Visa Remains Committed to Supporting the Winter Olympic Games and the Athletes Who Inspire Millions to Reach for their Dreams

PARK CITY, UTAH  – Visa (NYSE: V) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced an eight-year sponsorship extension through 2026, including support of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The agreement also establishes U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, as Visa’s only NGB sponsorship.

Through the partnership, Visa is the title sponsor and preferred way to pay at both the online U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team Shop and the on-site merchandise experiences. When fans purchase team gear, whether shopping online or at domestic competition events, proceeds of each transaction will go towards supporting the team. Visa allows fans to complete seamless and secure payment transactions while supporting the dreams of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes.

“We’re thrilled to renew our sponsorship deal with Visa,” said Dan Barnett, chief marketing officer, U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Having a prestigious, global brand like Visa support our organization makes it possible for our athletes to achieve excellence in their sports and continue to fight to be Best In The World. Visa continues to be a champion of the global Olympic movement and we are excited that their commitment for the next eight years will have such a positive, direct impact on our athletes.”

Visa first became the preferred payment partner and proud sponsor of U.S. Ski & Snowboard in 1986, the same year it became one of the founding members of The Olympic Partners (TOP) program, a worldwide committee managed by the IOC.

“We are proud to extend our sponsorship of U.S. Ski & Snowboard through the 2026 Olympic Winter Games,” said Chris Curtin, chief brand and innovation marketing officer, Visa. “Being on the front lines of helping these exceptional athletes fulfill their Olympic dreams is so important to our entire organization. We look forward to supporting U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s athletes on Team Visa.”

In addition to U.S. Ski & Snowboard being the only U.S. NGB that Visa sponsors, the agreement also extends into supporting major events that showcase U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes in the run-up to the Winter Olympic Games.

“We are excited to see the extensive work of our teams come to fruition,” U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Dan Barnett continued. “We are working closely with Visa to help boost the overall awareness of the sponsorship as well as the outstanding athletes competing for podiums. Our goal is to not only feature the exciting events of our sport but boost the overall popularity of winter sports by attracting a broader audience both domestically and internationally.”

Visa will also support athletes at all Toyota U.S. Grand Prix events. Athletes are currently participating in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s hometown 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships presented by Toyota. The Championships are being held February 1 -10, 2019, at Solitude Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, and Park City Mountain.

A suite of inspirational digital assets will also be co-produced by Visa and U.S. Ski & Snowboard and launched throughout the season. Each digital series will take fans behind the scenes with U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and into their lives both in and out of competition as they journey across the world in pursuit of reaching the podium. This content will feature the dynamic athletes of U.S. Ski & Snowboard as well as Team Visa athletes who are on the road to Tokyo 2020.

Since 2000, Visa has been committed to the development and support of athletes worldwide when it founded the Team Visa program. To date, more than 400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes have taken advantage of tools, resources, and support needed to help them achieve their dreams.

For more information about Visa’s support of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, contact U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Marketing & Communications Director, Tom Webb, at tom.webb@usskiandsnowboard.org.

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About Visa
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/aboutvisa.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is an Olympic sports organization providing leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coached, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. Established in 1905, U.S. Ski & Snowboard receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund athletic programs to assist athletes in reaching their dreams. The organization is based in Park City, UT. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski & snowboard sports in the USA, announced today a multi-year partnership with Pacifico®, making the adventurous, Pilsner-style lager the official beer partner of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team.

“It’s exciting to bring a new brand into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family. Our fans are spirited, and we are excited for them to engage with the Pacifico brand at our many dynamic venues at our domestic events over the next four years.” U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Marketing Officer Dan Barnett

As part of the partnership, Pacifico will receive title sponsor rights to the snowboard events during the 2019 World Championships in Utah Feb. 1-10. These rights will include prominent Pacifico branding for snowboard halfpipe, snowboardcross, slopestyle, and big air events, as well as activation space in the vendor villages for experiential marketing opportunities.

In addition, Pacifico will be the founding partner for the highly anticipated City Big Air Series, premiering in 2019 and running annually for three years. The City Big Air series will be held in a different major metropolitan area each year and announcements for the showcased venues will be forthcoming.

To build on Pacifico’s connection with action sports and competitions, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard sponsorship will run through 2022 and the next Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Pacifico will engage and activate with fans, as well as receive branding rights, at all domestic World Cup events hosted by U.S. Ski & Snowboard for the next four years, including alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle and snowboard events. Pacifico will also establish an athlete ambassador program, highlighting high profile, legal drinking age athletes as they train and compete towards reaching podiums.

“On behalf of the Pacifico brand, we are very excited to be the Official Beer Partner of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team. Pacifico is brewed for those who follow their own path, and this team is made up of athletes that are pioneers in their sport.  We look forward to sharing Pacifico’s independent spirit with their fans.” Pacifico’s Senior Director Matt Escalante.

For more information about U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Pacifico’s partnership, contact U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Tom Webb, at tom.webb@usskiandsnowboard.org.
 

The federal law Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and SafeSport Authorization Act of 2017 is designed to protect athletes from abuse in sport. Join the more than 525,000 individuals who have completed the U.S. Center for SafeSport training. Do your part to prevent and respond to abuse in sports and keep athlete safety at the forefront.

For the 2019-20 season all U.S. Ski & Snowboard adult members, with the exception of some alpine masters racers, are required to complete training through the U.S. Center for SafeSport as a part of their membership. If you are involved in ski & snowboard and wish to take the Center’s core course, please contact Member Services at membership@usskiandsnowboard.org or 435.647.2666.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport also offers the following training for parents of athletes through their sister site www.athletesafety.org. 
 

Parent's Guide to Misconduct in Sport:

If you are a parent looking for resources on keeping your athlete safe, you can access the Parent Training at no cost. Simply create an account at www.athletesafety.org, add the parent training to your bag, and you'll be able to access the training.

The Parent's Guide to Misconduct in Sport is designed for the parents of athletes of all ages. This course explains the issues of misconduct in sport and helps parents ensure their children have a positive and safe sport experience.

Join us in working to ensure a safe environment for athletes!

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named Intermountain Healthcare an official medical provider of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team as part of a four year partnership. 

As an official medical provider of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, Intermountain Healthcare will serve as the freestyle title sponsor and snowboard associate sponsor for the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota. The Championships events will take place in Summit County, Utah, on February 1-10, 2019. 

“We are thrilled to have Intermountain Healthcare on board as our medical provider,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Marketing Officer Dan Barnett. “Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in extraordinary patient care and innovative medical technology and we look forward to working with them to help keep our athletes healthy and focused. Engaging Intermountain Healthcare in progressing our sports medicine department will help turn elite athletes into Olympians as they push their bodies every day to, and beyond the limits of their sports.” 

As stewards of healthy communities, Intermountain will partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard in creating three new certified Centers of Excellence (COE). This designation means U.S. Ski & Snowboard will install its COE system and processes into the certified site, as well as hire a new high-performance staff member to act as a liaison among U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the three new COE locations. 

These sites will implement a multidisciplinary approach to athlete intake and will provide high-quality, high-performance services, including Sports Medicine, Nutrition, Psychology, and Strength and Conditioning, to U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes at the national and club levels, as well as general recreational skiers and snowboarders. 

The three Intermountain COE locations will be: Intermountain Park City Hospital; Intermountain TOSH – The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray; and Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden. 

Intermountain Healthcare will play an integral role in elite snow sport athletes’ journeys to podium as a key sponsor during the 2019 FIS World Championship events in Utah in February. 

As the title sponsor of the freestyle events at Deer Valley Resort, athletes will don the Intermountain bib during the aerials, team aerials, mogul and dual mogul events. Intermountain Healthcare will also be an associate sponsor for snowboard events held at Park City Resort in halfpipe, slopestyle and big air, engaging with fans during the Championships in the Park City Village. 

As part of the multi-year agreement, Intermountain Healthcare will also serve as the title sponsor for the Freestyle World Cup in Deer Valley Resort during the 2019-2020 season, and beyond annually. This is the most anticipated event of the FIS Freestyle World Cup circuit, during which tens of thousands of fans watch the world’s best freestyle athletes compete under the lights across three nights. 

“Intermountain Healthcare has had the privilege of providing for and working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard for many years, and we are so excited for the opportunity to expand and deepen the relationship between our organizations,” said, Adam Chandio, Administrator of TOSH and Executive Leader of Intermountain Sports Medicine. “This partnership will allow Intermountain Healthcare and U.S. Ski & Snowboard to collaborate and share expertise that we feel will support both organizations’ goals of being models within their respective industries.  It also furthers Intermountain’s commitment to provide extraordinary care for our communities, many of which are home to members of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams.”

PARK CITY, Utah - Hip hop superstar Lupe Fiasco will be the headline musical act at the closing ceremonies of the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, taking place at Utah’s Solitude Mountain Resort, Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort February 1 - 10, 2019. The closing ceremonies will start at 4:00 p.m., February 10, on Park City’s Main Street, bringing to a close the largest winter sports event to take place in Utah since the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Joining Lupe Fiasco on the 2019 World Champs musical roster are The Main Squeeze, performing at the event’s opening ceremonies at Canyons Village, Park City on February 2 at 9:00 p.m., and Joe Hertler and The Rainbow Seekers who will be on stage at Canyons Village, Park City February 5, at 5:00 p.m. prior to the snowboard big air final at 7.00 p.m.

Lupe Fiasco is a true hip hop pioneer. A rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and community advocate, the artist rose to fame in 2006, following the success of his debut album Food & Liquor. Since then Lupe has released more than four acclaimed studio albums; his latest being Drogas Wave released in 2018.

Kicking off the 2019 World Champs musical offering are The Main Squeeze. From their origins as a jam/party band in Indiana, The Main Squeeze have been weaving the veins of rock, funk, blues, and R&B into modern song stylings. Now LA-based and with three albums under their belt (last one being 2017’s Without A Sound), festival appearances from KABOO to Bonnaroo, and features from Billboard and Rolling Stone, The Main Squeeze have a rich touring history including opening slots for The Roots, Jane’s Addiction, D.R.A.M., Mac Miller, Aloe Blacc, and Umphrey’s McGee, The Main Squeeze are launching into a new musical orbit with plans for a fourth LP in 2019.

Rounding up the musical roster are Joe Hertler and The Rainbow Seekers who are not to be missed. In their own words, the band “will make a sprightly young groove doctor out of anyone. With spectacular energy pulsating from every member of the band, the Rainbow Seekers could illuminate the very chambers of Heaven. Lead singer Joe Hertler splashes through lyrical puddles of golden rain, leaving his audience wearing flowery crowns and bubbling smiles. A ride on the Rainbow will take you across the mountains of Motown, through the fjords of folk, over the archipelagos of Americana, and-at last-into a funky firth, where only the fiercest of friendships can be found.”

For more information on the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, visit www.2019worldchamps.com

January 20 marks “World Snow Day,” a day to celebrate new snow experiences for children across the world. World Snow Day was created by the International Ski Federation (FIS) as part of their “Bring Children to the Snow” campaign to promote skiing and snowboarding to global youth audiences.

World Snow Day brings together children and families around the world, in over 469 events and actions taking place in 45 countries across five continents.

A key role of FIS is to organise international ski and snowboard competitions up through the highest levels, and the FIS is also committed to the global promotion and development of recreational skiing and snowboarding. As the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s mission is to lead, encourage and support athletes in achieving excellence by empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans.

Atomic, the official ski of World Snow day and partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, is giving away a family set of skis to celebrate World Snow Day. Enter to win by:

1. Taking your best family ski photo
2. Post it to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter
3. Add the hashtag #atomicsnowday
4. Then check world-snow-day.com on 20th January 2019 to see if you have won!

Many of the world’s elite ski and snowboard athletes would not be the snowsports heros they are if it were not for their first experience with snow.
“I love the snow, I love skiing. I remember my first day on snow, I was four, and I’ve been hooked ever since.” - 2018 Olympian, moguls, Morgan Schild

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced a new year-long lip care partnership with Aubío Life Sciences. Aubío will be an associate sponsor of 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, and will be activating at the events as well as at Mammoth Grand Prix, U.S. Alpine Championships and NASTAR Nationals. As the official cold sore treatment gel of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Aubío will provide high quality lip care to some of the world’s greatest athletes.

“Winter sports can be hard on your skin, so we are excited to be partnering with Aubío Life Sciences, making life on the road and competing comfortable for our athletes and staff. Aubío’s Cold Sore Treatment Gel is Labdoor Sports certified, and we are proud to partner with a company as committed to safety as we are,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Marketing Officer Dan Barnett.

The latest venture for the billionaire philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, and environmental activist John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell Hair Systems and Patron Spirits, is Aubío Life Sciences. Aubío focuses its vision on helping people to manage troublesome skin conditions. “I have invested in this company to make a tremendous difference, and I hope that people will be very pleased with wonderful results and the high quality behind Aubío,” said DeJoria.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced today that Timberline Lodge and Ski Area will serve as an Official Training Site for American ski and snowboard athletes through January 2023. This agreement will see athletes from U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the United States, training at Timberline Lodge and Ski Area through the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, and beyond, providing invaluable snow access as athletes train to reach podiums.

As the only North American ski resort to stay open 12 months a year, Timberline will provide consistent, world-class access to snow for elite athletes on the alpine, moguls, halfpipe, slopestyle and snowboardcross teams. Timberline will play an integral role in the training of many future U.S. Ski & Snowboard Olympians.

“This partnership with Timberline provides our teams with the benefit of easy access to world-class on-snow training throughout the summer. Timberline is well-known for its great conditions throughout the year, and is so accessible for our teams, allowing them to gain critical on-snow training time at multiple points throughout the summer. Training at Timberline is a mainstay for our athletes, supporting the summer training they need, and is a critical component of our drive to be Best in the World,” commented U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief of Sport, Luke Bodensteiner.

The partnership with Timberline will give U.S. Ski & Snowboard a solid basis to work from in laying down training strategy for the next four-year cycle in preparation of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Access to a domestic, year-round snow surface is invaluable for athletes competing in seasonal sports including ski and snowboard disciplines.

As an official U.S. Ski & Snowboard training site, Timberline will host an estimated 160 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and personnel across 45 days each year. Because Timberline has extensive terrain and year-round snow coverage, the resort is ideal for setting up the many courses necessary for training multiple sports disciplines. The alpine team will have access to two lanes, primarily slalom with some terrain build as conditions allow. The moguls team will have access to flats, a bumps lane and a jump. The freeski and snowboard team will have access to the halfpipe as constructed, an airbag, park jumpline and rails, one 55-65 foot jump as constructed (with the option for more as space and snow allows) and access to three variations of down rails and six other rail features – side and straight on entrance as constructed.

In addition to providing training for national team athletes, Timberline is also instrumental in supporting U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s talent development pipeline. Each year the U.S. Snowboard Team’s Project Gold program brings together the top junior athletes in the country in snowboarding and snowboardcross for an annual progressive talent development camp. The top juniors in the country, selected from Hole Shot and USASA Nationals, get the opportunity to train with the U.S. Snowboard Team’s national team coaching staff. Three development camps for Alpine are held at Timberline each year: Women’s Development Team, Men’s Development Team and U16 National Development. These camps focus on skills development in slalom and giant slalom.

“Timberline has a long and storied history as a summer training site for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. From Tony Sailer, Billy Kidd, Steve and Phil Mahre to Ted Ligety; from Cindy Nelson and Picabo Street to Julia Mancuso, Mikaela Shiffrin, Red Gerard, Shaun White and Maddie Bowman - all have trained at Timberline in the summer, as well as virtually all other U.S. Olympic Alpine athletes," commends Timberline's president, Jeff Kohnstamm, "We are very proud of this tradition and have worked with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to formalize our relationship. This will further meet the needs of U.S. athletes and promote the world-class summer ski and snowboard training that is Timberline’s Palmer Snowfield."