Snowboard — Coaches — Okemo Mountain School

Luke Bonang

Freestyle Sports Program Director/ Head Snowboard Coach

USSA Snowboard Level 200 Certified Coach

Luke is a Vermont native who graduated from UVM in 2003. After college, he spent the majority of his winters out west, where he spent a five years in both Colorado and Mammoth Lakes. He was a rider with Rossignol Snowboards during college on a regional level in California. He was also involved with several Rossignol promotional and business projects, including event promotion, product evaluations, team focus groups and being an RS Coach in France.

During the off-season, Luke works as a dry stone mason. Outside of coaching, Luke enjoys the outdoors, sports-related activities, fishing, music, traveling, and spending time with his wife, Michelle, his three children, Henry, Luke, and Livvy, and his dog, Trooper. Luke lives in Weston, VT.

- University of Vermont: BA History

KatieOctober 8, 2017Snowboard

Eddie Johnson

Assistant Snowboard Coach

USSA Snowboard Level 200 Certified Coach

Eddie is an assistant snowboard coach at OMS and is a GS/BX coach level 100 certified USASA coach. Eddie grew up in Florida in and around the skate and surf scene competing in ESASA in the bodyboarding class. After a trip to Colorado in 1995, he fell in love with snowboarding and for the next couple of years he snowboarded as much as possible. He moved to VT in 1997 and taught snowboarding at Okemo. Having great success as an instructor, he wanted to take things to a higher level. Along with Gordon Robbins and Rob Bevier, he helped start The Program (now known as Amplitude). After 2 years coaching The Program, he was offered the job as head coach at OMS. During his time at OMS, he traveled extensively with the athletes to competitions all over the US and New Zealand, where he also held summer camps for the OMS athletes.

We are pleased to have Eddie back at OMS working with our athletes in BX and Race training.

KatieOctober 6, 2017Snowboard

James "Hobie" Chittenden

Assistant Snowboard Coach

USSA Snowboard Level 100 Certified Coach

Hobie began his snowboarding career in the early 1990s and continued through the early 2000s. He played a significant role during the heyday of East Coast snowboarding, when Vermont hosted the US Opens. A competitor in all events, consistently in the top 10 national rankings. His skills landed him a spot as a playable character in Xbox game Amped, also recognized in magazine publications and ads, often featuring him on covers. His highlights are collaborating on his pro-model snowboard and exploring Europe, capturing footage, competing, and indulging in the thrill of riding.

After his pro snowboarding career, Hobie transitioned into a different profession. For two decades, he dedicated himself to logging and timber harvesting. However, his love for snowboarding never waned. He is grateful for the OMS coaching opportunity, and a return to his snowboarding roots.

He resides in Londonderry, VT with his wife and their two children. When he's not on snow, he can be found skateboarding, dirt biking, engaging in outdoor activities, or tinkering with small engines.