As the history of Sun Valley skiing stretches across generations, with powerful alpine racers, high-flying snowboarders, backcountry legends and gold medal winners, the next generation is not far behind. And of all those amazing athletes that have graced Bald Mountain, one skier is rising to the top: Toby Rafford.
Rafford, 22, has quickly established himself as one of the breakout names in competitive freeride skiing. Entering his second season on the Freeride World Tour (FWT), Rafford returns with momentum after a remarkable rookie campaign that saw him finish third overall. His debut season included two podium finishes—a second place at the 2025 Baqueira Beret Pro and a third at the YETI Xtreme Verbier—earning him 29,020 points and the 2025 Men’s Rookie of the Year title, presented by Swissborg.
“Rookie of the Year was my biggest goal so far in my skiing career,” Rafford said. “To achieve that is special to me, and to get third place overall on that circuit was the biggest moment in my career.”
Skiing runs deep in the Rafford family. His parents, Gabby and Kyle, introduced Toby and his sister, Addison, to the sport at an early age, making days on the mountain a family tradition. Addison, two years older, was the first to take her skiing seriously through the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF), where she discovered her passion for moguls and freestyle. “She just had this fearless style,” Toby explained. “She loved the creativity of it.”
That creativity took Addison far—she became an accomplished competitor on the FWT herself, finishing the 2022 FWT–Americas season at the top of the standings with 5,000 points and two first-place results. Watching her success, Toby naturally followed in her tracks.
“Shout out to my sister,” he said. “She really showed me the way. I just did whatever she did, and it was the best thing that could’ve happened. Watching her career unfold has been amazing, and I think she’s learned a lot from my mom and dad. I’m thankful for those three people in my life.”
Watching Rafford shred high peaks offers a glimpse into his training. He and Addison went through the SVSEF on the mogul team, giving both Rafford skiers the style and bravery to tackle big mountain skiing. Growing up, skiing Bald Mountain didn’t hurt either.
“Every year I realize how special Sun Valley really is,” Toby noted. “Everyone who comes here to ski knows this place is legit. This mountain shapes excellent skiers.”
Despite his early success, Toby doesn’t forget his upbringing. The Raffords moved from Burlington, Vermont, to Sun Valley when Toby was 4 years old, and he’s been shredding the mountains here ever since he was a little grommet.
He credits the carefree ski team days, and the hours spent ripping around on Baldy with his friends, as at least part of the reason he received Rookie of the Year.
“More importantly, those smaller moments mean so much to me,” he reflected.
Now, as Rafford enters his sophomore season on the FWT, he carries both his family’s ski heritage and his sister’s freestyle influence into every run. His mix of technical precision and creative style has already earned him a reputation as one of the most promising riders on tour, and all signs point to more big results ahead. He has his sights set on the 2030 Olympics in the French Alps, where freeride skiing will aim to make its debut as an official Olympic sport.
Rafford was also officially named to the roster to compete in the first-ever FIS Freeride World Championships in Andorra, Spain, in February 2026.
Other aspirations include continuing to film with local big ripper Karl Fostvedt. “Karl has been a huge inspiration to me,” Rafford noted. Rafford will also be featured in Armada’s much-anticipated film, “ORNADA,” which took over two years to film. The film will showcase Rafford’s talents on display in Alaska where filming took place last spring.
When he’s not skiing worldwide, Rafford usually spends the summer in Sun Valley, which he claims is the best reset and recovery from a vigorous ski season. He works summers at Sturtevants and does the usual Sun Valley summer activities: hiking, biking, and going to Redfish Lake in Stanley. However, there’s one summer activity he loves the most. “I love skateboarding,” he shared. “I skateboard every evening.”
As his career begins to take off and reach another level, Rafford still dreams of his perfect day:
“Christmas break at Sun Valley and wake up to a fresh 12 inches,” he said. “Wake up Addie and go to Warm Springs. Nobody in the lift line. Go all the way up Challenger lift to the top and do Picabo Street top to bottom non-stop. Get an Irving’s hot dog, then hit the hot pool.”