Tim Jitloff, like so many Lake Tahoe tykes, was on skis by two and freeskied through most of his youth. He stepped up to the U.S. Development Team in 2005, the same year he captured a Junior World Championship title, and is now on the cusp of his first World Cup podium.

After flashes of brilliance earlier in his career, Jitloff has established himself as one of the best giant slalom skiers in the world…and that’s saying a lot considering his biggest competition, Ted Ligety, is the best in the world. In fact, in training, "Jit" is often faster than Ligety. With four top 15 results under his belt, Jit skied consistently—and consistently fast—in 2015, grabbing a 9th place finish at Vail/Beaver Creek World Championships on home turf and finishing 17th place in the giant slalom World Cup rankings. And as if that wasn't enough, Jit walked away with his third-straight national giant slalom title at season's end in Sugarloaf, Maine.

The 2016 season was a more challenging one for Jitloff, though he skied to a seventh place in Alta Badia, Italy, giving him confidence that the top 10 is where he belongs. Jitloff finished the season with his first super G national title at Sun Valley, ID then spent early April at an on-snow training camp in Norway. While there, he ski tested with Croc Sports, and recently announced his transition to the new ski company. With the switch and his healthy and strong physical condition, Jitloff hopes to find his way back in the top 15 in the world in giant slalom, and on to the podium in 2017. Watch him!

FIRST TRACKS
As told by the man himself, “Since I lived in Tahoe, I grew up freeskiing all my youth and in that freeskiing, I found I enjoyed the thrill of racing. I've been doing both ever since.”

OFF THE SNOW
Jitloff is officially certified in SCUBA, but he's also into wakeboarding, surfing, road biking, hockey, golf and traveling. Practically a dual citizen, Jit splits his time between Reno and Bergen am Chiemsee, Germany, where he lives throughout the season with his fiance, Anja.