Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes Jake Vedder and Lindsey Jacobellis secured third place in the big final of the snowboard cross (SBX) World Cup season opener mixed team event in Les Deux Alpes (L2A).

Weather posed the most significant challenge at the L2A resort, situated at the highest snowboard cross course on the World Cup circuit. Originally scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, individual competition qualifications were rescheduled due to tough weather conditions. Consequently, the snowboard cross weekend schedule underwent a slight change, with individual competition moved to Sunday, Dec. 3, and the newly added mixed team event taking its place on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Despite a challenging cold start and extremely difficult visibility towards the end, Vedder and Jacobellis navigated the steep and jumpy course, progressing through the quarterfinals and semifinals to secure a spot in the big finals. In the final race, Vedder faced a fast-paced challenge, finishing fourth with only half a second to catch up. Jacobellis, the most decorated female snowboard cross athlete of all time, tackled the course, making up time. Upon entering the cloud at the course's end, Jacobellis experienced a slight loss of speed and went over the heel edge. Despite the setback, she recovered and secured a third place finish for Team USA.

The first win of the season went to Great Britain’s Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Banks, with France’s Loan Bozzolo and Chloe Trespeuch securing second place.

Nick Baumgartner and Stacy Gaskill also participated in the mixed team event, finishing 11th overall.

Next up, men’s and women’s individual competition snowboard cross finals in Les Deux Alpes tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 3. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Mixed Team Snowboard Cross

The FIS Cross Country World Cup made its way to northern Sweden for the first time in over a decade and Jessie Diggins of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team took home her 15th career World Cup victory and her second podium of the season. 

It was a strong day for the U.S. women's team, with five in the top 30. Diggins finished first, Rosie Brennan tied for sixth, Sophia Laukli 13th, Julia Kern 18th and Novie McCabe 29th. Alayna Sonnesyn crossed the finish line in 40th. 

The last time the World Cup was held in Gällivare was in 2012 when Diggins was only 21 years old and one of the youngest athletes on the team. On the same course, history was made, when Diggins anchored the historic women’s relay that included her then-teammates, Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks and Liz Stephen. It was the first time in history that the U.S. landed on team podium. Over a decade later, Diggins now 32, is back on top of the Gällivare podium, leading a strong team of young Americans in the process. 

"It was so cool to see all my teammates having great races, too," said Diggins. "We once again had amazing skis thanks to our techs! They put their heart and soul into our skis and my teammates put their heart and soul into their race, and that is what matters."

The 10k course is no easy feat, with two challenging laps, 52 athletes out on course, over 1,140ft of climbing and extremely technical downhills. Throughout the time checks, Diggins never lost the lead. At 8.9k, Diggins had over 20 seconds on Sweden's Ebba Andersson, who ultimately finished the race in second.

Brennan was consistently in the top five throughout each time check and crossed the line tied for sixth with Lotta Udnes Weng of Norway. 

"It was a pretty good day," said Brennan. "I'm generally in a good place right now and am enjoying each day. I'm also really thankful that I get the opportunity to race every weekend!" 

For Laukli, another top 15 is a testament to a strong summer of training and trail running. Over the summer, Laukli won the Golden Trail Series overall, cementing herself as one of the strongest trail runners in the world. Pair a distance race with lots of climbing - Laukli will use that to her advantage. Today she ended the 10k in 13th.

For the men, Gus Schumacher led the team for the second weekend in a row and crossed the finish line in 16th, adding another top-30 result to his roster. Ben Ogden was close behind in 25th, Scott Patterson 35th, Zanden McMullen 36th, John Steel Hagenbuch 45th, Luke Jager 54th and Zak Ketterson 58th. 

At the end of the day, Diggins now has 15 individual World Cup victories to her name and 49 overall World Cup podiums. With a strong start to the 2023-24 season, Diggins is focused on taking it race by race. 

"I wasn't focused on results or time or beating anyone, I was just trying to ski this course as best as I could," said Diggins. 

Up next, the team will compete in the 4x7.5k team relay tomorrow, Dec. 3. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women 10k
Men 10k

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athlete and Olympic champion Alex Hall secured the win in big air Beijing, the same location where he clinched his Olympic victory in slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. This marks Hall’s 11th World Cup career podium, coming just a week after his 10th podium—a third-place finish in slopestyle in Stubai, Austria.

The jump was stiff, slow and hard in the Shougang Industrial Park, but Hall emerged as the top qualifier on Thursday, giving him some confidence going into today's event. During his first finals run, Hall executed a rightside double cork 900 bringback, solidifying his position at the top. He ended his run with style, spraying snow all over the camera and proudly showing off his MAGMA shirt—an homage to MAGMA 3, the recently released third installment of his backcountry jumps and street skiing movie, in collaboration with Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athlete Hunter Hess.

In his second run, Hall maintained his position with a switch left tail butter 1440 opposite Japan, keeping his number one spot. With an impressive score of 182 points after two runs, Hall comfortably took a victory lap in the third run and ultimately claimed the first-place finish. As the current men's freeski World Cup points leader, he will now don the coveted yellow bib.

“The jump was the best it’s been all week, which was sick,” said Hall. “It’s like T-shirt weather out here, so it got slushy, and it was really fun. I wasn’t necessarily going to come to this event, but then I figured I’d come and just enjoy myself—come to China, enjoy the country, and do the tricks I wanted to do without any pressure. It ended up working out, which I’m really stoked about.”

Edouard Therriault of Canada and Andri Ragettli of Switzerland rounded out the podium in spots two and three. 

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athletes Mac Forehand, James Kanzler, Cody LaPlante, Troy Podmilsak, Konnor Ralph and Rell Harwood were also in China for the competition but did not make finals. 

Up next, the team heads to the first domestic freeski event of the season in Copper Mountain for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air presented by Toyota Dec. 13 - 16. 

RESULTS 
Men’s big air

The local organizing committee in collaboration with the jury and FIS canceled Friday’s Xfinity Birds of Prey downhill, due to heavy snowfall Thursday night and Friday morning and low visibility. 

The race was pushed back a few hours for volunteers and course workers to move the snow out of the track. The racers were able to inspect the course, but the track was ultimately deemed unsafe for a downhill race. 

The Xfinity Birds of Prey races will resume Saturday with another downhill and Sunday for a super-G. 

HOW TO WATCH 

Saturday, Dec. 2 - downhill
12:45 p.m. – LIVE on Outside (free)
5:00 p.m. – Saturday’s downhill on NBC (delayed)
On demand: Outside+ 

Sunday, Dec. 3 - super-G
12:45 p.m. – LIVE on Outside (free)
4:30 p.m. – super-G (delayed) on NBC
On demand: Outside+ 

Big news this morning out of Salt Lake City! The International Olympic Committee officially named Salt Lake City as the preferred city for the Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games for 2034. Salt Lake City is now in the “targeted dialogue” phase with the IOC, and will await the final decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July of 2024, following the Paris Olympics.

"I want to offer my sincere congratulations to the SLC-UT bid committee, who have worked so hard to get us to this point," said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. "We all know how inspiring the Games are, not only for those competing and supporting but for the next generation of elite athletes. We could not be more excited to clear the hurdle we did this morning, knowing that we are in the final stretch to securing the bid."

The announcement this morning recognizes Salt Lake City as the only candidate for 2034 based on the use of existing world-class venues, no significant capital investment required and strong support from Utahns, the national government, and state and city governments.

The IOC also named France as the preferred host of the 2030 Winter Games during the Nov. 29 meeting. If Salt Lake City secures the bid, it will be the fifth time the U.S. has hosted the Olympic Winter Games. 

“The decision of the IOC to invite Salt Lake City-Utah into targeted dialogue as the preferred host for 2034 is a credit to our communities working together to create a welcoming region for sport across our state,” said Frazer Bullock, president & CEO of Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games in a piece published by KSLtv.com. “For more than a decade, our state and community leaders have united towards this goal. The IOC has recognized our high level of preparedness, with all venues in place and active, as well as overwhelming support from our political and business leaders.”

Go Team USA!

(PARK CITY, Utah - Nov. 29, 2023) - U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today the extension of its partnership with World Cup Supply (WCS) as the organization’s on-hill equipment and safety-related support partner for the next three years.

A leader in competition, resort and event materials athlete and spectator safety, WCS has been a supplier of U.S. Ski & Snowboard since 1991 and has provided quality and innovative products for athletes.

“We are very excited to extend our partnership with World Cup Supply,” said Trisha Worthington, Chief Revenue and Philanthropy Officer of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “For almost 32 years, World Cup Supply has been a loyal partner and we look forward to having their great products on hand for our teams.”

Per the agreement, WCS will continue to deliver gates, panels, safety fencing and other on-hill and event equipment essential for key domestic World Cup, NorAm and national-level events across alpine, cross country, freestyle, snowboard and freeski. Collaborating with SPM Gates, WCS will continue to contribute thousands of gates and hundreds of panels annually for Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team training and events, both domestically and in Europe.

Additionally, WCS will be the designated provider of training bibs for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team and Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athletes and air pads for domestic alpine World Cups and national championships events.

WCS prioritizes athlete and participant safety in winter sports and is focused on providing educational resources to share best practices within the sport and industry to reduce injuries. Along with providing on hill equipment, WCS is the title sponsor of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Club Excellence conference and provides annual monetary support of the Club of the Year award, further showcasing their commitment to safety through education.

“WCS and SPM are extremely proud of our long-standing support of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and U.S. Ski & Snowboard-sponsored World Cup events,” said Brad Williams, World Cup Supply, Inc. President. “The equipment and support we both provide is of the highest quality and allows the teams to train productively and safely. After 32 years of partnership it’s hard to imagine not being part of the effort and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

To learn more about World Cup Supply, visit worldcupsupply.com

###

About World Cup Supply
World Cup Supply is committed to providing innovative and quality products to the ski racing, resort and event industries. Furthermore, we strongly believe in the role we play in enhancing safety in alpine skiing, alpine ski racing and other action sports. In every aspect of our business, beginning with the highest level of personal attention and service, we strive to exceed the expectations of our customers. For more information, visit worldcupsupply.com

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic 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 competing on 10 teams: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, snowboard, freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping, Para alpine and Para snowboard. 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

The second domestic World Cup of the season, the 2023 Xfinity Birds of Prey, kicks off Dec. 1-3. The best men’s super-G and downhill skiers will be back in Beaver Creek, Colorado for one of the toughest speed tracks on the circuit. 

The men’s races are scheduled to begin at 10:45 am MT // 12:45 pm ET. The races will be streamed by Outside for free, with delayed showings NBC, CNBC and Peacock. 

A full replay will be available after the races on Outside+ (subscription required). Full details on how to watch are below.

Outside commentators include Stifel U.S. Ski Team alumnus Marco Sullivan and Jonathan ‘DC’ Oetken. NBC coverage will feature commentary from Steve Schlanger and Stifel U.S. Ski Team alumni Steve Porino and Picabo Street.

HOW TO WATCH (all times ET)

Friday, Dec. 1 - downhill

Saturday, Dec. 2 - downhill

Sunday, Dec. 3 - super-G

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Stifel and NBC Sports have teamed up to launch a groundbreaking new television series, Stifel Snow Show, that follows the arc of the winter sports season, bringing fans closer to the high adrenaline world of competitive skiing and snowboarding. Stifel Snow Show will cover all sports that compete on the FIS World Cup circuit, including ski racing, snowboarding, freeskiing, and more.

The show boasts a stellar lineup of well-known NBC Olympic talent and expert analysts, such as Ahmed Fareed and Cara Banks, who will dissect the previous week's action and results from ski resorts around the world. Alongside the hosts will be well-known athletes and experts from the sports, including Olympic medalists, World Cup winners, X Games champions and more.

The Stifel Snow Show premieres on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1:30 p.m. ET on CNBC. Episodes will be released on a weekly basis on Saturdays through March 23, with each new installment available on demand across multiple platforms, including Peacock, NBC Sports’ and U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s YouTube channels, skiandsnowboard.live and Outside+, ensuring widespread accessibility.

“With the resounding success of Mikaela Shiffrin and her record-breaking campaign last season, we are thrilled to present the Stifel Snow Show and continue to highlight winter sports on our platforms,” said Molly Solomon, Executive Producer & President of NBC Olympics Production. “The weekly nature of this show will cater to diehard skiing and snowboarding fans as well as open the door to a new U.S. audience that we hope to grow leading up to Milan-Cortina 2026.”

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase our sports to a broader audience through the Stifel Snow Show,” said Guy Slattery, Chief Marketing Officer at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “One of our main goals is to continually grow the visibility of our sports, and through this show, we will have the opportunity to appeal to new audiences and tell the stories of our athletes at an entirely new level.” 

"Supporting a show dedicated to competitive skiing and snowboarding is not just about celebrating the thrill of the slopes, it's about championing the unwavering commitment to success that resonates with our core values at Stifel,” said Ron Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel Financial Corp. “Together, we aim to showcase these incredible athletes on CNBC.”

###

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic 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 competing on 10 teams: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, snowboard, freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping, Para alpine and Para snowboard. 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 NBC Sports
NBC Sports connects people to the moments that matter most and serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company presents premier content across linear platforms NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, as well numerous digital sites, including Peacock. It also consists of NBC Sports Next, a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to all NBCUniversal digital applications in sports and technology within its three groups: Youth & Recreational Sports, Golf, and Betting & Gaming. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, Big Ten Conference, NASCAR, INDYCAR, PGA TOUR, Notre Dame, The R&A, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLB, Tour de France, Roland-Garros, and many more. For more information, visit https://www.nbcsports.com/. 

About Stifel Financial Corp.
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel’s broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners and Miller Buckfire business divisions; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Company’s broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company’s website at www.stifel.com.

Mikaela Shiffrin scored her 90th World Cup victory in front of thousands of New England fans at the Stifel Killington Cup slalom. Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Paula Moltzan also had a tremendous day with an eighth place finish.

The stands were packed once again as the Stifel U.S. Ski Team ladies prepared to put on a show for their domestic fans. Shiffrin immediately took the lead, running bib three with a clean run on the steep and icy course. Moltzan was not far behind, skiing into sixth place on run one, just over a second out from Shiffrin. 

On the second run, the roar of the crowd was deafening as they patiently awaited the second runs of Moltzan and Shiffrin. Moltzan knifed out of the gate, but had a major bobble halfway down the run, putting her hip onto the snow. However, Moltzan continued her strong skiing with a remarkable recovery to move just two places back and finished in the top 10 for the second day in a row. 

“I pulled out some resilient skiing after that mistake but the crowd is what pulled me through. I could hear them from the top,” said Moltzan. “Although eighth isn't really what I wanted, it's a great result to end the weekend.” 

Shiffrin rival Vlohva nailed her second run, but it didn't seem to cause Shiffrin a hiccup. She remained calm and collected as she descended down Superstar, not missing a beat with each turn. When she reached the break over of the hill, the crowd was howling as Shiffrin skied into the finish and edged Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova by a mere 0.33 hundredths of a second overall. Swiss skier Wendy Holdener ended up third, 1.37 seconds out. 

"It's amazing to race in front of this crowd but being in position to win is something different," said Shiffrin. "I was thinking today that it's really great to have the fastest time on the first run but I have to back it up. It was a totally different course so I had to adjust the mentality there too." 

Stifel U.S Ski Team athlete Allie Resnick had a strong first run where she ended up in 49th position; she did not qualify for a second run. Zoe Zimmermann and AJ Hurt did not finish the first run. Dasha Romanov was originally slated to compete, but did not start due to a back injury. 

The women will now head to Tremblant, Canada for a pair of giant slalom races Dec. 2-3. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom

Another day, another podium for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. Teammates Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan put all the pieces together in a gutsy mass start 20k to leave Ruka with a double USA podium, with Diggins in second and Brennan in third. 

On the last day of racing in Finland, the U.S. team was coming off top results from Brennan's second-place result the day prior. Temperatures were frigid - at times, it was less than 1 degree Fahrenheit - yet the field of 49 racers lined the start lanes for the first mass start of the season, ready to ski eight laps around the grueling 2.5k course. 

Through the first couple laps, the pack stuck together with very little movement, but as time went on the lead pack gained momentum with powerhouse nations Sweden and Norway flooding the top 10. But then came Brennan, Diggins and Laukli. 

On the fourth lap, packs were forming and the lead pack featured three Americans pushing the pace. With just 2.5k to go, things became interesting. At the top of the "stair-stepper climb," Diggins lost a pole and immediately began searching for another. While doing so, she was hit in the face by the spare, resulting in not only a bloody lip and cheek, but a lost glove. With 1.5k to go, Diggins dug deep going into the long downhill, with only one glove, a spare pole and 1.5k of course left. 

"I had to dig really, really deep for that one," said Diggins. "I lost a pole and my glove with it with about 1.5k left to go. I quickly got a replacement pole - that ended up smashing me in the face, which resulted in me having a pretty bloody mouth, but I finished the race!"

On the final hill, Diggins and Brennan were charging, alongside Moa Ilar of Sweden and Lotta Udnes Weng of Norway. In the final stretch, with the crowd going wild, Diggins and Brennan pull off a feat every nation strives for - landing two teammates on the podium. Diggins was second and Brennan was third. Laukli finished in 14th, breaking into the top 20 in expert fashion and rounding out three American women in the top 20. 

For the men, Gus Schumacher led the day for the American men with a 14th place result, capping off a successful weekend for Schumacher in Ruka. Scott Patterson was not far behind in 22nd and teammate Zanden McMullen scored his career-best result in 28th. 

At the end of the day in the finish pen, it took Diggins some time to warm up with the help of her teammates, athletes from other nations, USA support staff and coaches shedding their own layers to keep her warm. At the podium ceremony, Diggins was all smiles alongside Brennan, who had just secured her second podium of the weekend. 

"I'm super motivated by my results this weekend because its giving me confidence that my summer of training was really good," said Brennan. "Today was definitely motivating and i'm looking forward to what's next!"

Next on the World Cup program is the Gällivare World Cup in Sweden, with a 10k skate and 4x7.5k relay, Dec. 2-3, 2023.

RESULTS
Women
Men