Bram Hikmate ’22 Founds Competitive Freeski Team at Westminster University

When Bram Hikmate ’22 arrived on campus, Westminster University did not have a freeski team. However, the school did have a competitive snowboard team competing in the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA).

Seeing the opportunity to continue competing in the sport he loves, with the help of two friends on the snowboard team, Bram put together a pitch to begin a freeski team: “It was something I really wanted. I just wasn’t quite done competing.” While it didn’t happen overnight, Bram’s hard work eventually paid off, and the team received approval from the school at the end of his sophomore year.

Building a Program

The team competed in three events during the 2024-25 season, including the USCSA National Championships. Reflecting on the team’s first trip to nationals, Bram said, “ It was cool to see how many schools were a part of it and how many like-minded individuals wanted to ski in college.  It meant a lot to me just being able to continue to ski in college.”

For his work helping launch the program, Bram was awarded the 2025 Westminster University Freeski Backbone Award. "Recognizing Unity, Commitment, and Reliability,” the Backbone award is given to the athlete who is the heart and glue of the team and goes beyond to uplift others and support their teammates. Fully deserving of this recognition, the award highlights Bram’s vision for the team: “Providing people with a place to improve and achieve their goals, I think that's really what I set out to do.” 

Success on the Slopes

Bram’s dedication to the team was rewarded entering the team’s second year: “That first year was awesome, but then the team doubled in size this year. Being able to welcome 12 or 14 new athletes and share the experience with them was amazing.” The team was also excelling on the slopes. At the 2026 USCSA National Championships, Westminster Men’s Freeski took first place in Big Air, Slopestyle, and Rail Jam, sweeping the podium in all three events.

The Women’s team placed first in both the Rail Jam and Big Air, with both teams winning the overall team National Championships. Bram claimed the top step of the podium in both Big Air and Slopestyle, closing out his collegiate career as a two-time National Champion.

While investing his time into the success of the freeski team, Bram had also taken on a large role in Westminster’s Ski and Snowboard Club. One of the largest clubs on Westminster’s campus, Bram didn’t pass up the opportunity to get involved. Joining as a board member his sophomore year, Bram served as the club president his senior year:

“Westminster, being where it is, right in the Wasatch Mountains, there's this huge ski culture. There's freestyle, freeride, backcountry, touring, heli-skiing; there’s every type of skiing and snowboarding you can imagine. From the club’s perspective, we just try to bring everyone together and create a community.”

From organising the sale of student ski passes, to hosting waxing nights, and running an outdoor gear drive in support of unsheltered persons in Salt Lake City, the club is a hub for those that enjoy snowsports. 

A Love of Competition

Bram’s love for the outdoors and competition was fully realized at Holderness: “Holderness teaches you a love for sports. For me, that meant beyond just skiing. I played both JV and Varsity soccer at Holderness. Then I joined the club soccer team at Westminster. Holderness instills in its students a love of the outdoors, being outside, and wanting to get the most out of your body.”

Finding a balance between his academics and athletics has been crucial to Bram’s success in college: “As a student-athlete in college, in the same way as when I was a student-athlete at Holderness, you need to effectively manage all of your responsibilities, projects, and homework, while still traveling and competing. Holderness teaches you how to balance everything, and I’ve carried that into my college career; it has been life-saving at times.”

As he moves on from collegiate skiing, Bram hopes others will take the initiative to start programs at their schools: “Creating a team through the USCSA portal is pretty easy. If you get to a school, they don't have a freestyle team, and you really want one, please hit me up. I can help you. It just depends on how bad you want it. If you wanna keep skiing competitively, it's actually not as hard as you think to make it happen. It definitely takes time, but you’ll find a lot of people, whether that's faculty, staff, professors, or other students, who are willing to help you and support you.”