U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced it has agreed on a new partnership deal with John Paul Mitchell Systems (JPMS) in the hair products category.

JPMS’ partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard will highlight their product lines at domestic Freeski and Snowboard events, most notably the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freeski and Freestyle World Championships, to be held in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s own backyard of Park City, Utah, in February 2019. Freeskiing and snowboarding competitions celebrate an athlete’s unique style, as JPMS products empower those of all backgrounds to embrace their differences and celebrate their individual creativity. Freeski and Snowboard events will provide JPMS direct access to engage U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s large audience of Millennial and Generation Z snowsports fans with these exciting products through unique branded social, digital and broadcast assets, as well as direct-to-consumer opportunities within partner villages at U.S. Ski & Snowboard events. The JPMS event activations will also highlight the company’s commitment to anti-bullying, a cause JPMS champions.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is proud to partner with JPMS, a company that shares similar values of integrity, passion, community and excellence. JPMS not only provides the highest quality of hair care available but is also dedicated to making the world a better place. As the first professional beauty company to stand up against animal testing, JPMS’ commitment to caring for people and for the planet is something U.S. Ski & Snowboard is excited to be a part of.

“JPMS’ commitment to our athletes and events has been an outstanding asset for U.S. Ski & Snowboard for 20 years, so our partnership is very exciting,” said Dan Barnett, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Our two organizations share very similar values, and enabling the JPMS brand to engage with our young, aspirational fan-base is hugely compelling for all involved.”

“As a long-time partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, we are delighted to be back on the slopes with them for another season of impeccable style,” said JPMS’s Vice President of Lifestyle Sports, Julie Solwold.  “The passion U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have to push the boundaries of performance and creativity through their sports aligns with our philosophy of encouraging individuals to celebrate their own unique style on their canvas of choice. We look forward to a fun and colorful season with U.S. Ski & Snowboard this year!”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s slopestyle, big air, halfpipe, and snowboardcross athletes are coming off a very successful two-week Saas-Fee Training Camp in Switzerland, and are ready to travel the world in search of World Cup podiums.

The U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Team are the lone representatives left on the glacier for U.S. Ski & Snowboard as they continue training until November 2. Armed with a new bag of tricks, the rest of U.S. Freeski and Snowboard athletes look forward to second FIS World Cup event of the season with snowboard and freeski big air in Modena, Italy on Nov 3. The FIS Snowboardcross World Cup kicks off in Montafon, Austria, Dec. 14-16.

Mother nature was clearly cooperating throughout U.S Ski & Snowboard’s stay in Saas-Fee. WIth nine days on snow and five sunny days in a row, there was plenty of opportunities for athletes to find their stride.

“We just wrapped up training and it went really well,” said defending FIS Snowboardcross World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.). “We had good weather which sometimes doesn’t happen on the glacier. Weather tends to roll in and get stuck here, so we were very fortunate.”

With the weather door wide open, numerous athletes took advantage of this opportunity and reached personal milestones and even completed world firsts. PyeongChang Olympic halfpipe gold medalist, and five-time World Cup winner, Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), became the first woman to land a frontside double cork 1080 in the halfpipe. Also adding excitement to the halfpipe was Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.) working on perfecting the double crippler. Mastro was the first female to land the trick in the halfpipe last May at Mammoth Mountain, where she stomped it twice during a training session. Mammoth Mountain is an official training ground for U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

Among the standout performances was U.S. Snowboard Rookie Slopestyle Team member Sean Fitzsimons (Hood River, Ore.), who had himself quite a camp, landing a switch backside triple 1620 and a frontside triple 1440. However, Fitzsimons got by with a little help from his friends.

“I was definitely feeding off Jake (Canter) and Dusty (Henricksen),” said Fitzsimons. “They knew I wanted to try these tricks and they were hyping me up all day long. That was huge because I was super nervous and their support helped me ‘man up’ and send it. The coaches were also a huge help. They were taking video that helped me visualize the trick and reassured me with confidence throughout the day.”

The feeling was mutual between U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team members Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Canter (Evergreen, Colo.). Henricksen went on to land his first clean backside triple 1440 and Canter with his first cab double 1260 followed by a cab double 1440 shortly after. The snowboarders simply could not slow down. Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii),  Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.), Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska) and Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) all added new and significant tricks to their arsenal at the Stomping Grounds Park.

Additionally, it was hard to ignore Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) as he continued to dial in his backside quad cork 1800. This trick was Corning’s signature jump from his inaugural win of the season at the 2018 New Zealand Winter Games FIS World Cup big air.

“The Glacier in Saas-Fee watched in awe as Chris displayed full ownership of this trick. In many many cases, athletes just heard rumors of Corning and were astonished as he often landed the trick while many riders were still getting their morning coffees.”

    - U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Pro Team Coach Mike Ramirez

For the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Team, the ladies were a force to be reckoned with. The time spent in the off-season reaped real benefits for Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) and Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.). Voisin landed her first double 1260 and Krass landed her first double 1080, both on their second attempts.

“I have been thinking about doing that double for a couple years now and this summer I lived it out in Utah at the airbag,” said Krass. “My goal was to do it on snow in Saas-Fee, so I’m super stoked it worked out. It was an amazing day and everyone was feeding off each other’s energy with Maggie doing her double 1260 and Darian (Stevens) doing her first switch bio 1080.”

Voisin also took advantage of the airbag this summer and it paid off.

“I spent three weeks total this summer in Park City working it on the airbag,” said Voisin. “I for sure had times throughout the summer where I’d find myself getting very nervous over the idea of trying it on snow. It’s in times like that where you really test your strengths and I knew if I pushed through the fear I would prove my doubts wrong.”

U.S. Freeski Head Slopestyle Coach Skogen Sprang couldn’t be happier about the contribution these ladies will be making to the sport of freeskiing. “They will both be pushing the sport by adding these tricks to their competition runs this season. We are all stoked to see the progression from all the ladies this year!”

For the male slopestyle freeskiers, the focus was on variety. With the level of slopestyle freeskiing being at an all-time high, it is crucial that athletes offer a balanced and stand out run. This includes spinning in multiple directions and separating yourself from the pack with unique grabs and tweaks. This was a strategic focus at camp for the male slopestyle freeskiers.

With no lack of experience on the U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Team, athletes and coaches took a strategic approach in Saas-Fee. This was the first time back in the halfpipe for most of the athletes this season, so it was imperative everyone got comfortable again before trying new maneuvers. With returning Olympic halfpipe medalists Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.), Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.), and David Wise (Reno, Nev.), they took a longer-term approach focusing on competition tricks and less on progression. However, Brita Sigourney showed no signs of slowing down coming off her Olympic bronze medal performance in PyeongChang.

“She was skiing with serious confidence, locking in good grabs, and spinning on great axes,” said U.S. Freeski Team Halfpipe Head Coach Andrew Woods. “Her back to back 900s were legitimately 10-15 feet out of the halfpipe and I’ve never seen her ski better.”

There were many highlights at Saas-Fee training camp, but perhaps none greater than reuniting an athlete with his team members. Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) broke his back in an avalanche in Whistler, Canada last April and Saas-Fee camp was the first time he got back on his snowboard with his teammates.

“He was looking good on his board and seemed to be back where he let off,” said U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Pro Team Coach Dave Reynolds. “We are happy to have him back in action.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard off-season training resources, mixed with skilled and dedicated athletes and an amazing coaching staff resulted in an incredibly successful training camp. Many of these new tricks will make their competition debut this season, be sure to tune in as the hard work from Saas-Fee pays off. 

Following the Modena World Cup, U.S. Freeski Team athletes will head to the Stubai World Cup slopestyle competition Nov 22-24, while U.S. Snowboard Team athletes will move onto Beijing, China for the air & style big air World Cup event Nov 23-24. Both teams then head to Copper Mountain, Colo. for the first halfpipe competition of the season at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Dec. 6-8, which also serves as a FIS World Cup event. The FIS World Cup snowboardcross season kicks off in Montafon, Austria, Dec. 14-16 and alpine snowboarding in St. Moritz, Switzerland Dec. 8-9.
 

The opening FIS Ski World Cup men's giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, was canceled today due to heavy snow and strong winds. After last year's cancellation, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has changed the rule, and it is now possible to replace the opening race in case of a cancellation.

UPDATED: Oct. 29, 2018: The canceled men's Audi FIS Ski World Cup Giant Slalom from Sölden will be rescheduled in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria December 20, 2018.

The Rettenbach Glacier received approximately 50cm of new snow overnight at the top of the course and 40cm at the finish, and another 20cm were forecasted throughout the day on Sunday. Strong winds, with gusts up to 70kph, also reduced visibility, prompting the race jury, together with the local organizing committee and the Austrian national ski association, to cancel Sunday's giant slalom.

This means the men will kick off their World Cup season in Levi, Finland, with a slalom race. 

Two-time defending World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) opened the season on an emotional note with her 63rd podium appearance, finishing third on a very difficult giant slalom course on the Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden, Austria, Saturday.

"It’s always nice to come back to Sölden,” said Shiffrin, who won in Sölden in 2014 and now has four podium finishes in the traditional season opener. “There are always emotions like nerves, and excitement and uncertainty about how I’m going to perform for the race.”

Coming off a summer of media, sponsor obligations and on and off snow training, the defending World Cup champion also carried expectations that as the best ski racer in the world, she would charge out of the gate and win.

"There are still expectations, but I’m trying not to pay so much attention to like ‘why should I feel so, so disappointed,'" she said. "Especially because I had a podium today. Of course, I want to win, but there are many girls out there who want to win. I was able to start the season with a podium and it's a great thing. It’s not enough, but it’s OK for now and it's a good place to start."

"I’m trying to be a little bit more open to saying ‘yeah, OK, that’s what we have,'" she added. "I know what lessons I learned and I'll just fight for the next races."

After finishing third in the first run, Tessa Worley of France charged down the bumpy track to hold on for her first career victory at the venue in Sölden. First run leader Federica Brignone of Italy made a few mistakes in the mid-section of the course on her second run, but found speed through the lower portion to hold off Shiffrin for the second podium spot.

"It was a huge fight, the slope was very bumpy, very difficult, we couldn't see much," Worley said. "I knew it was going to be a fight with the slope, and all the other girls, so I just wanted to charge and have no regrets at the end."

Snow, sleet, and wind forced race organizers to move the race eight gates down to the reserve start, and conditions varied dramatically from the top of the course to the finish, providing an inconsistent, unforgiving surface.

Three other starters for the U.S. Ski Team finished the first run but didn’t make the top 30 to qualify for the second run. Nina O’Brien (Denver, Colo.) was 52nd, Tricia Mangen (Buffalo N.Y.) 63rd, and AJ Hurt (Carnelian Bay, Calif.) 64th.

The women’s FIS Ski World Cup continues Nov. 17 with a slalom event in Levi, Finland. The opening men’s World Cup giant slalom of the season is scheduled for Sunday on the Rettenbach Glacier.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

ALPINE
SATURDAY, OCT. 28
World Cup women’s GS, Sölden, AUT - full event replay available on NBC Sports Gold*

SUNDAY, OCT. 28
4:00-5:30 a.m. - World Cup men’s GS, first run, Sölden, AUT - NBC Sports Gold*
7:00-8:30 a.m. - World Cup men’s GS, second run, Sölden, AUT - NBC Sports Gold*

* The NBC Sports Gold ‘Snow Pass’ provides access to every second of race action throughout the season. Whoever you support, their races will be broadcast on the Snow Pass. NBC will also email you prior to each event to remind you of live broadcast times on Snow Pass, and if you can’t watch live, the entire event will be available to replay, all for under 20 cents per day.

Almost $2 million was raised at U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s 52nd annual New York Gold Medal Gala, the social highlight of snowsports in the USA. Thanks to the generous donations of everyone who took part in the glittering event in New York, and via the online auction which offered many incredible money-can’t-buy items, the athletes of U.S. Ski & Snowboard will directly benefit from the nearly $2 million raised, helping them achieve their shared vision of being Best In The World.

Joining the 650 guests at the star-studded event were U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.), Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.), Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) and David Wise (Reno, Nev.), along with 19 of their fellow U.S. Ski & Snowboard stars.

“On behalf of all our athletes, staff and everyone involved with U.S. Ski & Snowboard I would like to offer my most sincere thanks and gratitude for the incredible generosity of everyone who supported our 52nd New York Gold Medal Gala,” said Tiger Shaw, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Every year this storied event grows in stature and in funds raised to support our athletes, and that is thanks to the hard work of a dedicated team who work tirelessly to stage this incredible event. Our athletes have a very exciting season ahead, but we are already looking forward to the 53rd New York Gold Medal Gala next year!”

“The 2018 U.S. Ski & Snowboard New York Gold Medal Gala was our best year yet,” said Trisha Worthington, Chief Development Officer for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “This was the 52nd year of our annual fundraising event in New York and, on behalf of all U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes, and the whole team, I want to say thank you to each and every person who contributed so much tonight to help raise the incredible sum of almost $2 million for our athletes. Having so many of our team at the event was incredible and their presence made the night truly special. For me, a particular highlight was seeing Jessie Diggins speak so passionately about Kikkan Randall, and about how the whole cross country team celebrated that historic gold medal in PyeongChang as a team achievement. That sums up what U.S. Ski & Snowboard is – a team in the truest sense of the word. Now we look ahead to what promises to be an amazing winter season, and we are already looking forward to the 53rd New York Gold Medal Gala!”

PARK CITY, Utah ­– Ahead of the season-opening FIS Alpine World Cup event in Soelden, Austria, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing for ski and snowboard sports in the USA, has announced its new broadcast deal with Infront, a leading full-service sports marketing company based in Zug, Switzerland.

The new agreement takes the existing partnership between U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Infront, which first began in 1998, through to the 2025-26 season and includes the global broadcast rights, ex USA, for all of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s domestic Alpine Skiing, Ski Jumping (including Ski Flying), Nordic Combined, Snowboard and Freestyle Ski World Cup events. The portfolio of events includes the upcoming Audi FIS Ski World Cup in Killington, Vt. (November 24-25) featuring global superstar and double Olympic Gold Medalist Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) and the Beaver Creek Xfinity Birds of Prey, Audi FIS Ski World Cup (November 30 - December 2), featuring double Olympic Gold Medalist Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah). The global broadcast viewership for these events last season was approximately 91 million and 122 million respectively. Both Shiffrin and Ligety will be racing in the season-opening Audi FIS Ski World Cup event in Soelden, Austria October 27-28.

“We are delighted to lock in this rights deal with Infront,” said Dan Barnett, Chief Marketing Officer for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Infront is an incredibly important partner of our organization – without them, we would not be able to showcase the extraordinary feats of our marquee athletes to the hundreds of millions of ski and snowboard fans around the world.”

Adding to Barnett’s thoughts is Bruno Marty, Infront Senior Vice President Winter Sports, who said, “U.S. Ski & Snowboard is a highly valued partner and everyone at Infront is delighted to have prolonged our long-term partnership. Our global audience has many heroes to cheer for and this renewed agreement means that they will have even more access to watch their favorite stars and U.S. events for years to come.”

Twas a couple of days before the FIS Ski Alpine World Cup opener in Sölden, Austria and all through the Ötztal Valley there were lots of athletes, coaches, servicemen, media and ski-crazed fans stirring...anxiously glued to weather apps tracking the impending storm. Of course, everyone is crossing their fingers and holding their thumbs—as they say in Europe—for the weather to hold off, the clouds to part, and the sun to shine through.

If Ullr, the Snow God, (for those of you who may not be familiar) decides to hold off for just a couple more days, Olympic giant slalom gold medalists Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) and Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) will lead a group of 11 women and men in the giant slalom season opener this weekend - Saturday for the women and Sunday for the men..

Let’s talk shop, shall we?! Yes, indeed...let’s start this off with a trivia question. What athlete has won at Sölden more than anyone else? Nope, not Austria’s Marcel Hirscher. Nope. Good guess and nice try. The answer is U.S. Ski Team’s own legendary giant slalom skier, Ligety. He holds the record for most wins at the season opener, having won on the Rettenbach glacier four times. That’s right...they don’t call him “Mr. GS” for nothing! With a solid, injury-free prep period, Ligety will look to capitalize on the momentum he had going last season when he made his return to the podium in Garmisch, with a third-place finish just before the Olympics.

Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) steadily climbed the giant slalom ranks during the 2018 season in what is an incredibly deep men’s giant slalom field, and both are strong and confident heading into the 2019 season. Last season, Ford grabbed three World Cup top-10 finishes, while Cochran-Siegle had two top-15 finishes at the Olympics in PyeongChang, and then the cherry on top of the season was a pair of U.S. Alpine Championship titles.

A pair of young up-and-comers—Luke Winters (Gresham, Ore.) and River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.)—join the men’s World Cup crew. The two are getting settled in their new home, and so far so good. In fact, it’s great. They’re training alongside their idols and they’re soaking it all in.

“It's been awesome training up with the World Cup guys. I think the best part is probably that they have so much knowledge and experience to pass down because they're so old. Haha. Seriously though, a lot of these guys were idols of mine when I was a kid. I've got posters of them on my walls. Getting to train alongside them, and getting to know them, I've come to learn that they are better even than my idolized versions of them. It's just an awesome group of guys who only want each other succeed, and hold each other accountable to what we think we’re capable of.”
    - River Radamus

Sunday will be Winters’ inaugural World Cup start. “There is obviously a lot of excitement leading up to the race knowing that I have been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time,” said Winters. “Not only is this my first World Cup to push out of the start gate, but this is also my first World Cup I have been to. It's a big step in my career and I am excited to make it a reality. At the same time, I have been racing my whole life and this is just another step on my way up.”

The roster rounds out with two Massachusetts boys, including recent Dartmouth graduate and NCAA giant slalom champion Brian McLaughlin (Topsfield, Mass.) and Nick Krause (Northboro, Mass.) —who will make his return to World Cup action after a string of injuries.

On the women’s side, Shiffrin is looking for redemption here in Sölden. Though she won her first giant slalom World Cup victory at the opener back in 2014, she hasn’t stood on top since. And she wants it. Though she had a summer full of media and sponsor obligations and on and off-snow training, Shiffrin was able to sneak in a vacation with her boyfriend, French National Team skier Mathieu Faivre, as well. She’s stronger than ever, and she’s as happy, determined, confident and humble.

Seventeen-year-old AJ Hurt (Carnelian Bay, Calif.) hails from Squaw Valley and is Californian cruisy-cool to the core. She’ll be one of the youngest athletes on the Rettenbach glacier, but you’d never know it if you watched her because she’s calm and collected.

Finally, Tricia Mangan (Derby, N.Y.) and Nina O’Brien (Edwards, Colo.) will take on Sölden for the first time. As Dartmouth students and travel buddies off the hill, they’ve spent a lot of time with each other and look forward to the challenge.

In case you missed it, Radamus had an epic Instagram story takeover earlier this week. It's definitely worth a watch to see what antics they were up to, and to get an understanding of what a day in the life of a World Cup athlete is like. 

See who to watch and where to catch all the action below.

WOMEN’S STARTERS

• AJ Hurt
• Tricia Mangan
• Nina O’Brien
• Mikaela Shiffrin

MEN’S STARTERS

• Ryan Cochran-Siegle
• Tommy Ford
• Nick Krause
• Ted Ligety
• Brian McLaughlin
• River Radamus
• Luke Winters*

*Denotes first World Cup Start

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

ALPINE
SATURDAY, OCT. 27
4:00-5:30 a.m. - World Cup women’s GS, first run, Sölden, AUT - NBC Sports Gold*
7:00-8:30 a.m. - World Cup women’s GS, second run, Sölden, AUT - NBC Sports Gold*

SUNDAY, OCT. 28
4:00-5:30 a.m. - World Cup men’s GS, first run, Sölden, AUT - NBC Sports Gold*
7:00-8:30 a.m. - World Cup men’s GS, second run, Sölden, AUT - NBC Sports Gold*

* NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product, launched “Snow Pass” today, giving fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports from October 2018 through April 2019.

NBC launched the “Snow Pass” earlier this week, and holds the exclusive rights to all FIS events held in Austria and will stream the first FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup races of the 2018-19 season from Sölden, Austria, on “Snow Pass” on Oct. 27-28.

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.
 

With 100 days to go, the countdown begins in earnest for the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships presented by Toyota, taking place at Utah's Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain, and Solitude Mountain Resort February 1-10, 2019.

Hosted by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard and in partnership with the Utah Sports Commission, the event will attract more than 1,300 athletes from around the world to Utah for the biggest winter sports event to take place in the state since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
 

"Hosting one of the biggest winter events in the world will continue to showcase our expertise in hosting major international sporting events as we welcome the world back to Utah and to several of our world-class winter venues. The significant economic impact and worldwide exposure from this event will highlight to audiences around the globe that Utah's Olympic and sport legacy is alive and well, proving a tremendous benefit to Utah and our partners."
      - President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission Jeff Robbins.

Among the world-famous athletes expected to take part will be Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), 2018 Winter Olympic gold medalist; David Wise (Reno, Nev.), two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2018 ESPY winner; Mikaël Kingsbury (Canada), the winningest mogul skier of all time; and crowd favorite Henrik Harlaut (Sweden), six-time X Games winner.
 

Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort are no strangers to hosting world-class events, as both resorts hosted freestyle and snowboard events during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and have hosted a numerous FIS World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix competitions over the past 20 years.

Deer Valley Resort hosted the FIS Freestyle World Championships in 2003 and 2011, but 2019 will be the first time a U.S-based World Championship will include all events across the snowboard, freestyle and freeski disciplines. Freeski competitions were introduced to the World Championships in 2005: the freestyle and freeski competitions were held in Ruka, Finland, while snowboard events were held in Whistler, Canada. This model of separate world championships venues carried on for 10 years until 2015 in Kreischberg, Austria, where all FIS snowboard, freestyle, and freeski competitions took place at one location. The 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Utah will feature 15 events including slopestyle, halfpipe, big air, parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, moguls, aerials, dual moguls, snowboardcross, and skicross. In addition, team events, which have been added to the 2022 Olympics Winter Games in Beijing, will make their World Championships debut at the 2019 World Champs, including team aerials and team snowboardcross.

While Solitude Mountain Resort may not have the history and tenure of events that Park City and Deer Valley have, it has quickly become clear it is a great addition to the World Championship program. In its first year of hosting a snowboardcross World Cup in 2017, Solitude was voted a favorite site by participating athletes. Furthermore, the terrain and facilities are perfectly suited to elite skicross and snowboardcross competition. Solitude is truly a showcase of the beauty and variation of skiing and riding in Utah, and will prove to be an amazing venue for this world-class competition.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have a strong history of performing at their very best at recent World Championships. At the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes collected six gold medals, three silver medals, and four bronze medals across all disciplines. U.S. athletes old and new to World Championship competition will be looking to continue that level of success in 2019 in front of their home crowds.
 

“I am thrilled to have World Champs on home soil this year. Coming in as reigning World Champion definitely adds to the pressure and excitement. I can’t wait to have my friends, family, and supporters out there with me!”
    - Defending aerials World Champion Ashley Caldwell.

Freeski and snowboard athletes have plenty of time on snow throughout early season competition to prepare and get in the competitive mindset. Competitions include the World Cup snowboard and freeski big air in Modena, Italy, Nov 3-4, World Cup freeski slopestyle in Stubai, Austria, Nov 22-24, and the World Cup snowboard air & style big air in Beijing, Nov 23-24. Also, domestic competitions include the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo., with World Cup freeski and snowboard halfpipe Dec 6-8; plus X Games and Dew Tour events leading into the 2019 Worlds.

“The World Championships are a big event, but it’s not what I’m thinking of right now as it’s still very far away in my mind,” said defending snowboardcross world champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.). “Right now I’m focusing on what I should be doing to prepare for the season. We are training, getting our wax technicians and equipment dialed, there is a lot that happens before now and the world champs. We just had a very successful camp and I’m taking that positive energy and moving into the next task at hand.“

Freestyle athletes will be globetrotting to hit major stops on their World Cup circuits leading into the 2019 Worlds and are sure to be ready for competition come February. The U.S. Moguls Team’s FIS World Cup circuit kicks off December 7, in Ruka, Finland, and the athletes will compete in China, Canada, and New York before skiing for World Championship glory on home soil. The aerials team will have plenty of on-snow training at the Utah Olympic Park before their competition season starts with a FIS World Cup event in Lake Placid, New York, January 19, 2019.

For defending halfpipe World Champion Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.), the world championships are very much a focal point moving into the competition season.

“With the stress of the Olympics gone, our team’s focus is definitely back on the World Championships,” said Blunck. “Alongside X Games, it is the biggest event of the 2019 competition season, so it is definitely on the top of our minds and it’s so rad it’s being held on our home turf!”
 

How to Watch the 2019 World Championships

NBC Sports will showcase more than 25 hours of 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championship programming, including more than 10 hours of live coverage, on NBC and the NBC Sports networks.

Additional coverage will also be available on NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer live streaming product – and the Olympic Channel digital platforms. A full broadcast schedule will be available on both USSkiandSnowboard.org  and  2019WorldChamps.com.
 

Be Part of the World Championships Team

Volunteers are a key element to providing the athletes with best-possible competition experience at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships. More than 600 volunteers will fill positions, including on-course crew, guest services, hospitality, media, and timing, to provide athletes and spectators with a world-class experience. Many other volunteer roles are available, but with demand already high, prospective applicants are encouraged to go to  https://2019worldchamps.com/volunteer-application/  for more details and to register their interest to join the team and participate in this unique opportunity.
 

PARK CITY, Utah - Clarity of avalanche warnings as well as lack of snow safety education and knowledge of the local ski environment by athletes and coaches were primary issues cited in a report detailing the 2015 avalanche deaths of two U.S. Ski Team athletes. The skiers had not seen avalanche warning reports so were unaware of the danger and unfamiliar with the nature of off-piste skiing at the European resort.

A comprehensive accident report was released Monday (Oct. 22) to the public and the avalanche education community by the Bryce and Ronnie Athlete Snow Safety Foundation (BRASS). The report will be used as a tool by BRASS to advocate for changes in snow safety warning systems as well as expansion of education to prevent future accidents.

The report was produced for the BRASS Foundation by noted avalanche safety expert Bruce Tremper, the retired director of the Utah Avalanche Center, and contains official reports of the Austrian agencies responsible for management of the accident.

Bryce Astle (Sandy, Utah) and Ronnie Berlack (Franconia, N.H.) were killed January 5, 2015. They were among a group of six athletes skiing on the Rote Karl run off the Gaislachkogel lift in Sölden. The athletes were in the resort west of Innsbruck attending an on-snow training camp. The morning of the accident, they were free skiing on the mountain after heavy snow forced cancelation of planned training sessions. The report outlines the fact that the athletes did not know they were skiing in an uncontrolled area of the resort and there was no English language signage.

“The accident was a great tragedy for our families and our sport,” said Steve Berlack, father of Ronnie and a ski coach himself. “But we are committed to using this accident as a platform for change so that something like this doesn’t happen again.”

The report outlines precise details of the morning, citing a variety of situations that led to the accident. With new snow, avalanche warning conditions were at Level 3 that morning, on a scale of five, indicating danger was ‘considerable.’ The report cited that the skiers and coaches did not have a distinct understanding of the danger level and that signage at the lift was not clear. 

“Our initiative from the accident is to improve snow safety culture,” said BRASS Foundation Board Chairman Jamie Astle, father of Bryce. “It’s a two-pronged approach for us. First, we will look at ways we can influence the avalanche safety community to improve warning systems. Second, we will advocate for greater avalanche education, especially for ski racing athletes and coaches.”

Since its formation in 2016, BRASS has been active in the avalanche education community. Last Spring, BRASS helped fund a series of three-day on-snow avalanche education sessions for U.S. Ski Team athletes and coaches at Snowbird, Utah, certified by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). 

Earlier this month, Cindy Berlack, mother of Ronnie, lobbied avalanche safety officials at the International Snow Safety Workshop in Innsbruck, Austria. Over 1,000 snow scientists and safety managers were in attendance. Berlack was seeking an evolution of the warning scale used by resorts as well as universal multilingual signage standards.

In Sölden this week, officials will unveil new English-language signage across the resort as well as dedicating a memorial to the two athletes along the road leading to the Rettenbach Glacier race course where the Audi FIS Ski World Cup opens Oct. 27-28.

“The entire Sölden community has rallied around our sons and taken aggressive steps to make their mountain safer for all,” said Steve Berlack. “Cindy found a welcome reception by the avalanche community at the ISSW workshop. We already feel we’re having a positive impact.” 

BRASS and Sölden will hold a reception on Wednesday, Oct. 24 to announce the changes leading up to the weekend World Cup opener.

The snow safety foundation will continue its work in America this winter, notably on the educational front. A BRASS-produced film Off Piste, featuring a recreation of the accident as well as comments from noted athletes Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller, and Ted Ligety, will be released to the public in November. BRASS will also prioritize its efforts to bring more educational programs to skiers.

STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product, launched “Snow Pass” today, giving fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports from October 2018 through April 2019. “Snow Pass” will feature an unprecedented 700+ hours – including nearly 100 exclusive hours – of coverage of FIS alpine skiing, nordic combined, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, biathlon, and snowboarding events. The 2018-19 “Snow Pass” is available for purchase now for $69.99 by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.

“Coming off the success of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, the appetite for winter sports coverage has never been greater,” said Portia Archer, Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer Services, NBC Sports Group. “Whether it’s the thrill of the downhill, the endurance of cross-country, or the majesty of the ski jump, we’re excited to give fans more content than ever before.”

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 [hyperlink], “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. 27. The pass also features live and on-demand coverage of the FIS World Championships, which take place every other year, from February–March 2019.

NBC Sports Gold holds the exclusive rights to all FIS events held in Austria and will stream the first FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup races of the 2018-19 season from Soelden, Austria, on “Snow Pass” on Oct. 27-28.

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 2018-19 “Snow Pass” (organized by sport):

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 11 individual sports “passes” – eight national (Premier League, Cycling, Track & Field, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Rugby, Pro Motocross -- also available internationally, and Snow, which consists of seven Winter Olympic sports); two regional (Blazers and Philly); and two international (Notre Dame Football & Pro Motocross). In 2019, NBC Sports Gold will add PGA TOUR LIVE and INDYCAR. More sports are expected to be added soon. Among the premium events and content offered by NBC Sports Gold are 150 Premier League matches; the Tour de France and many more prominent cycling races around the world; USA Track & Field and IAAF Diamond League events; domestic and international figure skating competitions; every Gallagher Premiership Rugby match; the entire 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season; 700+ hours of seven Winter Olympic sports; and all Notre Dame Football home games for international fans.