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USA Alpine World Cup Plan Announced

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
April, 4 2017

PARK CITY, UT (April 4, 2017) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association is moving forward with hosting Audi FIS Ski World Cup stops at Killington Resort and Beaver Creek Resort during the 2017-18 season. Both resorts are part of a comprehensive USSA event calendar that will be presented to the International Ski Federation during its annual meetings next month in Portoroz, Slovenia.

“Killington and Beaver Creek are both dedicated partners who, along with Aspen and Squaw Valley, have demonstrated their commitment to showcasing our athletes and growing the sport of alpine ski racing,” said USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We’ve seen strong performances from our athletes at both venues and look forward to giving them the opportunity to ski on home snow as they vie for their Olympic spots.”


The 2016 Killington World Cup was the first race held on the east coast since 1991. (U.S. Ski Team)

The USSA saw strong athletic performances, fan attendance and TV audiences throughout its four U.S. World Cup stops in 2016-17, culminating with World Cup Finals in Aspen, one of the biggest showcases of ski racing the U.S. outside of the World Championships. The event at Killington was the first World Cup in New England in over 20 years, drawing more than 30,000 spectators over the course of two days and providing U.S. Ski Team athletes the opportunity to engage with skiers and fans in the New England skiing community. The proposed agreement between the resort and USSA includes World Cup stops in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.

“Our partnership with Killington and POWDR Corp. to bring ski racing back to the east coast produced one of the most successful event weekends we’ve seen,” said Calum Clark, USSA’s vice president, events. “The Killington team worked tirelessly to put on a great event and inspire thousands of young athletes. The prospect of returning for events during and after the Olympic season gives us the opportunity to further build on that success and grow the event’s impact.”

Host of the 1989, 1999 and 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, and annual Birds of Prey World Cup, Vail/Beaver Creek has been an integral part of the FIS Alpine World Cup since its inception in 1967. Beaver Creek's Birds of Prey has become one of the most acclaimed speed venues in the world.


Fans pack the stadium for the men's downhill at Beaver Creek. (U.S. Ski Team)

“The men’s races at Beaver Creek are some of the most highly anticipated races on tour,” said Clark. “The Birds of Prey event is iconic and the community is rich with ski racing history. There is no better venue to showcase our U.S. Ski Team speed stars in an Olympic season.”

The USSA anticipates a comprehensive broadcast and live streaming package for both events across NBC and NBC Sports Network.

The final Audi FIS Ski World Cup calendar is expected to be approved after the FIS Calendar Conference meetings, which conclude on May 28.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The USSA is proposing Killington Resort and Beaver Creek Resort as the U.S. Audi FIS Ski World Cup stops for the 2017-18 season.
  • The World Cup calendar will be presented to, and is expected to be approved by, the FIS during its annual meetings in May.
  • The USSA’s agreement with Killington includes calendar proposals for both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
  • Killington hosted women’s giant slalom and slalom races during the 2016-17 season, drawing more than 30,000 spectators over the two events.
  • A three-time World Championships host and World Cup stop since 1967, Beaver Creek has become one of the most acclaimed speed venues in the world.
  • The USSA anticipates a comprehensive broadcast and live streaming package for both events across NBC and NBC Sports Network.

 

QUOTES

Tiger Shaw, President and CEO, USSA
Killington and Beaver Creek are both dedicated partners who, along with Aspen and Squaw Valley, have demonstrated their commitment to showcasing our athletes and growing the sport of alpine ski racing. We’ve seen strong performances from our athletes at both venues and look forward to giving them the opportunity to ski on home snow as they vie for their Olympic spots.

Calum Clark, Vice President, Events, USSA
Our partnership with Killington and POWDR Corp. to bring ski racing back to the east coast produced one of the most successful event weekends we’ve seen. The Killington team worked tirelessly to put on a great event and inspire thousands of young athletes. The prospect of returning for events during and after the Olympic season gives us the opportunity to further build on that success and grow the event’s impact.

The men’s races at Beaver Creek are some of the most highly anticipated races on tour. The Birds of Prey event is iconic and the community is rich with ski racing history. There is no better venue to showcase our U.S. Ski Team speed stars in an Olympic season.

Mike Solimano, President and General Manager, Killington
Establishing a multi-year World Cup schedule here at Killington is an incredible opportunity for the resort and the surrounding community. I was blown away by the sheer size of the crowd last year, and their enthusiasm leads me to believe that we’ll bring in even more spectators this year to watch the fastest female ski races in the world take on the Superstar trail. We used every cold period in October and November to build a world-class race venue on Superstar, and getting the job done so early in the season showcased our snowmaking system as an industry-leading powerhouse. With the support of our community, I am excited to again showcase Killington and the entire state of Vermont to the international ski market.

Mike Imhof, President and CEO, Vail Valley Foundation
The passion for ski racing in this country and our Vail/Beaver Creek community has been phenomenal in recent years. From our 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to the additional World Cup stops hosted in the USA this past year, we’ve seen a renewed energy around all of the American race events and we are looking forward to hosting one of the most exciting weekends in alpine racing when Birds of Prey returns to Beaver Creek this December. We can’t wait.