U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today the appointment of Sophie Goldschmidt as the organization’s next President and CEO. Goldschmidt will officially begin on October 18th, taking over for current President and CEO Tiger Shaw. Goldschmidt will be relocating from Los Angeles to Park City, Utah. 

In her career, Goldschmidt has held numerous leadership, commercial and marketing roles with several of the world’s most well-known and prestigious organizations - most recently as CEO of the World Surf League (WSL). Prior to that, she held executive positions at the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Chime Sports Marketing (CSM), the PGA European Tour and Adidas. Goldschmidt is a proven leader who brings the unique experience of working closely with athletes across multiple sports from grassroots to the most elite levels, combined with a track record of positively transforming organizations from a business standpoint. Goldschmidt has been at the forefront of globalizing and innovating sports, media, and entertainment properties throughout her career. She will bring a fresh perspective as athletes prepare for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. 

“I am thrilled to be the next leader of U.S. Ski & Snowboard,” said Goldschmidt. “My priority is to build on the organization’s strong foundations. To take the levels of performance to new heights, to grow the number of participants and fans we engage with, in addition to creatively unlocking new value and investment. I see significant opportunities to further develop the profiles of the seven sports and of the athletes, who are inspirational role models. I’m also looking forward to working with the staff, coaches, clubs, the broader snow sports community, other key stakeholders and partners. I’m an avid skier with a passion for snow sports, which really makes this a dream opportunity for me at the right time. I can’t wait to get going.”

Goldschmidt will be taking over for Tiger Shaw, who is stepping down from his position as President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard after eight years. Shaw will stay on to aid Goldschmidt during the transition and will subsequently join the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation Board as a Trustee focusing on athlete fundraising - a key priority of Shaw’s during his time at the organization.

As CEO of the WSL, Goldschmidt was responsible for transforming both the business capabilities and culture. During her tenure, she negotiated a historic 10-year agreement with the athletes, led the implementation of equal prize money for men and women, secured unprecedented levels of linear and digital distribution, including a first-of-its-kind Facebook partnership, in addition to record revenue performance. She also delivered the first-ever competitive events utilizing wave technology at the WSL’s Surf Ranch, relaunched the organization’s ocean health advocacy program WSL PURE and significantly raised the WSL’s profile globally. 

As Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of the RFU, Goldschmidt was responsible for all of the union's revenue-generating areas and commercial programs, in addition to its marketing and digital communications. She was also Group Managing Director at CSM. In her time at the NBA as the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Goldschmidt helped spearhead the NBA's global expansion of its brand. Prior to the NBA, Goldschmidt served as a Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the WTA globally and she began her career at Adidas. Goldschmidt was also one of the first two female Board Members of the PGA European Tour. She has spent much of her career in the U.S. and attended Baylor University on a tennis scholarship.

“Sophie brings an invaluable level of tacit knowledge gained from her previous roles working with athletes and sports organizations,“ said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors Chair Kipp Nelson. “Sophie’s leadership, commercial and marketing experience, combined with her commitment to the athletes, made her the ideal candidate. Her ability to grow engagement and raise the global profile of athletes, teams and brands will directly benefit all U.S. Ski & Snowboard stakeholders.”

“I’d like to give Sophie a warm welcome to the organization, while at the same time thanking Tiger for everything he has done the last eight years,” said two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin. “I am looking forward to this new era of leadership for all of our U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes as we head into this pivotal Beijing 2022 Olympic year. Based on what I’ve read, heard, as well as the interaction we’ve had thus far, I feel that Sophie’s commercial, marketing, and sports organization experience is a unique blend of traits that will set us up for success strategically not only heading into the Olympics, but – perhaps more importantly – moving forward as we build the future of our sports and inspire the next generation of skiers and snowboarders.”

Goldschmidt’s appointment signals a commitment to U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes, partners, members and fans. Her immediate efforts will focus on spending quality time with the athletes, other key stakeholders and business partners to fully immerse herself in all aspects of the sports and organization, while in parallel developing the key strategic priorities and plans for the next stage of the organization’s growth leading into the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

“After a very comprehensive search, we could not be happier with the decision to select Sophie as U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s new President and CEO,“ said U.S. Cross Country Team alumna, 2018 Olympic gold medalist and executive search committee co-chair Kikkan Randall. “I am particularly excited about Sophie’s experience working directly with world-class athletes across a myriad of sports; she really understands how to put athletes at the forefront.”

Goldschmidt was also previously named one of Forbes Most Powerful Women in Sport, AdWeek’s Most Powerful Women in Sport, Sports Business Journal's Forty under Forty, Leaders in Sport Under 40 Award, Marketing Week’s Vision Award and Sport360 Most Influential Women in Sport.

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

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Andrew Gauthier
Marketing & Communications Director, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Andrew.Gauthier@usskiandsnowboard.org
 

The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) in partnership with USA Nordic Sport (USANS) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today that the U.S. Olympic Trials for the sports of ski jumping and Nordic combined will take place at the Olympic Jumping Complex and Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid on Dec. 24 and 25.

The venue was home to competition during the Lake Placid 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, and it will now be a pivotal place for Beijing 2022 hopefuls.

 The event will showcase the top men and women ski jumpers and Nordic combined skiers in the country competing for a guaranteed spot on the U.S. Olympic team. While as many as five men and women in each discipline will earn a spot on Team USA, the winner in each discipline is guaranteed a spot in Beijing. Full teams will be announced in late January. 

“The USOPC is thrilled to partner with ORDA to host the Olympic Trials for ski jumping and Nordic combined in Lake Placid,” said USOPC vice president of winter sport, Kelly Skinner.  “With the amazing revitalization of Lake Placid’s iconic ski Jumps and new, state-of-the-art Nordic facilities at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, New York State has given American Athletes the people of Lake Placid and a world-class gift to enjoy this winter for Olympic Trials and for years to come.”

The event will feature USA Nordic Sport’s top athletes, including three-time Nordic Combined Olympian Taylor Fletcher, who will be looking to make his fourth Olympic team; Nina Lussi, Lake Placid native, attempting to earn her first Olympic appearance; and ski jumper Andrew Urlaub coming off a fifth-place finish at the FIS Summer Grand Prix.

“I am thrilled to have the Olympic Trials back in Lake Placid, the place where I learned Nordic Combined,” said CEO of USA Nordic Sport and Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Demong. “The youth and depth of the athletes preparing for their chance to make it to Beijing remind me of my teammates -- this will certainly be a Christmas holiday the competitors and fans will never forget.”

ORDA has modernized the Olympic Jumping Complex, installing frost rails on the inruns, re-contouring both outruns and adding summer surfaces for year-round training capabilities, upgrading the snowmaking system, and installing a new ADA-compliant gondola and glass elevator. In addition, the Sky Flyer Zipline and the Intervals Lodge complete the guest experience. 

ORDA also completed upgrades at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, including 5,000 meters of new world-class trails, an energy-efficient snowmaking system, and a 30-point biathlon range. The new trail systems are adjacent to the new Mountain Pass Lodge, a 50,000 square foot facility with integrated competition services, elite training facilities, and new recreational opportunities for visitors. 

“The recent improvements at the Lake Placid venues have made hosting important events like the Team Trials possible," said ORDA Board Chair Kelly Cummings. "It is an incredible honor for ORDA to welcome the finest Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined athletes in the United States as they aim to achieve their Olympic goals.”

“We are excited to welcome the Olympic Trials,” said ORDA President & CEO Mike Pratt.  “The Ski Jumps in Lake Placid are now the only location in North America homologated for year-round jumping.  The accomplishments made at the ORDA venues have positioned us to host more prestigious events, a higher quality of training, and excellent athlete and guest experiences.” 

The Olympic trials will take place at two of ORDA’s Olympic venues, the Olympic Jumping Complex (Dec. 24 and 25) and Mt. Van Hoevenberg (Dec. 24). Details regarding NBC Sports’ coverage of the trials will be announced soon. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced three U.S. Olympic freeski and snowboard qualifying stops for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022: the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix series and the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota.

The world’s best freeskiers and snowboarders will compete in halfpipe and slopestyle at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix events at Copper Mountain in Colorado and Mammoth Mountain in California, and big air at the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota at Colorado’s Steamboat Ski Resort. The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix is the longest-running winter action sports tour and has served as a major part of the U.S. Freeski Team and U.S. Snowboard Team Olympic qualification series since 1998, launching Olympic medalists including Chloe Kim, Jamie Anderson, Red Gerard, Shaun White, David Wise and Nick Goepper toward medals. The Visa Big Air and Toyota U.S. Grand Prix events are sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS) as World Cups.

“The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix has been the beacon of Olympic qualification fervor for more than two decades, and we are thrilled to bring this series back to Copper and Mammoth’s amazing terrain,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Freeski & Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “Those two resorts combined with the Olympic history and top-notch facilities at Steamboat Ski Resort for the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota will make for an outstanding Olympic qualifying process. We can’t wait to announce the athletes who will represent Team USA in Beijing this winter.”

Steamboat Ski Resort, a longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner with a storied Olympic history, will host the first qualifying event of the season: the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota December 3-4, 2021. It will be the first and only big air qualifying event for the 2022 Olympics as snowboard big air makes its second Olympic appearance and freeski big air makes its Olympic debut.

Next, the world’s best skiers and riders kick off the halfpipe season at the first Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Copper Mountain’s 22-foot Superpipe December 8-11, 2021. Copper is proving its rebrand as the “athlete’s mountain,” as it readies to host the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and the Dew Tour in December.

Finally, the skiers and riders descend upon Mammoth Mountain’s famed Unbound Terrain Park January 6-8, 2022 for halfpipe and slopestyle Toyota U.S. Grand Prix competitions. Mammoth has hosted previous Olympic qualifiers over the last two Olympic cycles and has named U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Olympic athletes three times: 1998—the first year the Olympics hosted snowboard halfpipe as an official event—and 2014 and 2018. While Mammoth was scheduled to host the first Olympic qualifying event of the 2022 Olympic cycle in early 2021, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toyota is back as the title sponsor of the U.S. Grand Prix series. Toyota’s long-time commitment to ski and snowboard athletes is ubiquitous, having been the partner before and throughout the 2018 Olympic Games and has now renewed its partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard through 2025. The brand’s individual partnerships will also be shining with Olympic champions such as Chloe Kim and Red Gerard looking to punch their tickets back to the Games.

“We’re excited to partner once again with U.S. Ski & Snowboard for the U.S. Grand Prix series,” said Dedra DeLilli, group manager, sponsorship strategy, integration & activation, Toyota Motor North America. “With less than five months until the start of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, it’s an honor to be a part of the qualifying events that will help determine the elite athletes who will represent Team USA on the world’s biggest stage.”

Visa, the longest-standing partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard of more than 30 years, is the title sponsor of the Visa Big Air and sponsors star athletes such as 2014 and 2018 Olympic champion David Wise. The company has been integral to big air making its Olympic debut in snowboarding in 2018 and will also be supporting the freeski side as freeski big air is unveiled as a new sport in the Beijing Olympics.

“Both Toyota and Visa have been vital partners to U.S. Ski & Snowboard for many years, and we’re thrilled to have these two brands support the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and the Visa Big Air,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Both brands’ endorsements of individual athletes and the greater team has allowed for progression and development of the freeski and snowboarding talent as they step on the world’s stage in 2022.”

The first 2022 Winter Olympics qualification events took place at the 2021 U.S. Grand Prix slopestyle and halfpipe competitions at Colorado’s Aspen Snowmass in March. Additional Olympic selection events will be announced prior to the start of the 2021-22 season.

Specific event information will be forthcoming as the local organizing committee works through its detailed protocols with local and state health officials. The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air are contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the local organizing committees and all resort partners are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities.

2021-22 OLYMPIC QUALIFYING SCHEDULE

Visa Big Air presented by Toyota at Steamboat Resort, Colorado
Big Air, December 2-4, 2021
December 2, 2021- snowboard big air qualifications
December 3, 2021- freeski big air qualifications
December 4, 2021 - snowboard big air finals, freeski big air finals

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colorado
Halfpipe, December 8-11, 2021
December 8, 2021 - freeski halfpipe qualifications
December 9, 2021 - snowboard halfpipe qualifications
December 10, 2021 - freeski halfpipe finals 
December 11, 2021 - snowboard halfpipe finals

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, California 
Halfpipe and slopestyle, January 6-8, 2022
January 6, 2022 - freeski halfpipe qualifications, snowboard slopestyle qualifications 
January 7, 2022 - freeski halfpipe finals, freeski slopestyle qualifications, snowboard halfpipe qualifications
January 8, 2022 - freeski slopestyle finals, snowboard slopestyle finals, snowboard halfpipe finals

RESORT QUOTES

Rob Perlman, President & Chief Operating Officer, Steamboat Ski Resort
"Steamboat’s Olympic heritage runs deep and we’re excited to honor our longstanding partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard in hosting the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota event leading up to the 2022 Olympics. Producing Olympians is part of who we are, so this was a natural fit for Steamboat to kick off the qualifying event calendar ahead of the winter games."

Dustin Lyman, President & General Manager, Copper Mountain
"We couldn't be more excited to host back-to-back freeski and snowboard events at Copper Mountain, including the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Winter Dew Tour. Ski and snowboard athletes have a long history of making their mark on their respective sports at Copper, and as the Athlete's Mountain, we can't wait to welcome them back for world-class competition."

Ron Cohen, President and Chief Operating Officer, Mammoth Mountain
"It is an honor to host another U.S. Olympic qualifying event here in Mammoth and we are extremely proud of all of the athletes on their road to Beijing. Mammoth has hosted over 10 U.S. Grand Prix events and have been fortunate enough to name our Olympic team here three times, including 1998, the first year halfpipe snowboarding was an official Olympic event. The excitement and pride in watching Olympic dreams become a reality is something we look forward to every four years. From elite competition to annual team training, we value our partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and look forward to executing another world-class event together."

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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 2020, 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.

ABOUT TOYOTA
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

ABOUT VISA
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/aboutvisa.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Gauthier
Marketing & Communications Director
U.S. Ski & Snowboard
andrew.gauthier@usskiandsnowboard.org
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced its partnership with R-Zero, the first biosafety technology company dedicated to reducing the spread of infectious diseases. 

Ahead of a critical Olympic season, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has incorporated R-Zero’s IoT-enabled, whole-room UV disinfection system, Arc, into its daily health and safety protocols at its Park City, Utah training facility, the USANA Center of Excellence. Arc’s hospital-grade, sustainable UV disinfection allows U.S. Ski & Snowboard to safely eliminate pathogenic risk on surfaces and air without the use of harmful chemicals. The addition of R-Zero’s biosafety technology is part of the organization’s innovative approach to ensuring U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes are able to continue performing at their highest while training for and competing in Beijing in 2022. 

“Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve been taking a multifaceted approach to ensure our athletes are protected from health risks across the board, and R-Zero’s partnership is a big added step in the right direction,” said Gillian Bower, Director of High Performance at U.S. Ski & Snowboard and a 15-year veteran of the organization. “Health and performance are a priority—not just for our athletes but for our staff. R-Zero’s Arc adds a safe, highly effective and sustainable way we can ensure we’re reducing risks in all spaces and for all parts of the organization.”

Currently, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is using four Arc units in the USANA Center of Excellence to disinfect spaces such as the weight room, physical therapy facilities, performance lab and their aerial practice area, which includes ramps, trampolines and foam landing pits. To optimize athlete health and performance, the team runs R-Zero’s UV-C systems daily in these high-traffic training locations. Later this month, the team will also ship two Arc units to Beijing for use in the upcoming Games. 

“COVID-19 illuminated the need for increased health and performance conditions for professional athletes across the world,” said Grant Morgan, co-founder and CEO of R-Zero. “As the Delta variant continues to surge globally, ensuring the health security of team staff and athletes will continue to remain critical. We are proud to support the entire U.S. Ski & Snowboard organization in creating safer indoor athletic training environments, both here in Utah and internationally.”
 

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About R-Zero
R-Zero is the first biosafety technology company dedicated to making the indoor spaces we share, safer and clinically clean. Founded to help organizations protect the health of people they serve, R-Zero is dedicated to developing the most effective and innovative disinfection technologies, to reduce the spread of all infectious diseases. R-Zero’s first product, Arc [an IoT-enabled, whole-room UV disinfection device] is currently enabling a higher level of health safety for hundreds of thousands of people, across both public and private sector organizations, without the use of chemicals. Today, R-Zero is pioneering the first continuous, automated disinfection ecosystem, enabling every organization to measure and manage indoor health risk with the same level of sophistication and technology that’s become standard across virtually every other industry. Informed by data science, built with AI, ML, and IoT connected hardware, R-Zero’s intelligent disinfection platform provides greater visibility, automation and even smarter risk reduction within the indoor spaces where humans spend their time. R-Zero is backed by leading venture capital firms, as well as thought-leaders from the health, hospitality, sports, commercial real estate, impact, and other industries. For more information, visit www.rzero.com. 
 

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

Creative Assets:
Photo assets of the R-Zero Arc system installed in the USANA Center of Excellence are linked here for use. 
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has officially announced a multi-year partnership with Givego, an on-demand virtual coaching and connectivity platform built by athletes, for athletes. 

Givego’s one-of-a-kind virtual learning platform connects users to experts through an easy to use and intuitive app, allowing anyone the ability to connect and learn from some of the world's best experts and professional athletes. Today, users simply upload a video using their mobile device, describe what aspect of their sport they are looking to improve, and their choice of expert can respond within minutes.

“Givego’s ability to provide on-demand feedback to skiers and riders around the world directly complements our mission to encourage and support athletes, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers, and fans,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “In addition to providing a valuable resource to key stakeholders, Givego also contributes to an athlete’s financial well being by compensating them for their expertise. We could not be more excited to support elements of our development pipeline and athlete experience alongside Givego.”

"We exist to make dreams possible," says Willie Ford, founder & CEO of Givego. "Whether you're a world champion, a young athlete with big goals, or someone who simply wants to be their best, we help you. We could not be more excited to bring Givego to the greater community of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard."

Customers can expect the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Givego experience to launch in September. To learn more, visit: www.givego.io or download Givego from the App Store to receive your free session.

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About Givego 
Givego is an online marketplace built by athletes for athletes in Salt Lake City, UT. Givego delivers a proprietary mobile technology that connects passionate sports enthusiasts with world-renowned experts across multiple disciplines with the sole objective of helping athletes improve. Givego’s community of experts range from Olympic and professional athletes to some of the most sought-after instructors and coaches certified by leading NGB’s.
 

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
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan. 

The objective of the three-year action plan is to achieve a higher-performing organization with an inclusive culture, equitable systems, and a team that will benefit from a more diverse range of backgrounds, experiences, and views. The plan is built around DEI pillars and corresponding subcommittees including leadership, governance, training, education, expanded access, representation, recognition, public facing content, and partnerships. 

“Elite performance cannot reach its highest levels when pursued in an elitist or inequitable way,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw and Chairman of the Board Kipp Nelson. ”In setting this Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan, our purpose is to honor and hold ourselves accountable to enriching our sport by nurturing a more welcoming culture, establishing fair systems at all levels, and opening the door wider to make skiing and snowboarding more accessible to athletes, professional staff, and communities with a more diverse array of backgrounds and identities.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard expanded and accelerated DEI efforts following the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery in June 2020, begging the question: What can our organization do as a member of the bigger snow sports industry? Up until that point, progress had been made in the area of gender equality, but it was clear the organization needed to make more headway in creating a real connection between snowsports and underrepresented communities.

The action plan is not the beginning of, or the end of the organization’s DEI efforts, but is a tool to focus efforts on key priorities and provide accountability over the next three years. The plan is designed to have a positive impact on diversity and inclusion across our organization, our athletes, our members, our clubs, our donors, and our fans around the world. It is a symbol and a representation of a commitment to advancing DEI throughout the organization and snowsports in a way that is both meaningful and lasting. 
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan
June 2021 DEI Update: One Year of Progress 

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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.
 

Henri Rivers, the president of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, has been named by U.S. Ski & Snowboard as the inaugural recipient of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Award. The award is focused on recognizing a person, group, organization, or program that has contributed significantly and sustainably to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in skiing and snowboarding.

The new award recognition was implemented by U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding, as part of its initiatives to support DEI in the sport. Rivers has engaged productively to help the organization plot its course and to raise awareness across its membership and the entire sport community.

“When Henri got involved with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, he did not hesitate to step up into a leadership role,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “He had many connections which he immediately leveraged to join his efforts surrounding DEI with us, including many hours working on our DEI Committee as well as leading two well-attended virtual roundtables.”

Rivers has been an avid skier and outdoor enthusiast for more than 45 years. He is a professional ski instructor, certified master teacher, and children’s specialist as well as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard alpine coach, jury advisor, referee, and official, coaching in the alpine race program at Windham Mountain in the Catskill region of New York.

He was selected for the award by U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s DEI Committee. Moving forward, annual recipients will be selected by the DEI Committee based on a matrixed review of various factors reflecting the nominees’ impact on advancing DEI. The criteria include leadership of DEI in ski and snowboard, advancing education, collaborative coalition-building, development of equitable systems, and implementation of effective programs.

The DEI Committee, chaired by U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club Development Manager Ellen Adams, was founded in 2017 to increase racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic diversity at all levels of skiing and snowboarding.

“Henri has shown great patience, an indomitable spirit, and quiet conviction in his engagement with those of us who have a great deal to learn,” said committee member Sheryl Barnes.

“He is really the main inspiration for the work done by our DEI Committee. He is the reason we continue to educate ourselves, evolve our strategies as an NGB, and push for a more diverse ski and snowboard community in the United States.”
 - U.S. Ski & Snowboard DEI committee member Elise Saarela

“I consider myself an ally for inclusion and equity,” said committee member Jamie Nagle. “Yet, as I listened to Henri speak recently about his experience as a black man, an athlete, and a coach, I couldn’t help but ask myself if I was really doing all I could to advance diversity, equality, and inclusion. He has taken the trials and experience of his past as a call to action to effect positive change.”

“Watching our supporters and allies awaken over the past 15 months and supporting the cause of racial equality, inclusion and diversity have been deeply felt,” said Rivers. “I believe what we are witnessing is a new era of challenge - white America is awakening and understanding our foundation was not put in place to the benefit and equality of all citizens. Our existing system needs to be dismantled and rebuilt for the betterment of society.”

Rivers cited U.S. Ski & Snowboard for adopting principles to nurture diverse communities rooted in understanding and respect, educating constituents emphasizing diverse communities, and supporting innovation to enhance retention of underrepresented groups.

“I look forward to U.S. Ski & Snowboard amply funding its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative over the next four years, leading the way to an equitable future for all sports organizations and our global community.”

An engineer and project manager by trade, Rivers is the founder of Drumriver, a New York-based renewable energy company. He first became involved with NBS in 1996. He became an NBS national team coach in 2003. Five years later, he was appointed administrator of its Olympic Scholarship Fund, growing the national team to 15 athletes. He became competition director in 2016 and was elected president in 2020.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today the naming of Gillian Bower as the organization's Director of High Performance. As Director of High Performance, Bower will lead more than 30 full-time staff and hundreds of volunteers in the areas of sport science, including athletic development coaches, clinical and sports psychologists, dietitians and data scientists; sports medicine, including certified athletic trainers, physical therapists, doctors and allied health professionals; as well as coaches and club educators, to support U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s national teams and athletes. 

Bower is a Canadian-trained physiotherapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Montana and comes into the role with over 15 years of experience at the organization. She has served as a senior clinical specialist, the lead physical therapist, and most recently, the director of sports medicine. 

Bower was instrumental in developing and implementing a COVID-19 plan that ensured athletes remained safe throughout training and competition. Over the last year, she conducted roughly 15,000 tests and with a positivity rate of less than 0.5%. Her work resulted in being named the 2021 Service Provider of the Year by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Bower brings a passion for combining true integrations of sports medicine, athletic development, sport science, coaching, nutrition, psychology and data integration to drive athlete success. 

“I am excited to see Gillian take this critical position heading High Performance,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “Gillian has demonstrated her leadership throughout her years with the team, but this past year she excelled in managing our COVID-19 challenges on top of her normal duties. This meant an extraordinary increase in administrative and complex work for Gillian and her teammates in Medical and High Performance as those departments navigated this new world with skill and resilience. Long hours and endless challenges were the norm. Please welcome Gillian as our new Director of High Performance.”

“Gillian was the best possible choice for the position,” said her predecessor Troy Taylor. “I could not be happier with the selection and there is certainly no one more qualified or respected by athletes and staff alike. I am honored and feel immense personal satisfaction that the organization felt there was such an amazing candidate pool internally at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. I wish her the best of luck as she leads a talented team into the 2021-22 season and beyond.”

Bower replaces Taylor who was in the position of Director of High Performance for the past six years

“Troy has been an amazing mentor and I know I have some big shoes to fill,” said Bower. “I’m forever grateful for what he’s done for me and our organization. I’m excited to pick up where he left off and I look forward to the upcoming Olympic season. Our high performance team has a strong culture in place and an immense knowledge base. I am proud to be part of the continued growth and success within our department and at the organization as a whole.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that Toyota will once again become the Official Mobility Partner of the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the U.S.A. beginning August 1, 2021. 

The multi-year partnership through the 2026 Olympic Winter Games also names Toyota as the title sponsor of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix series, the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships, the Toyota U.S. Freestyle Championships, and presenting sponsor of the “Visa Big Air Presented by Toyota” events. 

Toyota returns as the Official Vehicle of U.S. Ski & Snowboard following U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s two-year partnership with Land Rover. 

“We are so excited to welcome Toyota back to our Partner Family,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Their support of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes over the years have been fantastic for our sports and we look forward to extending that support to the entire U.S. Ski & Snowboard roster ahead of the upcoming Olympic Season. We also want to thank Land Rover for supporting our athletes the past two seasons and their commitment to winter sports.” 

The partnership with Toyota will include event, broadcast, social and digital marketing rights as well as custom content creation. Toyota branding will also be seen on athlete uniforms, team gear, and throughout the U.S. Ski & Snowboard website and Social Media channels. 

“We look forward to partnering again with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to continue elevating winter sports in the United States,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “As a mobility company, we’re proud to support the elite ski and snowboard athletes in achieving their goals and excited to connect with the passionate U.S. Ski & Snowboard fanbase, which includes the next generation of top talent.”

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

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is honored to announce that due to the success of the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund (JSARF) and support from the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, the organization will make a one-time COVID-19 hardship payment of $1300 to every named 2020-21 national team athlete. 

The JSARF was created to honor Jeff Shiffrin’s life and legacy in collaboration with the Shiffrin family and a group of generous donors (six families). The fund has contributed to U.S. Ski & Snowboard in sustaining its training and competition schedule as many funding sources were impacted due to COVID-19. This has translated into one of the most successful seasons in history, with 103 podiums, including 27 victories, across all sports which is a direct result of the consistent funding.

“The Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund was able to help us support and sustain athlete funding during the COVID downturn we experienced this year,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We are thrilled to be able to award athletes this one-time payment. Many of our athletes have faced a personal loss of income and an impeded earning power due to a reduction in events and other opportunities this season. We know this payment may not make up for every missed opportunity, but we hope that it can alleviate some of the financial hardship.”

“We are so grateful to have had the ability and opportunity to train and compete this year,” added Shaw. “Going into this winter we did not know if we were even going to have a season. Because of the support of our generous donors with initiatives such as the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund, we were able to keep our athletes on snow and achieved some amazing results. All of our athletes exemplified resiliency this year and I can think of no better way to honor Jeff’s memory than by supporting our athletes in their pursuit of excellence.”

Better days are still ahead, and the thrill and challenge of athletes’ Olympic dreams are worth fighting for. 

For more information about the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund, visit keeptheflamealive.org.