Two Vermont teens named to National Brotherhood of Snowsports team

Two Vermont youth athletes were named to the National Brotherhood of Snowsports 2026 team roster, according to a community announcement from the organization.

Bronson Culver, a ski racer from South Londonderry who attends Burke Mountain Academy, and Chelsea Charles, a ski racer from Winhall who attends Stratton Mountain School, were selected for the roster.

Youth athletes on the team will be recognized at the organization’s 53rd summit Feb. 28 to March 8 at Keystone Resort in Colorado, according to the announcement.

The National Brotherhood of Snowsports is a national nonprofit representing the largest network of Black and Brown snowsports athletes in the U.S. across more than 60 ski and snowboard clubs.

The team serves as the organization’s national development team, providing athletes with financial support, coaching access, structured competitive tiers and a long-term pathway designed to help underrepresented competitors advance through regional, national and international levels of the sport, according to the announcement.

The team is primarily backed by a scholarship fund started in the late 1970s, which provides need-based assistance for training, travel, competition and equipment.

The fund remains one of the nation’s longest-running support systems for underrepresented athletes pursuing elite competition, according to the group. The org has supported more than 45 athletes who have gone on to compete across regional, collegiate, national, Paralympic and Olympic levels, according to the

“The 2026 roster underscores the depth of emerging talent in our community and the strength of a development pathway that is guiding athletes toward the sport’s highest levels,” said Henri Rivers, president of the National Brotherhood of Snowsports.

Athletes selected to the team represent nine ski and snowboard disciplines, including alpine, freestyle, nordic and moguls.

Selections were based on national and regional results, progression benchmarks, training commitment and discipline-specific potential, according to the announcement.

The summit is the largest annual gathering of skiers and snowboarders of color in the United States and serves as the primary fundraising event for the scholarship fund, according to the org.

This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.