POC Sports Honored for Work with U.S. Ski Team

DENVER (Jan. 31) – POC Sports, a leading supplier of helmets, goggles and alpine accessories, was honored by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and SnowSports Industries America (SIA) with the Doc DesRoches Award. The award is presented annually by SIA and the USSA to recognize a national team supplier for innovation in marketing the team's brands and athletes. In addition to its strong support of elite athletes like Olympic champions Bode Miller and Julia Mancuso, POC was cited for its innovative educational and support programs targeting local U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association clubs. The award was presented at the annual SIA Snow Show in Denver.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and and SnowSports Industries America (SIA) have awarded their annual Doc DesRoches Award to POC Sports.
• SIA and the USSA have presented the award annually since 2004 to recognize a U.S. Ski Team supplier for its work in marketing the Team and athletes. 
• POC Sports was cited for its support and marketing around elite team athletes as well as its educational outreach to USSA’s local clubs around the country as well of its support of both clubs and athletes at that vital development level.
• POC’s Local Talent Program (LTP) provides grassroots marketing around local clubs and athletes, helping ensure a strong development pipeline. Current Team athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin, Travis Ganong, Julia Ford, Michael Ankeny and others came out of the LTP program.
• Safety and education are key elements of its new POC Brain Seminars where local head trauma experts talk with parents, coaches, athletes, retailers and resort staff to educate them on concussion and brain injury awareness.
• Vision is the key topic in POC’s 20:20 clinics at local clubs to provide first hand experience for young athletes and parents in choosing the right goggles and lenses for different weather and lighting situations.
• POC has been a Team supplier since 2005.
• Among the top athletes supported by POC include Olympic champions Julia Mancuso and Bode Miller, along with Steven Nyman, Marco Sullivan and more.
• The award was presented at the POC Sports trade show booth on opening day of the SIA Snow Show in Denver.
• The award is named in honor of Doc DesRoches, a long time industry leader who helped form SIA and led it for two decades. During that tenure he was instrumental in development of the U.S. Ski Team's fundraising efforts, including the formation of the New York Ski and Snowboard Ball.

QUOTES
Bill Marolt, President and CEO, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
Our U.S. Ski Team equipment suppliers are difference makers for athletes. POC Sports is making a difference for both developing and elite athletes through its support programs, especially efforts to bring education down the club level to help ensure strong future athletic success.

Michael Jaquet, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
A focus on athletes is one of the most important characteristics of our best partners. Supporting the Olympic dreams of our USSA athletes comes down to crucial funding and marketing support from partners like POC, which has demonstrated a companywide focus for alpine athletes both on the U.S. Ski Team and at the junior level. Jarka and his staff are present at every major event and it's great to see how passionate POC is about our sport.

Jarka Duba, President and CEO, POC Sports USA
We see ourselves as an alpine racing brand and we want to be the USSA's best partner in supporting racing at the club and elite level. To be recognized by the U.S. Ski Team with this award is a great testament to that core mission, our entire staff and the athletes that we support."

David Ingemie, President, SnowSports Industries America
What has characterized each of our Doc desRoches Award winners is the passion they bring to the sport, much the same that Doc brought during his years leading our industry. POC Sports is another good example of how that passion for educating young athletes can make a difference for them as well as POC as a brand.

Doc DesRoches Award Winners
2004 - Rossignol
2005 - Atomic
2006 - All U.S. Ski Team suppliers
2007- Spyder Active Sports
2008 - Volkl, Marker, Tecnica
2009 – SmartWool
2010 – Under Armour
2011 – Head Skis
2012 – High Sierra
2013 – POC Sports USA

About POC
POC Sports is a Swedish company, built on a strong mission: to do everything we can to possibly save lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for gravity sports athletes by developing and renewing what personal protection is all about. For more information about our helmets, eyewear, body armor and apparel, visit www.pocsports.com.

About USSA
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Developed to facilitate participation in national and international competition, the Olympic sports organization provides structure for competitive skiing and snowboarding. From grassroots programs to governance of sport, management of rules, competitions and athletic rankings, the USSA oversees athletic pipelines for development in the sports. With a vision to make the USA the best in the world in Olympic skiing and snowboarding, the USSA provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders who share an Olympic dream while maintaining a strong adherence to core values. The USSA, established in 1905, operates out of the national training and education facility, the Center of Excellence, in Park City, UT. For more information, visit www.usskiteam.com, www.ussnowboarding.com and www.usfreeskiing.com.

About SIA
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is the national not-for-profit, North American member-owned, trade association representing suppliers and service providers of snow sports products with constituents in the retailer, rep and resort communities. Annually producing the SIA Snow Show, the largest snow sports industry trade show, on-snow demo and networking environment globally, SIA delivers invaluable data/research reports including the Snow Sports Market Intelligence Reports, SnowSports RetailTRAKTM and Executive Market Summary. SIA also produces the Supplier Show, Sourcing Snow, at the SIA Snow Show; learn more at siasnowshow.com/sourcing. SIA is dedicated to growing the industry through consumer initiatives and websites, snowlink.com and wintertrails.org, marketing resources, services and collaborative programs to increase participation and move product. For more information, visit snowsports.org. SnowSports Industries America, 8377-B Greensboro Drive, McLean, VA 22102-3587 (Washington, DC Area). Phone: 703-556-9020, Fax: 703-821-8276, Email: SIAmail@snowsports.org