Anticipation builds before the beginning of any big event, whether it’s a World Cup competition or the New York Gold Medal Gala. Making a grand entrance on snow or on stage takes preparation. 

The athletes of U.S. Ski & Snowboard work hard all summer in the gym and at training venues perfecting their craft so that they’re ready when they get in those first start gates of the World Cup season. But on October 24, these legends will be stepping out of their snow gear and into their finery to attend the 53rd annual New York Gold Medal Gala. What goes into making sure these stars shine?

Before competitions, each athlete has their own rituals or traditions to get them in the right headspace. Before the Gala, a common tradition among attending athletes is to take advantage of the Raika Studio salon experience presented by 20-plus year partner John Paul Mitchell Systems’. In the hours leading up to the night’s festivities, the hair stylists of Raika are hard at work turning their beanie-hair White Carpet-ready. 

Personal style counts big for the athletes of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. From gracefully arcing around slalom gates to getting sendy on a big air jump, each athlete brings their personality to their run. Competing at the most elite level not only requires technical prowess, but also artistry. You can feel the passion when watching three-time Olympian aerials skier Ashley Caldwell perform quadruple-twisting backflips off the triple kicker, besting the rest in her sport. 

“We all try to show off our personalities when training and competing, but there’s only so much you can do wearing ski pants,” says Ashley. “So when we get the chance to go to the Raika Studio for the Gala, and get dressed up, it’s really fun to show people a different side of us. I love seeing a different side of my teammates and other athletes I train with at the gym and on the hill. It’s a unique experience to come together and celebrate the coming season.”

The New York Gold Medal Gala will raise nearly $2 million in funds that will directly support athletes’ opportunities to train and compete at the highest level. Paul Mitchell and the stylists at Raika Studio look forward to using their artistry and expertise to beautify skiing and snowboarding’s biggest stars for what is a social highlight of the year. 

Be a part of the celebration from wherever you might find yourself on Oct. 24. National ski and snowboard team athletes are privately funded and receive no government assistance. Technology connects us more than ever and fans can show their support remotely. 

Wrapped in a “Winter Carnival” theme, the fifth annual St. Louis fundraiser - hosted by Ron Kruszewski and headlined by Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin and teammate and St. Louis native, Ainsley Proffit - raised nearly half a million dollars for U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes. 

The event, which featured stilt walkers, jugglers and a dancing lady in a large floating ball in the pool, was presented by Stifel Financial Corporation - where Ron serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Event sponsors included iHeart Media, Centene Charitable Foundation, GFI Digital, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. 

Ron is passionate about supporting our Teams, and inspires his friends and colleagues to support the Team as well. The St. Louis community showed up in a big way, raising the largest sum of money the St. Louis fundraiser has raised since its inception five years ago. Mikaela and Ainsley, along with their family members, joined the event - where Mikaela even got up on stage and performed Beyonce’s “Daddy Lessons” with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Special Events Coordinator Elaine Minahan. Mikaela detailed the series of nerve-inducing events on her Instagram stories, but she was a hit with the 300+ guests! 

Mikaela has a few more days at home before she heads to Europe for on-snow training in Austria prior to the FIS Ski World Cup season kickoff in Sölden, Austria on October 26. Proffit will once again be skiing in the NorAm series this season. 

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation hosts a variety of special events across the country that raise over $2 million for the Team annually. These featured events provide the perfect opportunity to meet the athletes and hear their stories firsthand. Special events account for a significant portion of the Team's annual fund and are supported and chaired by U.S. Ski & Snowboard Trustees, private donors, individuals, and businesses. To learn more about these events click here.

To support U.S. Ski & Snowboard on their quest to become the Best in the World, Donate Today!

Want to learn more about Mikaela and Ainsley?
Follow Ainsley on Instagram
Follow Mikaela on Instagram

U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced the 2020 Hole Shot Snowboardcross and Skicross Tour. The Hole Shot Tour will consist of four NorAm stops with the final stop selected as the NorAm Finals. The Hole Shot Tour is designed to bridge the gap between grassroots and FIS World Cup level competitions.  The Tour also qualifies athletes to the Junior World Championships and Project Gold Development Camps. 

The Tour will kick off in New York at Gore Mountain. The Tour then heads west to Colorado’s Ski Cooper. The USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, Colo., will serve as the final stop of the Tour and NorAm Finals. 

The Hole Shot Tour is open to athletes ages 15 (SBX) / 16 (SX) and older, who are ready to take their racing to the next level. Athletes must have a current FIS and U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership to compete in the events. Each stop will also include a U.S. Revolution Tour event catering to the 13-15-year-old age groups. 

“We are looking forward to another great Hole Shot Tour,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Sport Development Senior Manager Ashley Deibold. “These events showcase the top up and coming snowboardcross and skicross athletes.”

Registration has opened. Click here to sign up for different races. 

SCHEDULE

Gore, N.Y.
Feb. 3-7, 2020

Ski Cooper, Colo.
Feb. 21-25, 2020

USASA National Championships 

SBX NorAm Finals
Copper Mountain, CO 
March 28-29, 2020  

SX NorAm Finals
Copper Mountain, CO 
April 4-5, 2020  

STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports Gold’s “Snow Pass” returns today, giving fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports from October 2019 through March 2020. “Snow Pass” will feature an unprecedented 900 hours – including nearly 100 exclusive hours – of coverage of FIS alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, nordic combined, ski jumping, and biathlon events. The 2019-20 “Snow Pass” is available for purchase now for $69.99 by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.

A complement to the hundreds of hours of Olympic winter sport programming airing across NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, and their respective digital platforms, “Snow Pass” includes every remaining stop of the World Cup season for each of the seven sports, including exclusive live and on-demand coverage of many alpine skiing events, beginning Oct. 26. Details regarding NBC Sports’ World Cup TV coverage will be announced in the near future.

U.S. Olympic gold medalists Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety, as well as Alice McKennis and Jackie Wiles - who will both be returning to competition after sitting out the 2019 season - and Steven Nyman, Travis Ganong, Bryce Bennett and Tommy Ford will headline the U.S. Alpine Ski Team in 2019-20. Shiffrin won gold in giant slalom at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and has three Olympic medals to her name. On the World Cup circuit last year, she was the first athlete to ever win 17 races during a season, breaking the previous record of 14, and now holds 60 career World Cup victories, fifth-most all time.   

Headlining the 2019-20 U.S. Snowboard Team are PyeongChang Olympic gold medalists Jamie Anderson and Red Gerard, as well as Maddie Mastro and Chris Corning. Representing the U.S. Freeski Team are PyeongChang Olympic medalists Brita Sigourney, Alex Ferreira, and Nick Goepper as well as Alex Hall, Julia Krass, and Maggie Voisin.

NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product, holds the exclusive rights to all FIS events held in Austria, and will stream the first FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup races of the 2019-20 season from Sölden, Austria, on “Snow Pass” on Oct. 26-27, where Mikaela Shiffrin is expected to make her season debut.

NBC Sports’ 2019-20 “Snow Pass” schedule includes events in Killington, Vt. (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1); Atalanta, GA (Dec. 20 – 21), Deer Valley, Utah (Feb. 6 – 8); Oslo, Norway (Mar. 7 – 8); Are, Sweden (Mar. 13 – 14); and Minneapolis, Minn. (Mar. 17). The Hahnenkamm downhill race from Kitzbühel, Austria on January 24 is exclusive to “Snow Pass” subscribers.

NBC Sports Gold is available on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku and online at NBCSportsGold.com. NBC Sports Gold is powered by Playmaker Media, NBC Sports Digital’s technology service which provides end-to-end support for companies in need of best-in-class live streaming and VOD solutions. Click here for more information. 

Following is the schedule for NBC Sports Gold’s 2019-20 “Snow Pass” (organized by sport):

Schedules are subject to change.

ABOUT NBC SPORTS GOLD
NBC Sports Gold is NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer live streaming product that provides sports fans with access to exclusive premium sports events and content, live and on-demand, at an affordable price. Launched in 2016 with a single cycling product, NBC Sports Gold currently offers 17 individual sports “passes” – twelve domestic (PGA TOUR LIVE, Premier League, Premier League Match Day, INDYCAR, Cycling, Track & Field, Premier Lacrosse League, Speed Skating, Rugby, Rugby World Cup, Supercross, and Snow, consisting of seven Olympic winter sports); two regional (Blazers and Philly); one combination (Supercross and Pro Motocross), two domestic and international (Figure Skating and Pro Motocross); and one international-only (Notre Dame Football). Find NBC Sports Gold in the NBC Sports app available in the U.S. on Apple iOS & tvOS, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast and NBCSportsGold.com, and also on Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex.

Release courtesy of NBC.

Laurenne Ross has announced that she will sit out the 2019-20 season to rehab a left knee injury sustained during a warm-up run prior to her downhill training run at the 2019 FIS Ski World Championships in Are, Sweden. 

Laurenne, who suffered a severe knee injury at U.S. Alpine Championships late in the 2017 season, worked tirelessly to make a comeback in time to qualify for the 2018 Olympic Team. She was a part of the fastest downhill team in the world in 2018. She struggled to find her groove early in the 2018-19 season, but had made considerable steps forward in the month of January, scoring inside of the points in every single start from the new year to World Championships - including three top-15 results. 

She has been working hard in the gym to strengthen her body and has been doing all of the things she loves - from riding her bike and climbing to creating art and music - in order to strengthen her mind as well. Through U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Athlete Career & Education (ACE) connections, she recently attended Dartmouth's Tuck Next Step program, a general management program for athletes and veterans to hone their business acumen and apply the valuable skills they’ve gained in their fields to the world of business as they begin the next step of their careers. 

Laurenne and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team teammate/boyfriend Tommy Ford recently took over the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Instagram story to give fans some insight into a day in their lives in the gym and in nature. She will look to return healthy - in mind and body - to competition for the 2020-21 season, where the highlight will be World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA - a favorite venue of Laurenne and her fellow women's alpine speed teammates. 

Laurenne shared her thoughts in an Instagram post on Wednesday: 

Since my crash at World Championships this February, I've been relentlessly debating whether or not to continue ski racing. After so many crashes and serious injuries, it doesn't seem like the "smart" way to move forward. I cherish my health and want to be able to ski, hike, and ride my bike well into my old age....and this last crash made me question whether that would be possible. If I am to continue life as a ski racer, I would be inherently taking big risks that may not allow me to maintain my health in a sustainable way. Especially after so many concussions, I've recently felt that the easiest and safest path to living the life that I want is down one that does not subject my body to the injuries it inevitably endures through ski racing.

But I'm not one to take the easy or safe route. And ski racing is just too dang fun. So after going back and forth, weighing my options and contemplating my future, I've decided to keep skiing.

I'm working hard on my recovery, but am still not ready to ski. My knee has been doing well and responding great to rehab, but I've resolved to take this recovery slower than my last one (as I was rushing back for the Olympic season). I want to do it right: make sure I'm 100% ready when I get back on snow. 100% strong, 100% healthy -- in body and in mind. I'm hoping to get back on snow sometime in the next few months, but that won't give me enough time to properly prepare for this upcoming winter racing season. So I'm going to take this winter off to regain my strength and prepare for the 2020-2021 season.

I've been missing skiing a lot lately, especially while my team has been down in Chile training. I miss the mountains, I miss the snow, I miss the speed and the rush and the feeling I get while racing down a course. I'm going to have a tough time watching my teammates and friends race all winter, while I can't be out there. But I know, deep down, this is the best decision for me. I need more time, so I'm going to take it.

Thank you all so much for your support on this journey! I'm incredibly grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life, and could not do what I've done without you all 💜💙❤️

Want to learn more about Laurenne?
Follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook. 
 

The U.S. Revolution Tour will continue its tradition of serving as a critical stepping stone for freeski and snowboard halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air athletes during the 2019-20 season. The Rev Tour will host three tour stops at Copper Mountain, Colo, Mammoth Mountain, Calif., and Woodward Park City, Utah. 

This season will kick off with new upgrades to the grassroots level including the launch of The Futures Tour in partnership with USASA to serve as the sole event entry point for both freeskiing and snowboarding events, as well as new sanctioning for the Rev Tour itself. In 2015, the Rev Tour introduced big air competition ahead of the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, where snowboarding big air made its Olympic debut. Four years later, organizers are proud to announce that both snowboard and freeski big air will be sanctioned as FIS Nor-Am events for the first time making FIS points available in all Rev Tour competitions. 

“The Rev Tour is an integral piece to the competitive freeski and snowboard pipeline and has always served as a launchpad for athletes by providing world-class venues to showcase their skills,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Event Manager Sarah Welliver. “We are excited to add value to the tour this season by providing stand-alone big air competitions for freeskiers and snowboarders giving them the opportunity to grab valuable Nor-Am points.”

In addition to the increased sanctioning to Rev Tour competition, the inclusion of Woodward Park City signifies the continued dedication to working with likeminded partners that share the values of fun, safety, and progression. Woodward Park City’s Mountain Park will offer a network of terrain feature zones that offer a fully balanced variety of on-mountain experiences – from Start Parks to Peace Park. Woodward Mountain Parks start with base area learning zones and gradually progress in size and difficulty culminating in best-in-class terrain parks and elite athlete training facilities. The Rev Tour’s association with the best terrain parks and progression based facilities, like Woodward and Mammoth Mountain’s Unbound Terrain Park, introduces athletes to professional level facilities at a young age and sets them up for the transition to the highest level of competition. 

The Rev Tour is focussed on athletes 13-19 years of age and awards top athletes an invite to compete in the U.S. Grand Prix, Junior Worlds, USASA Nationals, and participate in Project Gold camps. Young skiers and riders looking to participate in the 2019-20 Rev Tour must be pre-qualified through the published event criteria. See below for more information. 

Woodward Park City Winter Sneak Peek

ELIGIBILITY 
Athletes under the age of 13 are not eligible to compete. Athletes must hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitor membership and FIS license.

CRITERIA
Click here for the prequalified athlete list and criteria.

SCHEDULE
Copper Mountain, Colo.
Dec. 16-21, 2019
Halfpipe

Mammoth Mountain, Calif. 
Feb. 4-9, 2020
Slopestyle, Halfpipe, and Big Air

Woodward Park City, Utah
Mar. 1-6, 2020
Slopestyle and Big Air
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has partnered with Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) to help mountain towns commit to ambitious carbon reduction goals and implement solutions by 2030. The inaugural Net-Zero Summit is the kick-off event for MT2030 and will be held on October 2-4, 2019 in beautiful Park City, Utah.

“U.S. Ski & Snowboard is in the process of quantifying our carbon footprint, which is the first step in ultimately making broad goals down the line,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We are exploring how we can take our sustainability efforts to the next level, participating in this conference to see what other towns and companies are doing is key for us. We are excited to be a part of this important conversation and look forward to working with our community in implementing meaningful solutions.”

“We formed Mountain Towns 2030 because we strongly believe mountain towns have the power to make a global impact on climate change,” said Park City Mayor Andy Beerman. “As with any community initiative, the support from local organizations and nonprofits are a big reason we can set ambitious goals and achieve them. We could not be more pleased to have U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner and lead the way with us.”

Keynote speakers include renowned conservationist and United Nations Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall, and environmentalist Paul Hawken from Project Drawdown. The speaker lineup also includes Utah State University Professor Robert Davies, Rocky Mountain Power CEO Gary Hoogeveen, Park City Mayor Andy Beerman, clean energy impact investors, leaders from non-profit organizations and many more.

Following the summit, MT2030 will take the commitments made at this summit and put them into action by connecting the communities, sharing best practices, and using the collective voice of our coalition of mountain towns to encourage other municipalities across the globe to take action. Over 30 mountain towns will be represented at the Net Zero Summit.

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About Mountain Towns 2030
Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) is a coalition of mountain towns that have committed to ambitious carbon reduction goals by 2030. The inaugural Net Zero Summit is the kick-off event for MT2030 and will be held on October 2-4, 2019 in Park City, Utah.  More information about Mountain Towns 2030 and the Net Zero Summit can be found at www.mt2030.org.

The sense of urgency around 2030 continues to escalate. The world’s climate scientists agree—to control global warming at 1.5 degrees, the earth needs drastic reductions in carbon emissions by 2030. Communities need to identify and act on effective solutions immediately.

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 2019, 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 

The world may know her as Lindsey Vonn, but the Minnesota community that watched her grow into one of the greatest ski racers in history still remembers little Lindsey Caroline Kildow climbing up Buck Hill’s simple rope tow. Vonn, the daughter of a local ski racer Alan Kildow, got her own racing start at the Burnsville ski area at a young age. Patrons remember seeing her soaring down the hill when she was only 2 years old, and just five years later she began riding up the rope that will now bear her name.

On September 23rd, at her home hill of Buck Hill, in Burnsville, Minn., Lindsey's ascent to the top of her sport was recognized formally, with the official naming of "Kildow's Climb" rope tow. "All of us at Buck Hill are very happy and excited to honor Lindsey by renaming our lift on the race training hill in her name," said Dave Solner, owner of Buck Hill.

September 23 was also declared “Lindsey Vonn Day” in Burnsville, Minn.

"Obviously being from Buck is not the most likely of paths to become Olympic downhill champion, but I think I proved that anything is possible" said Vonn at the ceremony. "So, for all of you kids that are still racing here, just keep believing in yourself and anything is possible. And listen to Erich (Sailer), even though he's not always around anymore, but he's probably still yelling from somewhere. I wanted to name the rope tow after my family. My grandfather was the one who taught us how to ski. He built a rope tow in Wisconsin, and started my dad skiing, and the whole family. Then my dad taught me, and Erich taught my father and taught me. Kildow is my family name, and I wanted my family name to stay here at Buck, so 'Kildow's Climb' is here to show you that anything's possible."

Vonn finished her speech by encouraging the young ones in the crowd to follow in her footsteps, "So, keep the Buck name alive, and hope to see you guys in the Olympics someday."

Under the guidance of Erich Sailer, legendary ski racing coach and founder of the Buck Hill Ski Racing Team, who has produced some of the world’s most successful skiers, Vonn started on a path towards international fame, medals, and awards.

Highlights of Vonn's:

• Four World Cup titles (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012)

• 82 World Cup victories (more than any other female ski racer in the sport's history)

• The gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics

With her trademark grit, courage, and determination, Vonn has inspired a whole new generation of young athletes who now hope to climb to the top in her footsteps.

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About Buck Hill
Buck Hill is the place to be if you want to have fun outside any time of the year. Take advantage of our year-round offerings from skiing and snowboarding to mountain biking, camps, development teams, and live music! Whether you’re training in downhill, or gaining speed while tubing, Buck Hill is the place to be Outside Yourself.

Release courtesy of Buck Hill

It’s been three years since the women’s speed team has traveled to longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard training site nestled in the Andes, at Ski Portillo, Chile. Though snowfall in recent years has been a challenge, the women’s speed team were excited to travel back to the oldest ski area in South America. Two athletes in particular - Alice Mckennis (New Castle, Colo.) and Jackie Wiles (Portland, Ore.) - were looking forward to strapping on the downhill boards and getting back into speed action. 

Due to a lack of snowfall that caused many ski areas surrounding northern Chile to close early, the men’s speed team relocated to La Parva, Chile and then further south to Nevados de Chillán, Chile. However, since Portillo upgraded their snowmaking system, head women’s alpine coach Chip White decided to give it a shot. And, “in hindsight,” White reflected, “we definitely made the right decision, and it was the perfect place for Alice McKennis and Jackie Wiles to do their return to gate training. The snow was clean, no rocks, and hard like winter snow.” Portillo did not disappoint. 

Joining McKennis and Wiles in return to gate training was tech teammate Galena Wardle (Aspen, Colo.), and a healthy and stronger-than-ever Alice Merryweather (Hingham, Mass.) rounded out the squad. “We started out slowly with a skills and drills, then graduated to brush gates doing a GS progression,” White explained. “The progress was so positive and the return to training athletes felt so good we were able to graduate into limited full gates. The coaches and the new team physio, Torey Anderson, monitored the volume closely, and were able to put together a solid plan that allowed the group to exceed their expectations. 

“With Alice (McKennis) and Jackie not skiing or training for such a long time this was extremely exciting for the athletes and staff,” White exclaimed. “With calculated rest days and limited volume to start, the ladies were chomping at the bit for more. This was extremely motivating for the staff, knowing that U.S. women’s speed was coming back! We had to hold them back a bit but that is what you want in true thoroughbreds. As the camp continued we were able to start running some super-G also with progression in mind, again we were all amazed as to how well the girls responded and did. Thanks to constant feedback from our new PT, Torey, the ladies were handling the load and progression well - so well in fact that by the end of the camp we had Alice and Jackie running short length super-G courses on downhill skis. This was a very uplifting camp for the Alice and Jackie’s return to training”

Although McKennis felt uncertain the first few days in brush gates, she quickly realized she was able to really try to send it and push hard in super-G/downhill the last few days of their two-week camp in Portillo. “I couldn’t be more thrilled with the progress I made in Portillo!” McKennis reflected. “I truly feel like I have shot at this sport again and the ability to be successful, which was something I doubted for a long time.” The confidence both McKennis and Wiles gained in Portillo will allow them to push even harder and look for more speed in their second Chile camp, in Corralco, Chile in early-mid October. 

“My body feels really good, better than I expected and I’m very grateful for that,” noted McKennis. “Getting to this point where you feel like you really have a chance again reminds me of how much work it took not only from myself by from so many of those around me - doctors, physical therapists, coaches, family and friends so I want to say thank you to them for all the support through this process. I’m not “there” yet but am confident by the time Lake Louise rolls around I’ll be feeling sassy, confident and ready to get sendy!”

Wiles, who tore her ACL, MCL, LCL, POL, lateral Meniscus, tib/fib joint, and broke her fibula with perennial nerve damage in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany prior to the Olympics in 2018, wrote on Instagram, "Finally back on DH skis 17 months later and starting to feel like a racer again! Thanks Ski Portillo for the incredible training!" It's natural for injured athletes to to have some uncertainty returning after such a long time away, but Wiles took it all in stride.

"Getting back on snow has been the most amazing feeling in the world," Wiles commented. "I had some uncertainty returning after such a long time away from the sport especially with a totally new reconstructed knee. Once I took my first run, immediately I was back in my happy place and all the hard word had paid off. I still have a couple markers to hit but I’m on my way to be back racing next season and I can’t wait!"

Additionally, White noted that Wardle is returning to snow and made great gains in slalom and giant slalom both, and Merryweather’s early season training has been nothing short of impressive. “One of the bright stars was Alice Merryweather’s constant drive to rise to the next level when she starts the WC season,” said White. “She’s stronger than ever and skiing very confident and fast. If Thin Lizzy were to write another song it might be titled ‘The Girls are Back in Town.’ We can’t wait for the return of Breezy Johnson (Jackson Hole, Wyo.) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.), when that happens, WATCH OUT, WORLD!” 

Up next for the women’s speed team is a two-week training camp down in Corralco, Chile, followed by their final prep period camp at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain, Colorado in mid-late November before the FIS Ski World Cup speed opener at Lake Louise, Canada on December 6-8. 
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA continue their fruitful relationship with major improvements to the event pipeline. USASA will now serve as the sole event entry point for both freeskiing and snowboarding events. 

This vastly improves the clarity of the layout in the United States and makes it easier to access grassroots competitions through USASA’s 31 regional series and 500-event network. Highlighting this shift, USASA will also take on a new role in the running of "The Futures Tour" for the 2019-20 competition season.

The Futures Tour will consist of six regional FIS/USASA sanctioned slopestyle and halfpipe events across the nation that will offer an improved and expanded athlete development pipeline for young skiers and riders. The Futures Tour registration links will be available on Nov 1 at usasa.org. To create synergy in the pipeline, the top three athletes from the 2019 USASA National Championships will hold secured positions in their respective disciplines. Regional athletes will enjoy a two-week priority registration period where they can sign up for events in their area. After the regional priority registration period closes registration will be available to athletes from all regions. 

“We are looking forward to working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to be able to provide this stepping stone to the Rev Tour,” said USASA Executive Director Mike Mallon. “These events will showcase some of our premier USASA Series and resort partners, and make it easier for young athletes to test the waters at FIS level competitions.”

These new events will take place across four of the five USASA regions. There will be two in the Rockies and New England and one each in the Western and Central. The increased availability of FIS sanctioned grassroots competition will result in reduced travel costs and decreased barriers to entry for young athletes looking to progress to the next level in their sport. The addition of The Futures Tour is by no means a complete re-working of the athlete development pipeline, but rather fine-tuning of a system that has been extremely successful to this point. U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member and Olympic bronze medalist Arielle Gold could not agree more.

“I think that one of the biggest contributions of USASA is to ensure that young athletes of the future have a platform to compete, and can see a pathway to becoming a professional snowboarder,” said Gold. “USASA provides the foundation necessary for kids to start competing on the tour, and continue progressing through the proverbial ladder in competitive snowboarding including the USASA Nationals, Revolution Tours, Grand Prix, World Cups, and finally the Olympics. I absolutely would not be where I am today without having competed in USASA.”

Entry-level athletes participating in FIS/USASA sanctioned Futures Tour events will have a clear pathway to the USASA Nationals and the FIS Nor-Am Rev Tour events. As an athlete moves from the Futures Tour to the Rev Tour anything is possible including invites to the U.S. Grand Prix World Cup events. At this point the door is wide open for private competition invitations from events like the X Games, Dew Tour, and the Burton U.S. Open of snowboarding. If history is any representation, this tier of competition also includes U.S. Olympic Team qualification events. The pathway to the top of the freeski and snowboard competition ladder is now as transparent as ever.

Together, U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA look forward to another great year of fun and fair competition as well as facilitating the competitive journey for all of snowboarding and freeskiing in the United States. See below for more information and stay tuned for more detailed information about The Futures Tour as well as the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Rev Tour Nor-Am events.

Renew Your USASA Membership Today
The Futures Tour Event Page
The Futures Tour FAQ