PARK CITY, Utah - Those involved in the freeski and snowboard communities probably know that U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) have been working together closely for years. What many do not know is the significant contribution to athletes, coaches, and judges that results from the cooperation between these two organizations.
 
U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA have been working together to support snowboarding for more than 20 years. Most recently USASA has also been the number one contributor to the regional freeski event market and is entering its 30th year as an integral piece of the event and development pipeline for both sports. One hundred percent of the regional snowboard events and 82 percent of the regional freeski events are produced by USASA. USASA produces more than 500 events at 120 resorts through their 32 unique series that engage the culture and community of both sports. In addition to the hosting of events, USASA also provides an education structure for the development of coaches, officials and judges in the U.S. hosted through in-person clinics and social outreach.
 
U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA both play an important part in the development of sport at every level. The U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Teams have had quite the track record over the last decade. In the past two Olympic Winter Games, the U.S. Freeski slopestyle and halfpipe athletes have earned 10 Olympic medals. Similarly, the U.S. Snowboard Team has amassed 31 Olympic medals dating back to the 1998 Olympics. It is easy to see why in 2012 Bill Marolt awarded the USASA the Russell Wilder Award stating, "without USASA, the U.S would not be able to dominate in the sport of snowboarding as we do today".
 
USASA not only provides opportunities for athletes to compete but also introduces a professional competition structure. As an illustration, USASA provides in excess of $50,000 each year in prize money at the USASA National Championships. Entering into its 30th year, it is the largest competition of its kind in the world. The USASA Nationals are part of a robust pipeline that carries athletes from the USASA Regional events all the way to Olympic level competition.

Athletes get started in one of two ways, by finding a coach or by competing in a USASA regional event. To move up the pipeline, athletes compete in regional USASA events where they vie for the opportunity to qualify for USASA Nationals every April. Athletes looking to continue to progress through the pipeline strive to place at the top of their age group or open class. Every year athletes who place at the top of their competitive group at USASA Nationals are invited to participate in Project Gold (an invite-only camp for the nation's top talent), the Revolution Tour and NorAm-level Elite Revolution Tour events (halfpipe and slopestyle), Holeshot Tour (skicross and snowboardcross), and Race to the Cup (alpine snowboard). Athletes who finish at the top of these events may qualify to attend the FIS Junior World Championships, the Youth Olympic Games, Grand Prix, and World Cup events. Olympic selections take place exclusively from World Cup events in Olympic qualifying years. In addition, Olympic team selection may also include results from World Cup events that are included in the selection criteria at the highest level of competition!

Not only does the organization provide athletic opportunity for advancement, but also education. The USASA foundation contributes $20,000 to 30,000 a year in direct scholarships and grants to USASA athletes. Furthermore, USASA’s contribution does not stop with athletes, they also support coaches to ensure a bright future for the sports of freeskiing and snowboarding - hosting numerous level 100 and 200 coaching clinics across the country annually. 

“The USASA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard partnership is critical to our collective future success in snowboarding and freeskiing on the international stage,” said U.S. Snowboard and Freeski Director Jeremy Forster. “It’s important to highlight that USASA is the competitive starting point for almost every snowboard and freeski athlete. Our organizations are working collaboratively to ensure the sport development pathway is well coordinated and communicated to all stakeholders.”

If you are a coach and are interested in finding a coaching clinic, if you are an athlete or parent looking for an Event Near You, USASA can help! 

Visit USASA.org for more information. 

U.S Ski & Snowboard Athletic Pipeline
Freeski Pipeline
Snowboard Pipeline

About USASA
The United States Snowboard and Freeski Association is the first step in the Olympic pipeline. USASA is represented by 32 regional series and made up of over 5000 athlete members, 1000 + coaches, officials, and judges and hosts over 500 snowboard and freeski events annually at over 120 resorts nationwide. The USASA National Championships are held annually at Copper Mountain, Colorado and span twelve days with over 1,800 participants making it the largest snowboard and freeskiing event in the world and is entering its 30th year. USASA aims to facilitate fun and fair events for all ages across the country, to attract snowboarders and freeskiers, promote their development, provide member education, and influence the future of our sports.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body for ski and snowboard sports in the USA. One of the oldest and most established sports organizations worldwide, directly tracing its roots back to 1905, the organization, based in Park City, UT, provides leadership and direction for elite athletes competing at the highest level worldwide and for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders in the USA, encouraging and supporting all its athletes in achieving excellence wherever they train and compete. 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. U.S. Ski & Snowboard receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund athletic programs that directly assist athletes in reaching their dreams and achieving the shared goal of being Best In The World.

During its November 20th Board of Directors meeting, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, continued to transition its leadership with the election of Kipp Nelson as incoming Chair of the Board of Directors and Eric Resnick to the role of Vice Chair of the Board of Directors.

Nelson, a current member of the Board of Directors and a long-term supporter of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, will succeed current Chair Dexter Paine, who has held that role since 2006, at U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Board of Directors meeting on May 18, 2019. This winter-long transition will facilitate the transfer of roles and responsibilities between the two Board members, as Paine steps down as Chair after 12 years and 16 years as a Board member leading the governance of the organization, including the transition of its CEO in 2013. Nelson has served eight years on the Board of Directors and this will extend his leadership within the organization as Board Chair. Nelson has also served on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation Board of Trustees since 2005, and Paine since 1996, where both have been passionate advocates and supporters of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s athletes and teams over many years. Paine will continue to represent the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board at the international level in his role as an International Ski Federation (FIS) Council Member, a position he has held since 2014 and to which he was re-elected at the May 2018 FIS Congress.

“I am delighted to be handing over the reins as Chair of the Board of Directors to Kipp Nelson,” commented Dexter Paine. “Kipp has the vision, experience and passion for all our sports to help U.S. Ski & Snowboard continue its growth and its establishment as one of the USA’s greatest sporting organizations. While I have loved the role of U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board Chair, now is the right time for this transition to take place, and Kipp is the right person to take on the responsibilities that come with this role.

“This is an exciting time of the year for everyone involved in U.S. Ski & Snowboard. The months of hard work put in by our athletes and all the U.S. Ski & Snowboard staff come to fruition as the season starts and it serves as the perfect reminder for me of how honored I am to have served our athletes and our organization for many years. I am proud that I will continue to serve as an active member of our Board and at the international level with FIS, and I want to thank every single employee, volunteer and athlete who has helped make my time as Chair such an incredible experience. I look forward to continuing to work with Kipp and Tiger to grow our whole organization and build on our historical athletic success.”

“Dexter Paine has been a wonderful Chair for U.S. Ski & Snowboard and is far too humble to say just what a significant contribution he has made to our athletes for such a long time. Under his leadership the organization has gone from strength to strength and is now in the healthiest position it has ever been, structurally, athletically and financially,” added Kipp. “I know I have big shoes to fill, but I am excited about what lies ahead. We have some of the world’s greatest athletes competing today, we have a rich and storied history and we have some incredibly exciting, talented athletes coming through the pipeline who will continue to set new standards for years to come. I am also keenly aware that there are major challenges facing athletes of all levels and across all sports, both at home and around the world, and we will be working ever harder to create and sustain environments in which athletes can train and compete, free from the scourge of hazing, bullying and abuse of all kinds. We will continue to place the needs of athletes at the heart of everything we do, working together with our clubs and regions, supporting our athletes and with a singular focus on helping them achieve their dreams.”

These changes to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard leadership structure complement prior leadership changes which include Resnick who was elected to the role of Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the September 2018 Board meeting. Additionally, Steve Strandberg was elected President of the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation, together with three Vice Presidents - Dani Virtue, Rich Tutino and Jeremy Bloom - at the Foundation’s Board meeting in December 2017.

“The last year since I took up the role as President of the Foundation Board of Trustees has gone by far too quickly, but it has been an incredible year for our Foundation and the whole team,” said Strandberg. “Our revenues continue to grow, we have just staged our most successful ever annual New York Gold Medal Gala fundraising event, and we are seeing increasing numbers of people joining our organization, all focused on helping U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes achieve their goals. This is due to the hard work and dedication of the Foundation team in Park City and across the country, our Trustees and the army of supporters who give so generously to support U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes. I am extremely proud to be part of this team and I am excited to continue to build on the successes of the last year, and to embrace what lies ahead.”

Both the Board of Directors and the Foundation Board of Trustees have a variety of committees and sub-committees that serve the various needs of the organization which represents nearly 200 elite athletes competing across seven different winter sports, which stages over 35 domestic events each year and which is integrally involved in the development of future winter sports champions through grass roots programs across the USA.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard would like to thank all members of its boards for their tireless support and leadership guiding and supporting the athletes, teams and the entire organization.

Organizational Board Leadership

Board of Directors:   
Dexter Paine, Chair (until May 2019)
Kipp Nelson, Chair (from May 2019)
Eric Resnick, Vice Chair

Board of Trustees of the Foundation:   
Steve Strandberg, President
Dani Virtue, Vice President
Rich Tutino, Vice President
Jeremy Bloom, Vice President

The top ski and snowboard athletes in the USA will have world class snow conditions during upcoming training camps and competitions thanks to PRINOTH snow groomers, who has signed on for a second four-year agreement as Official Snow Groomer for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. PRINOTH will support the team in various events held in North America and, with its European Headquarters located in Northern Italy near the Austrian border, will support the team abroad as well.

PRINOTH has been the Official Snow Groomer of U.S. Ski & Snowboard since 2014 and is proud to continue to support the dreams of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes through the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. By providing consistent snow conditions for athletes to train and compete on, PRINOTH plays a big role in helping athletes not only prepare for Beijing 2022 but for other world-class events leading up to the Games.

“With over 20 FIS World Cup events per year to operate, including a hometown 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, U.S. Ski & Snowboard relies heavily on snow grooming from PRINOTH machines to deliver ‘Best in the World’ courses and events for our athletes. This unique partnership with PRINOTH delivers not only on the quality we need for our events but also gives us a competitive advantage with operations at our Fall and Spring training camps.” Dan Barnett, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

“North American ski areas using PRINOTH snow grooming equipment consistently rank as the top resorts in the country for best grooming. By providing the ski areas & training centers with our equipment, PRINOTH ensures optimal training and racing slope conditions for the athletes. Snow is part of our DNA, and PRINOTH has always been committed to support world class athletes such as these of the US Ski & Snowboard Team.” Philippe Gosselin, Marketing Manager of Snow Grooming, PRINOTH North America.

PARK CITY, Utah - U.S. Ski & Snowboard has launched its first-ever Official Fan Club. Since 1905, the year to which the American Olympic organization can directly trace its roots, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have depended on fans for inspiration, motivation, and support throughout their grueling competition and training schedules. From an aspiring young athlete to the die-hard fan that religiously supports the red, white and blue, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club offers a channel for fans to have a direct, positive impact on athlete success. Whether you are an alpine, freestyle, freeski, cross country or snowboard enthusiast, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club is for you.

Over the past 20 years, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have had quite the track record, much of which can be directly linked back to the immense support of U.S Ski & Snowboard fans. Since the Nagano Games in 1998, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have earned 82 Olympic medals, 32 of which were gold, none of which would have been possible without the support of the team’s fans. Now, U.S. Ski & Snowboard looks to build on this success with the fan club serving as a catalyst to create yet more champions.

“Fans are super important to the sport of freesking,” said two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time World Cup giant slalom champion Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah). “It’s still a niche sport, it’s not the biggest sport out there, especially in the U.S. Any of the fans we have are people that we cherish and we are super thankful for anybody who follows us.“

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club membership is available at three levels: bronze, silver or gold. Each package contains increasing levels of U.S. Ski & Snowboard merchandise so fans can support every athlete’s journey to the podium in style. These packages include caps, backpacks, sticker packs and more. In addition, fan club members will receive exclusive content throughout the 2018-19 season and beyond, and they will have the chance to interact with athletes through email content, videos, stories and more.

In a speech at the 2018 New York Gold Medal Gala, referring to supporters of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, PyeongChang Gold medalist Jessie Diggins said, “We feel like you believe in us, so thank you, because that’s the best gift you can give.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard wishes to thank all its fans for their support and urges everyone who wants to help U.S. ski and snowboard athletes see their dreams come true to sign up below for their chance to join the team behind the team for this season and beyond.

Click here for more information on how to join the official U.S. Ski & Snowboard Fan Club.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today an exciting new partnership with Bulletproof 360, a leading science-based food and beverage company, focusing on their widely popular Bulletproof Coffee beverage. Bulletproof’s iconic coffee beverage is not your average latte; it is made with Brain Octane oil® and grass-fed butter to provide a quick and reliable energy source throughout the day. As U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s official coffee supplier, Bulletproof 360 will help keep the world’s top ski and snowboard athletes fueled, focused and achieving optimum performance levels on and off the slopes.

The partnership will kick off on November 23 at the Killington Cup in Killington, Vermont. Spectators and fans at home will watch female national and international alpine ski superstars debut the Bulletproof branded race bib during the Giant Slalom event. This is the only domestic stop for the women of the alpine ski team, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin who will seek a third consecutive top finish at the venue. Bulletproof will also support athletes at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Copper Mountain Freeski and Snowboard event in December, among other domestic U.S. Ski & Snowboard events throughout the season.

“Bulletproof’s belief that all people have the ability to achieve super-human goals falls directly in line with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s mission of creating the best ski and snowboard athletes in the world,” said Dan Barnett, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Bulletproof’s coffee products boost energy and brain function and will help athletes on their journey to the podium. We are excited to offer these products to our athletes as they train and compete this season.”

“We’re thrilled to support some of the most elite athletes in the world and help them achieve peak performance levels with Bulletproof Coffee,” said Karen Huh, VP of Brand and Product Strategy of Bulletproof 360. “We offer products that enable anyone to perform at the top of their game. These are competitions where athletes are looking to optimize their control, speed, and focus, and Bulletproof Coffee offers just that.”

Emotions run high in the opening seconds of Off Piste: Tragedy in the Alps, a new film released by the Bryce and Ronnie Snow Safety Foundation (BRASS). Young athletes dig frantically in the snow searching for their two friends buried under meters of heavy, compacted snow. But it’s too late.

Avalanches are a powerful force of mother nature. The very mountains that bring such life to skiers and snowboarders can just as quickly take it away. Off Piste: Tragedy in the Alps is a poignant reminder of that and a brilliant educational tool to help introduce skiers and snowboarders to basic steps to stay safe in the backcountry.

In January 2015 an avalanche in Sölden, Austria took the lives of two promising young stars of the U.S. Ski Team. They and their teammates were innocently enjoying the sport they love when tragedy struck. The BRASS Foundation, formed in 2016, was born out of the tragic avalanche deaths of Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle to create a legacy of changes in the culture of avalanche safety. Its mission is to lobby for the evolution of snow safety systems and to advocate for greater penetration of avalanche education.

The film and a detailed accident report were released by BRASS to help build greater awareness in the skiing and snowboarding community for avalanche safety.

The 13-minute film was produced for BRASS by Trent Meisenheimer and Arius Sorbonne from the Utah Avalanche Center. It will be utilized at workshops produced by BRASS and other avalanche education organizations. Ski and snowboard competition clubs around the country and the world will use it as a teaching tool. Among the stars featured in the film are Olympic champions Bode Miller, Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety, as well as downhill star Steven Nyman.

"Right from the time of Ronnie and Bryce's accident it's been the goal of the families to use the tragedy as an opportunity to educate others," said BRASS Chairman Jamie Astle, father of Bryce. "For that reason, we wanted to be very candid and forthcoming with the film to reach viewing audiences with a very simple yet poignant message."

Off Piste, roughly translated as ‘off trail,’ is titled after the common terminology in the sport referring to skiing or riding off traditional groomed ski runs in a resort or in the mountain backcountry.

The film is impactful from the start with a re-creation of the rescue of Ronnie and Bryce as teammates frantically search for their friends. It features dramatic avalanche footage from other backcountry accidents that show vividly the power of sliding snow.

Most of all, though, it conveys a powerful message and simple tips to help skiers and snowboarders stay safe.

Through the eyes of their families, you learn who Ronnie and Bryce were. From their teammates who were with them, you learn what they were thinking when they ventured off the groomed trail. You share the powerful, intense emotions they felt trying to find their friends.

"None of the young men in that group knew the difference between on and off piste," said Ronnie's father Steve Berlack. "Off piste in the United States is defined as out of bounds, going through a gate. In Europe, when you are off a groomer you are off piste."

The avalanche that day caused over 7-million pounds of snow to slide. Video of avalanches and a graphic rendition of the Sölden avalanche paint a vivid picture. Accounts in the film document the small but important elements of the accident that could have changed the story that day.

"It takes all of 20 minutes to be learn and be educated enough to have an impact on that situation," said gold medalist Bode Miller.

"You want to be prepared," says Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin. "There are five points that are good to remember: You want to get the gear, get the training, get the forecast, get the picture and get out of harm's way."

Through the eyes of both U.S. Ski Team stars and avalanche experts, each of the five points are explored in the film.

"Being a ski racer is a definitely a dangerous sport. What we're going down is a highly regulated area with fencing and snow prep - you have all these things to keep you safe," said Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety. "You get out there into the backcountry there are none of those luxuries, that's for sure."

"For the people who assume that just because know how to ski terrain or rip down a mountain because they ski downhill, it's a very different beast," said Shiffrin.

BRASS is making the film available at no cost to clubs or individuals to help increase awareness and educate.

"We hope that Off Piste gets people thinking," said Astle. "It's not a replacement for an avalanche safety course. But in 13 minutes it will give any skier or snowboarder some tools they can use for decision making."

The release of Off Piste: Tragedy in the Alps is combined with a very candid and revealing report of the details of the accident in Sölden, which is available at www.brassfoundation.org. "The film Off Piste and the accident report are designed to share actual information from the accident so it will positively impact others and prevent similar tragedies," said Astle.

The video is available from BRASS free for any educational showing. It can be found on the BRASS website, YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook. <add links>

Additional information on avalanche safety and education are available from a host of regional and national organizations, including the Utah Avalanche Center which is releasing a series of free online avalanche courses.

Avalanche Information Resources

• BRASS Foundation
• American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education
• Colorado Avalanche Information Center
• Know Before You Go
• National Avalanche Center - U.S. Forest Service
• Utah Avalanche Center

Off Piste: Tragedy in the Alps

• Full length (high resolution)
• Full length (low resolution)
• One minute trailer (high resolution)
• One minute trailer (low resolution)

NOTE: Off Piste: Tragedy in the Alps is available license-free for educational use only. It may not be excerpted or shown commercially without permission of the BRASS Foundation.

About BRASS Foundation
The Bryce and Ronnie Athlete Snow Safety Foundation was born out of the tragic avalanche deaths of U.S. Ski Team athletes Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle to create a legacy of changes in the culture of avalanche safety. Its mission is to lobby for the evolution of snow safety systems and to advocate for greater penetration of avalanche education. It works closely with avalanche industry organizations in the USA and around the world. The BRASS Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit relying entirely on donations from passionate private and commercial supporters.
 

PARK CITY, Utah (November 9, 2018) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s new slopestyle and big air national development coach Nichole Mason is set to host the first ever all-female USASA freeski and snowboard Level 100 and 200 clinics from Dec. 3-6 at Copper Mountain, Colo. The Level 100 clinic will take place Dec. 3-4 and will target intro level coaches who will be working with Phase 1 and Phase 2 athletes. The Level 200 Clinic will take place Dec. 5-6 and will target more experienced coaches who have been working with athletes for a number of years and whose goals are to expand their knowledge and skill set to better work with Phase 3, 4 and 5 athletes.

To participate in the the Level 100 class you must be at least 18 years old, currently working as an active coach, registered as a member of USASA and work over 60 hours per season. Additionally, you must have your clinic registration verified by a supervisor/program director of a USASA or USSA program, USASA Regional Series Director or a supervisor of an AASI/PSIA member ski or snowboard school. Lastly, you must have a First Aid/CPR Certificate from a qualified provider, USOC Safesport certification and CDC Heads Up certification. Level 200 prerequisites include all of the above with the addition of a Level 100 certificate. Click here for more detail on course prerequisites.

Mason is one of the many snow sport enthusiasts who started her career as a young competitive athlete with USASA. She coached Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club for five years, where she was the 2017 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Domestic Coach of the Year, and Development Coach of the Year. Mason went on to be the first-ever female coach in her current position with U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Through empowering the female community and bridging the gap between USASA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard, these all-female clinics will create new opportunities for both female athletes and industry professionals.

“I am excited about this new project on several levels,” said Mason. “First, the partnership between U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA to reach the common goal of strengthening our coach education curriculum is critical. In addition, we look forward to providing a broader spectrum of support to our female coaches in the industry. This clinic provides an opportunity to talk openly about the struggles women encounter being in a male-dominated industry, what we can do together to slowly change that dynamic and empower female athletes in the sport. We historically have significantly lower numbers on the female side for both coaches and competitive athletes. Our goal is to strengthen the female coaching community and watch that empowerment trickle down the line to keep more female athletes in the sport.”

USASA has 20 clinics currently scheduled across the United States. For additional information or to register for another clinic visit https://usasa.org/resources/coaches/coaches-clinics.

About USASA:

The United States Snowboard and Freeski Association is the first step in the Olympic pipeline. USASA is represented by 32 regional series and made up of over 5000 athlete members, 1000 + coaches, officials, and judges and hosts over 500 snowboard and freeski events annually at over 120 resorts nationwide. The USASA National Championships are held annually at Copper Mountain, Colorado and span twelve days with over 1,800 participants making it the largest snowboard and freeskiing event in the world and is entering its 30th year.  USASA aims to facilitate fun and fair events for all ages across the country, to attract snowboarders and freeskiers, promote their development, provide member education, and influence the future of our sports.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body for ski and snowboard sports in the USA. One of the oldest and most established sports organizations worldwide, directly tracing its roots back to 1905, the organization, based in Park City, UT, provides leadership and direction for elite athletes competing at the highest level worldwide and for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders in the USA, encouraging and supporting all its athletes in achieving excellence wherever they train and compete. 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. U.S. Ski & Snowboard receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund athletic programs that directly assist athletes in reaching their dreams and achieving the shared goal of being Best In The World.

Media Contact
Andrew Gauthier
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Marketing and Communications Manager
andrew.gauthier@usskiandsnowboard.org