CHICAGO/PARK CITY, UTAH (December 2, 2021) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that Guaranteed Rate, a leader in retail mortgage lending and digital financial services, is now the Official Mortgage Partner as the 2021-22 season opens.

Guaranteed Rate’s sponsorship launches at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air on Dec. 3, as athletes on the U.S. Freeski Team and the U.S. Snowboard Team will be looking to secure their spots on Team USA to compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

“We are very excited to kick off our partnership with Guaranteed Rate ahead of an important season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Given their track record of simplifying the mortgage process and delivering best-in-class customer service, we are proud to call them our Official Mortgage Partner.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard joins a host of Guaranteed Rate’s successful sports partnerships including U.S. Figure Skating, NHL, MLB and the Professional Bowlers Association.

“We are honored to partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard as these amazing athletes prepare to enter the most exciting and important competitions of their lives,” said Guaranteed Rate Vice President of Sports Marketing and Partnerships Steve McNelley.

Founded in 2000, Guaranteed Rate’s mission is to deliver more value to customers than any other financial services company by offering innovative technology, low rates and unparalleled customer service.

For more information on Guaranteed Rate, please visit www.rate.com. 

About Guaranteed Rate Companies:  

 The Guaranteed Rate Companies includes Guaranteed Rate, Inc., one of the top five retail mortgage lenders in the United States, Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC. Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Companies combined funded over $73 billion in 2020 and have more than 10,000 employees in over 850 offices across the United States. Founded in 2000 and located in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. In 2017, the company launched Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and @properties, one of the nation's largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the Guaranteed Rate Companies have earned numerous honors and awards including: Forbes Advisor’s Top 10 Mortgage Lenders for 2021; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; 2018 Top Lender for Online Service by U.S. News & World Report; HousingWire’s 2020 Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashCloseSM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's 2021 list of Top Retail Mortgage Lenders; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for six consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

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 2021, 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

PARK CITY, Utah (December 1, 2021) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced its continued partnership with HKD Snowmakers as the Official Snowmaking Supplier of the organization.

HKD Snowmakers has served as the Official Snowmaking Supplier of the U.S. Ski Team since 2011, responsible for all snowmaking at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center and Alpine Tech Center at Copper Mountain, Colorado. HKD snowguns cover the world-class training venue with early season snow, which allows alpine athletes to train on a full-length course in early November before conquering the demanding terrain featured on the World Cup circuit. 

“HKD Snowmakers has made a major impact on all levels of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes around the United States,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Our elite athletes access pre-season training thanks to the HKD snowguns putting down reliable early season snow at Copper Mountain. And HKD helps competitive skiers and snowboarders throughout the country gain access to terrain through its White to Gold program.”

As part of the partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, HKD Snowmakers created the White to Gold Program to help member clubs improve the reliability of their race venue through improved snowmaking. HKD understands that snowmaking is a significant investment and developed this program to alleviate the capital cost of snowmaking. The program includes discounts on snowmaking products to participating U.S. Ski & Snowboard member clubs and technical support from HKD. Clubs that have benefitted from the program include Burke Mountain Academy and Cochran’s Ski Area, which have produced U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team stars such as Mikaela Shiffrin and Ryan Cochran-Siegle.

“We’re excited to kick off our 10th year as the Official Snowmaking Supplier to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team, especially with the Winter Olympics just around the corner,” says Charles Santry of HKD Snowmakers. “It’s always satisfying to work with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and help member clubs access affordable snowmaking through our White to Gold Program. Early season snow is always a game-changer for clubs and their aspiring athletes.”

For more information on HKD, please visit www.hkdsnowmakers.com.

CREATIVE ASSETS

Photos of U.S. Ski & Snowboard/HKD Snowmakers co-branded snowmakers for editorial use can be found here.

ABOUT HKD SNOWMAKERS  
HKD Snowmakers, founded in 1991, is a North American-based manufacturer that makes snowmaking simple, effective, and efficient. HKD products include air/water snowguns, fan guns, KLiK hydrants, and snowmaking controls, and automation software. The HKD team loves the outdoors, and champion the success of its mountain partners with affordable and dependable snow.

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 2021, 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 the team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Courtney Harkins, Elevate Communications/U.S. Ski & Snowboard, charkins@elevatecom.com

Mark Horton, HKD Snowmakers, mark@hkdsnowmakers.com

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named Staples Promotional Products (SPP), a division of Staples, Inc., as the official licensee managing its new line of branded merchandise, e-commerce website and its partners’ and affiliates’ promotional merchandise programs.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with SPP to bring U.S. Ski & Snowboard consumer merchandise to the next level,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “The company’s industry-leading promotional products are creative and exciting, and this is the next step in branded merchandising and e-commerce for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. We’re also excited to offer an enhanced consumer shopping experience that will inspire fans to support the team with branded gear throughout the Olympic season and beyond.”

SPP has worked with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee for nearly 30 years on sponsorship merchandise programs. Its experienced Olympic merchandising team will continue to work closely with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to expand their curated seasonal retail collections enabling fans to proudly show their support for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team as the athletes go for gold at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.

“Staples is thrilled to be part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said Donna Armstrong, Director of Olympic Partnerships at SPP. “As we lead up to the Beijing Olympic Games, SPP looks forward to supporting the fans with exciting U.S. Ski & Snowboard merchandise. I have been a part of the Olympic and Paralympic movement since 1999 and I couldn’t be more delighted to partner with one of the premier U.S. National Governing Bodies.”

Hosted on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s website, the e-commerce microsite will include branded retail collections of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, and a branded accessory line.

To see the new offering from the cooperative, please visit shop.usskiandsnowboard.org.

About Staples Promo
Staples Promotional Products designs custom merchandise experiences that help businesses project their brands into minds and marketplaces around the world. Their online platforms improve business, brand, and engagement outcomes for small and large businesses alike; including over 300 Fortune-ranked enterprises. Clients depend on them to protect and enhance their powerful brands while lowering the total cost of branded merchandise and increasing supply chain compliance and transparency. Staples Promotional Products is a wholly-owned division of Staples Inc.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the U.S.A, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2021, 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 U.S.A, 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. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Courtney Harkins, Elevate Communications/U.S. Ski & Snowboard – charkins@elevatecom.com, 978-314-1019