Dylan Udolf of West Hartford recently won a Nor-Am Snowboard race that earned him a spot at the World Cup Olympic qualifying event.

By Ronni Newton

Dylan Udolf has for years found a way to be an elite snowboarder as well as an exceptional student, and the Northeastern University sophomore from West Hartford now has the opportunity to chase one of his longtime dreams.

Udolf, a 2016 graduate of Kingswood Oxford School, recently competed and won a Nor-Am Alpine Snowboard race in Minnesota, and that win helped earn him a spot at the 2018 World Cup Olympic qualifier, which will be held in Rogla, Slovenia, from Jan. 20 -22, 2018.

“It has always been a dream of Dylan’s to go to the Olympics, but I think that’s true of most athletes,” said his father, Robert Udolf. “My wife, Danielle, and I always try to encourage Dylan and his sisters – Samantha (Harvard class of 2016, Harvard Ski Captain 2015) and Claudia (Tufts class of 2018, Tufts Squash Captain 2016) – to focus on one race or tournament at a time because when the focus is on the bigger picture it can be very overwhelming.”

Dylan Udolf has been snowboarding since the age of 6 and has achieved many successes in the sport, including twice winning the national Giant Slalom championship. He is a two-time Junior World Champion participant and holds 10 national titles.

Just last year Dylan Udolf qualified last year for international competition as part of the United States Snowboard Racing Team (USSRT). He was first named to the United States Snowboard Racing Development Team in the fall of 2015, just two years after rehabbing from a serious knee injury that resulted in surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus.

In 2016 he sustained a fractured shoulder socket, but that did not keep him from chasing his dream.

Dylan Udolf currentlly trains with both Josh Wylie (a former U.S. Snowboard Team member) and Lynn Ott (a current U.S. Snowboard Team member and World Cup athlete).

“Dylan will have two coaches supporting him on the hill [in Slovenia], so my family and I will be cheering him on in spirit and will stay home for this one!” Robert Udolf said.  

Dylan Udolf is also an avid community community service volunteer. He and his sisters founded Sam’s Race for a Place and to date have raised more than $60,000 to support the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield, MA.

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Dylan Udolf. Courtesy photo