Coaches and Staff
Erik Flora
Program Director & Head Coach, University Elite Team
Erik has pursued a life of ski racing through being a coach and competitor. As an athlete, he skied at a National and International level. Erik has been with APU Nordic Ski Center since 1996 as an athlete, then coach and now Director. As a coach, Erik has helped athletes achieve their goals. A three-time Olympic coach and personal coach to World Cup and World Championship medalist, he has been recognized by the United States Olympic Committee for National Coach of Year (all sports), National Coach of year for Cross Country Skiing, and Development Coach of the Year for Skiing. The United States Ski Association (USSA) has recognized Erik with Cross-Country Domestic Coach of the Year, Cross-Country International Coach of the Year, and Development Coach of the Year. Under Erik’s direction and leadership, APU Nordic Ski Center also won two USSA Cross Country Ski Club of the Year awards. When he isn’t coaching, Erik loves to spend time with his wife, Gretchen, and their three children in the mountains of Alaska.
Galen Johnston
Head Coach – Junior, Devo, Grom, Master & Tour Program
Galen was born and raised in Talkeetna, Alaska. He first learned to ski as a mode of transportation from his home, to the nearest road a mile away when he was two. Galen grew up climbing, skiing and travelling with his parents from a young age. His family often camped out in venue parking lots the night before Besh Cup races (even in Fairbanks.) At age 11 Galen became the youngest person to summit Denali. This upbringing instilled an adventurous and playful spirit in Galen that he still holds onto. Galen skied for Susitna Valley High school until his senior year in 2008 when he enrolled and raced for APUNSC through the Early Honors program. Galen then pursued studies at UAA and raced for the Seawolves for two seasons. Now, Galen loves coaching a spectrum of ages and abilities from Jr. Nordic age kids as young as five, to APUNSC masters pushing 90. Galen has been coaching full time for APUNSC since 2014. If you don’t find Galen on the trails coaching, or somewhere waxing skis for the next race, you’ll likely find him off gallivanting in the mountains with his wife Cheyenne, daughter Raven, and dog Norton.
Eliza Rorabaugh
Head Coach – Junior & Women’s Group | Program Coach for Masters & Elite
Eliza grew up skiing and racing in Fairbanks, Alaska. The youngest of three sisters, Eliza was eager to follow in their active footsteps. This led her to engage with the outdoors regularly. Eliza learned to ski as soon as she could walk, and grew to love racing even in the cold Fairbanks temps. After going to West Valley High School, she continued her ski racing career at Williams College in Massachusetts. After college, she continued to pursue a future with cross country skiing by becoming a coach. Eliza began ski coaching in 2017 for Auburn Ski Club in Truckee, California. In 2019, after two seasons in California, she moved to Anchorage and began coaching with the APUNSC Junior program for the 2019/20 season. Eliza also assistant coaches for the APUNSC Women’s group and West High School. In her spare time, Eliza likes going for long runs in the mountains with her dog, Poppy.
Forrest Mahlen
Program Coach – Elite Team & Other Programs
Forrest began skiing for APU as a Devo in 2005 and progressed through every program we offer. He spent his first two years of undergrad at APU during which time he qualified for two World Junior Championships. Forrest then took a three-year hiatus to race on the NCAA circuit for MSU Bozeman where he finished 5th at the NCAA Championships. After graduating with a degree in Political Science he returned to APU to continue racing and attend the APU MBA program. During his time as a professional racer, he compiled 20+ top 10 Supertour and USN finishes, several podiums, and one victory. He qualified for the 2021 Quebec and Minneapolis Sprint World Cups, but they were canceled due to the pandemic. Forrest now coaches across the program and works in the office providing support where it is needed. He says he is excited to experience the coaching lifestyle, but he is really looking forward to when he is even older and finally gets to join the Master’s team and can truly claim to have experienced all APU has to offer.
Charlie Renfro
Head Coach – Groms
Charlie has been a long-time coach with APU since it’s earliest beginnings with the Devo program. Taking a coaching hiatus for family and work, Charlie has come back to coach with APU now leading our youngest ski program, the Groms! Charlie’s love for skiing, activity and the outdoors makes him the perfect fit to lead this energetic bunch of young skiers.
Hailey Swirbul
Head Coach – Devo
Hailey learned how to ski in her hometown of Carbondale, Colorado. Though she preferred resort skiing as a kid, the goldfish and hot chocolate after Nordic practice kept Hailey coming back for more. By 5th grade, Hailey tried her first nordic races and realized the sport was pretty dang fun! Hailey came to Alaska in 2016 to ski for UAA and pursue her civil engineering degree. She qualified for the US Ski Team D-Team in 2018 and made the switch to join the APU Elite Team that same year. Hailey competed at all sorts of competitions over the last 5 years from Super Tours, Senior Nationals, Besh Cups, World Cups, and the Olympics, and she decided to retire from full time racing in the spring of 2023. Hailey is glad to understand the importance of sport far beyond the race course, and looks forward to sharing her love of skiing in a new role in the ski community! Currently, Hailey works full time as a civil/transportation engineer in Anchorage, and she enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities where time allows.
Rosie Frankowski
Head Coach – Morning Masters | Program Coach for Masters & Other Programs
Rosie returns to APUNSC as a coach after eight years racing on the Elite Team (2014–2022). As an APU athlete, she competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the 2019 World Championships, and on the World Cup circuit. Originally from Minnesota, Rosie skied collegiately at Northern Michigan University before making Alaska home. Rosie also and APU Alumni, having received 2 Masters degrees from APU while training with the Elite Team. She loves coaching adult skiers of all abilities, with a special passion for technique clinics, interval workouts, and helping make Nordic skiing more welcoming and accessible. Outside of coaching, Rosie is completing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, teaches yoga, works part-time in tech, and directs a volunteer kids’ skiing and biking program at the Mountain View Community Center. She’s always up for swapping berry-picking and mushroom-hunting spots, talking about watercolor and painting (and any art in all its forms), dreaming up a new international travel adventure, or trading book recommendations.
Dane Karch
Program Coach – Devo
Dane grew up in Mammoth Lakes, California, where skiing has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. After high school, he moved to Alaska and started his education at APU while skiing for the Elite team. He has raced at the Junior National and National levels with APU and hopes to pass on his love for skiing to the younger generation!
Penny Smythe
Marketing & Development
Penny graduated from the University of Denver in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications. She grew up in Baltimore, MD and moved to Anchorage in 2005 having worked in all facets of the marketing and communications fields for both private, public and non-profit sectors. Penny started working for APUNSC in 2019. She is proud to provide support for APUNSC through fundraising, marketing, communications, and other management for the ski center. Growing up, Penny played every sport thrown her way and found her stride as a competitive ice dancer. She ad her ice dancing partner, Tim Jones, were the 1998 U.S. Novice Ice Dancing National Champions moving onto compete internationally on the World Junior Circuit for the U.S. Figure Skating Team. While skating competitively, she trained at the University of Delaware. Penny learned to cross-country ski and found the juxtaposition between skating and skate skiing was natural transition. Penny has a love for coaching and working with all age groups. She has coached and taught ice skating, sailing and soccer since 1999. In her spare time, Penny loves to spend time with her 2 children, Eloise and Abe, and husband, Dale camping, boating, fishing, skiing, skating, traveling and anything else that revolves around fun in the outdoors.