015, a World Cup winner and podium finisher and a three time US National Champion in Super G in 2015 and 2020 and Downhill in 2017.
When not training and racing herself, Alice shared her passion with the next generation of ski racers, coaching at Keely’s Camp for Girls and the American Downhill Speed Camp. In parallel with her stellar ski racing career, Duran made the time to earn her Level 3 PSIA Instructor license and pursue her higher education goals, currently working to complete her coursework for a Bachelor’s Degree in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship from DeVry University.
Wall said, “Results are one thing, but Alice is also known for her resilience and determination, successfully returning to World Cup competition after multiple season ending injuries. SSCV athletes stand to learn a great deal from the way she has faced and overcome adversity in her ski racing career.”
“I am looking forward to sharing the insights and knowledge I have gained from my 10+ years of racing on the World Cup with a younger generation. By having the opportunity to continue to be involved with ski racing which has meant so much to me throughout my life, and to share that passion with a younger generation, I hope to continue fostering the love of an incredible sport for generations to come”, said Duran.
“As a former athlete from the youth level all the way to the highest level I understand the challenges and what it takes to achieve big goals. I believe with my experience and insights taken from my own ski racing career I will be able to relate to the athletes of any age or ability and help them to get the most out of the sport that they can – not just from an athletic perspective but from a personal one as well.”
