You’re invited to an exciting night in with U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Thursday, November 19 at 5 p.m. MST / 7 p.m. EST. Shake up your favorite cocktail, glam up in your best event-from-home attire, grab your computer and join Olympic Freestyle Champion Jonny Moseley and X Games Gold Medalist Maggie Voisin for a live, 30 minute show you won’t want to miss. U.S. Ski & Snowboard presents the New York Gold Medal Gala Reimagined: A Night at the USANA Center of Excellence. 

This year would have marked the 54th annual New York Gold Medal Gala, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s marquee fundraising event. However, due to the ongoing global pandemic, with the health and safety of all athletes, staff, donors and supporters, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has shifted all fundraising efforts to virtual experiences. Going virtual has its benefits as all ski and snowboard fans are invited to attend - registration is free! 

Hosted by Jonny and Maggie, with a special appearance from two-time Olympic Champion Mikaela Shiffrin, A Night At the USANA Center of Excellence will seek to help raise $1 million to ensure athletes across all teams have access to coaching, training and elite competition for the 2020-21 season. All funds raised will directly benefit Olympic hopefuls on their road to Beijing 2022 and beyond. Go behind the scenes of what it’s like to train to be Best in the World, hear from some of your favorite athletes and gain insight into what the competitive ski and snowboard world will be like this season. Jonny and Maggie have been training all summer for this with a rigorous schedule of online meetings and look forward to spending some time with you from the comfort of your own home. 

Technology has the power to connect us during a time we cannot physically be in the same place. Fans and supporters are encouraged to show their support remotely by registering or donating. Now is your chance to get ahead of the game by bidding on the online auction, now live. Be a part of history with exclusive Team gear, sports memorabilia and incredible, immersive experiences. New items will be added in the lead in to the live show, so be sure to check back. The online auction will be available until Monday, November 23 at 10 a.m. MST / 12 p.m. EST. 

Join us for an amazing evening. After all, there’s nothing like relaxing on the couch after a long day of being stressed on the couch.

Register today at nightatthecoe.org or by texting "gold" to 243725!

As a leader in global health and wellness, USANA, the Cellular Nutrition Company, is committed to the advancement of innovative, high-quality health supplements for elite athletes worldwide. To further its commitment to research and development, USANA is now the title partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s state-of-the-art training and education facility, the Center of Excellence.

The USANA Center of Excellence will continue to blend the best of high-performance athletic facilities, including strength training areas, a gymnasium, ski and snowboarding ramps, trampolines, a nutrition center, recovery/rehabilitation facilities, and a full sports science lab for U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes. USANA will work closely with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s sport science staff and the organization’s top skiers and snowboarders on new product research and areas for development. 

“I am very excited about this new and expanded relationship between USANA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard,” says  Robert Sinnott, M.N.S., Ph.D., USANA’s chief scientific officer. “Through this extension, we have agreed to conduct two to three clinical studies annually to measure the effects of USANA’s supplements in elite athletes. The goal is to improve on their athletic performance metrics, help boost their immune systems while traveling, and assist them to achieve better quality sleep—all necessary for optimal performance and recovery. Not only will this partnership assist and benefit Olympic athletes, it’s also a great investment in USANA’s future and product pipeline.”

To learn more about USANA and its award-winning supplements, visit usana.com.

USANA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard first teamed up in 2011, when USANA became the organization’s Official Nutritional Supplement, Vitamin, and Minerals Partner. Since then, USANA has supported elite athletes through two Olympic cycles.

“We value our relationship with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and are excited to take these next steps with them as we sponsor the USANA Center of Excellence and collaborate on product innovation,“ says Dan Macuga, USANA’s chief of communications and marketing. “We look forward to further developing our story alongside this accomplished, world-class institution and its athletes, and will continue to provide our products to more professional and Olympic athletes than any other nutritional supplement in the world.”

“Our nine-year partnership with USANA has been a fruitful one, and we are thrilled to enter into this new, expanded relationship with them,” says Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO. “As a sports organization, we are constantly evolving and looking for new and better ways to enable our athletes to achieve success throughout their training and competition cycles. USANA’s commitment to working alongside our sport science staff will allow us to be on the forefront of innovation. It’s exciting for us to be a part of their product development process.”  

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today a new partnership with Rack Attack, North America’s premier retailer of vehicle rack solutions. Rack Attack has been named the Official Rack Retailer of the U.S. Ski Team, U.S Snowboard Team, and U.S. Freeski Team.

Rack Attack will outfit U.S. Ski & Snowboard with products for national team athletes as well as provide exclusive benefits and support to U.S. Ski & Snowboard members.

“Rack Attack has always been committed to the snow sport community and our partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard only solidifies our position,” said Alexander Welbers, CEO of Rack Attack. “We are looking forward to working with the team, the athletes and all the other snow sport enthusiasts.”

“We are proud to welcome Rack Attack to our family of partners and suppliers”, said Michael O’Conor, Chief Revenue Officer of U.S Ski & Snowboard. “We are grateful for the support they will provide our organization, our athletes and our community.”

For more information, visit www.rackattack.com

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today a new multi-year partnership with INTENSE, making the lauded brand the Official Mountain Bike and Bike Supplier of the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboard Team and U.S. Freeski Team, in an agreement that will extend through 2023.

Common on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Tour, INTENSE will bring its trusted technology to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s elite athletes and passionate fans. U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are known for their skills on snow and many incorporate cycling into their cross-training programs, finding the speed and endurance work a near-perfect foil to their sport-specific routines.

“INTENSE has a proven track record with elite athletes on the Mountain Bike World Cup Tour, so it’s exciting to introduce this brand to our World Cup skiers and riders, and their fans” said Michael O’Conor, Chief Revenue Officer for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “INTENSE shares our passion for playing and competing in the mountains and fostering a love of sport no matter if you’re a World Cup athlete or weekend warrior.”

As part of the agreement, INTENSE will provide U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes with bikes, available for use from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Center of Excellence, in Park City, Utah, which has immediate access to over 400 miles of mountain bike trails throughout Park City. Fans may expect to see INTENSE at domestic ski and snowboard competition this season, pending availability.

”INTENSE was born racing in the mountains. We are super excited to support the ski and snowboard athletes and enthusiasts that not only use mountain bikes as a training platform, but more importantly engage in the active mountain lifestyle during the summer months,” said Jeff Steber, Founder and CEO of INTENSE. “I have always been a skier and my first “corporate job” was for Steamboat Springs ski resort. It’s so cool to see this come full circle and bridge two sports so near and dear to me! It’s an honor for INTENSE to support such an active and engaged group.”

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ABOUT INTENSE
Founded in Lake Elsinore, CA in 1993 and crafted with over 25-years of racing heritage, INTENSE mountain bikes inspire confidence to ride and a striking design. From World Cup downhill races to your first trail ride, experience the INTENSE difference.

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.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) confirmed the 2020-21 World Cup Calendars across all disciplines during the FIS Autumn Meetings, which took place online September 23 - October 9. The 2020-21 alpine, cross country, freestyle, freeski, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping calendars are live and available online at fis-ski.com. 

Freestyle, freeski, and snowboard World Cup competition are set to return to the United States for the 2020-21 season. Three American venues are scheduled to host 22 starts between genders, with freeski and snowboard competitions at Copper Mountain, Colo., and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif., and freestyle competitions at Deer Valley Resort, Utah. Previously announced, the FIS Alpine World Cup tour will remain in Europe this season. 

The 2020-21 competition season will look different than in years past due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Ski & Snowboard is working closely with its resort partners and local health authorities to provide competition environments that adhere to required guidelines. 

“The impacts of COVID-19 have been felt across the global sports world, and after having our 2019-20 season cut short, we are especially fortunate to have the opportunity to host events on home snow this season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We are grateful to our resort partners in their commitment to providing world-class freestyle, freeski and snowboard competition, and highlighting the talents of our amazing athletes. We have seen success in other sports resuming and are learning from them. COVID-19 has challenged us to be more nimble in our planning, and while we can definitely say what we are doing one week from now, we understand circumstances may change months from now. We are working closely with FIS, our resort partners and local health authorities to plan what these events will look like, and look forward to sharing that information when available.”

The 2020-21 Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix is expected to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year with snowboard and freeski slopestyle and halfpipe competition returning to Copper Mountain, Colo., in December and Mammoth Mountain, Calif., in February.

As is tradition, the first halfpipe World Cup is scheduled from Dec. 16-19 at Copper Mountain, Colo. pending local and state approvals. To encourage social distancing, there will not be spectator zones for the halfpipe competitions at Copper Mountain this season and fans are encouraged to tune in to watch or stream on NBC properties. 

The second annual Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover is also planned for Copper Mountain the weekend of Dec.17-19, pending local and state approvals, and is scheduled to feature both freeski and snowboard World Cup big air competition. The 2020 edition of the Visa Big Air will benefit from natural snow conditions and Woodward Copper’s jump building expertise. Copper Mountain has proved itself as a world-class big air venue and even hosted an Olympic qualifier in the lead up to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang. To encourage social distancing, there will not be spectator zones for the big air competitions at Copper Mountain this season and fans are encouraged to tune in to watch or stream on NBC properties.

From Feb. 3-6, the Grand Prix is positioned to return to the park and pipe mecca that is Mammoth Mountain, Calif. and the famed Unbound Terrain Parks for slopestyle and halfpipe competition, pending local and state approvals. U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes Chloe Kim, Maddie Mastro, Judd Henkes, Toby Miller, Dusty Henricksen, Sonora Alba, and Carly Margulies all call Mammoth Mountain home and year after year look forward to competing on home snow. 

The FIS Freestyle World Cup is set to return for its 23rd year at Deer Valley Resort on the storied White Owl and Champion courses, pending local and state approvals. The 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International is planned for February 4-6, with moguls Feb. 4, aerials Feb. 5, and dual moguls Feb. 6. Competitions will take place during the day, a notable change from what are historically night events under the lights. To encourage social distancing, there will not be spectator zones for the freestyle competitions at Deer Valley this season and fans are encouraged to tune in to watch or stream on NBC properties. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard recognizes that COVID-19 has impacted different parts of the country in different ways and with different timing, and therefore specific event information will be forthcoming as each local organizing committee works through its specific protocols. All events are contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, local organizing committees, and host venues are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities. 

2020-21 FIS World Cup Calendars

• Alpine

• Cross Country

• Freestyle

• Freeski

• Snowboard

• Nordic Combined

• Ski Jumping

Helpful Resources

• U.S. Ski & Snowboard COVID-19 Information

• FIS COVID-19 Information

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Sport Committee has approved a plan to restructure the cross country national racing calendar into a number of regional events for the 2020-21 season in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision has no bearing on NCAA competitions, which are governed separately by the NCAA. Decisions for all other U.S. Ski & Snowboard domestic event calendars will be made independently and based on an assessment of each sport’s unique set of circumstances and variables. 

The events impacted include the SuperTour, U.S. National Championships, and the Junior National Championships. These events will be replaced with high-level regional and divisional competitions, at the discretion of local organizing committees and regional governing bodies. 

“We recognize that cross country skiing has unique challenges in hosting national-level events that are dissimilar to other disciplines,” said Davis U.S. Cross Country Team Program Director Chris Grover. “Together with the input of clubs and regional leaders, we have created solutions that work for our national cross country skiing community pertaining to competition for the 2020-21 season.

This restructuring allows athletes to remain in their respective regions to race while allowing organizers to offer high-level competitions. Additionally, this will help organizers reduce the financial demands that are tied to hosting a national-level event, which in most cases includes attracting a significant number of participants required to balance their event budgets.

National cross country events have unique challenges related to conducting competition in a COVID-19 environment that does not exist in other ski and snowboard sports such as race format (physical distancing), lead time (early season events), host venue regulations, as well as the financial model mentioned above. These event organizers will no longer be obligated to pay prize money equal to national levels of competition, nor will they be sanctioned as National Championship-level or Continental Cup (COC) level events.

“By restructuring our national cross country events calendar now, before the race season, local organizing committees, divisions, and regions are better positioned to start planning an effective and motivational race calendar for their area, potentially sanctioning races via U.S. Ski & Snowboard and/or the FIS to attract quality competition,” Grover added. “We will also assist our SuperTour, U.S. Nationals, and Junior Nationals organizing committee partners by allowing them to suspend portions of their planning and potentially avoiding the commitment of further financial and time investments.”

Selection criteria for all international events have been modified to consider regional racing, rather than national-level racing. In addition, athletes may be considered for international trips via discretion by assessing performances from regional events. Discretionary Selection Review Committees have been established for all of these selections, as well as mechanisms to solicit community feedback from the divisions prior to many selections. This system will allow for stand-out regional and divisional competition results to be recognized and considered for international team selection. The move to utilize discretion in these selection criteria is intended as a fix during the current pandemic only, and selection will return eventually to criteria that focus principally on objective selection. 

The 2020-21 FIS Alpine World Cup men’s and women’s calendars will adopt a different structure due to impacts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

After extended discussions among FIS, the national ski associations and the local organizing committees in Canada and the USA, together with their stakeholders, all parties have come to the joint decision that the Alpine Skiing World Cup tour will remain in Europe in late November. Traditionally, the tour comes to North America during this time of year.

For the women, this schedule shift impacts the HomeLight Killington Cup in Killington, Vt. (USA) giant slalom and slalom events on Nov. 28-29 and the speed week in Lake Louise, Alberta (CAN) on Dec. 1-6. For the men, this impacts the speed weekend in Lake Louise, Nov. 25-29 and both speed and tech events at the Xfinity Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek, Colo. (USA)  Dec. 1-6. The FIS Alpine World Cup will return to these sites for the 2021-22 season.

The objective of FIS is to carry out a full World Cup competition program, protecting the health and welfare of all participants to the best extent possible. The temporary realignment of the FIS Alpine World Cup Calendar in 2020-21 caters to this goal by focusing on athlete safety, reducing travel, and providing competitors with a detailed competition calendar. All parties jointly agreed to make this decision early to aid in developing the adjusted calendars during the next month before the FIS Technical Committee Meetings in late September.

Decisions for all other FIS World Cup events will be made independently and based on an assessment of each unique set of circumstances, including the risks and travel requirements related to each event and host country, as well as time needed between competitions to accommodate for COVID-19 protocols. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Canadian Snowsports Association, and the Killington, Lake Louise and Vail Valley Foundation local organizing committees would like to express their gratitude to everyone for their dedication, planning, and collaboration in recent months. Attention to detail and thoughtfulness provided a pathway to hold their events this season, but all agreed to make this very difficult, but necessary decision, in order to prioritize the best interest of the alpine world cup athletes, coaches, technicians, volunteers, media, staff, all of the world cup fans and the Alpine World Cup tour, as a whole. The extensive preparation work provides a roadmap to move forward with planning other potential North American domestic events. Although the North American alpine venues and fans will be missed this season, all parties look forward to the Alpine World Cup’s return to the USA and Canada for the 2021-22 season.

The adapted calendars, to be approved in late September, involve the rescheduling of the alpine North American competitions at European sites. 

These will include events in December, with Val d’Isere (FRA) adding two events for the men. The planned giant slalom races will be moved up one weekend to Dec. 5-6, making room for an added downhill and super-G on Dec. 12-13. 

The women’s tour will add a downhill to its traditional weekend in St. Moritz (SUI) on Dec. 5-7. Additionally, Courchevel (FRA) will host a two-race technical weekend in December. 

“The North American races are always a very special two weeks for the entire FIS World Cup tour and we are very disappointed that we could not find a way to have them on this year’s Alpine calendar,” said FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis. “But if there is a silver lining, it is seeing how all of our stakeholders involved with the FIS World Cup are working together. The willingness of several National Ski Associations, Organizers and resorts to step up, alter their schedules and plans, shows that we truly are a united ski family that is working toward the common goal of carrying out a full and successful season. The engagement and commitment shown by the North American organizers and National Associations throughout the past months continues with both USA and Canada already turning to preparations for their central roles with FIS Freestyle, Freeski and Snowboard events that take place later in the season.”

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season will kick off in Soelden (AUT) on Oct. 17-18 for the traditional giant slaloms on the Rettenbach Glacier. The next stop on the tour will be the debut of host resort Lech/Zürs (AUT) on Nov. 14-15, which will feature a men’s and a women’s parallel race.

The revised calendars with the latest adaptations will be approved following the FIS Technical Meetings from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 for ratification by the FIS Council on Oct. 3, and will be published on the FIS website at that time.

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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.
 

Addaday, a world leader in injury prevention and recovery technology, announced today it has been selected as the Official Handheld Recovery Equipment Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of skiing and snowboarding. 

The new multi-year partnership brings Addaday’s award-winning technology to help U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes recover from their demanding training and provide them with a competitive edge. Addaday’s advanced and comprehensive range of recovery tools will be available to athletes in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah, and on the road when athletes compete at events.
 

“We went through extensive testing of handheld recovery tools to ensure that our elite athletes have access to the very best technology and Addaday stood out to meet the demands and unique challenges of our sports,” said Troy Taylor, High Performance Director at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Few other brands are innovating as fast as Addaday nor offer as expansive a range of high-quality recovery products that we need to give our athletes the edge as we embark on the journey to 2022.”

“For an organization like U.S. Ski & Snowboard to entrust the recovery needs of its elite athletes in Addaday is a great honor and a testament to how far we’ve come in developing the best technology on the market,” said Hugh Williams, President of Addaday. “We look forward to working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to continue fueling our innovation and helping its athletes move, train and compete at their fullest.”

Introducing the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition BioZoom™

Among the many Addaday tools that will help athletes stay in peak condition is the new U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition Bluetooth-Enabled BioZoom Percussion Device. The much-enhanced replacement for Addaday’s current BioZoom can help decrease muscle soreness and pain, enhance blood flow and circulation, accelerate warm-up and recovery and increase range of motion.

The enhanced version of Addaday’s popular BioZoom features Bluetooth technology for added functionality that will be introduced this fall and a patented ergonomic, rubber-coated long-reach handle to help users easily access those hard-to-reach aches and pains – even for those with smaller hands. Among the quietest percussion devices on the market, the BioZoom has variable speed settings (intensity range between 20-52Hz) and five unique myofascial specific attachments to help users fully customize their therapies. The removable battery has a life of one hour at maximum intensity or three hours at the lowest intensity. Each device comes with a U.S. Ski & Snowboard branded protective carrying case.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition BioZoom is now available for pre-order (while stocks last) at Addaday.com at a special introductory price of just $199, making it truly one of the best value percussion devices on the market today. Customers will receive their orders by September 15, 2020.

“Percussion devices don’t need to be a luxury item, providing relief to the few who can afford it,” said Hugh Williams, President of Addaday. “We’re excited to make a best-in-class, connected massage therapy product available to everyone to keep them moving at their peak level.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s partnership with Addaday underscores the brand’s status as a world leader in recovery technology. Already, the brand is the Official Recovery Partner of USA Climbing, The Basketball Tournament and the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. It is also the Official Massage Chair of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series. In addition, many teams and professional athletes at the highest levels of football, baseball, hockey and Olympic sports now use Addaday’s products for their recovery needs.

“Active therapy can help everyone from elite athletes to people with sedentary lifestyles keep moving at their best. Treating both professional and amateur athletes every day, I have found that reducing lower extremity swelling and inflammation can be the difference between competing and being on the sidelines,” said Dr. Michael Venezia DC, CSCS, Addaday’s Head of Bioanalytics and Mechanics. “The BioZoom delivers deeper penetrating vibratory relief to your tissue, decreases pain sensitivity and reduces swelling and inflammation.”

For more information on Addaday, visit www.addaday.com. Follow the brand on social media at @addadayrecovery.

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About Addaday
Addaday is a connected fitness company focused on pre-and post-exercise recovery to help people move better and live their fullest. Its devices deliver targeted therapies and techniques used by professionals to prime the body for exercise, speed recovery and treat or prevent injury. Addaday is the Official Handheld Recovery Equipment Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Official Recovery Partner of USA Climbing, The Basketball Tournament, Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run and provider of other leading sports organizations. It is also the Official Massage Chair of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series. In addition, many teams and professional athletes at the highest levels of football, baseball, hockey and Olympic sports now use Addaday’s products for their recovery needs. For more information, visit www.addaday.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 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.

On Monday, June 8, we posted a letter from our CEO and President, Tiger Shaw, sharing how U.S. Ski & Snowboard was taking steps to develop a more inclusive and diverse community within the snowsports industry. 

Being open to different voices and taking the time to listen is our first step. One voice we’d like to share with you is African American Alpine Ski Coach Charles “Chuck” Harris. Chuck reached out to Tiger after reading the letter on our website, with his own letter. Chuck called us out, called Tiger out, and asked us to take a deep and critical look at ourselves. This lead to an extended conversation between Chuck and Tiger and will be the beginning of a productive, lasting relationship committed to affecting real change in creating more diversity in skiing and riding.

We recognize that as an organization we are not leaders on the subject of racial diversity. But our platform is large and so we are humbled and honored to share Chuck’s voice with our community and beyond. 

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Open Letter on Diversity in Our Sport

Mr. Shaw,

First I am an African American Alpine Ski Coach. 

I read your post on the USSA website regarding diversity. I must say you have a lot of work to do. I have been in and around the sport of ski racing for a great many years. I wonder if you actually realize how hard it is going to be to change the culture of our sport and the cities and towns where it resides. It will NOT be easy and it will be resisted. A lot of that resistance will not be overt but it will be there.

First let me address what you and the leadership of USSA know or don’t know. Do you know how many athletes of color are members of USSA? Do you know how many coaches of color are in USSA? How many alpine officials of color are members of USSA? How many people of color are in leadership positions in member clubs? If you have to scramble to find the answer or call over to membership, that is part of the problem. If membership doesn’t know that is an even bigger problem. Because that means it wasn’t important for you to know. In the time I have been here in the Far West (since 1994) I never once have seen the CEO at a divisional race. I would hope at some time the leader of US Ski and Snowboard would head out and see what goes on in this sport. If you want to change things you and the leadership need to get out to where things are happening at the ground level and listen without reservation. Yes you (USSA) did do the survey regarding women in the sport and yes women in this sport get treated very poorly by many of the men. I have often told some of my female colleagues “female is the new black.” You can take most of the negative comments regarding black people from 40 years ago, remove the slur for black and insert female or other slur. It’s the same degrading comment. The only thing that changed was the gender. Yet that same survey left me feeling that I and people that look like me in this sport are not important.

My involvement in Alpine Ski racing and the ski industry has given me some of the greatest moments of my life. There is something magical about alpine racing. Something pure. Athlete, mountain, clock. No judges it is fair down to its core. No judges no opinion, fastest time wins. Skiing has taken me to Europe and South America. It has made me not only bi-lingual but given me an extended family outside the US. My Grandmother was born in S. Carolina in 1885. 20 years after the Civil War. A woman with more grace and dignity despite what she faced in the world than I will ever have. For her skiing was like travelling to the moon. It was not even in the realm of the possible. Black people simply did not ski. For me 3 generations later to be a professional alpine coach speaks to my family's journey. One of the greatest moments for my family my mom and my aunts and cousins was seeing me march in opening ceremonies at the Olympic games. For my mother that was the culmination of a dream that took over 100 years of hard work. I wish my dad had been still alive to see it. But then it leads to the other question why am I the only one? Why after all these years are there so few that look like me?

Skiing has also produced moments of blinding rage. Rage that I have to choke down because reacting would only have negative repercussions for me in the long run. I can’t afford to be mad. I can’t allow myself to react. I ask you this. Have you ever been afraid of travelling to any community for a ski event? I have. Have you ever worried that you might reserve a hotel room and when you arrive it suddenly magically wouldn’t be available? That has happened to me. There are places I have had to go to in this industry where I order take out and stay in my room because I don’t feel safe in that community. In many cases if I do go out I only go in groups of other coaches that I know. Getting into an altercation with the locals or the local police would only serve to damage myself, my program and my athletes. In order for me to be able to move forward in my career I cannot fight back. Have you ever been pulled over by the police, had your truck searched, emptied onto the sidewalk and then been left there? The phrase “I have rights” never comes out of my mouth.  That would in most cases result in a night in jail and me not being on the hill the next day to do my job. How do you think I felt when I purchased a hot chocolate and coffee at a ski resort during a FIS race and looked at my receipt and it said “Ghetto Mocha”. After getting the Olympic coaching job from the Argentine Federation I had a parent say to me ”How did you luck into that job?” I just bit my tongue and replied ”I did the work”. All the work, study and years I put in to be awarded no earn that level of trust, taken down to “He must be lucky” You have to wonder why it is that at times I have felt more respected and welcome in Argentina than in my birth country. The same feeling my father had upon returning from Europe after World War 2.

There are many challenges facing people of color in our sport. For most of us professional involvement means that we will not be living and working in a location where there are many people that look like us. In some cases the Resort or club can be a warm welcoming place but the community not so much. Add to that factor that most ski towns do not have large populations of color to draw employees from. We are also in an arms race in this and other sports. There are parents with the “Country Club” mentality who will spend large sums of money on their child. That gives the impression that someone of modest means cannot afford to compete and that drives away talent. Because talent and inclusion is not what they want in the sport.

I would suggest you first find out who, and where we people of color are in this sport. Maybe reach out to Forrest Kingshaw, Schone Malliot, Eric Smith, Andre Horton, or myself. You will never know or maybe even understand what it’s like to be us. But at least you might get some guidance and perspective. The change we need in our country, society, and our sport will not be brought about by people of color. It can’t. We have been waiting for that change after how many repeated injustices. It will only happen when the rest of you say enough, we will not do this, we will not allow this anymore.

We have come to a crossroads here in the US. A fire is raging, a fire that was started by over 200 years of kindling. A few years ago after another incident of a police stop gone horribly wrong, one of my athletes asked me a question. This child looked at me and said “Stuff like that doesn’t happen to you coach?” I could see the look in his eyes when I told him “yes it has happened to me.” It gave me hope for our futures. I could see that he saw the injustice in it.  I could see that that type of injustice just touched home for him. A child KNEW it was wrong. And it broke my heart that I had to be the one to reveal that fact of life to him.

Respectfully,

Charles A. Harris
Coach lvl 400, TD 4, Ref 4, CO 4, Instructor National de Argentina (4)
Head Mens Speed Coach Argentina Olympic Team 2002
USSA Clinic Leader

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