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
 

PARK CITY, UTAH – Land Rover North America and U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that Land Rover is the new Official Vehicle Partner of the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA. The multi-year partnership also names Land Rover as the title sponsor of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix series, and presenting sponsor of the “Visa Big Air Presented by Land Rover” events.

“We are very excited to welcome Land Rover as a partner into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s President, and CEO. “Land Rover represents the spirit, drive, and determination that our athletes put forth daily in their training, and throughout the season competing at the highest level of sport. This partnership further empowers our athletes to reach above and beyond in their quest to be the Best in the World!”

Land Rover is the maker of the most luxurious and capable SUVs in the world. From the luxurious Range Rover to the versatile Discovery featuring three-row seating, and the recently revealed all-new Defender, the Land Rover lineup of award-winning SUVs is built for adventure in the toughest terrain and weather conditions.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard supports nearly 200 national team athletes and represented 80 percent of Team USA’s gold medals during the PyeongChang 2018 and Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. This year, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes will participate in more than 200 competitions globally, including 35 events in the United States. 

“As Land Rover continues to grow in the U.S. market and we launch models like the new Defender, we are supporting activities such as skiing and snowboarding that resonate with our expanding American customer base,” said Kim McCullough, Vice President, Marketing, Jaguar Land Rover North America. “The athletes of U.S. Ski and Snowboard exemplify ‘Capability with Composure,’ a hallmark of Land Rover. We are proud to support them in their quest to be the premier winter sports team in the world.”

Land Rover and U.S. Ski & Snowboard are committed to providing the best resources for athletes who are inspired to be the best in the world. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Land Rover will support 10 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete ambassadors including Olympic gold medallists and World Champions. Throughout the partnership, these athletes will take part in brand milestones, custom content creation, and social media integrations.

The agreement also includes broadcast, social media, and digital promotion rights, custom competition content creation, and email marketing campaigns with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard registered fan base. Land Rover branding will also be seen on the athlete uniforms and team gear, as well as available to consumers through U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Land Rover official branded goods.

The 2019-20 season will kick off October 24 with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s 53rd annual New York Gold Medal Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, followed by the first FIS Alpine World Cup event of the season October 26-27 in Soelden, Austria.

To follow the action throughout the season, follow @LandRoverUSA and @USskiteam.
 

Aerial skier Nicholas Novak (Woodbridge, Va.) has proved to be a natural-born flipper. With eight career podiums on the Nor-Am Cup circuit, 10 World Cup career starts, and a bronze medal at the 2018 U.S. Championships under his belt, Novak is a strong talent on the U.S. Freestyle team. But how did he get to this point?  

The simple answer is that flipping is in his blood. The Novak family has a long history in the flipping and twisting world. His parents, father Jaroslav (or Jadi) and mother Jaroslava (or Jarka), were both national team trampolinists in former Czechoslovakia during the 1980s. Despite their impressive trampoline skills, the Novaks did not get to compete in the Olympic Games due to political issues under Communist rule. “Every country that was under Russia’s control boycotted the games, so my parents never had that Olympic experience,” Nick said. However, the Novaks were still able to travel and compete on the world stage, which helped open their eyes to the rest of the world. “When they had my oldest brother, Lukas, they realized they didn’t want to raise him in Communism and needed to escape.” 

The Novaks joined a traveling circus so they could travel out of the country and ultimately escape Communism. In 1985, after finishing a show in Portugal, an opportunity presented itself and they snuck away from the acrobatic group. With only a few suitcases and a baby, the Novaks escaped to Switzerland where they had family. Unfortunately, due to fear of repercussions, their family was not welcoming. The Novaks then moved to West Germany and worked while they applied for asylum in America. After 10 months of working, the Novaks were accepted into America and made their way to Boston. “It was just my dad, my mom, Lukas, $300 dollars, and a car when my family began their American life,” Nick says, “They didn’t speak English too well, but they got jobs in a gymnastics gym and that skyrocketed them to the path of their life.”  

The Novaks bounced between the United States and Australia for various gymnastics coaching jobs for a few years. But after having another boy, Thomas, Jari Novak finally took a permanent coaching job at Capital Gymnastics in Virginia and the family officially settled there in 1990. Then the go-getter Novak family decided to take another life leap and create their own gym, now known as Novak’s Gymnastics. A few years later, Nick was born. 

“Growing up, both of my brothers and I were high-level gymnasts, simply because we were a gymnastics family. But after some years, we all went on our own paths,” says Nick. Although his brothers switched to different athletic careers, Nick decided to put his gymnastic skills to the test with some of his teammates. “I was just finishing my freshman year of high school when I got recruited into the Elite Aerial Development Program (EADP) in upstate New York. Me and other members of the elite program at Novak’s gymnastics, who are actually still currently my teammates on the national team, moved to upstate New York, my dad got a job as one of the development coaches, and that was the start of both of our aerial career.” 

The spontaneous flip from gymnastics to aerials was a lot for the Novak men, but they were both excited for the opportunities ahead of them. “My whole family loved skiing, but we skied at tiny resorts on the East Coast and I didn’t really realize what skiing really was,” says Nick. “I didn’t know until my first trip out here to Utah. The mountains, the quality of snow, it’s all completely unbelievable.” With Nick’s love for the snowsports mixed with his ability to flip and twist, aerials really were the perfect fit. “I now get to do two things that I really like and combine them together, it's amazing.”  

Nick’s strong background in gymnastics does not go unnoticed on the slopes. The ability to rotate and flip off a jump seems to come naturally to him, and he credits his success as an aerialist to his hard work in his family’s gym. “It’s that gymnastics background that opened the sport to me,” he says. “If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have even known what aerial skiing was.” Nick’s gymnastics skills are also a crowd-pleaser while training. “I am always the kid that does the silly tricks. You can see me on the U.S. Ski Team page doing backflips into silly positions.”    

 

 

 

 

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Laying it out to dry. . . . . . #summer #workout #flips #backflip #aerial #aerialskiing #training

A post shared by Nick Novak (@mrnicknovak) on Jun 10, 2018 at 11:39am PDT

Beyond instilling a love for acrobatics, the Novaks taught Nick to value his loved-ones and peers. Nick’s second acrobatics family, the U.S. Aerial Ski Team, keeps him grounded while he strives to reach new, trickier heights. “Obviously the competition and the sport are driving forces, but if I didn’t have such great support and amazing people that surround me, there is no way I would still be doing this sport,” he says. “When it comes to the whole aerial team, everyone is so talented and so supportive. It's a great environment to be in.”  

With a rich family history, a strong gymnast background, and an overall positive outlook on life, Nicholas Novak is an athlete to watch out for this upcoming season. 

 

 

 

 

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@fortnite has nothing on me. . . . . . #backflip #aerial #summer #training #fortnite #fortnitememes #aerial

A post shared by Nick Novak (@mrnicknovak) on Jun 28, 2018 at 4:13pm PDT

Chasing snow around the globe to train on does not always go according to plan. When the U.S. Moguls Team arrived at El Colorado in Chile for a training camp in August, a lack of snow had coaches pivot their program. Originally the Chile camp’s focus was planned as top to bottom run training. But with unseasonably low snowfall for the area this time of year there was not enough snow to build a full course. 

“Basically the only snow that was on the mountain El Colorado gave to us and we made it work,” said Matt Gnoza, head moguls coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “We were able to locate a section against a snow fence that had close to six feet of snow. Skiers’ left or right of our venue, it was very thin cover. But right within our spot, where El Colorado had pushed all of that snow for us, it held up the whole time and we never even hit a rock once.”

Skiing to win a moguls World Cup is not as simple as making it down the fastest (although that helps). Speed counts for only 20% of an athlete’s score - airs and turns make up the other 80%. Putting together a winning package requires practice and refinement of even the smallest of maneuvers. Instead of putting together the whole package, the team focused on a specific piece: entry to and exit from the jump.

“What we’re seeing is more often than not is that where these World Cups are won or lost is this entry and exit from the jump,” said Gnoza. “In camp, athletes were challenged to be clean and smooth as they came through the moguls that we had into the jump, and we also put a big emphasis on landing position and making the first ski move of initiation on the exit of the jump. We were able to take a not so ideal situation without our full course and really narrow our focus down onto a very important piece of the athletes’ runs. I feel like we made some good progress there.”

Low snow aside, the decision to train in Chile had its advantages. While the rest of the moguls world was skiing in Australia, the U.S. took advantage of being the only team on their site. “We wanted to do a little more focused training on certain things that would require the ability to adjust the training site accordingly. In Chile we were able to have control over that,” explained Gnoza.

Chile also provides for a much easier travel scenario. It’s a “quick” 9 hour red-eye flight to Santiago, and in the Eastern time zone. Theoretically, you could go to sleep on the flight, wake up in Chile and be on snow that next day - although the team was not that aggressive and athletes had a day of recovery before training began. 

The team got in all twelve days of scheduled training thanks to perfect weather: sunny and 45 degrees. The warm days put some moisture into the snow, and paired with colder nights, which kept the snow firm, made for excellent bump conditions and the athletes took full advantage. “Every athlete left the camp with one type of grab or another,” said Gnoza. “So everyone has the ability to perform a grab jump, that’s another way they can up their package.” 

“This camp was super successful for me, I made a lot of headway on getting my entire package together,” said newly-named team member Nick Page (Park City, Utah). “I’m more comfortable with skiing into the more difficult tricks and continue to build the fundamentals that I’ve been focusing on with my skiing.

“This was my first time in Chile, it was awesome. I’m so thankful I was able to be there and experience their country. Spending time and getting to know my teammates was terrific. Our coaching staff really went above and beyond to bring us the best training available, and while the conditions were a bit challenging, they made it a great experience where we accomplished a lot.”

“For the little snow we had, we made the best of it,” said Nessa Dziemian (East Hampstead, N.H.) “I actually found it to be perfect training for a late summer camp — firm moguls in and out of a couple of jumps. Training was fun, and I got to work on the new tricks I’m planning on bringing into my run this upcoming season. My favorite part was ending a good day with a breathtaking sunset every night. It was also great to get to know some of our newer teammates better!”

The moguls team will be training at the Utah Olympic Park for the next few weeks before their next on-snow camp in Zermatt, Switzerland as they count down the days until their first FIS World Cup in Ruka, Finland scheduled for December 7. 

“Zermatt should be our first opportunity for a two-air course,” said Gnoza. “So then we can take our isolated entry and exit work and put it both on top and bottom air when we get to Zermatt and start to sew it all together as we build towards December.”

On Thursday, Sept 5, U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Atlanta Braves announced the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover at SunTrust Park December 20-21. Four-time X Games medalist Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) as well as 2018 PyeongChang Olympic big air silver medalist Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.) were on-site ahead of the Braves home game versus the Washington Nationals to celebrate the iconic new event. 

“We are here in Atlanta presented with an opportunity to put on an amazing event in a beautiful stadium with a high energy crowd,” said Voisin. “We were down on the field earlier watching practice and I could not help but imagine how the jump would look and how the crowd would react. It will be an incredible and fun event for both the athletes and the fans of Atlanta.”

Joining the athletes for the announcement was U.S. Ski and Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw, Visa Vice President of Global Brand & Innovation Marketing Andres Polo, as well as President and CEO of the Atlanta Braves Derek Schiller, who shared his thoughts on welcoming U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the world of winter Olympic competition to their hometown. 

“This is a venue that we’ve built to host all kinds of entertainment activities,” said Schiller. “Just by walking around The Battery, you can see there is a lot going on. We do our best to make this a true entertainment destination. Of course, our primary business is baseball, but for the wintertime, we thought - what is the coolest event we can bring to SunTrust Park? I think this event definitely fits the bill.”

Voisin and Mack were in awe of the new SunTrust Park as well as The Battery Atlanta, the new lifestyle destination surrounding the stadium. The Atlanta Braves rolled out the red carpet experience for the athletes starting with a stadium tour including the Monument Garden. This area featured some of the franchise’s most prized memorabilia including a nine-foot statue of Braves legend Hank Aaron hitting his Babe Ruth-record-beating 715th home run. As Voisin and Mack acknowledged the strong history and foundation of the Braves organization, they looked forward to the new milestones freeskiers and snowboarders could reach this December at SunTrust Park.

Following the tour, Voisin and Mack were escorted to the infield for batting practice. Mack - a former baseball player himself - was itching to step up to the plate, but with a tight schedule and a focused Atlanta Braves Team dead set on making the playoffs, he would have to wait until December to put his athleticism on display. 

The athletes were then escorted to the press conference on the plaza green stage, complete with a snowy mountain landscape. As fans got ready for the evening's ball game, there was a strong sense of curiosity as to just what was about to take place. The sizzle reel rolled and Schiller introduced the event, it was clear Atlanta was ready for the world’s top freeskiers and snowboarders to descend on SunTrust Park. 

Voisin and Mack were both gifted an official Atlanta Braves jersey to wear to the evening’s game where an additional on-field announcement took place. The crowd erupted as Voisin explained what Atlanta should expect and also that she was about to experience her first-ever baseball game. 

Worlds will collide this Dec 20-21 at the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover. The last stadium big air FIS World Cup competition to take place in the United States was at Boston’s Fenway Park in 2016, where U.S. Snowboard Team’s Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.) was victorious. Don’t miss your chance to see the world’s best at the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover at SunTrust Park. Tickets on sale now at braves.com/VisaBigAir.

VISA BIG AIR PRESENTED BY LAND ROVER KEY FACTS

The Commitment
On the heels of snowboard big air’s debut in PyeongChang, freeskiers will make their first Olympic big air appearance at the Olympic Games Beijing 2022. The Visa Big Air Presented by Land Rover is part of a multi-year commitment by U.S. Ski & Snowboard to bring big air events to the masses in breathtaking new environments by hosting one city big air event per season leading into the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

Sanctioning
Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover is sanctioned as an International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup for both freeskiing and snowboarding. The event will serve as the third and final big air World Cup of the season for both sports. This means the FIS big air overall championships and Crystal Globes will be on the line!

The Jump
The competition will take place on a 15-story tall steel scaffold jump structure, which is then covered with up to 800 tons of snow. Athletes will drop into an approximately 40-degree in-run, then launch themselves off the jump at speeds up to 40 miles per hour to perform their biggest tricks while traveling up to 70 feet in the air. The competition is judged on difficulty, amplitude, variety, and execution.

Athletes
U.S. Freeski Olympians Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.) and Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.), as well as two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper are set to compete. In addition, Olympic gold medalists Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) as well as the 2018-19 FIS Snowboard Overall Crystal Globe Winner Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) will represent the U.S. Snowboard Team. An elite international field will also be in attendance. 

Broadcast/Streaming Coverage
The Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover will be broadcast live Dec. 20-22 on NBCSN and NBC Sports, plus on live streaming platforms to be determined. As a FIS World Cup, the event will be seen by tens of millions worldwide through global broadcast distribution.

EVENT SCHEDULE
Visa Big Air
SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga., USA
Snowboard & Freeski Big Air FIS World Cup
December 18-21, 2019
*Subject to change

Friday, Dec 20
12:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Sponsor Village/Entertainment - The Battery
5:30 p.m. - Gates Open
6:00 - 6:45 p.m. - Men's and women's snowboard big air finals practice
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Men's and women's snowboard big air finals          

Saturday, Dec 21
12:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Sponsor Village/Entertainment - The Battery
5:00 p.m. - Gates Open
5:30 p.m. - Teton Gravity Research Premiere - “Fire on the Mountain” 
6:00 - 6:45 p.m. - Men's and women's freeski big air finals practice
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Men's and women's freeski big air finals

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

SNOWBOARD
Friday, December 20
7:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBCSN

Saturday, December 21
4:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBC Sports**

FREESKI
Saturday, December 21
7:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBCSN

Sunday, December 22
3:00 p.m. - Visa Big Air World Cup - SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga. - NBC Sports**
 

PARK CITY, UTAH  - U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the appointment of Michael O’Conor to the position of Chief Revenue Officer. O’Conor comes to the organization with almost two decades’ experience of commercial business development within the Olympic sphere.

O’Conor’s hiring at U.S. Ski & Snowboard is serendipitous, as he was first introduced to the Olympic movement in Utah. In 2000 he took a position with OPUS - the joint venture between the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee - handling partnerships for the Sydney and Salt Lake Olympic Games. After a brief stint in the entertainment sector with the Sundance Institute developing corporate sponsorships, the call of sport beckoned O’Conor back to the USOPC where he has served in various roles in account management, event management, and sales. In 2011, he took over the commercial arm of the USOPC. Most recently, Michael has been working for the LA2028 joint venture with the USOPC, known as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP).

As Chief Revenue Officer, O’Conor will report directly to U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO, Tiger Shaw, and will be responsible for driving all commercial revenue for the organization. In separating the sales and execution sides of sponsorship, O’Conor and his team will create new and innovative ways of raising money to support the athletes so they can focus on what they do best: skiing and snowboarding.

“We are so excited to have Michael joining the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said Shaw. “Michael has proven himself to be a leader in commercial strategy, specifically in the Olympic sports space. He has a deep understanding of how to meet the challenges of creating value in commercial partnerships. I have no doubt that his expertise, gleaned from his tenure at the USOPC and the USOPP, will benefit our organization and allow us to give our athletes the best environment in which to train and compete, with the needed funding.”

O’Conor has always been involved in sports, playing soccer and baseball growing up in East Hampton, New York. He came to skiing later in life, which has proven ruinous for him in his family’s snow sports standings (he has all bases covered with one of his three children favoring snowboarding) as all are shredders on the mountain, including his wife. 

“I cannot keep up with anyone in my family. I’ve only had one moment in the sun when it comes to snow sports when I was asked to present the awards for women’s slopestyle snowboarding at the Copper Grand Prix in 2015,” O’Conor said. “I was lucky enough to present Jamie Anderson with her first-place award. It was so cool, one of the best dad moments of my life! My kids were really impressed with me.”

Luckily for U.S. Ski & Snowboard, O’Conor’s track record in sales rates higher than his skills on the slopes. Over the past 10 years, he has achieved considerable success drawing in partners to the Olympic movement such as Hershey’s, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Smucker’s. He will be leaving his most recent role working for the USOPP, where he was focused on creating a value proposition that includes getting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams and the Los Angeles 2028 Games to their sales goal.

“It is bittersweet to say goodbye to my friends and colleagues at the USOPP and the USOPC, but I am grateful to be staying involved with the USOPC’s mission through this new role,” O’Conor said. “Got to say I love my new office. Can’t beat being in the mountains!”