Deer Valley, Utah – Last winter, we packed up the family — my wife, our three kids, and way too many ski bags — and headed to Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. The mission? To try the famous Ski with a Champion program. Spoiler alert: it exceeded every expectation and then some.
Deer Valley paired us with Chris “Fuzz” Feddersen, an absolute icon in the freestyle skiing world. Three-time Olympian, U.S. Ski Hall of Famer, coached the 1998 U.S. Winter Olympic Aerial Ski Team to two gold medals. — The résumé is ridiculous. But what makes Fuzz truly special is the way he carries all of that with zero ego and 100% chill Park City local energy.
From the moment we met at the base, Fuzz had this perfect blend of laid-back vibe and hard-charging enthusiasm that instantly put everyone at ease — even our slightly nervous 5-year-old. He sized up our group in about thirty seconds and crafted the day around what each of us wanted: fresh powder for the grown-ups, fun side-hits for the kids, and perfectly timed hot-chocolate breaks when little legs started to burn.
And oh boy, does Fuzz know Deer Valley. He took us to secret powder stashes we’d never have found on our own, pointed out the sweetest lines through the trees, and somehow always knew exactly when to duck into a warming hut for cocoa and stories. Skiing behind an Olympian who can still send it with the very best on the mountain is one thing — having him cheer your kid through their first Utah tree run is something else entirely.
There’s an intangible magic that happens when you spend a day with someone who has dedicated their life to the sport you love. You feel the work, the passion, and the joy all at once. Deer Valley has done an incredible job curating a roster of champions who aren’t just insanely talented — they’re genuinely likable, patient, and fantastic with families.
Months later, the true impact still shows up at random moments. One of the kids will be staring at a steep pitch on the hill and suddenly say, “Do you think Fuzz could ski this line?” Or at dinner: “How many Olympics did Fuzz go to again?” That’s the mark of a great experience — when it lives on long after the lifts stop spinning.
So here’s the bottom line: skiing with new people is always fun. Skiing with an Olympic legend who also happens to be one of the coolest humans on the planet? Life-changing (or at the very least, vacation-changing).
Thanks, Fuzz. Thanks, Deer Valley. We’ll be back.