Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team Fundraiser Exceeds Goal

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team’s recent fundraiser in Vail, Colo. raised upwards of $229,000 for alpine team programming. The event was hosted by long time trustees Karen and John Arnold.
The night was filled with enlightening conversations, cocktails and warm summer weather bringing in some of the team’s top athletes including Tommy Ford, Bridger Gile, Katie Hensien, Breezy Johnson, Paula Moltzan, Kyle Negomir, and Nina O’Brien.
“Going to school in Vail and training on gold peak every day I got a lot of support from the people of Vail,” said Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Bridger Gile. “The people of Vail love ski racing and love to help kids achieve their dreams in the sport of skiing, to see the support that the Vail Valley has for ski racing makes it all worth it.”
Thanks to the Arnold’s matching gifts, the event exceeded its original goal of $150,000. The list of donors included trustees of the team, local ski fans, parents of athletes and alumni. A great representation of the strong alpine community.
These gifts further develop the team’s mission of developing our talented athletes in their pursuit of excellence in skiing, and to compete at the highest level and represent our country on the international stage. The support helps provide the necessary resources, training opportunities and coaching to allow our athletes to reach their full potential on and off the mountain.
2023 Booster Summer Fun Nationals Recap

Well that's all folks! What a weekend it was for the 2023 Summer Fun Nationals Grand Finale! Running from 1989-2023, the Summer Fun Nationals was the highlight of the summer for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Masters. You could transition from boots to bikes to bikinis all in the same day!
The Summer Fun Nationals started 1989 under the leadership and grit of Meri Stratton. Throughout that time Knut Olberg, Joseph Mucci, Ann Ozuna, Dave Prochazka and Ollie Lajoie have been there for the whole ride putting in countless hours and immeasurable effort along the way. Organizing a race event requires a lot of moving pieces, equipment, and volunteers. Organizing a race on a glacier with no lodge, electricity, permanent race buildings or dedicated wiring is an amazing feat of organization and manpower. Race days start at 4am with snowcat loads of people and equipment and often end after midnight recharging batteries and replenishing supplies and packing crew lunches for the next day. Then of course you can't overlook the social gatherings! Planning food, beverages and party space for 100+ people in a small town with few large gathering spaces and limited grocery and restaurant options requires a whole lot of advanced shopping, planning, and coordination!
Thanks to Meri, the crew, and all the racers that have supported the event over the years!
2024 Note: The Pacific Northwest Division is looking at taking over hosting the event for 2024. Stay tuned for more information and dates if it will be possible.
Shiffrin Wins “Best Athlete - Women’s Sports” ESPY Award
Two-time Olympic champion, seven-time World Champion and greatest skier of all time Mikaela Shiffrin was awarded an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Award for "Best Athlete - Women's Sports" on Wednesday, July 12, at the annual award ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. It was Shiffrin’s first ESPY Award.
Shiffrin has elevated women’s ski racing globally—both on and off the mountain. The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete is coming off a record-setting season, where she reset the record for most World Cup wins, surpassing long-time record holder and Swedish ski legend Ingemar Stenmark, who held the record since 1989. Shiffrin now holds 15 globes from her 13 seasons competing, along with winning five overall FIS Crystal Globes and ten discipline titles. On top of that, her 10 discipline globes lead all active skiers and her seven slalom titles hold the all-time record for a single discipline.
Held annually, the ESPYs recognizes the top sport performances and athletes of the year. Millions of viewers tuned in to celebrate the best of the best in sport and celebrated the moments that rewrote history. Shiffrin beat out three other top athletes for the “Best Athlete - Women's Sports” award, including U.S. Women’s National Team and Portland Thorns soccer athlete Sophia Smith, star Polish tennis player Iga Świątek and Las Vegas Aces basketball player A’ja Wilson.
"It's such a pleasure and such an honor to be part of this event. Thank you ESPN again for putting on such a great show - it's been so great to meet everybody," said Shiffrin in her speech after accepting the award. "I just honestly... I have a whole stack of people that I would have to thank for literally getting me to where I am today, through failure and through success, it's been a long journey, and it's not over yet. But I really have to say thank you to my family, my friends, Aleks, my brother, my sister in law who are here tonight as well, my team and coaches.
"This season was incredible and there was a lot of talk about records... but I was thinking, why is a record actually important? I just feel like it's not important to break records or reset records, it's important to set the tone for the next generation and to inspire them."
“This ESPY award is so well deserved for Mikaela,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO. “After an astonishing record-setting season, seeing her honored at this level in front of millions tuning in at home is a perfect celebration. We are so proud of her accomplishments on and off the snow, and we know that she will only continue to impress us in seasons to come.”