Elite Team - Lauren Samuels
Hometown: Golden Valley, MN
Birthdate: 10/13/92
Club: Rowmark Ski Academy
Equipment: Sponsored by Atomic skis, boots & bindings, Oakley goggles & eyeware, Keka shin guards, POC helmets, Slytech protective gear, Swix poles
Scholarship: National Brotherhood of Skiers - Olympic Scholarship Fund
Hobbies & Interests: Powder skiing, cliff jumping, math, science, art, physical therapy, design, soccer, road cycling, track, motocross riding, inline skating, hanging with friends and my brother, water sports and days at my Grandmother’s cabin in Minnesota.
BIOGRAPHY
Growing up in Minnesota, Lauren Samuels has mom, dad and brother Justin to thank for bringing her to local ski races at the age of 6. It didn’t take her long to figure out its way more fun to race than watch. Fast forward to 14 years old and she found herself in Aspen, CO on the Downhill, Super G and Giant Slalom podiums of 2007 Rocky/Central Division’s J3 Junior Olympics. Little did she know that Aspen’s challenging World Cup race run would continue to be the home of her most exciting race results year after year.
In the 2008 J2 Nationals, 2nd in Downhill. In 2009 J2 U.S. Nationals, 1st in Super – G, 2nd in Downhill, 2nd in Slalom and 1st Overall. Those impressive results earned her a spot on the US Ski Team – Development Team for the 2010 season. The U.S. Ski Team experience brought her to her first European FIS and Europa cup race starts. Climbing the ladder in the 2010 Nor-Am races, she once again found Aspen’s water-injected World Cup course to her favor with two Nor-Am Junior podiums – 1st place in Giant
Slalom and 1st in Super-G, along with a 3rd place overall Nor-Am finish in Super-G.
Lauren, a high school senior, is currently spending her 2011 season attending the famed Rowmark Ski Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah to finish her high school education. Rowmark is know for its high academic achievements and successful record of athlete
nominations to the U.S. Ski Team. After joining Rowmark this season, she was quickly accepted by her peers and nominated team captain. Lauren followed her bother’s footsteps in short time by breaking three long-standing school records in physical
testing. Lauren’s brother, Justin, took a similar path attending Rowmark and now attends Dartmouth College while combining NCAA Division I alpine ski racing with his engineering studies. Both Justin and Lauren have been supported in their skiing development through financial support of the NBS National Team Scholarship Fund.
With three years remaining as a FIS Junior competitor, look for Lauren to continue her quest to be named to future World Junior Championship teams, more international starts and return to the U.S. Ski Team.
