The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is in Ruka, Finland for the first World Cup of the season, racing in three different races; classic sprint, 10k classic and 20k skate. Men and women all raced equal distance, which marks the first time equal distance has been implemented on the World Cup stage.

Classic Sprint

On Friday, Nov., 25, eleven athletes started the sprint race on the fast and quick course in Ruka. Julia Kern led the women's team with a personal record (PR) in a World Cup sprint, finishing in 11th place with teammate Jessie Diggins finishing top 30 in the stacked women's field. On the men's side, JC Schoonmaker had a stellar start to the season in 19th and Ben Ogden rounds out the top 30 finishing in 22nd. Norwegian star, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo started off the season with a sprint podium for the men and Emma Ribom from Sweden was atop the sprint podium for the women. 

"It was really great to get the processes back in action," says Diggins. "I didn't have any big expectations in terms of results, I just had big expectations in terms of my process, technique focus and mental game. I was focused on dialing in all the things I could control and I was happy with how it's going so far!"

Results

Women's Sprint

Men's Sprint

10k Classic

On Saturday, Nov., 26, Rosie Brennan had a great day finishing in seventh, only 29 seconds back from the leader in the 10k classic. A two-time Olympian, Brennan is off to a great start in the first World Cup of the season. For the men, summer training is looking like it paid off, as Ben Ogden skied very well into a top-30 finish in 28th place with several teammates close behind, including Zak Ketterson who had his best classic World Cup start finishing the day in 31st. With one more race of the weekend to go, both men's and women's teams are looking strong, healthy and excited for more. 

"I am very happy with today's race. It felt really good to be able to turn around after a disappointing day yesterday," says Brennan. "I was able to find a good rhythm and strong skiing today and that is all I can ask for in my first race weekend of the year. I am pleased with some of the technical improvements I have made over the summer and am hopeful to have stronger classic races this season. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. It feels like a big opportunity with a new distance and I am excited to see what happens!"

For the podium on the men's side, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo snags another first place and Ebba Andersson from Sweden is the winner for the women's 10k classic. 

Results 

Women's 10k Classic

Men's 10k Classic

20k Skate Pursuit 

What a weekend in Ruka! Today was the 20k skate pursuit on the hard, technical and hilly course in Finland. Both men and women raced the same distance and the Americans had solid races all around on the six-lap course. 

Leading the charge for the women was Rosie Brennan, followed closely by Jessie Diggins. Brennan and Diggins stuck with the chaser pack for the majority of the race chasing down Frida Karlsson and Ebba Anderson from Sweden. Brennan pushed it right at the end and had a photo finish, ultimately landing in sixth place. Diggins was right there in top ten and crossed the line in tenth, which rounds out her personal best results in Ruka. Novie McCabe scored her first World Cup points of the season after finishing in 25th place and a trio of her teammates, Alayna Sonnesyn, Sophia Laukli and Julia Kern finished together, immediately embracing in a hug the second after crossing the finish line. 

For the men, Scott Patterson was first on the team and in the mix the entire race, finishing in 14th place - his best result in Ruka to date. A great start to the World Cup for Patterson, who has shown what it takes to be in the top! The pack was fast, as were the skis. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) won again, but the American men held their own and worked together with the various chaser packs and had great races all around. Hunter Wonders had another fast day and skied to a 30th place in the 20k pursuit, with many of his teammates close behind, including Zak Ketterson, Gus Schumacher and Ben Ogden. 

Results

Women's 20k Skate Pursuit

Men's 20k Skate Pursuit

The tech women are ready for this year’s Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel, an Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup.

The U.S. women had a strong showing in Levi with back-to-back wins by Mikaela Shiffrin, back-to-back point scoring from Ava Sunshine in 21st and 26th, and a great day for Katie Hensien placing 25th in Levi. Plus, Paula Moltzan had very fast intervals before she went out, proving she can be up there with the top slalom skiers in the world.  

Turning to the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel, this weekend includes both slalom and a GS. 

Top skiers to watch for GS include Tessa Worley (FRA), Frederica Brignone (ITA), Sara Hector (SWE), Petra Vhlová (CZE) and more. Worley won the giant slalom World Cup in Killington in 2016, she is also last season’s GS crystal globe winner. Hector claimed three World Cup giant slalom wins last season. She also won Olympic gold in this discipline in Beijing. Vlhová has won six giant slalom World Cups and claimed 14 podium finishes. Marta Bassino (ITA) is also one to watch after she won the Killington giant slalom in 2019.

The action starts on Saturday, Nov., 26. 

HOW TO WATCH the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel 

Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022

10:00 a.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Giant Slalom (Run 1) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside

1:00 p.m.  ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Giant Slalom (Run 2) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside // broadcast LIVE on NBC

Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022

10:15 a.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Slalom (Run 1) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside

1:15 p.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Slalom (Run 2) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside // broadcast LIVE on NBC

The stacked domestic World Cup schedule begins this week with the infamous Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel in Killington, Vt., on Nov. 26-27, with the women returning to the start gate in front of a massive crowd over Thanksgiving weekend. Through a new partnership, Outside, a new broadcast partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard will be broadcasting live and on-demand every domestic event with new commentators calling the action straight from the venue to you at home. 

For the 2022-23 season, Outside welcomes familiar voices who have called U.S. Ski & Snowboard events for years. Jonathan “DC” Oetken, Chris “Uncle E” Ernst and Jimmy Coleman  are back behind the mic doing the play-by-play, along with new talent that includes veteran broadcasters, alumni athletes and Olympians, providing a fresh sound to World Cups across the country. 

Meet the Announcers 

Play-By-Play

• Jonathan “DC” Oetken: DC has been in the game for many years, calling Toyota U.S. Grand Prixs, Dew Tours, X Games, World Cups, Olympics and more across all U.S. Ski & Snowboard sports. 
• Jimmy Coleman: Jimmy, who will focus on play-by-play this season, is known for his tv personality when he’s hosting numerous action sports events. Jimmy has been with the X Games broadcasting team for over 18 years, specifically with the BMX events and has worked in the announcing industry for over 20 years. 
• Chris “Uncle E” Ernst: A legend on the microphone and in the ski industry, Uncle E is an announcer that knows the ins and outs of all the athletes, competition and history. Often in the crowd commentating during event live shows, you will also find Uncle E behind the mic this season providing entertaining play-by-play from the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley.

Color

• Marco Sullivan: Marco Sullivan is not only a Stifel U.S. Alpine Team alum, but also a three-time Olympian and has four World Cup podiums and a World Cup victory. In the past, he has primarily done venue work but will shift his focus to being an analyst this season. 
• Resi Stiegler: Three-time Olympian and Stifel U.S. Alpine Team alum Resi Steigler is diving into the broadcast announcing world and will start the season by calling the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel, an event she raced three times during her career.
• Tricia Byrnes: With 15 World Cup halfpipe victories and a sixth place finish in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, U.S. Snowboard Team alum Tricia Byrnes comes with various announcing experience and will be an analyst in all of the domestic snowboarding events.
• Pete Arneson: A pioneer of freeskiing and over a decade of experience judging various slopestyle events like the X Games, Dew Tour, World Cups and the Olympics, Pete Arneson comes to his announcing role with a unique perspective of our sports and its athletes. 

Breaking it Down - Who is Announcing Each Event?

Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel at Killington, Nov. 26-27, 2022

• Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play
• Resi Steigler – Color

Xfinity Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek, Dec. 2-4, 2022

• Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play
• Marco Sullivan – Color

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix & Visa Big Air presented by Toyota at Copper Mountain, Dec. 14-17, 2022  

• Snowboard (Qualifiers & Finals)
  • Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play
  • Tricia Byrnes – Color
• Freeski (Qualifiers) 
  • Jimmy Coleman – Play-by-Play
  • Pete Arneson – Color
• Freeski (Finals)
  • Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play
  • Pete Arneson – Color

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Feb 1-4, 2023

• Snowboard (Qualifiers & Finals)
  • Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play
  • Tricia Byrnes – Color
• Freeski (Qualifiers) 
  • Jimmy Coleman – Play-by-Play
  • Pete Arneson – Color
• Freeski (Finals)
  • Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play

Pete Arneson – Color

Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley, Feb. 2-4

• Chris Ernst “Uncle E”– Play-by-Play
• TBD – Color

Palisades Tahoe World Cup, Feb. 25-26, 2023

• Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play
• TBD – Color

Aspen World Cup, March 2-5, 2023

• Jonathan “DC” Oetken – Play-by-Play
• TBD – Color

Find the full schedule of events and how to watch them on Outside here. 

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

First-ever Heroic Panel and Heroic Coffee Hour at the 2022 Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel to celebrate U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s newly launched women’s initiative.

WHAT

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will host its first activation as part of its women’s initiative, titled Heroic, with a Heroic panel at the 2022 Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel on Saturday, Nov. 27 from 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. ET. Listen to some of the most powerful women in the ski and snowboard industry discuss the newly launched initiative and its impact goals within the overall women’s movement, along with the challenges women face, improvements that have been made and general advice for those entering the ski and snowboard industry.

On Sunday, Nov. 27 from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. ET, U.S. Ski & Snowboard invites the public to the inaugural Heroic Coffee Hour. Fans will have the opportunity to mingle with women in the ski and snowboard industry and learn more about the Heroic initiative before day two of the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Heroic Panel

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. ET at Killington Ski Club / Media Center 

• Media credential required for admittance (ALL MEDIA MUST RSVP - Email Leann Bentley at leann.bentley@usskiandsnowboard.org)
• Live-streamed via the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Facebook page
• Heroic Panelists
  • Anouk Patty – Chief of Sport, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
  • Kelly Pawlak – President, National Ski Areas Association 
  • Julie Woodworth – Executive Director, Vermont Alpine Racing Association 
  • Diann Roffe – Junior Program Director, Burke Mountain Academy
  • Megan Fearnow - SVP, Marketing Services, POWDR 
• Moderator
  • Sophie Goldschmidt – President & CEO, U.S. Ski & Snowboard 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Heroic Coffee Hour

8:30 - 9:30 a.m. ET at Killington’s K1 Lodge, third floor 

• Open to public

Learn more about the Heroic Initiative here.

CONTACTS

Courtney Harkins - Director, Marketing and Communications, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, courtney.harkins@usskiandsnowboard.org

Leann Bentley -  Communications Coordinator, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Leann.Bentley@usskiandsnowboard.org

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Mikaela Shiffrin snagged her 75th and 76th Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup victories in Levi, Finland over the debut World Cup weekend. On Saturday, not only did Shiffrin win, but she has now broken the record for the most podiums in a single discipline by any female skier. On Sunday, she steadily won the day and her teammates were close behind. 

Day One

Shiffrin was in third after the first run behind Lena Duerr (GER) and Anna Swenn Larsson (SWE). On the second run, Shiffrin skied clean and confident, enough to overtake the field and win by 0.26 ahead of Swenn Larsson. Also adding another reindeer to her pack. 

Another big result for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team came from Ava Sunshine. Sunshine made her debut in the World Cup circuit at Levi, skiing into a solid 25th first run, and ending in 21st overall. Sunshine is a previous Junior World Champs speed medalist, making a very strong statement on the circuit with this result. 

“I am super excited about my first World Cup scoring points, it's so amazing and so incredible. Not as intense as I thought it would be. It is always a big deal down bottom but up top it's pretty chill, so it was good,” said Sunshine.

RESULTS
Women's Slalom

Day Two

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Katie Hensien skied well and is closing out the day in 26th place among the fast and strong women's tech field. Coming off a stellar weekend, Ava Sunshine had another amazing race on the technical slalom course. Sunshine ends her first World Cup weekend with two top-30 finishes and her first World Cup points. 

RESULTS
Women's Slalom

If you have raced with Masters over the last 18 years, just hearing the website skiracereg.com (SRR) gives you the warm winter fuzzies. It has been the primary pathway for getting signed up for masters ski races and associated masters fun and events. If you don’t already know his name, be sure the name Doug Briggs, Mr. SkiRaceReg, is one that will echo in Masters history. SRR which started in the Rocky Division to ease the race registration process quickly grew to support eight of the masters race series with registration, member management, email management, and many other finical management aspects of operating the race series as well regional, national, and FIS masters events. SRR streamlined our registration not just within divisions, but across divisions.

Doug provided seemingly boundless support for the racers and race series while not charging members for use of the platform. From 5-packs, to selling bibs, to managing teams, to year end reporting – there was no idea too big or too small – Doug was patient and supportive to update and improve SRR to help the series better serve and interact with the members. We have been truly lucky to have a dedicated registration platform made by a fellow racer. Though we will miss working with him on SRR we are delighted that he will still be around as a fellow competitor and friend! We are excited that retirement from SRR means he will have more time to travel, do more races, and continue coaching fellow racers at speed events. Doug, a former US Alpine Team Athlete supports several speed training camp days at Ski Cooper and has invaluable feedback whether you are new to the sport or have decades of experience. Doug is a repeat winner of the coveted Wolf Cup DH trophy at Ski Cooper.

We would like to thank Doug Briggs for maintaining and adapting SRR which has been a tremendous asset for our masters divisions for more than a decade. We are truly lucky to have him in our masters community. At the end of the 2022 DH Nationals at Ski Cooper, the divisions presented Doug with a new touring setup and gift card for more outdoor gear. “Cheers” Doug and see you out there for many more years - wax side down!

Administrative note: Many masters divisions now use masters.adminskiracing.com for race registration.

The good news keeps coming! Officially announced today, the 2022 Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup is a go! The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) gave the green light to the first domestic World Cup for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men’s speed team who will race both downhill and super-G at Beaver Creek Resort on Dec. 2-4. 

Read more about the positive snow report courtesy of the Local Organizing Committee Vail Valley Foundation (VVF). 

It’s official: Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup gets green light for Dec. 2-4

Avon, Colo., Nov. 18, 2022 — It’s official – the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) on Friday gave the green light for the Xfinity Birds of Prey FIS Ski World Cup scheduled for Dec. 2-4 in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

As with every stop on the Audi FIS Ski World Cup, each mountain must pass “snow control” ahead of the races to ensure course quality.

Beaver Creek has enjoyed cold temperatures and early-season snow leading up to its opening on Wednesday, Nov. 23, ahead of the races.

“Xfinity Birds of Prey is always an exciting time for our community. We are honored to be a part of a very small group that has been hosting World Cups for 55 years,” said Sarah Franke, VP of Operations and Marketing for the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation, which organizes the event each year. “Although Mother Nature gave a little help this year, all credit and thanks go to our longtime partner Vail Resorts, and their amazing and dedicated Beaver Creek Mountain Operations team. It is looking beautiful up at the race course and we are looking forward to welcoming back the world’s fastest men on skis.”

Xfinity Birds of Prey Race Schedule

Friday, Dec. 2, 10:15 a.m. – Downhill

Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. – Downhill

Sunday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. – Super-G
*Please note this year’s earlier start times.

Beaver Creek Village comes alive during Xfinity Birds of Prey with a jam-packed weekend of events. Races are free to spectate from the finish area and, new this year, a live watch party will be set up in the heart of the village. The weekend also includes a Stifel U.S. Alpine Team Signing, free live music, a visit from Santa, Beers of Prey, fireworks, the Pumphouse Bar, sponsor activations and much more. 

The Xfinity Birds of Prey are organized by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation in partnership with FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Vail Resorts, the Beaver Creek Resort Company, Beaver Creek Resort, the US Forest Service, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail and Xfinity.

About the Vail Valley Foundation 

The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the Vail Valley and showcase our community to a global audience through arts, athletics, and education.  

The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate and empower youth and families from early childhood to college and career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, and the Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, comedy, classical, rock, pop, jazz, community and family events per year.  

Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are in part made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, GMC, Nature Valley, Constellation Brands, CELSIUS Energy and Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate. 

To learn more about the Vail Valley Foundation visit www.vvf.org.  

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team spent an evening at Yama Sushi restaurant in Vail, Colo., on Nov. 16 along with Vail Valley fans and raised over $150,000 for the team. Hosted by Dr. Randy and Heather Viola and Charley and Ariane Viola, attendees were able to mingle with both the men's and women's speed athletes, like Tommy Ford, Breezy Johnson, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Isabella Wright, and more who were in town for the annual Copper Mountain speed camp. 

Thank you to the entire Yama Sushi staff, Dr. Randy and Heather Viola, and Charley and Ariane Viola.

Learn more about the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athletes here. Those interested in further supporting our athletes can do so here. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the extension of its partnership with Intermountain Healthcare (to be known as Intermountain Health in 2023) as its official medical provider through the 2022-23 season. Intermountain Healthcare will also serve as the title partner of the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort on Feb. 2-4, 2023. 

“We are excited to extend our partnership and to continue this great relationship with Intermountain,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “They have an exceptional reputation for their patient care and have played an important role in our organization for years by ensuring that athletes, coaches and staff are physically and mentally healthy on and off the snow.”

As the official medical provider of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, Intermountain Healthcare will continue to provide high-quality services including sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition and psychology to athletes, coaches and staff. On and off the hill, the providers at Intermountain Healthcare will continue to work with our athletes both on the national and club levels and help them in their quest to become the best in the world, including at Intermountain’s Park City Hospital next door to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s USANA Center of Excellence headquarters.

Intermountain Healthcare will also return as the title sponsor for the premier domestic freestyle event: the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle (to be known as Intermountain Health in 2023) International at Deer Valley. As the title sponsor, all aerials, moguls and dual moguls athletes will again have the Intermountain Healthcare logo on their bibs throughout the competition that brings the world’s best freestyle athletes to Park City, Utah. The FIS Freestyle World Cup will once again be under the lights at night and thousands of fans are expected to attend.

###

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 2022, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined, and ski jumping. In addition to the fully-funded 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.

After a successful transition last season for the New England Masters and Mid-Atlantic Masters onto the new registration platform at masters.adminskiracing.com (ASR), Midwest Masters, Intermountain/Northern Masters, Rocky Mountain Masters, and Far West Masters are transitioning to the new platform for the 2022-2023 season. To get started:

1. Go to masters.adminskiracing.com
2. Create an account.
3. Create a racer profile on your account. In order to register for anything a racer profile must be created. (Click Racer Profiles on the Left - you can also link other racers here and help manage their registrations.)
4. Purchase a membership if needed for your division.
5. Register for races

Helpful Tips to Navigate Registration:

• Make sure the website has the logo with Masters in the top left corner.  If you have an account from last season, enter the info and login. If you are new to ASR this year, click "Create new account" under the login button.

• An active AdminSkiRacing account AND profile are required to register for ANY event. If you don't see any button to register, you likely haven't created your racer profile yet. Click "Racer Profiles" from the menu to check or create a profile.

• For race series, select what you consider your home series where you will race the most. If your races series does not use ASR and you wish to register for FIS Masters Cup, Nationals, or other races in those divisions, select National.
• After you click the "Register" button four (4) things will happen:

          1.  A green notification will appear at the top of the page indicating the registration.

          2. The "Register" button will change to "Unregister". This means you are registered. 
                    To unregister from a race, select "Unregister".

          3. "You are registered" will appear under the spots left number.

           4. Confirmation Email - You will immediately receive an email confirmation from ASR.

• You can click the race title to get more info on the race, see your name, and anyone else who has registered (i.e. the competition).
• Race Info Sheets - Available over the coming weeks. When an Info Sheet is available for a race, a PDF icon will appear on the registration page. Click the icon to see the Info Sheet.

If you are having trouble creating a profile, or registering for a race,  please use the "Website Help" function in the bottom right of the page. This will connect users to a real person based in the U.S. that is there to help you. 

For the divisions below register for your local races as per the directions at the series specific websites. See usskiandsnowboard.org/masters/masters-regions for additional links and contacts.

Alaska - alyeskaskiclub.com/programs/masters
New York - nymasters.net
Southern - saraski.org
Pacific Northwest - pnwdivision.org/masters/calendar