Ruka Recap: Back The Team Mentors Shine in season opener

There’s something electric about the first World Cup of the season. Our Back The Team mentors delivered special performances that remind all of us why youth athletes look up to them and why we’re so proud to stand behind them.  

From podium finishes to breakthrough runs, our mentors didn’t just compete. They set the tone for the 2025-2026 season ahead.

Tess Johnson: A Statement Start

Tess came out firing: sharp, composed, fierce. In the first women’s moguls event of the season, she stood on top of the podium with a World Cup win, earning her first career yellow bib. She followed up her victory with an incredible performance in duals finishing with a fourth place performance.

So many young athletes in our community look to Tess as the gold standard of consistency and heart.

Tess’ mantra? “Believe.” She says it often. In Ruka, she lived it.

Nick Page: The Bar Rises Again

Nick threw down with the kind of precision that turns heads — technically brilliant and mentally grounded. In Sunday’s opener, he led the way for the U.S. men with a 3rd-place podium. On Monday, he backed it up with a strong 4th-place finish.  

The combination of calm under pressure is exactly what he teaches in mentorship sessions, and seeing him model it on a World Cup stage was a masterclass in poise.

Jaelin Kauf: Speed, Grit, and a Comeback

Few athletes in the world bring the raw speed Jaelin brings to every course and Ruka was no exception.

But the weekend didn’t start the way she’d hoped. A crash in qualifying on Sunday kept her out of the final. But in classic Jaelin fashion, she regrouped, reset, and propelled herself to the podium with a 3rd-place finish in Monday’s duals.

Her resilience and race-day presence is exactly why she’s a world-class mentor to the next generation.  

Why This Matters to Back The Team

Ruka was a reminder that the athletes leading our mentorship programs are currently writing their own legendary chapters.

Our mentors don’t just show up once a week to pour into young athletes. They walk onto the biggest stages in the world… and show exactly what it looks like to compete with courage, resilience, humility, and heart.

Moguls mindset mentorship continues this January with 2x Olympian, Philippe Marquis. Registration is live and spots are limited. Claim yours today: Back The Team x Philippe Marquis.

For media & press inquiries, please contact info@backtheteam.org directly.