Addaday, a world leader in injury prevention and recovery technology, announced today it has been selected as the Official Handheld Recovery Equipment Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of skiing and snowboarding. 

The new multi-year partnership brings Addaday’s award-winning technology to help U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes recover from their demanding training and provide them with a competitive edge. Addaday’s advanced and comprehensive range of recovery tools will be available to athletes in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah, and on the road when athletes compete at events.
 

“We went through extensive testing of handheld recovery tools to ensure that our elite athletes have access to the very best technology and Addaday stood out to meet the demands and unique challenges of our sports,” said Troy Taylor, High Performance Director at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Few other brands are innovating as fast as Addaday nor offer as expansive a range of high-quality recovery products that we need to give our athletes the edge as we embark on the journey to 2022.”

“For an organization like U.S. Ski & Snowboard to entrust the recovery needs of its elite athletes in Addaday is a great honor and a testament to how far we’ve come in developing the best technology on the market,” said Hugh Williams, President of Addaday. “We look forward to working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to continue fueling our innovation and helping its athletes move, train and compete at their fullest.”

Introducing the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition BioZoom™

Among the many Addaday tools that will help athletes stay in peak condition is the new U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition Bluetooth-Enabled BioZoom Percussion Device. The much-enhanced replacement for Addaday’s current BioZoom can help decrease muscle soreness and pain, enhance blood flow and circulation, accelerate warm-up and recovery and increase range of motion.

The enhanced version of Addaday’s popular BioZoom features Bluetooth technology for added functionality that will be introduced this fall and a patented ergonomic, rubber-coated long-reach handle to help users easily access those hard-to-reach aches and pains – even for those with smaller hands. Among the quietest percussion devices on the market, the BioZoom has variable speed settings (intensity range between 20-52Hz) and five unique myofascial specific attachments to help users fully customize their therapies. The removable battery has a life of one hour at maximum intensity or three hours at the lowest intensity. Each device comes with a U.S. Ski & Snowboard branded protective carrying case.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition BioZoom is now available for pre-order (while stocks last) at Addaday.com at a special introductory price of just $199, making it truly one of the best value percussion devices on the market today. Customers will receive their orders by September 15, 2020.

“Percussion devices don’t need to be a luxury item, providing relief to the few who can afford it,” said Hugh Williams, President of Addaday. “We’re excited to make a best-in-class, connected massage therapy product available to everyone to keep them moving at their peak level.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s partnership with Addaday underscores the brand’s status as a world leader in recovery technology. Already, the brand is the Official Recovery Partner of USA Climbing, The Basketball Tournament and the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. It is also the Official Massage Chair of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series. In addition, many teams and professional athletes at the highest levels of football, baseball, hockey and Olympic sports now use Addaday’s products for their recovery needs.

“Active therapy can help everyone from elite athletes to people with sedentary lifestyles keep moving at their best. Treating both professional and amateur athletes every day, I have found that reducing lower extremity swelling and inflammation can be the difference between competing and being on the sidelines,” said Dr. Michael Venezia DC, CSCS, Addaday’s Head of Bioanalytics and Mechanics. “The BioZoom delivers deeper penetrating vibratory relief to your tissue, decreases pain sensitivity and reduces swelling and inflammation.”

For more information on Addaday, visit www.addaday.com. Follow the brand on social media at @addadayrecovery.

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About Addaday
Addaday is a connected fitness company focused on pre-and post-exercise recovery to help people move better and live their fullest. Its devices deliver targeted therapies and techniques used by professionals to prime the body for exercise, speed recovery and treat or prevent injury. Addaday is the Official Handheld Recovery Equipment Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Official Recovery Partner of USA Climbing, The Basketball Tournament, Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run and provider of other leading sports organizations. It is also the Official Massage Chair of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series. In addition, many teams and professional athletes at the highest levels of football, baseball, hockey and Olympic sports now use Addaday’s products for their recovery needs. For more information, visit www.addaday.com.

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 2020, 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.

Olympic champion and U.S. Alpine Ski Team alumnus Bode Miller recently caught up with Pat Graham of the Associated Press to talk shop and announce Bode's new winter sports academy. 

Bode has partnered with the Institute for Civic Leadership Academy (ICL) to launch the Bode Miller winter sports academy, with the goal of opening a physical school location near Big Sky, Mont., where he and his family live in the winter. Bode told the Associated Press that the program itself is a flexible online learning program tailored to ski racers, snowboarders, cross country skiers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts in grades 7-12.

As Pat wrote, 

The plan is for Bode to will communicate with students, create video content, workouts and webinars to help local club coaches better work with their athletes. "At least, that's the bluprint in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic," the article says. Bode has been friends with ICL Academy founder Kirk Spahn for years, and while he has plans to open a physical school in the future, he figured with the current COVID landscape, there was no time like the present to act. 

In this model, one live online class per day will be required. Then, students balance the rest of the classload around their area of interest, whether it’s snowboarding, skiing or hockey.

Also, the classes integrate personal interests into the teaching methods. For instance, a skier/snowboarder may learn the physics behind the power generated out of a turn or the principles of edge angulation.

“It’s not going to be blatant all the time and in-your-face because I don’t think that would really help them,” Miller said. “But there are undercurrents of the sport that they’re involved in, woven through the entire academic curriculum.”

Growing up, Miller was a regular at a tennis camp started by his grandparents. He saw firsthand how many would return year after year because of their positive memories.

He hopes to cultivate a similar experience with this winter sports academy. Maybe even someday produce athletes who will be the stars of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team.

“We want to create a superstar — superstar kids, superstar people who are involved in the community,” Miller said. “That may sound idealistic, but it’s really an authentic part of our vision, and the DNA of the whole thing.”

Bode says about 100 students have expressed interested in the recently launched program. Costs will be around $13,000, with financial aid available.

Read the full article on APNews.com. 

The U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Team recently completed their first on-snow camp of the off-season at Official Training Site Timberline Resort & Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Ore. June 29-July 15. 

Attending athletes included back-to-back FIS World Champion Aaron Blunck, two-time X Games gold medalist Alex Ferreira, and Olympic bronze medalist Brita Sigourney, along with a slew of motivated U.S. Freeski team athletes hungry to hit the slopes after their 2019-20 season was cut short.

However, the process of getting back on snow did not look the same as years past. Setting up training camps amidst a global pandemic is no easy feat, but thanks to significant time spent creating COVID-19 mitigation strategies and protocols, led by U.S. Ski & Snowboard High-Performance Director Troy Taylor and Lead Physical Therapist Gillian Bower, along with team managers, staff, and beyond, freeski halfpipe athletes were able to get on snow with safety on the top of mind. 

“Our goals as a coaching staff were first and foremost to keep the athletes and staff safe,” said U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach Mike Riddle. “With the crazy world we are living in, this was something on our minds constantly. That aside, we wanted to give the athletes the best opportunity to progress their skiing. We were very fortunate to have access to the best training facility in the world at this time of year when several other national team programs were unable to train at all.”

Alex also shared his thoughts on the opportunity to train at Timberline. 

 “I feel like we are so fortunate as a team to be able to train and progress, especially during such a hectic time in the world,” he said. “Being able to learn new tricks is just a cherry on top.”

And progress they did! By taking an individual breakout approach, athletes were able to focus on their own goals and dial in custom approaches to camp in a near-perfect summer halfpipe, thanks to long time expert pipe builder Frank Wells. The pipe was so good that athletes achieved greater gains than anticipated, including a never-been-done switch double cork 1440 by Aaron.

 

 

 

 

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It needs some improvement for sure but hyped to bring this to feet. #switchdub14 🎥: @britasig @alexferreiraski @birkirving

A post shared by Aaron Blunck (@aaronblunck) on Jul 14, 2020 at 4:33pm PDT

The progression and hard work did not stop with Aaron. All of the athletes made major strides in their skiing that will benefit their performance this coming season, including Brita, who successfully skied last season after recovering from a tib-fib spiral fracture. But getting back on snow this off-season offered a unique challenge for her. 

“I had the hardware taken out of my leg about four weeks ago, so this camp was a bit of an experiment for me,” she said. “I’m really happy with how it worked out. I definitely am still navigating pain in my ski boots, but that has forced me to work on my switch skiing. I’m optimistic my leg is getting better and I’m grateful for the opportunity just to get some time on skis right now.”

For some, the training camp wasn’t only unique due to the COVID-19 mitigation policies in place, but also because they have never experienced a U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned training camp or Timberline Resort & Ski Area. Rookie team member Riley Jacobs was one of these athletes.

“My first time hanging with the rookie team has been so much fun,” said Riley as she reflected after a long day on snow. “The pipe has been super sick and the weather has also been beautiful. This was also my first time to Timberline and I can say I am stoked to come back again!”

To no surprise, skiing just wasn’t enough for the high-energy U.S. Freeski Team crew. Athletes, coaches, and staff also had the opportunity to enjoy activities off the snow. 

“Being isolated to a team bubble sounded scary at the start, but feedback from everyone has shown this was our strongest team cohesion we've ever had,” said U.S. Freeski Team Halfpipe Pro Team Coach Jeremie Livingston. “On the hill, everyone was amping each other up and feeding off the energy of being back on snow. Off the hill, we really bonded over golf, biking, and having a good ol' Bubble'd team July Fourth BBQ. There were also several river cold bath sessions enjoyed by many athletes and coaches alike.”One common theme from athletes that can’t be ignored when speaking about Timberline Camp was the overwhelming gratitude towards staff, medical professionals, and official Training Site partners at Timberline who made this camp possible. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned training camp attendance is optional. U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and staff should not feel pressure to travel to train. All sanctioned training camp policies and protocols are subject to change based on local, state, and federal public health orders, updated guidance from the USOPC, or updated U.S. Ski & Snowboard policies.
 

How do you find future Olympians and develop a cross country and national team culture during a pandemic? Virtually, of course!

We’re not talking video games here, but video chats and real-life data pulled from athletes participating in four, six-day Regional Elite Group (REG) camps across the country in cooperation with the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) and regional clubs. “We’re able to provide the same experience with standards and expectations as a normal (in-person camp) given the uniqueness of the situation,” said Davis U.S. Cross Country Team Development Coach Kate Barton. 

Each day of the REG camps features detailed training plans that include both morning and afternoon workouts, followed by nightly GoToMeeting presentations focused on topics such as “How to be a Resilient Athlete” and “How to Deal with Training in the Current Times.” By presenting detailed training plans and videos that the athletes could watch the morning of each session, the staff was able to provide virtual cues and visual ideas with the setup of each workout, how the workout is to be performed, and the workout goals. “An athlete training completely alone would have the same amount of information as an athlete who has full club and coach support,” Kate said.  

The camps also utilize some “old school” training tactics that haven’t been used in a number of years, including a 1,000-meter SkiErg test, 3,000-meter track run, and the Canadian Strength Test. The individual results provide Kate and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Sport Development Manager Bryan Fish the opportunity to create a database of national information to compare athletes from all across the country. 

“We implemented this across the regions, kids across the nation can see how they stack up against one another,” Bryan said. “There is a great deal of data out there that can be of value for comparison purposes.  For example, one can look up World Cup athletes from Bjørn Dæhlie to Theresa Johaug, to many Swedish Cross Country skiers that have run a 3,000-meter on the track.

Indeed, general testing and time trials need to be framed and evaluated with the appropriate perspective as no single general test outlines ski success. However certain general tests and time trials can outline specific individual strengths and opportunities for improvement. 

“One of our goals is to develop well-rounded athletes that are fit, strong, agile, mentally resilient, and emotionally prepared.”
    – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Sport Development Manager Bryan Fish 

“The foundation of a successful skier is a strong and well balanced general athletic background.” These general tests can provide guidance to the athletes as to where their personal strengths currently exist and where there is further opportunity for growth. Secondly, it is important for the athletes to practice competition. One needs to practice the mental, emotional, and physical challenges that only a race, time trial, or test can create. By doing this in the summer in a camp setting, this allows for rehearsal for the winter.”

Although everyone would prefer in-person camps, the virtual camps do provide broader community participation, especially for coaches. “[Coaches] are the ‘boots on the ground’ and the ones that have really made this project work,” Kate said. “Bryan and I did a lot of leg work and preparation for this camp in the lead up, but the regional coaches have really stepped up to support that plan and to help the kids carry it out on an individual basis in a productive way.”

A few years ago the Cross Country Team created the Retired Stars Mentorship Program as a way for alumni, and current Davis U.S. Cross Country Team members, to give back to the sport and inspire the next generation of athletes. Past regional and national development camps have included Retired Stars participants such as Liz Stephens and Ida Sargent. This year’s camps have featured Andy Newell, and current team members Halley Swirbul and Hannah Halvorsen. 

“They share their motivation, passion and experience with the kids whether in person or virtual. It certainly enhances the environment of learning and definitely captivates the athletes’ attention to have these current and former U.S. Ski Team members share their personal knowledge and insight,” Bryan said. 

These current and former athletes also help drive home the message of cross country culture here in the United States. “Developing a strong national cross country skiing culture is a primary goal,” Bryan said, “and we have three steps in that process: developing a passion for outdoor endurance sport; a culture of training; and a culture or performance.”

Bottom line is whether training in a camp setting, with their club, or by themselves and then gathering nightly, the athletes participating in the REG camps are not only pushing themselves, but raising the level of training preparation and competition across the country for U.S. athletes to compete on the world stage. “I miss seeing the kids, and I love working with them in person...I love the energy!” Kate said. “But I think we’re doing the best we can (based on the current situation) and I certainly left the first camp more energized than when it started, and I hope it had the same impact on the athletes.”

On Wednesday, July 15, Henri Rivers, CEO, President and Founder of Drumriver Consultants and President of the National Brotherhood of Skiers hosted a virtual panel “Discussing Racial Diversity in Snowsports,” which brought industry leaders and participants together for a frank conversation about the current landscape of racial diversity in our industry and to begin to talk through ways we can create a more inclusive community. 

“We reached out and looked for organizations that are already making a difference and with whom we can better partner with,” opened Tiger Shaw, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, in explaining the origins of the panel. “I say better partner because we were already, let’s say, lightly engaged, but only lightly. How can we leverage our influence and how can we get our athletes and 35,000 members more involved? … How can we get more proactive and leave behind the passive, the lightly engaged, which is driven by a not-much-we-can-do attitude. We can make a difference and we are committed to making a difference.”

Tiger opened, sharing that U.S. Ski & Snowboard is far from diverse, and that the social unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd awakened the organization to the need to reevaluate its practices and influence in order to help affect change. U.S. Ski & Snowboard hosted this panel with the goal of sparking real conversation around issues of race and inclusion within the snowsports industry, to educate its membership and to provide a platform for the panelists to be heard. 

Henri moderated, and focused on the key issues and challenges we face: how to attract more diverse populations to skiing and riding and how to welcome those who are already in the sport today. Snowsports Industries America Board Chair Wendy Carey shared her unique views, as did NSAA CEO Kelly Pawlak. Coach Forrest King-Shaw talked about raising his own ski racers and the adversity he has faced throughout his career, including being pinned to the ground by the California Highway Patrol near Mammoth, Calif. Former U.S. Ski Team member and now coach, Lauren Samuels talked about her experience as being female and black in a seeming opposite world. Schone Malliet and Constance Beverley discussed their extraordinary organizations that bridge the gap to bring underrepresented kids to skiing and riding.
 

So what’s next?

We realize at U.S. Ski & Snowboard that this will be a long process. Internally we are revising and refining our diversity, equity and inclusion strategies and programming. Externally we will continue to engage with the panelists who joined us for this discussion, as well as others, to create meaningful partnerships and leverage our position as a leader in the snowsports space. Working together as a whole industry is how real change will be affected. 

This is the first in a series of events U.S. Ski & Snowboard will host on the subjects of diversity, equity and inclusion as we continue to engage our industry partners and participants. Future events will be communicated when details are available.

For more information on the panelists and their organizations:

Henri Rivers (moderator)
CEO, President and Founder, Drumriver Consultants
President, National Brotherhood of Skiers


Henri Rivers is a native New Yorker and an avid skier and outdoor enthusiast for over 45 years. He is a professional ski instructor, certified master teacher and children’s specialist as well as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard alpine coach, jury advisor, referee and official. He coaches in the alpine race program at Windham Mountain in the Catskill region of New York.

Henri became involved with the National Brotherhood of Skiers in 1996 and has held many positions within the organization. He started as a club president and moved on to become the Mid-west regional competition director. In 2003 he became a coach for the national team of NBS and in 2008 was appointed the Olympic Scholarship Fund Administrator. During his tenure as OSF administrator he grew the national team to 15 athletes. In 2016 he was appointed the National Competition Director and in 2018 was voted in as the Executive Vice President of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. He served for two years and was elected National President of the NBS in March of 2020.

Constance Beverley
CEO, Share Winter Foundation


A former Wall Street lawyer turned winter sports activist, Constance Beverley joined the Share Winter Foundation as the CEO in 2017. Share Winter Foundation strives to improve the lives, health and fitness of youth through winter sports, and to create a more diverse and inclusive winter sports community. In addition to her work with the Share Winter Foundation, Constance has worked with other winter sports organizations including the Kelly Clark Foundation, SheJumps, STOKED, and Boarding for Breast Cancer.

Wendy Carey
CFO, Seirus Innovative Accessories, Inc.
Chair of the Board of Directors, Snowsport Industries America


Wendy Carey is the Executive Vice President and CFO of Seirus Innovative Accessories, Inc., a major manufacturer and distributor of cold weather apparel accessories. She serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Snowsports Industries America and sits on the Board of Directors for SOS Outreach. A native of California, Wendy is passionate about her family, being outdoors and being open. She is an avid soccer fan (and sat on the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Women’s’ Soccer League from 1990-2012), loves snow skiing among many other outdoor pursuits.

Forrest King-Shaw
Coach & Staff Trainer, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows
 Teams

Forrest King-Shaw has over 20 years experience as a coach and instructor for Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. He is a U8/U10 & Development Coach for the Squaw Valley Ski Team, a National Brotherhood of Skiers Scholarship Director and National Competition Director, a U.S. Ski & Snowboard Skillsquest Accredited Evaluator and a PSIA Examiner and Clinician. Forrest spends over 100 days in ski boots annually.

Schone Malliet
CEO & President, Winter4Kids


A Bronx, NY Native, Schone has a BA in Economics from Holy Cross College and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He was a Marine Officer and Pilot, CEO of Technology Companies in the Bay Area, and founder of the National Winter Sports Education Foundation. He is a Level 200 Coach, TD, a member of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Eastern Region Children’s Committee and is the CEO and President of Winter4Kids, which is embarking on its sixth season.

Kelly Pawlak
President/CEO, National Ski Areas Association


Kelly Pawlak started her career in the ski industry at Mount Snow Resort, VT in 1985 and served as general manager from 2005 - 2017. She has 30 years of experience at Mount Snow and held a variety of duties, including vice president of marketing and sales and vice president of resort operations. Pawlak served on the Vermont Ski Area Association board where she was chair until 2017. She also served on the Vermont Chamber of Commerce board, the Dover Planning Commission and Dover Development Review board. In November of 2017 she accepted a position at the National Ski Areas Association as president/CEO.

Lauren Samuels
U.S. Ski Team (2009-2010); University of Utah Ski Team (2013-2017); FIS Level Club Coach, Team Gilboa Club (2019) and Rowmark Ski Academy (2020)


Lauren Samuels was born and raised in Minneapolis and learned to ski at age 2. She started racing with Team Gilboa out of Hyland Hills, MN, and developed as a ski racer until she was named to the U.S. Ski Team’s development team in 2009 after winning J2 Nationals Overall and Downhill titles. In 2011 and 2012 Lauren competed as an invitee to the U.S. Ski Team’s C Team racing on the NorAm and Europa Cup circuits. From 2013-2017 Lauren skied for the University of Utah’s NCAA Division 1 Ski Team and became a National Champion her senior year, during which she was Team Captain. She earned a B.S. in Athletic Training and completed her medical school prerequisites. After finishing undergrad, Lauren coached for 2 years at Team Gilboa and Rowmark. This September she will start a graduate program at the University of Oregon, studying Sports Product Management with the intentions of pursuing a career in the outdoor industry. Lauren is also a newly named member of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Tiger Shaw
President and CEO, U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Tiger Shaw, a two-time Olympian whose business career includes past positions at K2 and Volkl Skis, DealerWire, DealerTrack, and Global Rescue, joined U.S. Ski & Snowboard initially as COO in 2013, becoming CEO in March 2014. During his athletic career, he won nine U.S. Championship titles, regularly finished in the top 10 at World Cups and held top-15 world rankings in two disciplines. A 1985 graduate of Dartmouth College in economics and engineering, he was an NCAA slalom champion while racing for Dartmouth. Since joining U.S. Ski & Snowboard, he has served the USOC as Vice Chair of the National Governing Bodies Council (NGBC) and as a member of the NGBC Leadership Liaison Group, working with the US Center for Safe Sport. 
 

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin recently spoke as the (virtual) keynote in the He(art) of Vail Valley’s Youth event, organized by Mountain Youth, whose mission is "To continuously and collaboratively improve the lives of youth in the most powerful ways possible." Following the event, People featured the discussion with an article entitled, "Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin on Dealing with Performance Anxiety: 'I Never Expected' It Would Affect Me". 

Mikaela's involvement began when she and her mother Eileen reached out to Carol Johnson, formerly the Community Education Manager at Mountain Youth and now the Program and Events Director at SpeakUp ReachOut (side note: Carol is also the mother of U.S. Moguls Team athlete and Olympian Tess Johnson). Mikaela had a desire to get involved with the local community from a mental health awareness standpoint, especially given the situation with Covid-19 and unemployment rates skyrocketing.

During what's been a challenging time for everyone, Mikaela has been connecting with her fans via social media, sharing her own love the arts—music, dance, and more—as a form of therapy in these uncertain times.

As People wrote, 

The 25-year-old joined a Colorado crowd through video chat on Sunday to talk about art and how she has used it to support her own mental health during her career and after recently losing her grandmother and father.

"Art has had such a positive impact on my life — not just my life, but my career and my mind, my whole mindset," Shiffrin told the crowd at Nottingham Park for the He(art) of Vail Valley’s Youth event. "I've learned some things along the way through ski racing that have translated into every aspect of my life, and I think could help others in their own lives."

"My family has faced a lot of loss this year, and adding the situation with COVID on top of that, sometimes it's really hard not to feel completely helpless," she said. "I think a lot of people are feeling that way. What I've been realizing throughout this process of learning how to live in a world with a pandemic, especially after losing my nana in October and my dad in February, is that it's okay not to feel okay. It's okay not to be happy all the time. It's okay to feel helpless. Sometimes it's all okay."

Shiffrin said one of the first times she realized the importance of prioritizing her mental health was when she experienced performance anxiety following the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Mikaela discussed the way in which she unwinds from the stress of being one of the most dominant athletes in the world, which includes playing piano or guitar, singing, and watching her favorite TV Show, Friends. 

"Music is a really powerful tool that can help us feel things more deeply," she said. "It can also help us to drive and control our own mindset and emotions, or it can take control of us."

Check out the full keynote speech below, from Mikaela's instagram. 
 

 

 

 

 

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I am honored to have had the opportunity to speak (virtually) at The He(art) of Vail Valley’s Youth event in partnership with @mountainyouth yesterday. Mountain Youth's mission is to "rally around the community, providing support, conversation, education, and collaboration to help all young people in the Eagle River Valley thrive. We do this through a variety of programs that engage youth while helping adults start tough conversations." A big THANK YOU for allowing me the opportunity to discuss the impact art, dance, music, and creativity have had on my career, life, and mental health. 🤗🤗#mentalhealthawareness

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷💨 (@mikaelashiffrin) on Jul 13, 2020 at 3:27pm PDT

Read the full article on People.com.

This week, U.S. Ski & Snowboard will launch the SkillsQuest Fitness Challenge—an eight-week challenge based on the SkillsQuest Fitness assessment.

As many U.S. Ski & Snowboard club athletes are familiar with, the SkillsQuest Fitness assessment is a “standardized way for the country to assess a broad range of physical properties that are important for skiing and snowboarding, and really all athletic development,” said Troy Taylor, High Performance Director for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. The SkillsQuest Fitness Challenge (a.k.a. #SQFchallenge on social media) was an idea born out of finding a way to engage with the community on a more regular basis, along with building the fundamental fitness. 

With on-snow training opportunities limited due to COVID-19, Alpine Development Director Chip Knight together with Troy and his high performance staff, had to get creative and resourceful in order to connect with the National Development Group (NDG)-level athletes. This group includes the best 16-20-year-old athletes in our nation. As a result, Chip and his staff created a series of monthly webinars as a vehicle through which they can engage this community. 

“We can’t schedule regional or national development camps in this [COVID-19] environment, so we’re looking for ways to reach these elite athletes across our nation—a number of whom will realistically make the U.S. Ski Team next year,” explained Chip. “So, it’s important to us that we continue to work with them and assist in their development. A lot of the content will anchor on conditioning—that’s an area where we feel like we can make the biggest gains through this summer—but we’re also going to weave in sports psychology content, content around nutritional advice, social media education through our communications team, and really just connect with the group.”

The group kicked off the series with their first webinar, in which coaches introduced themselves, the plan for the fall—including a discussion about a potential on-snow camp—was discussed, and, of course, conditioning was a focal point, added Chip. 

Troy and Chip said they hope that with the #SQFchallenge, which kicks off on Wednesday, July 14, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is able to engage not only NDG athletes but also our broader community and clubs, by linking them to our National Team athletes and showing how they train at the elite level. Land Rover Ambassador, Olympian and three-time FIS Ski World Cup winner Steven Nyman will kick off the social challenge, with a single leg squat movement. Hopefully, this competition will fuel athletes’ competitive drive when they are not able to otherwise train on snow. As Chip says, “Looking for ways to engage our community for the summer and get athletes to keep competing, off the snow, but really try to improve their physical conditioning base in core areas.”
 

Troy would like to turn a negative into a positive with the challenge. “Access to snow for the next little while is challenging for everyone—whether national teams or clubs—but we can take care of our fitness and conditioning, and the way that we approach and prepare for when we do get access to snow, whenever that may be,” he said. “So let’s control the controllables and be in the fittest spot possible for when we do get on snow. We’re trying to turn COVID and a lack of snow into an opportunity”

NDG athletes, clubs, and members of the community will be encouraged to join the eight-week social challenge by trying the movement and sharing their videos on Instagram with the hashtag #SQFchallenge. Each week, U.S. Ski & Snowboard's high performance staff will unveil a new challenge for the community. Attempt exercises at your own risk, and only try if you are physically capable to do so.

Stay tuned to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard social channels for more information in the coming weeks. 

PLEASE NOTE: The High Performance staff cautions that movements should be done in a progression, and the theoretical progression should go over four weeks (task progressions in bold):

Phase 1 (first four weeks)

Week 1 Initiation:

• 40m Out-and-back Shuttle Challenge:
  • Max reps (up to 25) with :10s rest between reps
  • Women’s Pace - each rep under 12.5s (level 7 beep test pace)
  • Men’s Pace - each rep under 11.4s (level 9 beep test pace)
• Single Leg Squat Challenge: 
  • “Perfect” Plate Overhead Squat - 5kg/10lb plate x 150 in a week
• Upper Body Challenges:
  • Pull Up Iso Hold Challenge – Max time at 90 degrees elbow flexion
  • “Perfect” Push Up Challenge – Max reps in :90 seconds; broom/dowel on back touching back of head, between shoulder blades, and sacrum
• Jump Rope Challenge:
  • As many contacts (single-unders) as you can in :60s with NO misses - if missed, start over - 10 min. maximum time limit

Week 2 Progression:

• 40m Out-and-back Shuttle Challenge:
  • Max reps (up to 25) with :10s rest between reps
  • Women’s Pace - each rep under 12.0s (level 8 beep test pace)
  • Men’s Pace - each rep under 11.0s (level 10 beep test pace)
• Single Leg Squat Challenge:
  • Counterbalanced Skater-Squat - 5kg/10lb x 60ea leg in a week

• Upper Body Challenges:
  • Pull Up Iso Hold Challenge – Max time at 90 degrees elbow flexion – beat last week’s time
  • “Perfect” Push Up Challenge – Max reps in :90 seconds; beat last week’s number
• Jump Rope Challenge:
  • As many contacts (single-unders) as you can in :70s with NO misses - if missed, start over - 10 min. maximum time limit

Week 3 Progression:

• 40m Out-and-back Shuttle Challenge:
  • Max reps (up to 25) with :10s rest between reps
  • Women’s Pace - each rep under 11.4s (level 9 beep test pace)
  • Men’s Pace - each rep under 10.6s (level 11 beep test pace)
• Single Leg Squat Challenge:
  • Plate Counterbalanced Single Leg Squat on Box - 5kg/10lbs x 60ea leg in a week 
• Upper Body Challenges:
  • Pull Up Iso Hold Challenge – Max time at 90 degrees elbow flexion – beat last week’s time
  • “Perfect” Push Up Challenge – Max reps in :90 seconds; beat last week’s number
• Jump Rope Challenge:
  • As many contacts (single-unders) as you can in :80s with NO misses - if missed, start over - 10 min. maximum time limit

Week 4 Progression:

• 40m Out-and-back Shuttle Challenge:
  • Max reps (up to 25) with :10s rest between reps
  • Women’s Pace - each rep under 11.0s (level 10 beep test pace)
  • Men’s Pace - each rep under 10.3s (level 12 beep test pace)
• Single Leg Squat Challenge:
  •  Broom OH Single Leg Squat on Box - x25ea leg in single serving

• Upper Body Challenges:
  • Pull Up Iso Hold Challenge – Max time at 90 degrees elbow flexion – beat last week’s time, target 150% of Week one
  • “Perfect” Push Up Challenge – Max reps in 90 seconds; beat last week’s number, target 150% of Week one
• Jump Rope Challenge:
  • As many contacts (single-unders) as you can in :90s with NO misses - if missed, start over - 10 min. maximum time limit

Phase 2 (final four weeks)

Week 1

• 1.5 Mile Run progression
  • 12:00 min or better (8:00 mile pace)
• Handstand Walk challenge progression 1
  • Wall Handstand Holds 3x/week for max time - STRAIGHT BODY
• Speed Challenge progression 1
  • Alt. Stair Toe-touches - Max Reps in :60s
• Leap Challenge progression 1
  • Standing Broad jump - stick the landing (2x sessions of 3x3 reps)

Week 2

• 1.5 Mile Run progression 2
  • 11:15 min or better (7:30 mile pace)
• Handstand Walk challenge progression 2
  • Wall Handstand Holds w/Push-off 2x/week for max time (+2x/week of level 1) - STRAIGHT BODY
• Speed Challenge progression 2
  • Alt. Stair Toe-touches - Max Reps in :75s
• Leap Challenge progression 2
  • Standing Triple jump for distance - stick the landing (2x sessions of 3x1 reps)

Week 3

• 1.5 Mile Run progression 3
  • 10:30 min or better (7:00 mile pace)
• Handstand Walk challenge progression 3
  • Free handstand to hold practice + Wall Handstand Start to Handstand Walk - minimal 5m x 4 reps - STRAIGHT BODY
• Speed Challenge progression 3
  • Alt. Stair Toe-touches - Max Reps in :90s
• Leap Challenge progression 3
  • 1 Step-in Broad Jump (leap) (2x sessions of 2x2 reps)

Week 4

• 1.5 Mile Run progression 4
  • 9:45 min or better (6:30 mile pace)
• Handstand Walk challenge progression 4
  • Free handstand walk x max distance (can repeat x5) - STRAIGHT BODY
• Speed Challenge progression 4
  • Alt. Stair Toe-touches - Max Reps in :105s
• Leap Challenge progression 4
  • 2 step-in to Leap x5, total max distance

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Please join U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m. MDT for a digital panel, “Discussing Racial Diversity in Snowsports,” moderated by Henri Rivers, CEO, President and Founder, Drumriver Consultants; President, National Brotherhood of Skiers. We are bringing industry leaders and participants together to have a frank and open conversation about the current landscape of racial diversity in our industry and begin to talk through ways we can create a more inclusive community. How did we get here? What can we do better now? What do we need to work towards long-term?

As the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) for skiing and snowboarding in the United States, we have a responsibility to do better in supporting greater access to the mountains. Our first step in this process was (and is to continue) to listen, learn and let voices be heard. Opening up to these difficult, yet necessary discussions gives us hope that over time we can affect real change. 

Featuring:

This will be the first in a series of events we plan to host on the subject of diversity and inclusion as we continue to engage our industry partners and participants.  Please join us virtually on Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m. MDT.  

Register now! 
Join by computer via web browser
Join by mobile device via web browser or the GoToWebinar app
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2258376400854554128 
Webinar ID: 672-206-243

Back in 2017, U.S. Ski & Snowboard introduced what was deemed “Project 26”⁠—the organization’s renewed focus and commitment to alpine development as a result of findings from a comprehensive, in-depth analysis conducted. 

Beginning in the spring of 2016, U.S. Ski & Snowboard undertook the analysis to better understand and learn both from its own alpine development system and those of other major nations in the sport. After a nearly two-year study, changes were implemented with a specific goal to garner results at the 2022 and 2026 Olympics. The Project 26 study represented an evolutionary change in how U.S. Ski & Snowboard, along with its regional and club network, will approach national team selection and development programming in the future.

One of the key changes implemented prior to the 2017-18 season was an effort to work more closely with regions and clubs to create a deeper pool of elite developing athletes from 12 to 20 years old. Fast forward to today. What have we learned? After partnering closely with clubs, and implementing a strategy in which head development coaches Sasha Rearick and Marjan Cernigoj worked closely with clubs to manage athletes with the club rather than directly under the U.S. Ski & Snowboard umbrella, Alpine Development Director Chip Knight has announced that the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team will evolve the Project 26 initiative by taking over direct athlete management of the named Development Team athletes. 

“We are treating it as a team and looking after our athletes that have been nominated as part of our national team,” Chip explains. “It’s really consistent with the Athlete Project, as I see it, and with our goals of moving athletes up through each of the three layers of our national team; NorAm team, Europa Cup team, and World Cup team. And we’re doing it while trying to maintain the same principles and outward-facing direction of Project 26, which is incorporating athletes on an invitation-basis to projects, having good, meaningful crossover exposure with parallel projects and opportunities to train-up—either with the NorAm team or with the Europa Cup team, and also incorporating coaches as part of coaches’ education, working with Sasha and Marjan at projects throughout the year.”

Refinement of Project 26 Move Forward 
This evolution comes as a result of a keen eye on the data. “Our biggest successes over the last two years have been athletes within our D-Team who we’ve closely managed and have been able to give meaningful training opportunities and especially crossover opportunities up with the Europa Cup team,” Chip added. 

Chip said that athletes like Keely Cashman and Alix Wilkinson on the women’s side, and Ben Ritchie and Isaiah Nelson on the men’s side—have all built strong working relationships with Marjan and Sasha, and have been able to get amazing opportunities up in the National Team with training and exposure through last season that contributed to their success and their ability to move up through the system. “All of these athletes have moved up into the B and C Teams now, with the exception of Alix, who had an injury this year but was on track to be racing in the World Cup in the spring.”

For Chip, these are the big success stories, and he admits the scenarios that have provided more challenges are those where we’ve had fractured management and have not really been able to impact their programming even though they’ve been on a track with their ranks and performances to be at the National Team level. “They’ve been sort of lost, and oftentimes coming back to us saying, ‘I didn’t feel like I was part of a team,’ or ‘I didn’t know who my coach was at the NorAm races,’ and stuff like that,” Chip shared.” So that’s the feedback we’re trying to overcome and solve around.” 

Additionally, adds Chip, there is a shift in nomenclature for these groups to “NorAm Teams” for two reasons: 1) To draw a distinction between them and the “D-Team” or “Development Team” of the past two years, and 2) To help explain why we have both C- and D-Team athletes being managed together at this level.

How Project 26 Worked for Jack Smith
U.S. Ski Team alumnus and Olympian Will Brandenburg, who is currently the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) Alpine Program Director, shared another athlete story and case study for the program evolution—that of his athlete Jack Smith, who is currently a named Development Team athlete. 

“Jack is a really good example of Project 26 working,” said Will, “he was one of the tail-end guys who was able to get into those first D-Team level projects and camps, and it was a big push by me and Randy Pelkey, who was here that one year with Jack, to make sure he was getting those opportunities. It gave Jack experiences that the club couldn’t offer, with that pace and the detail Sasha put into the programming, and he [Jack] was so hungry.” 

Because Will knew this was a great opportunity, he and the SVSEF program approached it with Jack by saying: “Hey, you’re the last person in—you need to be the first one in the lift line every morning, the first to every dryland session, the last one to leave the hill…you have to show them that you work, and how much you want it. That’s the only way you’re going to keep getting picked up for the next camp, and your goal is to prove yourself so you keep getting picked up for the next camp.’ Jack did just that, proving himself throughout that summer and going into that next winter strong, making criteria for the Development Team for the 2019-20 season. Will added, enthusiastically,  “Without that program, how would we find pace? He still could have done it, it just would have looked a lot different. It really worked.” 

However, when Jack moved to the Development Team, it provided new challenges for Will and SVSEF. Will thought to himself, “‘Ok, now that he’s at this level, how do you push him to the next one?’ And that’s where that fine-tuned detail of management needs to happen,” he said. “It’s like you’ve kind of surpassed what the club can offer unless we go and hire you a private coach.’ There was a Western Region PG group he was kind of a part of last year, with Fletcher McDonald, and when he was struggling on the road, he’d call me.” 

During that time, Jack didn’t have a “home”. Hence, the need for the U.S. Alpine Ski Team to step back, reassess, and ultimately evolve the Project 26 initiative, taking over direct athlete management of the named Development Team athletes. 

For this reason, Will feels that the direction that the U.S. Alpine Ski Team is moving is “perfect” for the named athletes. “It needed to happen again,” he said, “and I guess the question now is, how do we craft opportunities for others like Jack had as he got into the system?” Chip says that the Team will continue to organize parallel National Development Group (NDG) projects, led by our regional coaches, under the guidance of Marjan and Sasha. These projects will allow our best-emerging athletes to have good support and crossover exposure opportunities. 

Will is “fired up” with everything he’s hearing with how U.S. Ski & Snowboard is handling the National Team—the named Development Team and up. “It just seems like it’s so much better than when I left, and how I’ve seen it in previous years since I’ve been gone,” he said. 

When Project 26 was rolled out in 2017 is when Will left the Western Region job and came back to Sun Valley as the program director. As such, he knew all of the ins and outs of how that system was going to work, and he knew Sasha, so Will felt it was seamless for Jack and him to create a plan to work with that system. “For me, it worked...” he added. “...And I was probably the loudest person in Chip’s [Knight] ear about how Project 26 was the dumbest idea ever, which is funny because it ended up working really well for us,” he laughed. 

What about the future of the sport? 
From Alpine Director Jesse Hunt’s perspective, the continued investment in development is key to achieving his “winning at every level” mantra. “This investment in development will afford us the opportunity to provide a ‘win at every level’ approach to programming,” said Jesse. “We will have a managed program at the World Cup, Europa Cup, and NorAm levels to ensure we can compete at these levels and the World Junior Championships.”

What’s next for the Development Team? The men’s crew just wrapped a successful camp at Official Training Site Timberline Lodge & Ski Area, while the women will be at the Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah for a strength and conditioning camp before heading to Mt Hood themselves. 

The 2020-21 Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team nominations were announced in May. A staff announcement will be forthcoming, while an official Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement will be made in the fall.

2020-21 Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team NorAm Team Nominations
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

NORAM TEAM
Men
Jacob Dilling (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, 10/19/1999)
Kellen Kinsella (Edwards, Colo.; Dartmouth College and Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 8/7/2001)
Isaiah Nelson (Wayzata, MN.; Buck Hill Ski Racing Club; 4/3/2001)
Trent Pennington (Shalimar, Fla.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; 5/8/2002)*
Jack Smith (Sun Valley, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 4/24/2001)
Bradshaw Underhill (Newbury, N.H.; Killington Mountain School; 3/10/2000)*

Women
Lauren Macuga (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 7/4/2002)
Ainsley Proffit (St. Louis, MO; Sugar Bowl Ski Team & Academy; 3/21/2001)
Allie Resnick (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 9/1/2001)*
Emma Resnick (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 7/23/2003)
Nicola Rountree-Williams (Edwards, Colo.; Loveland Ski Area; 7/7/2002)
Zoe Zimmermann (Gilford, N.H.; Burke Mountain Academy; 5/16/2002)

*Newly named to the U.S. Ski Team

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The ski racing community mourns the loss of one of its members, Eric Keck, a U.S. Ski Team downhiller in the 80s and 90s who died suddenly on Wednesday, July 9 at the age of 52. 

Eric went to Burke Mountain Academy and Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) in Vermont, prior to making it to the U.S. Ski Team. His career on the FIS Ski World Cup was short, but it was sweet—at 245 pounds, Eric opted to leave the Team in 1991 to attend college and instead play football. Eric was the "biggest" downhiller in the history of the World Cup. 

Eric skied alongside downhill legends AJ Kitt and Tommy Moe, among many other legends. Former teammates speak fondly of the legacy Eric left as a fearless adventurer with a big heart. As AJ said, "Nothing intimidated Eric. Everything was possible in his mind. He was an adventurer at heart and loved helping people more than anything." AJ reminisced on Facebook, posting an image of he and Eric as his profile photo, with the caption, "Me and my man Eric Keck reunited in 2015."

Eric, AJ, Todd Schneider, and Steve Porino made it to the U.S. Ski Team after one year on a private team, remembers AJ. "It was a pretty special time," he added. 
 

In a New York Times feature written by Jack Kavanagh in 1995 entitled "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Man of Mountains Scales a New One," Jack says of the World Cup skier turned Division 1 football player, 

At 245 pounds, Keck was not only the heaviest member of the United States team in the late 1980's and early 90's but also the heaviest in the history of World Cup racing. Indeed, Keck was a skier in a football lineman's body, swift and agile but not fast enough to keep up with the skiing world's elite.

How does a former world-class skier from Montpelier, Vt., wind up playing football at a junior college in California? "A coach on the national ski team, Bill Egan, had been an assistant football coach at Saddleback and knew I was interested in going to college," said Keck, who had to sit out a year after transferring to Columbia in 1993. "And when I decided to go to college, Bill helped get me into Saddleback."

Following his World Cup career, Eric went on to attend college at Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo, Calif. before transferring to Columbia University in New York City, N.Y. to play defensive tackle as co-captain for the Lions.

In a SKI Magazine feature written in 2004 and updated in 2016, entitled "Pain and Glory: Bill Hudson and Eric Keck," Jackson Hogen recounts Eric's wild ride down the famed Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel, Austria in all of its glory, 

It's Day One of training, and in this low-snow year, the fearsome Hahnenkamm is a sinister strip of vertical white ice on an otherwise snowless mountain. So does Eric Keck, making his first World Cup start, take it easy on his first trip down the world's most dangerous course? Nope. Downhillers are a different breed. The massive Vermonter lets go a throaty war whoop, charges out of the gate and launches huge air off the Mausfalle. But his line is off-way off-and he lands with sickening violence outside the safety fence. A frantic teammate rushes to his aid, fearing the worst. But mighty Keck, dangling blood-soaked gauze from each nostril, rises to his feet, brandishing a twisted ski, and lets go another rebel yell. Miracle? In 50 years of racing, no one has ever cleared that fence. But less than an hour later, another American achieves the same feat, landing well beyond Keck's crater. Bill Hudson is less lucky: punctured lung, lacerated kidney, multiple fractures, three months of double vision. He spends the week in Kitzbühel's hospital, where the choppers deliver fresh roommates daily, courtesy of the Hahnenkamm. Hudson returns for another year on the circuit, but now admits, "I'm not sure I ever fully recovered from that one.

Though his size made him a formidable competitor both on the mountain as well as the football field, Eric's teammates speak of his kind, protective nature. Former U.S. Ski Team teammate Heidi Voelker says of Eric, "Keck's humor, laugh, and smile was like no other. When you were around Keck, you felt protected."

And former teammate and downhiller Steve Porino, ever the wordsmith, reflected on Eric's dynamic personality and positive—and, at times, negative (but ultimately still in a positive way)—influence on Steve,

At a time when the U.S. Team was going unnoticed, he was noticed. Everyone, whether they knew his name, knew who he was. He was the largest thing they’d ever seen skis. Not a gentle giant, but rather a fun loving, live out loud Titan. That guy we were all so proud to call our teammate, and he was such a great teammate. "One-of-a-kind" has never been more true than with Kecker. There was nothing he would not try, a total renaissance man. Built hot rods, captained Columbia to its first winning football season having hardly played the game. He built hot rods, he became a minister, police officer, school principle, and on and on. He was simply fearless in all aspects of life, and he loved to coerce people to be the same. Man he got me to do things I’d never have done...and I hope the road crew outside Lausanne will one day forgive me. This is a void felt everywhere.

According to Ski Racing Media, Eric would go on to become a school principal for the Southwick School in Northfield, New Hampshire. He is survived by his wife, Beth, his three daughters, Phoebe, Zion, and Zachari, and his son Thunder, and his two grandchildren.