Alli Macuga Wins Big in Big Mountain Competition on Jupiter Peak

Parkite Alli Macuga Photo: Wendy Macuga

PARK CITY, Utah. — Alli Macuga, a senior at Park City’s Winter Sports School, enjoys more skiing in a month than most people fit into a season. Competitive in the disciplines of moguls and big mountain, she came in first in Jupiter Bowl on Thursday in the latter, after winning Jr. Nationals last year in the former. The competition in Jupiter was attended by teams from Alta, Snowbird, Sun Valley, Snowbasin and Park City.

“There are no announcements or spectator areas so I had to guess which one she was from the run next to the hill,” said Amy, Alli’s mother, highlighting some of the trials and tribulations ski parents experience compared to say, football, with its named jerseys or swimming with its assigned lanes.

Alli competes in Big Mountain in Big Sky this weekend, then it’s a big trip to Switzerland for the Big Mountain Junior World Championships.

Team Macuga, as Dad Dan calls it, consists of all the siblings. Samantha Macuga, who’s on the USA Nordic National Ski Jumping Team, just returned from Europe, where she scored at her first FIS Continental Cup and has also competed on the World Cup level; she’s also a part-time Dartmouth student. Lauren Macuga is currently in Italy representing the US Alpine Ski Team, specializing in the speed events of Super G and Downhill, and is an online student at Colorado University at Boulder. Daniel Macuga, a sophomore at the Winter Sports School, races for the Park City Ski and Snowboard Alpine Team, where his results in Super G at Jackson Hole earlier this year qualified him for the upcoming Regionals in Mammoth.

Proudly professing “Our kids are fueled by USANA vitamins” is Amy’s answer to those inquiring the secret to their success.

Park City’s many Macugas are well on their way to continued competition and academic alliances.