Please join U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m. MDT for a digital panel, “Discussing Racial Diversity in Snowsports,” moderated by Henri Rivers, CEO, President and Founder, Drumriver Consultants; President, National Brotherhood of Skiers. We are bringing industry leaders and participants together to have a frank and open conversation about the current landscape of racial diversity in our industry and begin to talk through ways we can create a more inclusive community. How did we get here? What can we do better now? What do we need to work towards long-term?

As the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) for skiing and snowboarding in the United States, we have a responsibility to do better in supporting greater access to the mountains. Our first step in this process was (and is to continue) to listen, learn and let voices be heard. Opening up to these difficult, yet necessary discussions gives us hope that over time we can affect real change. 

Featuring:

This will be the first in a series of events we plan to host on the subject of diversity and inclusion as we continue to engage our industry partners and participants.  Please join us virtually on Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m. MDT.  

Register now! 
Join by computer via web browser
Join by mobile device via web browser or the GoToWebinar app
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2258376400854554128 
Webinar ID: 672-206-243

On Monday, June 8, we posted a letter from our CEO and President, Tiger Shaw, sharing how U.S. Ski & Snowboard was taking steps to develop a more inclusive and diverse community within the snowsports industry. 

Being open to different voices and taking the time to listen is our first step. One voice we’d like to share with you is African American Alpine Ski Coach Charles “Chuck” Harris. Chuck reached out to Tiger after reading the letter on our website, with his own letter. Chuck called us out, called Tiger out, and asked us to take a deep and critical look at ourselves. This lead to an extended conversation between Chuck and Tiger and will be the beginning of a productive, lasting relationship committed to affecting real change in creating more diversity in skiing and riding.

We recognize that as an organization we are not leaders on the subject of racial diversity. But our platform is large and so we are humbled and honored to share Chuck’s voice with our community and beyond. 

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Open Letter on Diversity in Our Sport

Mr. Shaw,

First I am an African American Alpine Ski Coach. 

I read your post on the USSA website regarding diversity. I must say you have a lot of work to do. I have been in and around the sport of ski racing for a great many years. I wonder if you actually realize how hard it is going to be to change the culture of our sport and the cities and towns where it resides. It will NOT be easy and it will be resisted. A lot of that resistance will not be overt but it will be there.

First let me address what you and the leadership of USSA know or don’t know. Do you know how many athletes of color are members of USSA? Do you know how many coaches of color are in USSA? How many alpine officials of color are members of USSA? How many people of color are in leadership positions in member clubs? If you have to scramble to find the answer or call over to membership, that is part of the problem. If membership doesn’t know that is an even bigger problem. Because that means it wasn’t important for you to know. In the time I have been here in the Far West (since 1994) I never once have seen the CEO at a divisional race. I would hope at some time the leader of US Ski and Snowboard would head out and see what goes on in this sport. If you want to change things you and the leadership need to get out to where things are happening at the ground level and listen without reservation. Yes you (USSA) did do the survey regarding women in the sport and yes women in this sport get treated very poorly by many of the men. I have often told some of my female colleagues “female is the new black.” You can take most of the negative comments regarding black people from 40 years ago, remove the slur for black and insert female or other slur. It’s the same degrading comment. The only thing that changed was the gender. Yet that same survey left me feeling that I and people that look like me in this sport are not important.

My involvement in Alpine Ski racing and the ski industry has given me some of the greatest moments of my life. There is something magical about alpine racing. Something pure. Athlete, mountain, clock. No judges it is fair down to its core. No judges no opinion, fastest time wins. Skiing has taken me to Europe and South America. It has made me not only bi-lingual but given me an extended family outside the US. My Grandmother was born in S. Carolina in 1885. 20 years after the Civil War. A woman with more grace and dignity despite what she faced in the world than I will ever have. For her skiing was like travelling to the moon. It was not even in the realm of the possible. Black people simply did not ski. For me 3 generations later to be a professional alpine coach speaks to my family's journey. One of the greatest moments for my family my mom and my aunts and cousins was seeing me march in opening ceremonies at the Olympic games. For my mother that was the culmination of a dream that took over 100 years of hard work. I wish my dad had been still alive to see it. But then it leads to the other question why am I the only one? Why after all these years are there so few that look like me?

Skiing has also produced moments of blinding rage. Rage that I have to choke down because reacting would only have negative repercussions for me in the long run. I can’t afford to be mad. I can’t allow myself to react. I ask you this. Have you ever been afraid of travelling to any community for a ski event? I have. Have you ever worried that you might reserve a hotel room and when you arrive it suddenly magically wouldn’t be available? That has happened to me. There are places I have had to go to in this industry where I order take out and stay in my room because I don’t feel safe in that community. In many cases if I do go out I only go in groups of other coaches that I know. Getting into an altercation with the locals or the local police would only serve to damage myself, my program and my athletes. In order for me to be able to move forward in my career I cannot fight back. Have you ever been pulled over by the police, had your truck searched, emptied onto the sidewalk and then been left there? The phrase “I have rights” never comes out of my mouth.  That would in most cases result in a night in jail and me not being on the hill the next day to do my job. How do you think I felt when I purchased a hot chocolate and coffee at a ski resort during a FIS race and looked at my receipt and it said “Ghetto Mocha”. After getting the Olympic coaching job from the Argentine Federation I had a parent say to me ”How did you luck into that job?” I just bit my tongue and replied ”I did the work”. All the work, study and years I put in to be awarded no earn that level of trust, taken down to “He must be lucky” You have to wonder why it is that at times I have felt more respected and welcome in Argentina than in my birth country. The same feeling my father had upon returning from Europe after World War 2.

There are many challenges facing people of color in our sport. For most of us professional involvement means that we will not be living and working in a location where there are many people that look like us. In some cases the Resort or club can be a warm welcoming place but the community not so much. Add to that factor that most ski towns do not have large populations of color to draw employees from. We are also in an arms race in this and other sports. There are parents with the “Country Club” mentality who will spend large sums of money on their child. That gives the impression that someone of modest means cannot afford to compete and that drives away talent. Because talent and inclusion is not what they want in the sport.

I would suggest you first find out who, and where we people of color are in this sport. Maybe reach out to Forrest Kingshaw, Schone Malliot, Eric Smith, Andre Horton, or myself. You will never know or maybe even understand what it’s like to be us. But at least you might get some guidance and perspective. The change we need in our country, society, and our sport will not be brought about by people of color. It can’t. We have been waiting for that change after how many repeated injustices. It will only happen when the rest of you say enough, we will not do this, we will not allow this anymore.

We have come to a crossroads here in the US. A fire is raging, a fire that was started by over 200 years of kindling. A few years ago after another incident of a police stop gone horribly wrong, one of my athletes asked me a question. This child looked at me and said “Stuff like that doesn’t happen to you coach?” I could see the look in his eyes when I told him “yes it has happened to me.” It gave me hope for our futures. I could see that he saw the injustice in it.  I could see that that type of injustice just touched home for him. A child KNEW it was wrong. And it broke my heart that I had to be the one to reveal that fact of life to him.

Respectfully,

Charles A. Harris
Coach lvl 400, TD 4, Ref 4, CO 4, Instructor National de Argentina (4)
Head Mens Speed Coach Argentina Olympic Team 2002
USSA Clinic Leader

U.S. Ski & Snowboard does not condone acts of violence, underage drinking, or discriminatory language or actions that criticize, ridicule or otherwise disparage another individual’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, or age. U.S. Ski & Snowboard recently became aware of content that portrays Deven and Kiernan Fagan behaving in a way that is in violation of U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Athlete Agreement and Code of Conduct. Effective immediately, Deven and Kiernan will be subject to a formal, indefinite suspension. Kiernan and Deven’s return to U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned activities is reliant upon completing diversity and sensitivity education. U.S. Ski & Snowboard will work closely with Kiernan and Deven in the coming months to evaluate their progress and team status.

I have been wrestling with what the right response is from us and me, as our country is rocked by unrest following the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. What can our organization do as a member of the bigger snow sports industry? The current state of affairs has necessitated much introspection. I want to share with you our initial reaction and plans.

As a lifelong member of the ski industry, I admit that it is easy to feel isolated from discrimination, racism, and inequality. The mountains are our safe haven and provide a convenient block from the broader pain and suffering of our world. I regret my lack of attention. As an industry, much work remains in creating wider access to the mountains.

It is no secret that U.S. Ski & Snowboard and our sports are historically white and despite many great programs in place, we could use more widespread initiatives for marginalized communities to participate. We could attempt to justify this with excuses, but when you drill down, the core issue is that there has been a lack of broad responsibility to do so. We can start by improving our organization, and better engage with and support those around us. We will lead by action and use our influence to help others.

This effort will not come without its challenges. Frankly, we have a long way to go to ensuring progress and creating more diversity across our industry. In 2017, U.S. Ski & Snowboard created the Diversity and Inclusion Committee which was tasked with assessing the state of diversity and inclusion in the organization and to make recommendations moving forward. In 2018, we committed to creating and executing a plan to develop a more diverse and inclusive community within U.S. Ski & Snowboard in line with our Mission and Vision, and our Diversity and Inclusion Statement. 

We have so far made progress in the area of gender equality, specifically creating more opportunities for women in coaching, as well as incorporating diversity and inclusion initiatives as part of our club certification process beginning FY20. But we need to make more headway in creating a real connection between the sports we love and underrepresented communities. 

Moving forward, we will not make promises we cannot keep, but will commit to tangible actions as an organization.

• We will host an Athlete Town Hall on June 18 focused on increasing diversity in our sport. We will discuss this topic and bring forth honest conversation creating awareness, and offering realistic steps towards making positive change.

• Locally, we will open the lines of communication with Park City and Salt Lake City-based non-profits to introduce underrepresented youth to winter sports and support the fight for racial justice. 

• Nationally, we will work with our member clubs to promote inclusivity at the grassroots level. Many clubs are extraordinary in this aspect but many also need our leadership.

• Additionally, nationally, we will open the lines of communication with organizations that work to promote the sports of skiing and snowboarding to underrepresented youth to understand how we can affect change.

• Internally, we will open new and replacement staff positions for longer amounts of time and use different advertising avenues than normal.

• We will engage experts to better guide and train us and our employees, on tolerance and diversity.

• We will step up our effort to better diversify our boards in all respects.

The sadness and confusion that has resulted from the tragic events have created a sense of unrest for many around the nation. We will use this moment as a catalyst. We hope to increase and celebrate diversity within the organization, our athletes, members, donors, and our fans across the world.

If you have thoughts, suggestions or ideas on how we can better ourselves and strengthen this organization by creating true inclusivity, please reach out.

Sincerely,

Tiger

Active Interest Media (AIM) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that NASTAR operations will transfer to its previous ownership, AIM. Through this transition, AIM and U.S. Ski & Snowboard will continue to partner in the marketing, promotion, and growth of the 52-year-old NAtional STAndard Race series that boasts more than 100,000 annual races at over 100 resorts around the country.

“NASTAR can trace its roots back to 1968 when the program was developed by SKI Magazine,” said AIM CEO Andrew Clurman. “We are excited to bring NASTAR back under our roof at AIM with SKI Magazine. AIM is well-positioned to continue to develop the lauded NASTAR brand, and we look forward to garnering greater awareness and participation in the sport of ski racing nationally.”

“NASTAR has always been an important entry point for aspiring racers to our development pipeline in alpine ski racing and we are excited to see it continue to grow under AIM once again,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “Many of the best U.S. Ski Team athletes got their start at NASTAR - a tradition we expect to continue. We look forward to working with AIM to inspire participants of all ages to get involved in ski racing.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will transfer operations to AIM in the coming months. AIM will handle all forward operations interfacing with resorts while U.S. Ski & Snowboard will complete any outstanding business operations from last season. Any advance registrations for the Nationals this year will be honored in 2021 and will be transferred to AIM in the transition.

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About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2020, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

About Active Interest Media
One of the world's largest enthusiast-media companies, Active Interest Media publishes leading consumer magazines such as Yoga Journal, Backpacker, SKI, Vegetarian Times, Sail, Old House Journal, and more. The company's five divisions—the Equine Network, Home Group, Healthy Living Group, Marine Group, and Outdoor Group—reach more than 39 million people in 85 countries. AIM also operates thriving B2B platforms, online universities, and retail events. Core competencies include lead generation, marketing services (through its in-house agency, Catapult Creative Labs), and video production. Its businesses include Warren Miller Entertainment, the most successful adventure-film company in history; IDEAFit, the world's leading organization of fitness and wellness professionals; and AIM Studios, a seven-person unit dedicated to digital video. Active Interest Media's customers are smart, engaged, and loyal, and they look to our brands for trustworthy information and services that will inspire and enable them to enjoy their passions.

Media inquiries:
Lara Carlton, lara.carlton@usskiandsnowboard.org
U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Jess McGee, jmcgee@aimmedia.com
Active Interest Media

Outstanding business regarding last season:
Lindsay Arnold, lindsay.arnold@usskiandsnowboard.org
U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Questions regarding all future activity:
Jess McGee, jmcgee@aimmedia.com
Active Interest Media

National Championships Entry Information
(855) 912-5965
https://nastarsupport.ussa.org

FIS Vice-President Janez Kocijančič has died after a long illness at the age of 78, Kocijancic served on the FIS Council since 1981 and was elected Vice President in 2010.

Kocijančič, who was also active in politics and business, was the president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee between 1991 and 2014, and headed the European Olympic Committees since 2017.

Born in 1941, he graduated in law in 1965 and earned a master's and a doctoral degree in the same field, while he also entered politics at a young age, presiding over the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia in 1968-1971.

Since then, he was active in business, including as the chief executive of the flag carrier Adria Airways between 1982 and 1993.

Kocijančič returned to politics in the late 1980s, and in 1993, two years after Slovenia gained independence, he became the leader of the United List of Social Democrats (ZLSD), the precursor of today's Social Democrats (SD). In the same year, he became a member of the National Assembly and stayed at the helm of the ZLSD until the end of his MP term in 1997.

But Kocijančič will be most remembered by his work in sports, where he has left an indelible mark, especially in skiing, while also serving at important international posts.

First, he headed the Ski Association of Slovenia (1974-1984) and Yugoslavia (1984-1988), before in 1991 after Slovenia became an independent nation, he led the creation of the Ski Association of Slovenia which became one of the most active FIS member nations.

Janez Kocijančič was also elected the first president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee and served at the post for more than 23 years. Since 2005, he was also a member of the executive committee of the European Olympic Committees, becoming the organization's Vice-President in 2013 and its President in 2017.

In 1981, Kocijančič was elected a member of the Council of the International Ski Federation (FIS), and served as vice president since 2010. During his outstanding service for FIS, Kocijančič began as a member of the Legal and Safety Committee. Alongside his role as FIS Vice-President, he also chaired the Marc Hodler Foundation Board and FIS Marketing Ltd.

He is the recipient of the Bloudek Award (1985), Slovenia's most prestigious sports accolade, and of the Norwegian King Olav Trophy (2014) for his global promotion of skiing.

FIS President Gian Franco Kasper said of Kocijančič, “FIS and the world of sport has lost a true friend. Janez Kocijančič was a dedicated member of the Council who served FIS and the sport with distinction and wisdom. His wonderful sense of humour will also be warmly remembered. It is with a heavy heart that I express the deepest condolences of FIS to his wife Andrea and their family, the Ski Association of Slovenia community and his many friends all over the world.”

Release courtesy of FIS