U.S. World Cup Tour Stops Announced

CAVTAT, Croatia (June 10) – Olympic selection events and a preview of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships highlight a schedule of U.S. World Cup events announced by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and International Ski Federation at annual spring FIS meetings in Croatia. Each World Cup will be a part of the Olympic selection process to determine the teams for Sochi. The schedule kicks off with back-to-back weekends in Beaver Creek, CO with final World Championship test events. The World Cup calendar also includes stops at Lake Placid, Deer Valley Resort, Copper Mountain and Northstar California.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and International Ski Federation announced its schedule of World Cup events following FIS spring meetings in Croatia. The calendars were approved by the FIS Council Monday (June 10).
• Each event will be a part of the overall selection process to determine the 2014 Olympic Team.
• The schedule will kickoff with a final test event for courses in Beaver Creek, CO for the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships including a debut of the new women’s downhill.
• Olympic resorts of Lake Placid and Deer Valley Resort return to the FIS Freestyle World Cup schedule with pivotal January events for Olympic selection.
• Key events on the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix, including the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix halfpipe and slopestyle at Copper Mountain and Northstar California, will take on World Cup status bringing stronger international fields to those resorts.
• Schedules for the FIS Snowboard World Cup are pending finalization.
• U.S. athletes have done well at American World Cups. Hannah Kearney has won the last five moguls events at Lake Placid and last four at Deer Valley. Ted Ligety has won three of last four giant slaloms at Beaver Creek. Lindsey Vonn won the lone women’s World Cup, a super G, two years ago at Beaver Creek.
• The new women’s downhill at Beaver Creek received high marks from the Best in the World U.S. women’s downhill team in a camp there in April. The late-November World Cup will be the first test of the new run in competition.
• Each World Cup will be broadcast on NBC along with the NBC Sports Network in the USA with extensive coverage worldwide.

2013-14 U.S. WORLD CUP SCHEDULE 
Nov. 29-Dec. 1 – Audi FIS Alpine World Cup (women’s downhill, super G, giant slalom), Beaver Creek, CO
Dec. 6-8 – Audi Birds of Prey Race Week (men’s downhill, super G, giant slalom), Beaver Creek, CO
Dec. 19-22 – Sprint U.S. Grand Prix (Visa Halfpipe and Slopestyle Skiing), Copper Mountain, CO
Jan. 9-11 – Visa Freestyle International (moguls, aerials, moguls), Deer Valley Resort, Park City, UT
Jan. 9-12 – Sprint U.S. Grand Prix (Visa Halfpipe and Slopestyle Skiing), Northstar California
Jan. 16-19 – FIS Freestyle World Cup (moguls, aerials), Lake Placid, NY

QUOTES
Bill Marolt, President and CEO, USSA
Our World Cup venues represent some of the best resorts in America from Olympic sites in Lake Placid and Deer Valley, to the 2015 World Championships site in Beaver Creek, our perennial Grand Prix opener at Copper and new World Cup site at Northstar California.

Ceil Folz, President and CEO, Vail Valley Foundation
The opportunity to test our new ladies’ speed course this November represents a major milestone on the road to the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Based on all the early feedback, we feel we have something very special in this course and it will be gratifying to see everyone’s hard work come to fruition. We are also honored to be able to help kick off the Olympic selection process for both men and women.

Ted Blazer, President/CEO, Olympic Regional Development Authority, Lake Placid
As a part of Lake Placid's Olympic legacy, it's a fitting site for the final event FIS Freestyle World Cup to select the 2014 Olympic moguls and aerials teams that will compete in Sochi. Lake Placid takes great pride in its Olympic heritage and its annual stop on the World Cup tour with moguls at Whiteface and huge crowds expected to watch aerials at the Olympic Jumping Complex.

Bob Wheaton, President, Deer Valley Resort
Being awarded a FIS Freestyle World Cup each season is such an incredible honor for Deer Valley Resort. This year's World Cup will be a vital event in the selection for Olympic aerials and moguls teams and we’re grateful that the FIS showed its confidence in our abilities by granting us this competition again.

Ted Ligety, Olympic and World Champion (has won three of last four World Cup GS at Beaver Creek)
Beaver Creek is one of the athlete's favorite stops on the World Cup. It’s our only home race and seems to always treat us well. Plus the hill preparation is always incredible. That’s something the volunteers take a lot of pride in and it’s something we, as athletes, certainly appreciate.

Hannah Kearney, Olympic Champion, moguls (won last five World Cup moguls events at Lake Placid and last four at Deer Valley)
I always enjoy competing in Lake Placid and Deer Valley. Lake Placid is where I live and train in the summer and Deer Valley draws the best crowd on the tour. These events have special importance this year because they count for Olympic selection. The stakes are higher and competing with a home field advantage right before the Games presents the perfect opportunity to hone our skills and elevate our level of skiing.

Stacey Cook, U.S. Women’s Speed Team
The new course at Beaver Creek is challenging to say the least. There is a lot of speed plus big turns, which is something that doesn’t get combined all that often in women’s downhill. It’s really in your face, but that’s what makes it fun. We like to be challenged and you’re going to have to be strong to handle this hill.