Coaches

Erik Petersen
Director/Head Coach
Erik grew up in Vermont and started skiing when he was 3 years old. He attended Colorado Mountain College and received his degree in Sports Science. He is 7 time All American and 3 time Overall Champion. He also attended BYU on a ski scholarship and was the NCSA School Champion. Erik has over 30 years experience in competitive ski racing, and he is an International Certified Coach with the United States Ski Association. Before coming to coach the NSCD Alpine Ski Team, he coached with Team Breckenridge and the U.S. Ski Team. Other interests are his family, running, volleyball, and golf.

Hiro Taniguchi
Coach, NSCD Alpine Ski Team
Born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1978, Hiro grew up ski racing and participated in many other sports. He studied abroad at ISU (Idaho State Univ.) 2001-2002 and coached young ski racers (aged 8-16) from Pebble Creek Ski Foundation. He studied on weekdays and traveled with racers around intermountain areas over weekends. After finishing his studies at ISU, he went to Mt. Hood Oregon and worked for Mt. Hood Summer Ski Camps. In the winter of 2002, he went to work for Bates College. After spending two years on the east coast at Bates College and Gould Academy with good memories, friends, and hard snow, he finally came back west to work for the Winter Park Disabled Ski Team in Oct. 2004.

Scott Olson
Coach, NSCD Alpine Ski Team
17 years ago Scott met a friend who had CP who talked him into going skiing. He loved the sport and the very next year he started teaching the disabled at the Courage Center. Scott also coached for the Forrest Lake High School Ski Team for 10 years and was also coaching the Courage Center Race Team for 8 years before moving to Colorado to coach for the NSCD Alpine Ski Team.  In the off season Scott loves to water ski.

Kurt Smitz
Coach, NSCD Alpine Ski Team
Kurt’s first memory of skiing was in Wisconsin when his father laced up Kurt’s boots put him on wood skis, and pushed him down the hill. This set in motion the path for the rest of Kurt’s life. Kurt eventually moved to Steamboat and became the coach for the Steamboat Winter Sport Club then moved onto coaching the DU Ski Team for 14 years. Before joining the NSCD Team Kurt spent a year coaching the US Disabled Ski Team. In his spare time Kurt enjoys spending time with his lovely wife of 4 years, Ces and remodeling their home.

Chris Bruno
Coach, NSCD Alpine Ski Team
Chris has been a volunteer for the NSCD Alpine Ski Team for 13 years. He came on board in 2006 as coach. He currently lives and plays in Winter Park Colorado.