As we were heading to visit her reindeer from 2013, aptly named “Rudolph,” two-time Olympic champion, five-time World Champion and reigning overall, super-G, giant slalom, and slalom World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin says, “For the first time in what seems like years, Levi feels like a winter wonderland. There’s SO much snow.” At that very moment, Laplanders zoomed by on a cross-country trail to our right - making it seem like a normal mode of transport here in Levi, Finland (actually, it kind of is). Mikaela’s focus remained on what was in front of her, though: a baby reindeer who has not yet been named, and accompanying slalom victory number 41. 

First of all, let’s talk about Lapland, Finland’s northernmost region. Santa Claus literally lives here (not kidding - his house is skiing distance from the top of the gondola, left one minute), the elves' hideaway - Tonttula - is about a 10-minute drive away, when it’s clear the Northern Lights come out to play, and people commute via ski or reindeer and sled. It's a sparsely populated, yet magical area bordering Sweden, Norway, Russia, and the Baltic Sea. It’s known for its vast subarctic wilderness, ski resorts and natural phenomena including the midnight sun and the Northern Lights. It’s also the homeland of the indigenous Sami people.

When Mikaela kicks out of the start gate on Saturday, she will kick off her bid towards a seventh slalom World Cup title, and when she does, she’ll be on the cusp of making history. Yes, you read that right - AGAIN! Mikaela is currently tied with the legendary Swede Ingemar Stenmark, for the all-time slalom win record (40). If you know Mikaela, you know she’s never been one to be motivated by records, or one to focus on the numbers. Even though Santa will be present, Mikaela will likely not be asking for win number 41. She wants to earn win number 41 - fair and square. 

To say the odds look good, would be an understatement, as the last 20 women’s World Cup slalom races were either won by Mikaela (16) or Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová. Mikaela has recorded a top-two finish in 19 of the last 20 women's World Cup slalom races, including in each of the last 11, with the only exception a DNF in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Jan. 28, 2018. Yes, the odds look supreme. With her Levi victories in 2013 (Rudolph), Sven (2016), and Mr. Gru (2018), Mikaela can become the first alpine skier to win four World Cup races in the winter wonderland. She now shares the record of three with Maria Höfl-Riesch and Marcel Hirscher. 

Mikaela will not only have to fend off her rival Slovakian Petra, but the Swiss Wendy Holdener as well. The two have a notorious podium relationship - one that Wendy is determined to turn the tides on, though. Wendy has collected 22 World Cup podium finishes in slalom, but has yet to claim her first victory. This stands as the current record for most World Cup podiums in a single event without winning, four more than the previous record by Hubert Strolz (18) in the men's giant slalom. In the final slalom of the 2019 season in Soldeu, Andorra, the victory slipped through Wendy’s fingers when, after having had the lead after the first run, she finished second to Mikaela by a mere .07 seconds. For Switzerland, their World Cup-winning drought of 154 races in the women's slalom is their longest in any event. "Sendy Wendy" wants to change that. 

Meanwhile, back in Levi near the team's hotel, Mikaela visited with her reindeer Rudolph - the other two were back at the farm - and met this year’s male baby reindeer. When asked in 2016 by CNN why she named the first reindeer “Rudolph,” she replied, “because then everybody knows, no matter how old or young you are, that Rudolph the Reindeer exists.” Back in 2013 when she first met Rudolph, she said “I think we will be getting along. I hope that when he gets older and trained I can go for a ride on a sled with him.” There have been no sled rides yet, but the new baby reindeer was immediately drawn to Mikaela. Coincidence? We think not. Okay, it could have been the food...but he did seem to like Mikaela. Perhaps a good omen for Saturday?

For the region of Lapland, far, far in northern Finland, reindeer play an important role in everyday life, and herding them is the oldest livelihood in Lapland. “Reindeer are used for transportation, for meat markets, and also for clothes,” noted Ounaskievari Reindeer Farm reindeer herder Johanna Hietanen. She provides the prize animal for the World Cup each year, and houses them following the event. 

Finland’s host broadcaster took note, asking Mikaela if she had thought about the name of her potential fourth reindeer. “No,” she laughed. “I have some work to do on Saturday before I can think of that - in the past, I have decided at the moment while I’m on the podium. It’ll probably be something from Disney. We’ll see, and I guess you’ll all have to tune in to find out!” 

On the women's side, Mikaela will lead a strong contingency of three Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes, including 2017 NCAA slalom champion Paula Moltzan (University of Vermont) and seven-time national champion Nina O’Brien. Meanwhile, the rest of their squad is busy competing in a NorAm series, at Copper Mountain, Colo., where teammate Keely Cashman had a strong start to the season grabbing two slalom podiums. Paula and Nina have been training up in Lapland for over a week, and while they may feel the need for Vitamin D, they’re also feeling the need for speed.

They’ve were able to train on the race hill three times, which will be an advantage for both, as Paula has not skied on the track since 2014, and Nina has only skied on the track once in her career (2018). Both have been skiing strong in slalom during prep period camps, while Paula is coming off the high of winning a time trial in Copper Mountain, Colo. and grabbing her giant slalom start spot for Killington and Nina started the season off strong, scoring points and a career-best 21st place in Sölden in giant slalom.  

On the men’s side, 2019 national slalom and alpine combined champion and up-and-comer Luke Winters - whom the ladies have deemed "#WintersIsComing" - will be representing the American men’s slalom team, while his teammates will start off the season with a focus on NorAm competition. That means Luke will be holding down the #SlamifestDestiny fort. His coach, Ryan Wilson, said Luke’s pace in prep period training - including at the recent Copper Mountain, Colo. camp on the new Copper Mountain Tech Center surface - has been solid and he’s in a good position to move up the ranks this season. 

Stay tuned to our Instagram account, because you won’t want to miss it, with all of the winter wonderland excitement around the World Cup slalom opener at Levi and an appearance by the one and only Santa Claus. 

STARTERS
Paula Moltzan
Nina O’Brien
Mikaela Shiffrin
Luke Winters

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Official event hashtag: #worldcuplevi 

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Preliminary schedule, subject to change

Saturday, Nov. 23
4:00 a.m. - Women’s Slalom, run 1 - Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Women’s Slalom – Levi, FIN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
7:00 a.m. - Women’s Slalom, run 2 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold
6:00 p.m. - Women’s Slalom – Levi, FIN*, NBCSN

Sunday, Nov. 24
4:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom, run 1 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom – Levi, FIN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
7:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom, run 2 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day delay
**Next-day delay

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

KILLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and part of POWDR, is pleased to have received a positive snow control announcement from FIS (Internal Ski Federation), the governing body of the FIS Ski World Cup.

According to FIS: “This is to inform you that the Women’s' FIS Ski World Cup races in Killington (USA) are confirmed following the official snow control from today 21st November 2019. As scheduled, the races will take place on 30th November and 1 December 2019.”

With this announcement, Killington Resort can assure international race teams and ski racing fans traveling to central Vermont for Thanksgiving Weekend that both the Giant Slalom and Slalom races will take place as scheduled on November 30 and December 1.  A limited number of tickets for premium viewing areas are still available for purchase at Killington.com.

“The news of FIS approval on race course snow preparation has the entire resort excited to host the World Cup and once again bring elite ski racing to the East. This approval highlights the power of Killington’s snowmaking system and illustrates the dedication the resort has to snow sports and racing,” commented Herwig Demschar, SVP international business development at POWDR and World Cup local organizing committee chairman. “Now in its fourth year at Killington Resort, you can expect this world-class event to be bigger and better with an outstanding musical line-up and opportunities to meet and greet the athletes. The resort, POWDR, and town of Killington are thrilled to welcome international ski teams from more than 20 countries to Killington.”

Killington Resort opened to season pass and express card holders for skiing and snowboarding on November 3 followed by a public opening on November 4. With snowmaking in the final stages on Superstar trail, the World Cup race venue, Killington snowmakers will continue snowmaking on Skyelark to add a training run for World Cup racers. The snowmaking team also continues to aggressively expand terrain for the skiers and riders in the Snowdon, Canyon, Ramshead and Snowshed areas while resurfacing current top-to-bottom skiing and riding

A full schedule of events at Killington Resort during World Cup Weekend including race start times, entertainment, free concerts by Grace Potter, Recycled Percussion, Twiddle and DJ Logic, plus information on many free parking and shuttle bus options is available at www.killington.com/worldcup. Killington strongly suggests to not bring bags to the venue; priority for security screening will be given to those without bags. Stay connected to the HomeLight Killington Cup on social media with #beast365.

###

About Killington Resort
Killington Resort is a four season destination sitting on 3,000 acres in the heart of Central Vermont’s Green Mountains. The Beast of the East boasts 92 miles of diverse snow sports terrain spread across six peaks including Pico Mountain, served by the most expansive lift network and snowmaking system in Eastern North America. After the snow melts, Killington features an 18-hole championship golf course, the family-friendly Snowshed Adventure Center, 30 miles of mountain biking trails with expansion underway with Gravity Logic, plus 15 miles of hiking trails. The seemingly infinite après, dining, and lodging options have made Killington a world-class destination for East Coast skiers and riders for over 55 years. Killington is part of the POWDR portfolio. Visit www.killington.com for more information and be social with #beast365.

Contact:              
Courtney DiFiore, Killington Resort: 802-422-6115 or cdifiore@killington.com     
Kevin Flight, Elevate Communications: 781-439-7140 or kflight@elevatecom.com

Release courtesy of Killington Resort

The 2019-20 season-opener FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Cup event that was originally scheduled to go down this weekend in Stubai, Austria has been canceled. After much careful consideration, the Stubai organizing committee and the Austrian Ski Federation have made the decision to call off the event due to difficult weather conditions in the lead-up to the competition, and a very unfavorable forecast for the upcoming days.  

Last week’s heavy snowstorm combined with high avalanche danger kept the resort closed for two days over this past weekend, causing major delays in course preparations, which in turn the postponement of Wednesday’s first training session.

Officials and organizers then reassessed all options for the competition ahead of Wednesday night’s team captain’s meeting. Unfortunately, with high winds and yet another winter storm set to hit the valley on Thursday evening, the reality of the situation at the FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Cup event in Stubai, Austria made itself clear - the opening of the 2019-20 slopestyle World Cup would not be happening this weekend.

“For Friday and Saturday the prognosis looks extremely unfavorable, especially in terms of wind, with another heavy snowstorm predicted to roll in on Thursday evening,” commented Erich Flatscher, Head of the Organising Committee, “We always strive to deliver an event in safe and fair conditions and due to this forecast we believe this is not achievable this time. This led to the decision to cancel the event.”

With Mother Nature having her way in round one, we now look forward to the next events on the 2019-20 FIS Freeski calendar, with the Copper Mountain, Colo. Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix Halfpipe World Cup from Dec. 11-13, and the Beijing, China Air + Style Big Air World Cup going down from Dec. 12-14. The next event on the slopestyle World Cup calendar will be the Font Romeu, France competition, taking place from Jan. 9-11, 2020.
 

The initial freeski and snowboard athlete entry list is in for the Visa Big Air World Cup in Atlanta, and it serves as a true illustration of quality without sacrificing quantity for the two-day event at SunTrust Park. 

The Olympic spirit will return to Atlanta this December with an impressive roster of international competitors for the Visa Big Air slated for Dec. 20 and 21. SunTrust Park will host 27 nations represented by an estimated 164 athletes across men’s and women’s snowboard and freeski big air competition. To put that in context, at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games 30 nations competed in snowboarding and 27 nations competed in freeski and freestyle disciplines. Since founding the event, organizers have stressed the goal of attempting to bring back the Olympic spirit of competition to Atlanta and this elite athletic field sets the scene for exactly that.

Note. Initial athlete entries are subject to change. The list below does not contain all athletes or countries represented on the entry list. 
 

    UNITED STATES

• Two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper, two-time X Games gold medalist Alex Hall, 2018-19 FIS Slopestyle Crystal Globe Winner Mac Forehand, the Fagan Brothers (Deven and Kiernan), Colby Stevenson, and Willie Borm. 
• For the women, 2019 FIS World Championship big air silver medalist Julia Krass, Olympian Caroline Claire, and potentially Maggie Voisin making her debut back from injury.
• Olympic gold medalists Red Gerard and Jamie Anderson, Olympic silver medalist Kyle Mack, and six-time Crystal Globe winner and current FIS World Cup Big Air points leader Chris corning.
• 2016 Fenway Big Air World Cup winner Julia Marino and X Games gold medalist Hailey Langland. 
   

   CANADA

• Olympic bronze medalist Alex Beaulieu-Marchand, Dew Tour champion Evan McEachran, inaugural Olympic slopestyle gold medalist Dara Howell, and Megan Oldham.
• Mark McMorris, one of the most decorated competitive snowboarders in history, Darcy Sharpe, Michael Ciccarelli, and six-time X Games medalist and inaugural Olympic big air gold medalist Sebastian Toutant. 
• X Games gold medalist Laurie Blouin, Olympian Brooke Voigt, and rising star Sommer Gendron. 
   

   SWITZERLAND

• Three-time FIS Crystal Globe winner Andri Ragettli, Kai Mahler, Luca Schuler, and Fabian Boesch
• Swiss female double-cork freeski triple threat of Sarah Hoefflin, Mathilde Gremaud, and Giulia Tanno.
• Snowboard Olympian Michael Schaerer. 
   

   NORWAY

• Six-time X Games medalists Johanne Killi and Oystein Braaten, as well as Ferdinand Dahl, Christian Nummedal, and two-time X Games gold medalist Birk Ruud. 
• Two-time X Games medalist Mons Roisland. 
   

   SWEDEN

• Fan-favorite Henrik Harlaut alongside teammates Jesper Tjader and Oscar Wester.
• X Games gold medalist Sven Thorgren and Niklas Mattsson.
   

   GREAT BRITAIN

• 2019 FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Champion James Woods as well as Olympic bronze medalist Isabel Atkin.
• Snowboard Olympian Katie Ormerod. 
   

   AUSTRIA

• Anna Gasser, the first female snowboarder to land a triple cork and is also the inaugural Olympic big air gold medalist. Also, snowboard olympian Clemens Millauer.
• Freeski Olympian Lukas Muellauer.
   

 JAPAN

• Japanese riders Ruki Tobita and Ryoma Kimata. 
• 2018-19 FIS Snowboard Big Air Crystal Globe Winner Reira Iwabuchi, Miyabi Onitsuka, Kokomo Murase. 
   

   NEW ZEALAND

• Freeski Olympian Finn Bilous and Margaux Hackett.
   

  Tickets on sale now at Braves.com/visabigair  

  More information at usskiandsnowboard.org/visabigair

EVENT SCHEDULE
Visa Big Air
SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga., USA
Snowboard & Freeski Big Air FIS World Cup
December 18-21, 2019
*Subject to change

Friday, Dec 20
12:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Sponsor Village/Entertainment - The Battery
5:30 p.m. - Gates Open
6:00 - 6:45 p.m. - Men's and women's snowboard big air finals practice
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Men's and women's snowboard big air finals          

Saturday, Dec 21
12:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Sponsor Village/Entertainment - The Battery
5:00 p.m. - Gates Open
5:30 p.m. - Teton Gravity Research Premiere - “Fire on the Mountain” 
6:00 - 6:45 p.m. - Men's and women's freeski big air finals practice
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Men's and women's freeski big air finals

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

SNOWBOARD
Friday, December 20
7:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBCSN

Saturday, December 21
4:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBC Sports**

FREESKI
Saturday, December 21
7:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBCSN

Sunday, December 22
3:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBC Sports**
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Athletic Development staff works hard to improve the ways athletes train. One of their most recent initiatives, which centers specifically around female athletes, takes a unique approach towards improving athletic training and progression. 

The educational system from Orecco and the FitrWomen app will be used by U.S. Ski & Snowboard to help female athletes track their hormone levels and menstrual cycles. Female athletes will gain more knowledge about their personal physiology, know how to better fuel their bodies, and make better-informed decisions on their training schedules and intensity levels. With research-based advice, the educational programs and app will educate athletes on how to best prepare and rest their bodies for performance by advising them on how much sleep to get, when to schedule intense training sessions, what to eat, and more. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Athletic Development Manager, Tschana Schiller, primarily works with the cross-country and snowboard-cross teams and initiated the early stages of building knowledge around female athletes. For the past couple of months, Tschana has worked with physiologist Dr. Georgie Bruinvels - one of the leading experts involved with Orecco and creator of FitrWomen App - to help develop educational plans for female ski and snowboard athletes. 

“For right now, knowledge is power and I think that’s the first step,” said Tschana. Her ultimate goal is to educate female athletes so that they are able to do their sport in the best possible physical and mental state. “It has been proven that there are times when women will be able to optimize their performance based on fluctuating hormone levels,” she continued. “If we aren't paying attention to that, we are missing a huge chunk that could really help athletes understand how they recover or optimize their training better.”   

U.S. Ski & Snowboard plans to start with educational sessions, not only for female athletes but for the entire athletic development and medical teams. These educational sessions will teach staff how hormones can affect performance and how different stages of the menstrual cycle can impact a variety of other body functions, such as heart rate or respiratory rate. The benefit of these educational sessions is mainly directed towards athletes, but there are positive impacts on U.S. Ski & Snowboard staff as well. 

“We have mainly male coaches and athletic development staff,” says Tschana. “They work directly with these female athletes and yet don't experience the things a female experiences.” 

With this new opportunity, staff and athletes can develop even stronger relationships and understanding, which could translate to even stronger results. Another beneficial aspect of the initiative is the flexibility of participation amongst athletes. There will be some initial educational sessions for everyone, as well as questionnaires for the athletes about their cycle, but from that point on all involvement in the programs or projects is voluntary. “It is totally up to them if they are interested in learning more,” says Tschana. “If there are further questions they have or the coaches have, they can ask and if it’s just education, then that’s great as well and is still beneficial.”  

Two-time Olympian and five-time World Championship cross country team member Sadie Bjornsen, is excited to partake in this new initiative. “I have never tracked my period or hormones and have never really thought about doing it,” she says. “I believe in understanding what is going on in your body and finding coping mechanisms will help me as an athlete. I find the app as something that will further empower me and help me further utilize my body.” 

The Athletics Department is thrilled to start this female-oriented initiative. “There is certainly a female movement going on in the world right now and so for me, it’s empowering our athletes to understand, learn more, and take advantage of their unique physiology so they can use it to help them in any way,” says Tschana. “It’s a cool opportunity because it's not only teaching them how to be better athletes, but how to be healthier people in general.”  

With a strong team, eager athletes, and a high-performance legacy to uphold, this initiative is likely to be another helpful step towards having the best and healthiest athletes in the world. 

With the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Season in full swing and heading to Levi, Finland this weekend, Outside TV is thrilled to release its original series, A Matter of Time, across their entire digital footprint, available November 20, 2019. The series is now streaming on the Outside TV app, Outside TV+, and OutsideTV.com.  

This seven-part documentary series chronicles the accomplishments of the most dominant alpine skier on the planet, Mikaela Shiffrin. From breaking onto the World Cup scene at the age of 15 to amassing three medals - including two golds - at the World Championships in Åre, Sweden in 2019, Mikaela quickly became the face of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team and one of the top female athletes on the planet.

The series gives the audience a glimpse inside Mikaela's training over this summer in Colorado, as she reflects on last season’s shattering of the record books. While trying to prioritize her requirements to stay on top, Mikaela has learned to embrace her fame and obligations. Always radiating with authenticity and focus, she desires to be a role model to youth around the globe and help bring the sport of ski racing to new heights.

Stream A Matter of Time on outsidetv.com or head to watch.outsidetv.com to download on your favorite streaming device and find additional ways to watch Outside TV for FREE through your connected TV and streaming platforms.

See the A Matter of Time Microsite for details on all episodes and additional assets.

Release courtesy of Outside TV. 

VERNON, N.J. – Winter4Kids at the National Winter Activity Center, the nation’s first and only fully dedicated youth winter sports facility, announced today a partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the International Federation of Skiing (FIS) to host the first ever NorAm Cup parallel event in the United States. Taking place in Vernon, New Jersey at Winter4Kids, the NorAm Cup will offer a new format with head-to-head competition featuring some of the best alpine athletes in the world.

• U.S. Ski & Snowboard and its partner Winter4Kids have signed an agreement to host the NorAm Cup parallel event in Vernon, NJ on February 14, 2020.
• This partnership brings the competition to the NorAm Cup in the United States for the first time.
• The NorAm Cup will feature the parallel format twice this year with head-to-head competitions featuring some of the best alpine athletes in North America.
• This NorAm Cup event at Winter4Kids will feature more than 60 male and 60 female athletes competing for $75,000 – the largest prize offering yet.

The NorAm Cup strives to prepare athletes for the FIS Ski World Cup, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard is promoting this format at the grassroots level, in an effort to develop future World Cup parallel champions. The event features a head-to-head slalom with a knockout format each round. It is an exciting event for spectators and a unique opportunity from a broadcast standpoint, showcasing multiple world class athletes from North America. Winter4Kids is the nation’s only nonprofit dedicated winter activity program and facility for youth only, serving school age children of all economic backgrounds.

“Head-to-head parallel competition is an exciting event and we are thrilled to host with U.S. Ski and Snowboard to showcase the sport under the lights of our state-of-the-art facility,” stated Schone Malliet, Founder and CEO of Winter4Kids. “By hosting the NorAm Cup parallel event, we have been granted a unique opportunity to utilize our facility as an international stage for winter sports. In addition to introducing winter activities to children throughout the tri-state area, our goal is to bring top-notch competitive events to the NY Tri-State area and help grow the sport.”

“U.S. Ski and Snowboard is very excited to team up with Winter4Kids at the National Winter Activity Center to bring this Cup event to the NY Tri-State area,” stated Tiger Shaw, President and CEO at U.S. Ski and Snowboard. “It’s exciting to partner with a like-minded organization dedicated to increasing the visibility of our sport as we lead up to the 2022 Olympics in China.”

“I’m psyched to hear that Winter4Kids and the National Winter Activity Center will be hosting this NorAm parallel event,” said double Olympic champion Ted Ligety. “Winter4Kids’ mission is great, and accessibility to skiing is super important for the future health of the sport of alpine ski racing. The parallel format makes for an exciting spectator event, and the prize purse is an added bonus that should draw elite-level athletes and create some good, healthy competition.”

“This NorAm event sounds like so much fun!” exclaimed three-time Olympic medalist and three-time reigning World Cup overall champion Mikaela Shiffrin. “I’ll be competing on the World Cup tour in Europe, otherwise I’d for sure be there. It is vital that we find ways to make the sport more accessible, and the mission of Winter4Kids and the National Winter Activity Center is just what our sport needs in order to grow and thrive. On top of that, fans love the head-to-head atmosphere and that dual format will be showcased more and more in the coming years, so this should be a great event for both athletes and spectators!”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has had a long relationship with the National Winter Activity Center and Winter4Kids since its first season in 2015.

We Are Winter4Kids!
Winter4Kids is a youth-focused, nonprofit organization that changes lives through winter activities. We provide mentor-based, experiential learning and encourage kids to have FUN while mastering Snowboarding, Nordic and Alpine skiing. Our programs deliver incremental physical activity and have been designed to inspire our participants and build confidence in an educational environment. Winter4Kids is located at the National Winter Activity Center in Vernon, NJ. This facility is totally dedicated to making unimaginable dreams inevitable opportunities for youth.  For more information about Winter4Kids, please visit www.winter4kids.org.

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 2019, 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 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced today a two-year agreement with Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows to host the U.S. Freestyle Moguls Championships. The nation’s top freestyle moguls skiers will descend on Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows for the next two springs in the season-culminating events confirmed for March 21 & 22, 2020 and tentatively for March 20 & 21, 2021.

“We are so excited to end the next two competitive seasons for moguls at beautiful Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows,” said Jeremy Forster, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Director of Freestyle/Freeski/Snowboard. “We look forward to partnering with the resort to produce a high-quality event for the American moguls community. Squaw has a rich history of freestyle skiing and we are excited to be among friends and family to wrap up the season.”

The U.S. Freestyle Moguls Championships brings the nation’s top freestyle moguls skiers together for two days of intense competition in moguls and dual moguls events. National team members and divisional athletes will face off on the renowned Red Dog ski run—a venue that’s hosted elite ski competition as far back as the 1960 Olympic Winter Games—to compete for U.S. titles. U.S. Ski Team members Jaelin Kauf and Jesse Andringa will both look to defend their double titles of current reigning 2019 moguls and dual moguls national champions.

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is no stranger to freestyle skiing, and last hosted a Freestyle Nationals event in 2010, on the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Winter Games at Squaw. Some of freestyle skiing’s most decorated skiers hail from Squaw Valley and the Lake Tahoe area. Squaw Valley has had more than 25 athletes qualify for the U.S. Ski Team, including Olympic champion Jonny Moseley and Olympic silver and bronze medalist Shannon Bahrke. An official training site of the U.S. Ski Team, The U.S. Moguls Freestyle Ski Team takes advantage of one of the longest ski seasons in the U.S. and has made the resort an annual stop during spring training.

“We are very excited to work together with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to host U.S. Freestyle National Championships,” said Jimeel Ferris, program director for the Olympic Valley Freestyle and Freeride Team (SquawFree). “Mogul skiing is the most exciting show on snow, and hosting this event again on such a historic venue that’s right near the base area will make it easily accessible for all to enjoy the high-flying action! It’s an amazing opportunity for our young athletes to be able to see this level of competition up close, and watch the athletes they idolize ski the same course they ski every day. Squaw Valley has a rich history of freestyle champions who trained and competed on this exact venue, and we hope this event will inspire young athletes to dream big and continue the tradition of freestyle champions here at Squaw Valley.”

On the tail-end of a long and productive week of on-hill training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain and off-hill responsibilities, including media and sponsor activities - featuring the Spyder uniforming unveiling, Team autograph signing, and more - the alpine team held their annual fundraiser in Vail, raising a record of nearly $200,000. 

Every year, athletes use this fall fundraiser as a means to raise funding to defray travel costs. Once again, Randy and Heather Viola and Chalie and Ariane Viola have generously hosted at Yama, providing sushi for the athletes and supporters. This year, there was a record crowd, filling the space with good energy and great conversation.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO, Tiger Shaw, thanked attendees for their support, followed by alpine athlete Thomas Biesemeyer, who took the lead from the athletes' side to organize the fundraiser. Thomas introduced teammates Olympian and Junior World Downhill Champion Alice Merryweather and local Vail Valley double Junior World Champion River Radamus, who each shared powerful storytelling about their careers with the crowd. 

Attendees were encouraged to give a donation, while those who were unable to physically attend had the option to donate online and/or bid on unique auction items, including double Olympic champion and five-time World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin's historic gold medal-winning Spyder slalom suit as well as two pairs of her signature Oakley goggles. Through donations and the silent auction, the Team had a record year, raising nearly $200,000. These gifts have a direct impact on our mission of supporting athletes in achieving excellence and becoming Best in the World. 

The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team will finish up their final prep period camp at Copper Mountain, with tech athletes traveling to Levi, Finland for the FIS Ski World Cup slalom kickoff on Nov. 23-24 followed by Killington, Vt., while the speed teams put the final touches on their downhill and super-G skiing as they prepare for North American tour in Lake Louise, Canada and Beaver Creek, Colo. 

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation is the non-profit fundraising arm of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. To support our athletes on their quest to become the Best in the World, please click the donation button below. 

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U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Slopestyle and Big Air National Development Coach Nichole Mason is back at it again, hosting a total of five USASA freeski and snowboard Level 100 and 200 coaching clinics, including two all-female clinics in Aspen Snowmass, Colo., Dec. 2-3 and Vail, Colo., Dec. 11-12. 

“I am truly looking forward to kick-starting the season with another set of USASA coach clinics,” said Nichole. “I always enjoy getting to know all the coaches from around the region and capturing a healthy dose of mental stimulation to set us up for a successful season. The aspect I enjoy most is learning from the participants and helping to strengthen the voices of our female community. If we can continue to learn and train with each other, we will grow stronger as a community.”

The all-female coaching clinics are a result of a deeper U.S. Ski & Snowboard focus to increase participation amongst women throughout the organization. 

“As in most other sports, gender ratios in ski and snowboard coaching do not reflect the ratios of athletes,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club Development Manager Ellen Adams. “On the athlete side, gender ratios are nearly 50/50. On the coaching side, the total number of women in ski and snowboard coaching is far below the number of men. Less than 24% of coaches at the grassroots level are women, and as you move up through the phases of athlete development to the elite level, that percentage falls significantly. In an effort to recruit, develop and retain more women in coaching, we must work both from the top-down and the bottom-up. This means increasing opportunities for engagement and development at the grassroots level, like the all-female coaches clinics being led by Nichole, where women can share and learn from each other, as well as lead by example with more women coaching at the highest levels. We are committed to making progress on both ends of the spectrum.”

The Level 100 clinic will target intro-level coaches who will be working with Phase 1 and Phase 2 athletes. The Level 200 Clinic targets more experienced coaches who have been working with athletes for a number of years and whose goals are to expand their knowledge and skillset to better work with Phase 3, 4 and 5 athletes. Each clinic contains both on snow and course-based work. In addition, prerequisites differ for the Level 100 and 200 clinics. Click here for more detail on course prerequisites.

The USASA Coaches clinics have been so beneficial, some clubs have chosen to make attendance mandatory for their coaches, including Tori Koski, the Snowboard Program Director at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. 

“In the past, none of our coaches ever really pursued their USASA certification unless they were coaching at USASA events,” said Tori. “We did our own in-house training. Then we really saw the importance of working with Nichole and USASA Executive Director Mike Mallon. The snowboard department agreed that everyone needs to be certified and we will figure out a way to pay for it to make it easier on our coaches. Immediately after implementing mandatory coaches clinics, we noticed faster progression with the kids. In addition, the clinics also gave the coaches the tools to continue to progress. We even had some level 200-300 coaches have some strong takeaways.”

The benefits of attending USASA Coaching clinics extend far beyond understanding core concepts and continuous learning. The ski and snowboard industry is one that thrives on networking and these clinics provide coaches an opportunity to not just learn from Nichole, but also the coaches around them. This dynamic can create relationships that last throughout a coach’s career. 

“Nichole keeps the connection alive with all the coaches that participate,” Tori added. “It’s cool to see our community grow with such strong relationships,” 

Amanda Poindexter, a coach working out of Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club, echoed Tori’s sentiment. “It’s not only very inspirational being surrounded by other rad women who coach, but it was really helpful to see other’s coaching strategies, drills, and approaches to coaching,” she said. “Nichole has so much knowledge, experience, and a great coaching philosophy. I can say with certainty that you will leave the clinic a much better coach.”

If you are a coach, it’s fair to say that the pure fun of snowboarding is what initially attracted you to the sport and probably what keeps you giving back to the community. Nichole has not forgotten this important philosophy when leading these clinics. 

“It’s a very friendly open atmosphere, with a lot of laughs,’” said Tori. “Frankly, it’s a blast to talk about snowboarding and be surrounded by like-minded people who are all very good at what they do. In addition to Nichole’s expertise, I think a lot of it is us learning from each other.”

USASA has over 25 clinics currently scheduled across the United States. For additional information or to register for another clinic visit the full clinic schedule here. 

MASON’S CLINIC SCHEDULE
Full USASA Clinic Schedule and Registration

Nov. 23-24: Steamboat Springs, Colo. -  level 100 - co-ed
Dec. 2-3: Aspen Snowmass, Colo. -  level 200 - all-female
Dec. 4-5: Aspen Snowmass, Colo. - level 100 - co-ed
Dec. 9 -10:  Vail, Colo. - level 100 - all-female
Dec. 11-12: Vail level 200 - co-ed