PARK CITY, UT (Nov. 16, 2016) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) announced today that Liberty Mutual Insurance, the fifth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., has renewed its relationship as the official insurance partner of the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing through the 2019-2020 season. With the renewal, Liberty Mutual Insurance also signs on as the title sponsor of NASTAR, the world’s largest recreational alpine ski racing program.

Both the USSA and Liberty Mutual Insurance share the vision of creating lasting memories through sport. Liberty Mutual Insurance’s partnership with the USSA and NASTAR continues the insurer’s strong tradition of supporting elite U.S. Olympic athletes and grows that support to include a broader audience within the grassroots of skiing and snowboarding.

“We are excited to partner with USSA and help continue their mission of growing these sports to a wide audience,” said Seth Fishbein, Director of Sponsorship Marketing, U.S. Consumer Markets, at Liberty Mutual Insurance.  “As Liberty Mutual Insurance strives to help our customers leave worry behind, we look forward to helping the ski and snowboard community do the same.”

Founded in 1968, NASTAR hosts over 100,000 racer days at 100 resorts across the country. As part of their partnership, Liberty Mutual Insurance will activate on race courses at all resorts throughout the season as well as at regional championships. The pinnacle of Liberty Mutual Insurance’s NASTAR activation will take place at the 2017 Liberty Mutual Insurance NASTAR National Championships March 23-26 at Steamboat Resort, CO. Over 1,000 competitors of all ages are expected to compete in individual and team races.

“Liberty Mutual Insurance’s dedication to NASTAR allows for a whole new audience of skiers and snowboarders to have a deeper and more meaningful connection with USSA,” said USSA Chief Marketing Officer Michael Jaquet. “The NASTAR sponsorship allows both organizations to partner together to expand participation and awareness of recreational ski racing in America. We’re also further developing the NASTAR property by adding more resorts, implementing a stronger marketing strategy and modernizing the website and database experience. The ability for Liberty Mutual Insurance to activate with our resort partners, our U.S. Ski Team Brand and our athletes make this a very important partnership for growth in our sport.”

For more information on Liberty Mutual Insurance NASTAR, visit www.nastar.com.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Liberty Mutual Insurance has renewed its partnership with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association through the 2019-2020 season.
• With the renewal, Liberty Mutual Insurance will be the title sponsor of NASTAR, as well as the official insurance partner of the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing.
• Liberty Mutual Insurance’s partnership with NASTAR grows their support to include a broader audience within the grassroots of skiing and snowboarding.
• Liberty Mutual Insurance will have an on-course presence at all of NASTAR’s 100 resorts across the country.
• Primary activation events include regional championships as well as the NASTAR National Championships in Steamboat, CO March 23-26, 2017.
• More information on Liberty Mutual Insurance NASTAR can be found at www.nastar.com.

QUOTES

Seth Fishbein, Director of Sponsorship Marketing, U.S. Consumer Markets, Liberty Mutual Insurance
We are excited to partner with USSA and help continue its mission of growing these sports to a wide audience. As Liberty Mutual Insurance strives to help our customers leave worry behind, we look forward to helping the ski and snowboard community do the same.

Michael Jaquet, Chief Marketing Officer, USSA
Liberty Mutual Insurance’s dedication to NASTAR allows for a whole new audience of skiers and snowboarders to have a deeper and more meaningful connection with USSA. The NASTAR sponsorship allows both organizations to partner together to expand participation and awareness of recreational ski racing in America. We’re also further developing the NASTAR property by adding more resorts, implementing a stronger marketing strategy and modernizing the website and database experience. The ability for Liberty Mutual Insurance to activate with our resort partners, our U.S. Ski Team Brand and our athletes make this a very important partnership for growth in our sport.

Getting excited for ski season to kick off? So is Julia Mancuso, who is ready to start her comeback World Cup season after missing last season due to a hip injury. Mancuso sat down with espnW to share her playlist that is helping her get to the start gate.

Listen to Julia Mancuso’s playlist here.

KITTIL, Finland (Nov. 13, 2016) - A disappointing result turned into a positive perspective for the U.S. men’s technical squad at the opening slalom event of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup.

America’s top slalom skier David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) failed to finish his first run as the cold, aggressive surface got the best of him. But he vowed to come back strong for the second World Cup slalom December 11^th in Val d’Isere, France.

“I just made a mistake,” Chodounsky said. “I’m skiing well, but I just need to focus on the right things. I’ll come back strong next race.”

“Daver made an uncharacteristic mistake,” said Ian Lochhead, men’s U.S. World Cup slalom coach. “Good splits on top. Nothing to worry about, he'll be ready for Val d'Isere.”

However, Lochhead said that the team and coaching staff must be better prepared for the next World Cup slalom, but noted that they are on the cusp of skiing right up there with the top racers.

“The guys skied fast in training all week with several other teams, and I need to do a better job of making sure they're ready to go on race day,” Lochhead said. “They've been doing great and working hard. If I do better, they'll do better. I've lost no faith in them, and believe that they can ski fast at World Cups, and we need to figure out how to help them do that week in week out.”

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher crushed the field for his first slalom World Cup win of the season, finishing 1.30 seconds ahead of countryman Michael Matt. Italy’s Manfred Moelgg rounded out the podium in third, just 0.01 second behind Matt.

Hirscher battled hard for Sunday’s victory. First he suffered an infection of the inner ear and wasn’t sure he would even be able to participate in the race. Then, as many other athletes, he experienced iced up goggles in the first run, because of the frozen fog that was sitting in the upper part of the course. But he laid down a super-aggressive second run to take his 40th World Cup victory.

No Americans qualified for the second run. In the first run, Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) was the top placed U.S. skier in 44th; Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) was 58th.

Next up, the speed teams kick off their World Cup season at Lake Louise, Canada with downhill and super G races scheduled for Nov. 26-27, followed by the Birds of Prey downhill and super G races at Beaver Creek, CO December 3-4. The tech teams return to action with giant slalom and slalom events Dec. 10 and 11 at Val d’Isere, France.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Austria’s Marcel Hirscher won his 40th World Cup event Sunday.
• Hirscher’s margin of victory was 1.30 seconds over countryman Michael Matt.
• Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) was the top placed U.S. skier in 44th.
• The tech teams return to action with giant slalom and slalom events Dec. 10 and 11 at Val d’Isere, France.
• Last season David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) snagged his career-best finish with fourth place in Val d’Isere. 

QUOTES

David Chodounsky
I was skiing well up top. I had a little trouble with the snow. It was pretty aggressive…I just leaned in and that was it.

I just made a mistake. I’m skiing well, but I just need to focus on the right things. I’ll come back strong next race.

Ian Lochhead – Head World Cup Slalom Coach
Daver made an uncharacteristic mistake. Good splits on top. Nothing to worry about, he'll be ready for Val d'Isere.

The guys skied fast in training all week with several other teams, and I need to do a better job of making sure they're ready to go on race day. They've been doing great and working hard. If I do better, they'll do better. I've lost no faith in them, and believe that they can ski fast at World Cups, and we need to figure out how to help them do that week in week out.

Course held up great from bib 1 until the end. Snow on the pitch was very grippy which contributed to some of the DNFs...very disappointing to miss that opportunity with such good conditions.

TV SCHEDULE
Sunday, Nov. 13 – men’s slalom – Universal HD, 2:00 p.m. ET

RESULTS
Men’s Slalom

KITTIL, Finland (Nov. 12, 2016) – Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) overcame Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom opener nerves, skiing two clean and solid runs en route to her first World Cup victory of the 2017 season. Switzerland's Wendy Holdener grabbed second, .67 seconds out, while Slovakia's Petra Vlhova rounded out the podium in third, .75 seconds behind Shiffrin.

It was a beautiful, crisp day up in Lapland, with a picturesque sunrise and perfect rock-hard conditions on the race track. Starting lucky number seven, Shiffrin laid down a smoking first run, finishing .72 ahead of 2016 World Cup slalom title holder Frida Hansdotter and Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener. The battle between Shiffrin and Hansdotter ended when Hansdotter straddled on the pitch second run and skied out. Shiffrin knifed the bulletproof pitch and maintained her lead all the way to the finish, earning herself another prize Lapland reindeer and a buddy for her 2013 prize reindeer Rudolph. His name? Sven.

Shiffrin pets her new reindeer, Sven. (Getty Images-Martti Kainulainen)

Shiffrin channeled early race day nerves to work in her favor. "I didn't have many expectations. I was quite nervous this morning," recalled Shiffrin. "I just tried to put it aside, put my head away and just ski really hard. I made a few small mistakes—a couple things that hopefully the next race I can clean up a little bit. I know these other girls aren't going to wait around. They're trying to beat me, so I have to keep going."

Much like Soelden, Levi is a bit of an outlier race on the World Cup circuit—no one really knows where they are until it happens. Though Resi Stiegler (Jackson WY) typically struggles with losing time in the final split, she was able to make up some time at the bottom of her second run, skiing into a solid 16th place. Prior to the race, Stiegler she noted that she was still working on dialing in her skiing and body for the season, but she is relieved to have the first race in the books. "First run I think I had some nerves," said Stiegler. "Then second run I was like, 'It's time to improve. Let's just ski better second run and not worry too much about the result today,' and it was better. There are still some things I need to work on, but I'm happier that I improved for that run. It's so beautiful here and it's nice to have some winter conditions finally. Everything feels really good. The snow was excellent—it's nice, hard snow—and a great atmosphere."

Shiffrin stands on top of the podium. (Getty Images-Christophe Pallot)

The final American starting in Saturday’s slalom and a relative newcomer to the World Cup circuit, Lila Lapanja (Incline Village, NV), had solid top splits that would have had her well into qualification for a second run but struggled moving forward coming on to the pitch, causing her to get low and behind. She’ll walk away knowing that she has the speed to hang with the top 15.

The women will head to Colorado for a training block before traveling to the highly anticipated Killington World Cup on November 26 for a giant slalom, followed by a slalom on November 27. It is Killington’s first time hosting a World Cup and the first time the east coast has hosted a World Cup since 1991.

Resi Stiegler raced to 16th at Levi. (Getty Images-Christophe Pallot)

The men race slalom Sunday with David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) looking to charge hard and make his mark in this deep men’s tech field. Stream the race live on nbcsports.com and watch the race on Universal HD at 2:30 p.m. ET.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) won the Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom opener in Levi, Finland.
• This was Shiffrin's ninth straight World Cup slalom victory and 20th career slalom victory.
• Switzerland's Wendy Holdener was second and Slovakia's Petra Vlhova third.
• Shiffrin has podiumed twice in Levi, in both 2012 (third) and 2013 (first). She aptly named her prized Lapland reindeer “Rudolph” in 2013.
• Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) finished 16th and had the eighth-fastest second run.
• 2016 NorAm Slalom Champion Lila Lapanja (Incline Village, NV) did not qualify for a second run.
• Watch the race recap on Universal HD at 6:30 p.m. ET, where former U.S. Ski Team athlete Will Brandenburg will make his broadcasting debut alongside Steve Porino.
• The men race Sunday with Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN), David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO), Mark Engel (Truckee, CA), AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) and Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) starting.

QUOTES

Mikaela Shiffrin
On first run performance
First run felt good. I was quite nervous this morning, so I’m really happy with where I’m at and I attacked really hard. Sometimes when I’m nervous I get really passive, so I tried to go the opposite direction and almost try to ski too hard. It ended up being just the right balance. I think I can clean it up second run even better. We’ll see what happens. I’m psyched with where I’m at right now.

On the race today 
It was a great race. The hill was in really, really perfect condition and it was a beautiful day. So, I'm happy...but I also know I can be faster. I think the other girls will be faster as well. It takes a lot of energy. It's fun, and when I ski my best it's easier. The better I ski, the easier it is, and more simple. So I always shoot with the most simple skiing and just try to get to the finish as fast as I can. I'm psyched with how that worked today.

On race day nerves
I didn't have many expectations. I was quite nervous this morning. So I just tried to put it aside, put my head away, and just ski really hard. I made a few small mistakes—a couple things that hopefully the next race I can clean up a little bit. I know these other girls aren't going to wait around. They're trying to beat me, so I have to keep going.

On being unbeatable
I am not unbeatable. I can tell you that. And I think a lot of these girls know that and they're shooting to be the first to beat me now. So every race I have to be faster, and it's certainly not a comfortable position.

Resi Stiegler
First run I think I had some nerves, and then second run I was like, 'It's time to improve. Let's just ski better the second run and not worry too much about the result today,' and it was better. There are still some things I need to work on, but I'm happier that I improved for that run. It's so beautiful here and it's nice to have some winter conditions finally. Everything feels really good, the snow was excellent—it's nice, hard snow—and a great atmosphere.

TV SCHEDULE 
Saturday, Nov. 12 – women’s slalom – Universal HD, 6:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Nov. 13 – men’s slalom – Universal HD, 2:00 p.m. ET

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

VAIL, CO (Nov. 11, 2016) – Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) announced today that she suffered a fracture to her upper right arm. She underwent surgery in Vail Thursday night (Nov. 10) after suffering the injury in a training crash earlier in the day at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain, CO. There was no immediate determination as to how long she would be out of action. The Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill season opens later this month at Lake Louise, AB.

KITTIL, Finland (Nov. 12, 2016) – It’s a winter wonderland in Kittil, Finland—home to Levi, the ski resort that plays host to the Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom opener. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Santa Claus country. Though the word on the streets of Soelden was not optimistic for the slalom opener, it seems that Ullr, the Nordic God of Snow and Winter, had different plans. Either that or Santa Claus came early. Either way, it’s a cold winter wonderland and the elves aren’t the only ones excited to get this show on the road!

The snow gods didn’t grace Levi with their presence last season, forcing a rescheduled race to be held for the women in Aspen. That sure didn’t bother Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO), who went on to set a record, winning by the largest margin in World Cup women’s slalom history—3.07 seconds ahead of Slovakia’s Veronika Velez Zuzulova and 3.26 seconds ahead of 2016 World Cup slalom title holder Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter. On top of that, Shiffrin won all five of the slalom races she competed in during the 2016 season, and she did it by a combined time of 10.56 seconds—that's a 2.11 second average margin of victory. And in three starts in Levi, Shiffrin has podiumed twice, in both 2012 and 2013.

Levi hosts the season-opening men's and women's World Cup slaloms this weekend. (Getty Images/AFP/Lehtikuva-Martti Kainulainen)

After a solid training block in Soelden, Shiffrin’s Head Coach Mike Day is optimistic both about Shiffrin’s skiing and the conditions at Levi, though is quick to note that Levi is a bit of a mystery. “They have plenty of snow here,” noted Day. “The training slope is super hard and well-watered, so it’s full on and ready to go. Things look good [with Mikaela] and I think Levi is a lot like Soelden in the sense that it’s a bit of an outlier and no one really knows where they’re at until it happens.”

Will Mikaela win a Lapland reindeer buddy for her 2013 prize reindeer “Rudolph” who resides in Levi? “We freeskied (the hill) today and the surface looks great. It’s perfect and race-ready,” said Shiffrin. “It would be nice to get Rudolph a buddy! No reindeer likes to be alone.”

Mikaela Shiffrin poses with her Lapland reindeer Rudolph, who she won after taking first at Levi in 2013. (Getty Images-Markku Ulander)

The battle is expected to be between Shiffrin and Hansdotter, who is no stranger to the podium in Levi either, snagging a second place in 2014.

Fierce and fun veteran Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) echoed similar sentiments about the World Cup slalom kickoff, but is excited to be back in action. “It’ll be nice to have the first race and get things going,” said Stiegler. “I do have some things I’m still working on and the body is still getting broken in for the season, so I’m going to stick with some simple things to think about and go out and enjoy on Saturday.”

Stiegler is feeling the good vibes across the team as well. “I think it’s going to be pretty exciting for our team—it’s fun to have the guys up here, too,” she remarked. “We have really good energy. I think everyone’s just really giddy and excited to be racing.” A force to be reckoned with on the NorAm circuit, 2016 NorAm Slalom Champion Lila Lapanja (Incline Village, NV) looks to find the groove and grace in her new home on the World Cup circuit.

David Chodounsky leads the U.S. men into Levi. (Getty Images-Fabrice Coffrini)

Over on the men’s side, veteran David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) leads a group promising talent including Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN), Mark Engel (Truckee, CA), AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) and Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT). In what is an incredibly deep slalom field, Chodounsky will look to carry the momentum from his career-best 2015-16 season. Chodounsky finished last season ranked 15th in slalom and went on to win his fourth U.S. Championship title in Sun Valley, Idaho. Notably missing from action this Sunday will be Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, the 2016 slalom title holder. Sounds like that podium is up for grabs.

Tune into Universal HD, as former U.S. Ski Team athlete Will Brandenburg will make his broadcasting debut alongside Steve Porino. Universal HD will cover the women's slalom on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET and the men's slalom on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET. You can also catch all the action streaming live on nbcsports.com.

CONFIRMED LEVI STARTERS

Men
Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN)
David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO)
Mark Engel (Truckee, CA)
AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece)
Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT)

Women
Lila Lapanja (Incline Village, NV)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO)
Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Levi was canceled in 2015 due to weather, and the women’s race was rescheduled for Aspen. In the rescheduled race, Shiffrin won by the largest margin in World Cup women’s slalom history, 3.07 seconds ahead of Slovakia’s Veronica Velez Zuzulova.
• Of three starts in Levi, Shiffrin has podiumed twice – in 2012 and 2013.
• Resi Stiegler had an outstanding 2016 comeback season, grabbing seven top-15 finishes, two top-10 finishes and ended up ranked 13th in the world in slalom.
• Lila Lapanja scored her first World Cup points last season at Flachau, in just her third World Cup start.
• David Chodounsky finished off the 2016 season with a career-best 15th slalom rank in the world, highlighted by a career-best fourth place finish in Val d’Isere.
• Michael Ankeny scored his first World Cup points last year during the classics: Adelboden and Kitzbuehel.
• Mark Engel had a solid 2016 season on the Europa Cup circuit with a podium in Zell am See and looks to carry this momentum to the World Cup.
• Robby Kelley experienced success on the Europa Cup circuit—featuring a podium in Hemsedal—during the 2016 season and capped the season off with a second place finish at U.S. Alpine Championships in Sun Valley, ID behind Chodounsky. A member of the famous 'Skiing Cochran's’ lineage, Kelley is the son of Steve and Lindy Kelley. Lindy was a 1976 Olympian and eight-year member of the U.S. Ski Team in the 70's.
• After sitting a portion of the 2016 season out with a torn meniscus, AJ Ginnis is looking for his first World Cup points.
• Tune into Universal HD, as former U.S. Ski Team athlete Will Brandenburg will make his broadcasting debut alongside Steve Porino.
• Universal HD will cover the women's slalom on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET and the men's slalom on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET. Live streaming of both races will be available on nbcsports.com.

QUOTES

Mikaela Shiffrin
The conditions are really, really good. They’ve added some terrain on the hill this year. There are always some knolls at the top, which makes it interesting and they added a few more so that’s going to be really fun. We freeskied it today and the surface looks great. It’s perfect and race-ready. It would be nice to get Rudolph a buddy! No reindeer likes to be alone.

Watching some of the other girls skiing today, I think there’s going to be tough competition out there tomorrow. I’ll do my best and ski as fast as I can like always and see what happens.

Mike Day, Head Coach – Mikaela Shiffrin
[On the prep period coming into Levi]
The training block in Soelden was quite good…we had a productive time. We had about a half meter of snow there at the end and Soelden did an amazing job scraping snow off the race hill for us. We finished up with a great session down there before we came up to Levi yesterday.

[On Levi]
They have plenty of snow here. The training slope is super hard and well-watered, so it’s full on and ready to go. Things look good [with Mikaela] and I think Levi is a lot like Soelden in the sense that it’s a bit of an outlier and no one really knows where they’re at until it happens. We have a lot of time on the backend of it to reevaluate what we’ll need to do better. Whether it’s a victory or not, we’ll always be figuring out what we need to do better and then the rest of the season begins with Killington. It’s good. Everything is positive. 

AJ Ginnis
We were training in Geilo [Norway] for four days before coming here. It was really, really good. The snow on the training hill is super icy so hopefully the same holds up on the race hill. My knee is feeling good, which is awesome.

Resi Stiegler
We’re up here at Levi, Finland and it is very chilly. Kind of exciting to be here in a winter wonderland. It feels like Christmas with all of the little snow elves running around. The trees are beautiful with lots of snow and there are gorgeous sunrises and sunsets within a couple of hours. The snow is rock-hard. It’s our first couple of days getting injected snow, so that feels good. It actually feels nice have these cold temps and hard snow.

Everyone’s skiing fast. It’ll be nice to have the first race and get things going, but I do have some things I’m still working on and the body is still getting broken in for the season, so I’m just going to stick with some simple things to think about and go out and enjoy on Saturday. I think it’s going to be pretty exciting for our team—it’s fun to have the guys up here. We have really good energy. I think everyone’s just really giddy and excited to be racing. It’s a good vibe to be around and see everyone you haven’t seen in a while. Just trying to keep it together as well as reminding myself that I’m out here having fun and getting the season started. No panic and just enjoy the ride.

TV SCHEDULE
Saturday, Nov. 12 – women’s slalom – Universal HD, 6:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Nov. 13 – men’s slalom – Universal HD, 2:00 p.m. ET
Live streaming available on nbcsports.com.

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA (Nov. 8, 2016) – Veteran U.S. Ski Team member and three-time Olympian Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) continues her longstanding commitment to giving back to the ski racing community as she announces recipients of the 2016-17 Stacey Cook/Sun Valley Ski Tools (SVST) Competition Team. Recipients are chosen based on criteria such as passion and dedication to the sport, community involvement and character.

Time flies when you’re having fun and giving back. Though Cook can’t recall exactly what year this is for the scholarship, she believes they’re passing a decade of supporting juniors with this scholarship program. “It is really rewarding to see some of my past scholarship winners excelling in college, post-college, and even getting married,” reflected Cook. “I feel like our past winners represent the program so well and I look forward to seeing how this new group flourishes this season and into the future.”

Cook is not only an incredible athlete and a student of the sport, but she is a great mentor for both her teammates and young athletes in the community. For her, gratification comes not only in supporting athletes in achieving their dreams in ski racing, but also witnessing these athletes transfer skills learned on the mountain to life off the mountain. “Watching the winners learn and grow from skiers to people and in sports and beyond is really rewarding and makes the effort for me and the others involved worthwhile,” she added.

This year Cook chose four juniors and two teams. She notes that the inclusion of teams has been a great addition, as the scholarship can reach many kids that are deserving, while at the same time reward clubs that are making a big difference in the sport. “We’re planning to host tuning clinics for these teams so they can learn more about taking care of their equipment and how to specifically use the SVST tools and Raceservice waxing system,” says Cook.

Scholarship recipients receive $500 of tools from SVST and $500 of Raceservice Wax.

Learn more about the genesis of the Stacey Cook/SVST scholarship.

2016-17 SVST COMPETITION TEAM
Isaiah Nelson, Buck Hill Ski Racing Team, Burnsville, MN
Hannah Utter, Green Mountain Valley School, Waitsfield, VT
Hailey Cutler, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Sun Valley, ID
Jett Seymour, Steamboat Winter Sports Club, Steamboat Springs, CO
Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation, Boise, ID
Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundation, Incline Village, NV

QUOTES
Isaiah Nelson, Buck Hill Ski Team
This scholarship means so much because it shows me that others believe in me, and it will help teach me responsibility for my own skis.

Hailey Cutler, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation
Being rewarded this scholarship is a huge honor. It really has opened my eyes to all the care and support I have from people all around. I am so grateful for this opportunity!

Mark Wedeking, Head Coach/Program Director, Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation
It is a great honor to win this scholarship from Stacey Cook and SVST. We have used SVST tools and wax to help our kids be fast out on the hill for years. They make the best stuff in the business. Stacey is one of our favorite racers to watch on the speed side, so getting this scholarship from her is like icing on the cake. We are super excited for a great race season ahead and being able to make it a fast one because of Stacey and SVST. 

PARK CITY, UT (Nov. 7, 2016) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) announced today that World Cup Supply, INC. (WCS) will be signing on as the main sponsor for the 2017 FIS Eastern Cup series. WCS will be supplying race collateral and prize money as well as event safety educational materials at each stop of the series this season.

Since its inception in 1976, the season-long series has brought the best eastern athletes together to race at the highest level and compete for spots at the U.S. National Championships. This year, racers will also have the chance to qualify for the newly created U19 and U21 U.S. Junior National Championships. The 2016-17 series includes stops at the Dartmouth Skiway NH, Gore Mountain, NY, Middlebury Snowbowl, VT, Mittersill/Cannon, NH, Shawnee Peak, ME, Sunday River, ME, Stowe, VT, Sugarloaf, ME and Suicide 6, VT.

“We are thrilled to extend our longstanding commitment to USSA and ski racing in general with the addition of the Eastern Cup Series sponsorship,” said Brad Williams, president and CEO of WCS. “Our partnership is focused on ensuring that all infrastructure needs are met at these events. This series is one of the key parts of USSA’s athletic pipeline and sustaining its future is important to all of us here at WCS.”

As part of their sponsorship, WCS will provide 300 race gates and 100 customized competition panels for all of the Eastern Cup events, as well as customized competition bibs and race and event safety educational materials. The prize purse for the series totals $3,000 for men’s and women’s top series finishers.

“The Eastern Cup series is an elite level alpine event that should look and feel like an elite level event in every aspect,” stated USSA Eastern Region Director Martin Guyer. “Having a main sponsor like World Cup Supply will help achieve that by providing the best equipment and creating a standard of excellence for our racers. Their support of the USSA Eastern Region and regional racing demonstrates a commitment to and passion for alpine skiing and our community.”

For more USSA Eastern Region news, visit ussa.org.

2016-17 FIS Eastern Cup Series Schedule

Dec. 18-21, 2016
Sunday River, ME
Women’s Giant Slalom, Slalom

Sugarloaf, ME
Men’s Giant Slalom, Slalom

Jan. 20-21, 2017
Gore, NY
Men’s and Women’s Super G

Jan. 22-23, 2017
Gore, NY
Women’s Giant Slalom

Mittersill, NH
Men’s Giant Slalom

Jan. 30 - Feb. 2, 2017
Sugarloaf, ME
Men’s and Women’s Downhill, Super G

Feb. 12, 2017
Middlebury, VT
Women’s Slalom

Suicide Six, VT
Men’s Slalom                       

Feb. 27 - Mar. 2, 2017
Shawnee Peak, ME
Women’s Slalom 

Dartmouth Skiway, NH
Women’s Giant Slalom

Feb. 28 - Mar. 3, 2017
Sugarbush, VT
Men’s Giant Slalom, Slalom

April 1-4, 2017
Series Championships
Stowe, VT
Men’s Giant Slalom, Slalom

Series Championships
Sunday River, ME
Women’s Giant Slalom, Slalom

April 5-6, 2017
Series Championships
Sunday River, ME
Men’s and Women’s Super G
 

COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Nov. 5, 2016) – Despite the fact that Mother Nature has been quite moody this fall, Copper Mountain Resort snowmaking team has been working around the clock preparing for the highly anticipated opening of the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center. When fully operational, it is the only full-length downhill training facility open anywhere in the world this time of year.

After firing up the HKD guns on Oct. 3, Copper’s mountain operations crew has picked up the pace to prep the slope for training by the U.S. Ski Team. As of Nov. 4, the Speed Center is open for training on the top portion of the trail Andy’s Encore. The full venue is slated to open on Nov. 11.

Training at Copper Mountain's U.S. Ski Team Speed Center in November 2015.

U.S. Ski Team members expected to train on the Speed Center at Copper Mountain include Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO), Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) and American Downhillers Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT), Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) and Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA), their nearly 50 teammates, and national teams from around the world.

Now in its seventh year of operation, the world-class training venue has helped propel U.S. Ski Team athletes to early season Audi FIS Ski World Cup dominance since inception.

Mikaela Shiffrin trains at Copper Mountain in 2015.

SPEED CENTER FACTS
Vertical drop: 2,300 feet
Length: 2 miles
Max speed: 80 mph
Disciplines: slalom, giant slalom, super G, downhill, alpine combined