Thanks to a unique partnership with World Cup Supply Inc. (WCS) and its European partner SPM, U.S. Ski Team athletes and U.S. Ski & Snowboard events will continue to have the on-hill equipment and safety-related support needed for the next four years.

“World Cup Supply is an important partner for our organization and we are thrilled to have them in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family for the next four years,” said Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO. “Through this partnership we are able to produce safe and high-quality domestic events from the grassroots levels through to World Cup competitions for our athletes as we prepare for Beijing 2022. World Cup Supply is committed to safe ski and snowboard competition all over the world and we are fortunate to have their continued support.” 

As part of the agreement, WCS will supply gates, panels, safety fencing and other on-hill and event equipment for key domestic World Cup, NorAm and National Level events in alpine, snowboard, freeski, freestyle and cross country. WCS and SPM will provide thousands of gates and hundreds of panels annually for all Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team training and events domestically and in Europe. WCS will provide training bibs for all Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes and air pads for domestic alpine World Cup and National Championships events. In addition, WCS will serve at the Official On-Hill Equipment Supplier for all NASTAR events. 

WCS is committed to athlete and spectator safety, offering race and event safety training and education as well as developing educational safety related videos for clubs and volunteers to help prevent on-hill injuries.

“Our primary goal for our long-term partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard is to ensure the athletes have what they need to train and be safe on the hill,” said Brad Williams, World Cup Supply, Inc. President. “The renewed agreement certainly accomplishes this goal and continues the partnership that began in 2006. The combination of high quality SPM products and a commitment from WCS to provide the best service possible, helps reduce the burden and stress associated with managing equipment and allows coaches and athletes to focus on the things that really matter to them.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will host its 53rd annual New York Gold Medal Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City on October 24. Olympic stars such as Lindsey Vonn and Kikkan Randall, and many more current U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and legends will be available for media interviews.

WHAT
A “White Carpet” rollout for Olympic skiing and snowboarding legends ahead of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s annual New York Gold Medal Gala. Members of the media must RSVP to the White Carpet to guarantee access to athletes. The New York Gold Medal Gala plays a critical role in raising funds that directly help ski and snowboard athletes achieve their goals of being the Best in the World. In its fifty-third iteration, this year’s theme, “Inspired by the Stars,” reminds fans and athletes alike the reason behind the grueling work it takes to be an elite team member. 

WHEN
Thursday, October 24 from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

WHERE
Ziegfeld Ballroom, 141 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019

WHO
Lindsey Vonn, Olympic Champion, three-time Olympic medalist, alpine skiing
Kikkan Randall, Olympic gold medalist, cross country skiing
Jonny Moseley, Olympic gold medalist, freestyle moguls skiing
Bryce Bennett, 2018 Olympian, alpine skiing
Kevin Bolger, 2017 U.S. Champion, cross country skiing 
Sophie Caldwell, 2014 and 2018 Olympian, cross country skiing
Ashley Caldwell, 2010, 2014 and 2018 Olympian, freestyle aerials skiing
Mick Dierdorff, 2018 Olympian, snowboardcross
Travis Ganong, 2014 Olympian and World Championships silver medalist, alpine skiing
Nick Goepper, 2014 Olympic silver medalist and 2018 bronze medalist, freeski slopestyle
Jared Goldberg, 2014 and 2018 Olympian, alpine skiing
Alex Hall, 2018 Olympian, freeskiing
Simi Hamilton, 2010, 2014 and 2018 Olympian, cross country skiing
Katie Hensien, 2019 Junior World Silver Medalist, alpine
Tess Johnson, 2018 Olympian, freestyle moguls skiing
Jaelin Kauf, 2018 Olympian, freestyle moguls skiing
Julia Kern, 2019 U.S. Champion, cross country skiing
Maddie Mastro, 2018 Olympian, snowboarding
Alice McKennis, 2010 and 2018 Olympian, alpine skiing
Alice Merryweather, 2018 Olympian, Junior World Downhill Champion, alpine skiing
Toby Miller, 2017 and 2019 World Championship team, snowboarding
Paula Moltzan, 2015 and 2019 World Championship team, NCAA Slalom Champion, alpine skiing
Steven Nyman, 2006, 2010 and 2014 Olympian, alpine skiing
Caitlin Patterson, Eight-time U.S. Champion, cross country skiing
Laurenne Ross, 2014 and 2018 Olympian, alpine skiing
Brita Sigourney, 2018 Olympic bronze medalist, halfpipe skiing
Winter Vinecki, 2019 World Championship team, freestyle aerials skiing
Maggie Voisin, 2018 Olympian, freeski slopestyle
Brad Wilson, 2014 and 2018 Olympian, freestyle moguls skiing

Based on competition and training schedules, athlete appearances subject to change without notice. 

CONTACT
Members of the media can RSVP to the White Carpet to:
Lara Carlton
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Communications Manager
lara.carlton@usskiandsnowboard.org

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has partnered with Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) to help mountain towns commit to ambitious carbon reduction goals and implement solutions by 2030. The inaugural Net-Zero Summit is the kick-off event for MT2030 and will be held on October 2-4, 2019 in beautiful Park City, Utah.

“U.S. Ski & Snowboard is in the process of quantifying our carbon footprint, which is the first step in ultimately making broad goals down the line,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We are exploring how we can take our sustainability efforts to the next level, participating in this conference to see what other towns and companies are doing is key for us. We are excited to be a part of this important conversation and look forward to working with our community in implementing meaningful solutions.”

“We formed Mountain Towns 2030 because we strongly believe mountain towns have the power to make a global impact on climate change,” said Park City Mayor Andy Beerman. “As with any community initiative, the support from local organizations and nonprofits are a big reason we can set ambitious goals and achieve them. We could not be more pleased to have U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner and lead the way with us.”

Keynote speakers include renowned conservationist and United Nations Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall, and environmentalist Paul Hawken from Project Drawdown. The speaker lineup also includes Utah State University Professor Robert Davies, Rocky Mountain Power CEO Gary Hoogeveen, Park City Mayor Andy Beerman, clean energy impact investors, leaders from non-profit organizations and many more.

Following the summit, MT2030 will take the commitments made at this summit and put them into action by connecting the communities, sharing best practices, and using the collective voice of our coalition of mountain towns to encourage other municipalities across the globe to take action. Over 30 mountain towns will be represented at the Net Zero Summit.

### 

About Mountain Towns 2030
Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) is a coalition of mountain towns that have committed to ambitious carbon reduction goals by 2030. The inaugural Net Zero Summit is the kick-off event for MT2030 and will be held on October 2-4, 2019 in Park City, Utah.  More information about Mountain Towns 2030 and the Net Zero Summit can be found at www.mt2030.org.

The sense of urgency around 2030 continues to escalate. The world’s climate scientists agree—to control global warming at 1.5 degrees, the earth needs drastic reductions in carbon emissions by 2030. Communities need to identify and act on effective solutions immediately.

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 2019, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org 

PARK CITY, UTAH – Land Rover North America and U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that Land Rover is the new Official Vehicle Partner of the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA. The multi-year partnership also names Land Rover as the title sponsor of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix series, and presenting sponsor of the “Visa Big Air Presented by Land Rover” events.

“We are very excited to welcome Land Rover as a partner into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s President, and CEO. “Land Rover represents the spirit, drive, and determination that our athletes put forth daily in their training, and throughout the season competing at the highest level of sport. This partnership further empowers our athletes to reach above and beyond in their quest to be the Best in the World!”

Land Rover is the maker of the most luxurious and capable SUVs in the world. From the luxurious Range Rover to the versatile Discovery featuring three-row seating, and the recently revealed all-new Defender, the Land Rover lineup of award-winning SUVs is built for adventure in the toughest terrain and weather conditions.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard supports nearly 200 national team athletes and represented 80 percent of Team USA’s gold medals during the PyeongChang 2018 and Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. This year, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes will participate in more than 200 competitions globally, including 35 events in the United States. 

“As Land Rover continues to grow in the U.S. market and we launch models like the new Defender, we are supporting activities such as skiing and snowboarding that resonate with our expanding American customer base,” said Kim McCullough, Vice President, Marketing, Jaguar Land Rover North America. “The athletes of U.S. Ski and Snowboard exemplify ‘Capability with Composure,’ a hallmark of Land Rover. We are proud to support them in their quest to be the premier winter sports team in the world.”

Land Rover and U.S. Ski & Snowboard are committed to providing the best resources for athletes who are inspired to be the best in the world. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Land Rover will support 10 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete ambassadors including Olympic gold medallists and World Champions. Throughout the partnership, these athletes will take part in brand milestones, custom content creation, and social media integrations.

The agreement also includes broadcast, social media, and digital promotion rights, custom competition content creation, and email marketing campaigns with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard registered fan base. Land Rover branding will also be seen on the athlete uniforms and team gear, as well as available to consumers through U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Land Rover official branded goods.

The 2019-20 season will kick off October 24 with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s 53rd annual New York Gold Medal Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, followed by the first FIS Alpine World Cup event of the season October 26-27 in Soelden, Austria.

To follow the action throughout the season, follow @LandRoverUSA and @USskiteam.
 

PARK CITY, UTAH  - U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the appointment of Michael O’Conor to the position of Chief Revenue Officer. O’Conor comes to the organization with almost two decades’ experience of commercial business development within the Olympic sphere.

O’Conor’s hiring at U.S. Ski & Snowboard is serendipitous, as he was first introduced to the Olympic movement in Utah. In 2000 he took a position with OPUS - the joint venture between the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee - handling partnerships for the Sydney and Salt Lake Olympic Games. After a brief stint in the entertainment sector with the Sundance Institute developing corporate sponsorships, the call of sport beckoned O’Conor back to the USOPC where he has served in various roles in account management, event management, and sales. In 2011, he took over the commercial arm of the USOPC. Most recently, Michael has been working for the LA2028 joint venture with the USOPC, known as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP).

As Chief Revenue Officer, O’Conor will report directly to U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO, Tiger Shaw, and will be responsible for driving all commercial revenue for the organization. In separating the sales and execution sides of sponsorship, O’Conor and his team will create new and innovative ways of raising money to support the athletes so they can focus on what they do best: skiing and snowboarding.

“We are so excited to have Michael joining the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said Shaw. “Michael has proven himself to be a leader in commercial strategy, specifically in the Olympic sports space. He has a deep understanding of how to meet the challenges of creating value in commercial partnerships. I have no doubt that his expertise, gleaned from his tenure at the USOPC and the USOPP, will benefit our organization and allow us to give our athletes the best environment in which to train and compete, with the needed funding.”

O’Conor has always been involved in sports, playing soccer and baseball growing up in East Hampton, New York. He came to skiing later in life, which has proven ruinous for him in his family’s snow sports standings (he has all bases covered with one of his three children favoring snowboarding) as all are shredders on the mountain, including his wife. 

“I cannot keep up with anyone in my family. I’ve only had one moment in the sun when it comes to snow sports when I was asked to present the awards for women’s slopestyle snowboarding at the Copper Grand Prix in 2015,” O’Conor said. “I was lucky enough to present Jamie Anderson with her first-place award. It was so cool, one of the best dad moments of my life! My kids were really impressed with me.”

Luckily for U.S. Ski & Snowboard, O’Conor’s track record in sales rates higher than his skills on the slopes. Over the past 10 years, he has achieved considerable success drawing in partners to the Olympic movement such as Hershey’s, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Smucker’s. He will be leaving his most recent role working for the USOPP, where he was focused on creating a value proposition that includes getting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams and the Los Angeles 2028 Games to their sales goal.

“It is bittersweet to say goodbye to my friends and colleagues at the USOPP and the USOPC, but I am grateful to be staying involved with the USOPC’s mission through this new role,” O’Conor said. “Got to say I love my new office. Can’t beat being in the mountains!”

PARK CITY, Utah – U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the appointment of marketing veteran Andy McKeon to the Chief Marketing Officer position. As CMO, McKeon will lead U.S. Ski & Snowboard marketing, communications, and partner support. McKeon assumes these roles as Chief Commercial Officer Dan Barnett steps aside for a move back to the United Kingdom.

“I dreamed about it as a kid - and finally, I’ve made the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team,” says the delighted McKeon. “It took me longer than I expected, but I never gave up. I was somewhat hampered by being an impressively slow ski racer, but I never let that put me off. Don’t give up on your dreams, kids!”

McKeon will report to U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw and will be tasked with elevating the awareness of the organizations’ world-class athlete roster with a keen focus on digital strategy - including social media, content production/distribution, the account executive team, merchandise and support of athletes. U.S. Ski & Snowboard will merge its content, creative and communications groups, working as one mini-agency with McKeon leading the charge.

“I am thrilled to have Andy joining us,” said Shaw. “Andy is a world-class strategic leader in the sports world, with a track record and the experience to keep our teams out front. Our partners will enjoy the content and authentic stories of our athletes pursuing their dreams. It’s all about the members of our teams and their amazing successes.”

McKeon honed his storytelling skills at some of the best ad agencies in the world including Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Oregon, where he worked on the Nike account and at Goodby Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. The digital world fascinated McKeon, so he moved his family to Silicon Valley as a Director in Apple’s large internal Marcom team. He then spent six years at Facebook Inc. helping many of their most valuable advertisers and agencies transition to the digital age, including U.S. Ski & Snowboard partners Visa Inc. and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

He has also has been working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard as an advisor since 2013 and has worked with a number of athletes in various disciplines. McKeon has twice been a keynote speaker at the organization’s annual Partner Summit, tapping his lifelong passion for all snow sports, the mountains and the snow community at large. In his role at Facebook Inc., McKeon helped create a Facebook Live session with double Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Edwards, Colo.) and Sheryl Sandberg, and orchestrated live streams from events such as the World Cup Finals in Aspen.

“We have nearly 200 athletes in a diverse array of thrilling sports. Every one of them has a different and amazing story to tell. We are going to use our left and right brains to harness all the powerful and fast-changing channels like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, Twitter, TV and more to help them share their captivating stories and those of our incredible partners, with the world,” McKeon added. “Already we have Super Bowl-type reach every week – EVERY WEEK! – across all of our athlete and Team channels. The digital transformation means it’s an incredibly exciting time to be in marketing.”

“U.S. Ski & Snowboard also has the opportunity to play a more purpose-driven role in meaningful areas such as environmental preservation. We can’t take the mountains for granted. I’m committed to grow and spread the love of snow sports” says McKeon. “As a parent who is battling screen time and other cultural pulls, I think it’s the most wonderful family activity – quality time together, health and fitness, it teaches kids tenacity, executive functioning, independence, gives them a sense of community and as I’ve found – a lifetime of adventures and friendships.”

Originally hailing from the mighty hills of Australia, McKeon has an “unimpressive” (his word) background in alpine ski racing as a former member of the Australian National Team, is an avid and enthusiastic NASTAR participant, keen snowboarder and mogul skier – knees pending. He, his wife Anna and two children - Lauren (8) and Tucker (10) and dog Tiki (2 – 14 in dog years) will be relocating to Park City, Utah from Menlo Park, California. Lauren has high hopes of becoming an Olympic skier and a member of the PC Bladies, and Anna and Tucker are eager to kickstart their biathlon careers.

Spyder, a leading ski and performance brand and long-time apparel partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, today launches a new freeski specific collection now available to the public. Over the past two years, Spyder has been working with athletes and designers to carefully create a new freeski collection that is both impressive in appearance and from a functional standpoint. U.S. Freeski Team member Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) has been part of the design and development process since the beginning. 

“I’m so excited to be a part of the Spyder Team and to have worked closely with everyone at Spyder to help create the new freeski collection,” said Voisin. “This new line bridges the gap between stylish and technical gear. I know everyone will love the final product!’

Spyder has been the exclusive official apparel partner of the U.S. Ski Team since 1989. In 2019, they expanded their partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, bringing on the U.S. freeski and freestyle teams. Today, Spyder is back in a big way in the freeskiing space. In the early years of the sport of freeskiing in the late 90’s, and the first decade of the 2000’s, Spyder and its Venom collection sponsored some of the godfathers of skiing such as Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, Corey Vanular, JP Auclair and Kent Kreitler, just to name a few. U.S. Freeski Team head coach Skogen Sprang was sponsored by Spyder from 2004-2009.

“Team Venom was a large part of freeskiing then,” said Sprang. “They were an awesome sponsor and I am happy to see their continued support of the sport.”

Today, Spyder has taken on a new generation of freeskiers who continue to evolve and progress the sport. Members of the Spyder freeski team include Voisin, U.S. Freeski Team alumnus Bobby Brown (Breckenridge, Colo.), American Quinn Wolferman (Missoula, Mont.), as well as a notable list of international big mountain and competitive freeskiing athletes. You can expect big things from Spyder in the coming years. Check out their new 2019-20 freeski collection at spyder.com/freeski.

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 2018, 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 Authentic Brands Group​
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a brand development, marketing, and entertainment company, which owns a portfolio of global entertainment and lifestyle brands. Headquartered in New York City, ABG manages, elevates, and builds the long-term value of more than 50 consumer brands and properties by partnering with best-in-class manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Its brands have a global retail footprint in more than 100,000 points of sale across the luxury, specialty, department store, mid-tier, mass, and e-commerce channels and more than 4,950 branded freestanding stores and shop-in-shops around the world. ABG is committed to transforming brands by delivering a compelling product, content, business, and immersive brand experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms, and emerging media. ABG’s portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands includes Marilyn Monroe®, Mini Marilyn®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O'Neal®, Sports Illustrated®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Michael Jackson® (managed brand), Nautica®, Aéropostale®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Herve Leger®, Judith Leiber®, Frederick's of Hollywood®, Nine West®, Frye®, Jones New York®, Louise et Cie®, Sole Society®, Enzo Angiolini®, CC Corso Como®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx®, Adrienne Vittadini®, Taryn Rose®, Bandolino®, Misook®, 1.STATE®, CeCe®, Chaus®, Spyder®, Tretorn®, Tapout®, Prince®, Volcom®, Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Above The Rim®, Hind®, Thomasville®, Drexel®, and Henredon®. For more information, please visit authenticbrandsgroup.com.

About Global Brands Group Holding Limited 
Global Brands Group Holding Limited (SEHK Stock Code: 787) is one of the leading branded apparel, footwear and brand management companies. The Group designs develops, markets and sells products under a diverse array of owned and licensed brands and a wide range of product categories. Global Brands’ innovative design, capabilities, strong brand management focus and strategic vision enable it to create new opportunities, product categories and market expansion for brands on a global scale. In addition, the Group is the global leader in the brand management business through its joint venture, CAA-GBG Global Brand Management Group.
 

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee has announced the finalists for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame class of 2019. Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Ski & Snowboard freestyle team alumnus Jonny Moseley (Belvedere Tiburon, Calif.) is one of the 15 Olympians, nine Paralympians and three teams being considered for Hall of Fame induction. 

With his innovative approach and ability to progress the sport, Moseley will forever be dubbed a freestyle skiing pioneer. His achievements go far beyond his two Olympic medals, to landing new inverted rotations like the “Dinner Roll,” which were beyond his time and not well-received by FIS Judges in mogul competition at the time. There is no question about the vital role Moseley played in influencing moguls skiing to allow inverted tricks, and ultimately evolving the sport. 

Team USA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard fans can cast their vote at TeamUSA.org/Vote through Sept. 3 to help determine the class of 2019, which will mark the first class inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame since 2012.

“It is a privilege to introduce these deserving finalists for induction into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame,” said Sarah Hirshland, USOPC CEO. “They represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement and personal excellence, both on and off the field of play. We honor them and are pleased to memorialize their legacy as America’s most inspiring athletes and teams.”

The finalists will be narrowed down to five Olympians, three Paralympians and one team for induction into the class of 2019. In addition to the public vote, U.S. Olympians and Paralympians and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family also vote on the inductees. The Olympic and Paralympic family consists of the Athletes’ Advisory Council, National Governing Bodies, Multi-Sport Organizations, USOPC board of directors, members of the media, and corporate partners.

The class of 2019 will be announced on Monday, Sept. 23, and inducted on Friday, Nov. 1, during a ceremony in conjunction with the all-alumni U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Reunion in Colorado Springs, Colo. Red carpet arrivals, interviews and induction awards dinner at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center will be open to the media; credential information will be available in October. 

Opening in early 2020, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will become the new permanent home for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. Visit TeamUSA.org/HallOfFame to explore the history and achievements of all 141-current Hall of Fame members.
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard recently named Ryan Wyble as the U.S. Freeski Team national development coach for slopestyle and big air. Wyble joins the team with 10 years of coaching experience with some of the nation’s top clubs including Park City Ski & Snowboard, Team Park City United, and Axis Freeride. 

“The team is so fortunate to have Ryan as the coach leading our rookie slopestyle team,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Head Freeski and Snowboard Coach Mike Jankowski. “This crew has tons of momentum with Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) winning the FIS World Cup overall title last season as a rookie. The rookie athletes are all currently working on adding super high-level tricks to their game, and it’s key to have someone with Ryan’s passion and experience leading that charge.”

Wyble was recently honored by U.S. Ski & Snowboard as the 2018-19 Development Coach of the Year, so it’s only natural Wyble continues his work with the next generation of freeskiers as a member of the U.S. National Team staff. Wyble’s skill set will complement the talented roster of U.S. coaches, and he has already seamlessly integrated into the program throughout the Timberline summer training camp recently held at Mt. Hood, Ore.

“Ryan brings a wealth of on hill expertise combined with an extraordinary moral character,” said U.S. Freeski Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Coach Dave Euler. “The rookies are an amazing group of athletes and I can’t wait to see what they can accomplish on and off the hill under Ryan’s lead. I could not be happier to have him joining the team.”

This past season Wyble had six athletes named to the U.S. FIS Junior World Championship Team. In addition, he was a former competitor in slopestyle and also was a featured athlete in 4bi9 Media Ski Films from 2007 to 2012. 

Wyble’s role will focus on working year-round with the rookie team athletes to help them reach their potential in hopes that they eventually graduate to the pro team level. He will also work with ski clubs across the country to identify and develop young talent at the club level, in addition to creating transparency with the next generation of athletes as it relates to the athlete development pipeline, and how each individual can eventually progress all the way to the U.S. National Team.
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named Vladimir Lebedev as Head Aerials Coach for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. Lebedev will take over the position from Emily Cook, who has served as interim head coach since Todd Ossian left the team in May after a nine-year tenure. 

“We are excited to announce Vladimir as our head aerials coach for the U.S. Ski Team,” said Jeremy Forster, director of freestyle for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Vlad is widely respected within the aerials community and brings a history of coaching success with him to this team. His passion for the sport and clear vision sets a high standard for his athletes. I look forward to working with him in his new position.”

Born and raised in Uzbekistan, Lebedev was introduced to the sport of aerials skiing when he was five by his uncle who was president of the Uzbekistan Ski Association. Lebedev worked his way through the ranks and eventually moved to Moscow to compete for the Russian National Ski Team for 10 years, from 2000 - 2010. He earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, the crowning achievement of his professional aerials skiing career. In 2011, Lebedev made the tough decision to move from competing to coaching, after sustaining a second injury to his right knee. 

Lebedev coached the Russian development team for four years, until the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. From 2014 - 2017, Lebedev served as a World Cup coach. His athletes earned an impressive 12 medals at the Junior World Championships during his tenure, four of which were gold. He found success with Kristina Spiridoniva, who finished third in the Aerials Grand Prix in 2018, as well as with Ilya Burov, who earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. 

Prior to being named head aerials coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Lebedev served as a World Cup coach for the U.S. Moguls Team. Because of his expertise in aerial maneuvers, Lebedev was instrumental in helping many U.S. athletes improve their air executions on the moguls field. 

Eric Bergoust will remain on staff as World Cup Coach along with continuing his efforts in Development. He looks forward to working with Lebedev in his new position. “I’m excited to continue as World Cup Aerial Coach, working with Vladimir,” said Bergoust. “Vlad and I have been friends for over fifteen years and we work well together because we are both committed to doing whatever it takes to help our team succeed.”

Lebedev enjoys coaching because of the challenge. “All the athletes on the team are different. It’s up to me and my staff to find specific goals for each of them. We have a lot of conversations in the gym, on the ramps, on snow, etc, to come up with a strategy that works for each person. Coaching, especially in a discipline like aerials, is not like a regular nine to five job. Every day is a new and different day. I have to be in tune with each athlete, with how they’re feeling, etc, to make adjustments.”

One of Lebedev’s biggest goals moving into the 2019-2020 competition season is to create a cohesive team culture. With the end of the Ossian era, Lebedev knows it is important to get the athletes and staff all on the same page so that there is continuity and progression moving forward. 

Beyond the immediate, Lebedev has his sights set high for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing which will include the new Team Aerials event. “I am working on developing specific athlete plans through the 2022 Olympics. I break these down from yearly, to seasonal, to monthly, to daily goals. A lot of it is general because we are constantly making changes depending on how the day-to-day goes.”

Lebedev transitioned from the moguls to the aerials coaching staff this spring and the aerials athletes are already responding positively to him as a leader for their team. “After knowing Vlad for over a decade and working with him for the past couple months in Park City, it is obvious to me and my teammates that he is going to lead this team in a phenomenal fashion,” reflected three-time Olympian and 2017 Aerials World Champion Ashley Caldwell (Asburn, Va.). “The experience he brings from being an athlete, a coach for Russia, and a coach for the U.S. Moguls team, coupled with his enthusiasm and character are going to make for an unstoppable leader and head coach.”