Four U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are headed to the Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway for the fourth edition of X Games Norway Aug 31 for a one-of-a-kind big air competition.

U.S. Snowboard Team riders Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.), Julia Marino (Westport, Conn,), and two-time Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) all plan to compete. X Games Norway will serve as Marino and Anderson’s first competition of the 2018-19 season, while Corning will arrive in Scandanavia with momentum on his side after defending his Winter New Zealand World Cup big air title by landing his signature quad cork 1800 melon. 

“This is my second time competing at X Games Norway,” said Corning. “I ended up in third-place last year, so I’m hoping to improve on that and do well this time around. I always take each contest one at a time and try not to think much about the last one. I am excited to get the invited and am looking forward to the event.”

The defending X Games Aspen slopestyle gold medalist Alex Hall (Park City, Utah) will represent the U.S. Freeski Team and is excited to kick off the competition season in such unique circumstances. 

“I’m pretty hyped to be going out to Norway this time of the year,” said Hall. “It’s kind of crazy to be competing in an event as big as X Games at the end of the summer, but it should be really fun. Summer in Norway is always great!”

Event organizers have built the big air jump adjacent to the Telenor Arena and temporarily removed the stadium’s roof panels allowing for skiers and riders to drop directly through the roof of the stadium as part of the in-run to the impressive 130-foot tall kicker. Hall is excited about the opportunity. 

“The through the roof drop-in sounds insane,” he said. “I heard there is a metal beam on the in-run that’s only a few meters above the snow, so it should definitely be a crazy experience.”

It’s a small, but strong U.S. Ski & Snowboard crew headed to Norway for what should be quite the spectacle. Both Marino and Corning found their way to the podium in 2018 and will be looking to take over the top spot this year. 

“I'm looking forward to this X Games mainly because of the unique venue, said Marino. "Last year all of the events were in separate locations and this year all of the sports are going to be in the same stadium. Not to mention dropping in from outside the stadium and coming in through the roof is going to be so cool.”

With four U.S. Olympians on the start list, fans watching back on the mainland are in for a treat. However, with a strong international field including 2018 X Games Norway women’s snowboard big air champion Kokomo Murase from Japan as well as the freeski men’s 2018 gold and silver medalists from Norway, Birk Ruud and Oystein Braaten, U.S. skiers and riders have their work cut out for them. 

For more details on the athletes, schedule and more visit xgames.com/norway.

VIDEOS
The Build Has Begun
2019 Hype Reel

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
@XGames - Streaming via ESPN App, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, Aug 31
3:30 a.m. - Men’s snowboard big air eliminations - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN App
6:00 a.m. - Women’s snowboard big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN App
8:30 a.m. - Men’s snowboard big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN App

Sunday, Sept 1
7:00 a.m. - Men’s snowboard big air eliminations - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN NEWS**
9:30 a.m. - Women’s snowboard big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN NEWS**
1:00 p.m. - Men’s snowboard big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN NEWS**

Sunday, Sept 8
2:30 p.m. - Best of Ski & Snowboard at X Games Norway 2019 - ABC

FREESKI
Saturday, Aug 31
3:30 a.m. - Men’s ski big air eliminations - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN App
8:30 a.m. - Women’s ski big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN App
11:30 a.m. - Men’s ski big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN App

Sunday, Sept 1
7:00 a.m - Men’s ski big air eliminations - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN NEWS**
1:00 p.m. - Women’s ski big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN NEWS**
4:00 p.m. - Men’s ski big air - Fornebu, Norway - ESPN NEWS**

Sunday, Sept 8
2:30 p.m. - Best of Ski & Snowboard at X Games Norway 2019 - ABC
 

Aspen Snowmass, in collaboration with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club (AVSC), will host the 2020 U.S. Alpine Tech Championships Mar. 28-31 at Aspen Highlands. The agreement also ensures the return of the U.S. Alpine Tech Championships to Aspen Snowmass in March of 2022. Tech Championships include the disciplines of men’s and women’s slalom, giant slalom and parallel slalom. 

“We are thrilled to bring elite ski racing back to Aspen for U.S. Alpine Tech Championships, says U.S. Ski & Snowboard Director of World Cup Events, Lindsay Arnold. “The 2017 FIS Ski World Cup Finals were a highlight for many of our athletes, and U.S. Alpine Championships is always a great opportunity to expose our up-and-coming national talent to the likes of some of the best alpine ski racers in the world, such as double Olympic champions Mikaela Shiffrin, Ted Ligety, and more.”

Mark Godomsky, executive director of AVSC continues, “Hosting U.S. Alpine Championships will be very special for Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club. Not only will our older athletes have the chance to compete with the best in the country on their home hill, but our younger athletes will have the chance to watch, interact with, and be inspired by the top competitors in their sport. We are incredibly grateful and proud of the Aspen Highlands race venue, and can’t wait to share it with athletes and clubs around the country during this awesome event.” 

The last time Aspen Snowmass hosted a U.S. Alpine Tech Championships was 60 years ago, but ski racing runs deep in the Roaring Fork Valley, as the resort not only hosted the first World Championships outside of Europe in 1950, but has been a continuous stop on the World Cup circuit for both the men and women. Aspen also hosted the 2017 FIS Ski World Cup Finals. 

“Ski racing is deeply engrained in Aspen’s heritage and our mountains have seen ski racing triumphs from greats such as Billy Kidd, Franz Klammer, Tamara McKinney, Ingemar Stenmark, Alberto Tomba, and Mikaela Shiffrin,” says John Rigney, senior vice president, Aspen Snowmass. “We are honored to continue this storied history and look forward to providing the best possible races for the U.S. Ski Team athletes and up-and-comers vying for the honor of national champion.”

Prior to hosting the U.S. Alpine Tech Championships, Aspen Snowmass will host the 2020 and 2021 NASTAR National Championships at Snowmass Mar. 24-28, 2020 and Mar. 23-27, 2021. NASTAR is a youth feeder program for the U.S. Ski Team, and U.S. Ski Team athletes set the pace for NASTAR. For the first time, both events will be at the same venue, allowing the top recreational racers to have the unique opportunity to compete side-by-side with the best American alpine ski racing athletes. 

The first NASTAR National Championship was held in the Spider Sabich race arena on Snowmass in the spring of 1998 and the event has expanded to include all age groups from U6 to 95+. More than 50,000 racers will compete at 100 resorts across the country to qualify for a spot at the National Championships. Recreational racers compete within their age and ability group to earn a National Championship title and place in the final, Race of Champions. Each National Champion carries their handicap into the race to compete for the overall win. For more information about the NASTAR National Championships, visit www.nastar.com/national-championships. 

The U.S. Alpine Speed Championships venue announcement will be forthcoming. 

U.S. Alpine Tech Championships Event Schedule
March 28 Parallel Slalom (National Championships) – Snowmass, Colo.
March 29 Slalom – Men and Women – Aspen Highlands, Colo. 
March 30 Women’s Giant Slalom – Aspen Highlands, Colo. 
March 31 Men’s Giant Slalom – Aspen Highlands, Colo. 

The 2019-20 FIS Snowboard World Cup season opened up in spectacular fashion for the U.S. Snowboard Team at the Winter Games NZ big air in Cardrona, New Zealand as Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) defended his title by once again landing a backside quad cork 1800 melon grab on his second run. 

“Being able to defend the Winter Games NZ title feels amazing, but I am happier we just got to ride,” said Corning. “If we did not get to compete today, the contest would have likely been canceled due to weather. Also, I’m really happy to share the podium with Red. It’s moments like these that we work so hard for. Everyone rode really well and I was stoked to watch everyone charge.”

U.S. Snowboard Teammate and Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) finished second, and Kalle Jarvilehto of Finland finished was third. 

With relatively high winds causing a small delay at the start of the competition, event organizers and riders came to the joint decision to run the men’s competition, but with safety in mind, the women would use their qualification results from Friday as the final results. Top qualifier Enni Rukajarvi of Finland was awarded her first World Cup win since 2017, and the fourth of her career, followed by Great Britain’s Katie Ormerod in second, and Norway’s Silje Norendal in third.

The 75-foot kicker was the stage for impressive performances from all riders. Corning was the first to drop for the U.S. and landed a perfect flat spin 1440 melon, a trick that is very difficult to stop the rotation. Gerard followed suit stomping one of the most stylish tricks of the day, a frontside 1440 tail grab.

Rookie pro team rider Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.) also started the competition strong landing a frontside 1260 tail grab displaying great control in his landing. Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii) continued the U.S. streak of stomped landings with a skillful backside 1620 melon showing the rest of the field the speed necessary to take it to the sweet spot of the landing.

The energy at Cardrona Alpine Resort rose to a whole new level in run two as Corning stomped his signature backside quad cork 1800. Last season at the Winter Games NZ, Corning became the first rider ever to land a quad cork in the southern hemisphere. With a score of 95, Corning would move comfortably into the top spot. Gerard continued the strong U.S. performance by executing a clean backside 1440 triple cork mute grab complete with a very stylish late backside shifty to the satisfaction of the Kiwi crowd. Winkelmann and Farrell would both struggle to bring their tricks to their feet on run two.

Heading into the final run, Americans held down the top-three positions, but the strong international field stepped it up on their last jump making for an exciting finish. First, Australian Mathew Cox would bump Farrell out of the top-three. Then Canadian Nicolas Laframboise landed backside triple cork 1440 with massive amplitude to bump Gerard into third place. Jarvilehto followed with a switch backside 1440, a very difficult rotation, to overtake Laframboise and bump Gerard into fourth place. Finally, Just as he did in qualifications, Gerard showed his ability to be clutch when it matters most and landed a beautiful backside triple cork 1440 to overtake second-place. Corning would remain the top position and claim the yellow bib after the first big air World Cup.

The Cardona World Cup big air was a stellar start to the season for the U.S. Snowboard Team. From all five Americans performing well in the qualifier, to a great finish by Corning and Gerard in the finals, U.S. riders will undoubtedly be fun watch this competition season. Stay tuned for more action from Winter Games NZ as members of the U.S. Freeski team will take to the halfpipe Sept 6-7.

RESULTS
Men’s snowboard big air finals
Women’s snowboard big air finals

EVENT REPLAY 
Men’s snowboard big air finals
 

2019 Alpine Combined and Slalom National Champion Luke Winters (Gresham, Ore.) was victorious under the lights and through the fog in the Winter Games NZ parallel slalom opener Friday night at Coronet Peak, New Zealand.

The men's Europa Cup group (a.k.a. #SlamifestDestiny) has been training at Roundhill and Ohau, New Zealand since mid-August, with excellent training conditions and support from each of the resorts despite a relatively mild winter down under. The U.S. Ski & Snowboard staff—led by coaches Matt Underhill, Ryan Wilson and Josh Benge—together with resort partners, has worked tirelessly to water and prep the surface to allow for world-class training conditions in both giant slalom and slalom disciplines as the athletes get back on snow and dive into the 2019-20 prep period.  

Winters edged out Slovakia's Adam Zampa in the big final for the victory in spectacular fashion, with a tight finish and a near-crash at the bottom. Belgium's Sam Maes—the 2019 FIS Junior World Ski Championships slalom and giant slalom bronze medalist—rounded out the podium in third. 

The group, including Winters, double Junior World Champion River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.), Junior Worlds silver medalist Ben Ritchie (Waitsfield, Vt.), Bridger Gile (Aspen, Colo.), Jacob Dilling (Vail, Colo.), as well as invitees Jimmy Krupka (Waitsfield, Vt.) and Jett Seymour (Steamboat, Colo.) traveled to Coronet Peak from Ohau on Friday for the event, and will conclude their New Zealand training camp, heading back stateside on Monday, August 25.

More details about Winter Games NZ can be found on their website. 

HIGHLIGHTS
Winter Games NZ Parallel Slalom Highlight Video

Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii) led four U.S. Snowboard Team riders in the qualifying round at the opening FIS Snowboard World Cup big air of the season at Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand Friday. 

Farrell qualified third, followed by Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.) in sixth, Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) seventh, and 2018-19 FIS Snowboard overall champion Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) in ninth. 

“I feel great,” said an elated Farrell. “I was so stoked to put my first run down. I had a hard time in practice and almost missed my run, but was able to put it all together when I dropped in. Also, I could not be happier to see all my teammates ride well and make it through. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting finals in the books this weekend.”

Under a blue sky with virtually no wind, Farrell secured his place in finals by putting down a beautiful backside 1620. First-year U.S. Snowboard Pro Team rider Winkelmann landed both of his runs, gradually improving throughout the competition. This is a great trend for the pro team rookie heading into the first World Cup final of the season.

“It feels super good to get that contest rust out of the system,” said Winkelmann. “It’s always nice to land both of my runs at the first contest of the season. Also, it’s insane that there are three other U.S. riders heading into the finals. No other country got more than one, so really excited to ride with my teammates and make a run at the podium. My strategy is to mainly have fun with it and hope to put down another couple of solid tricks.” 

Olympic gold medalist Gerard put the pressure on by falling on his first run, and in a very rare scenario, found himself sitting 28th heading into his second run. On Gerard’s final opportunity, he put his clutchness on display and earned a top-10 score. Corning, who was arguably the favorite coming into the event, landed a solid first run, but it would only be good enough for ninth place. Corning, who won the event last season, will need to put together two strong runs in the finals to catch the competition.

American rider Storm Rowe (Jamaica, Vt.) landed his first backside triple cork in a contest and finished 11th, just missing finals by one position. Rowe held is own in a diverse international field of 35 athletes. Safe to say the future is bright for this young rider. 

Finals are scheduled to take place on Saturday, Aug 24. Tune in on the Olympic Channel to catch the action live.

RESULTS
Men’s big air qualification
Women’s big air qualification

START LIST
Men’s big air finals
Women’s big air finals

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST
Subject to change

SNOWBOARD
Friday, August 23
5:15 p.m. - World Cup men’s and women’s big air - Cardrona, New Zealand - Olympic Channel-TV & OlympicChannel.com
 

For most people, spending 23 hours on an airplane certainly doesn’t sound like an enjoyable experience. But it's just part of the job if you’re a winter athlete looking to escape the summer heat and humidity of Vermont and Massachusetts.

Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) and Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.), along with U.S. Cross Country Team Coach Jason Cork, recently made the trip to Snow Farm, near Wanaka, New Zealand, to jump back on snow and enjoy the area’s 55k of groomed trails. But most importantly, they were looking for a change of scenery and the unique opportunity to mix up their training regime for a few weeks. 

Following a heavy training block that included The Presidential Traverse - a 21-mile trail run that features 9,000 feet of climbing across all 10 of the mountains in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, Diggins was more than happy to trade in her running shoes for ski boots.

“It’s really incredible to be back on snow, and I’m so excited for this three-week opportunity to continue working on my technique and on-snow classic striding. There are some things you can only really improve on when you’re actually on skis and skiing on real snow, and I’m ready to take advantage of every training day this camp!”
   – Jessie Diggins

While a number of their U.S. Cross Country Ski Team teammates have donned race bibs in a number of roller ski events recently, Diggins and Kern will get their opportunity at the Merino Muster World Loppet race on August 31. In addition, they also plan to participate in a couple of the NZ Winter Games races Sept. 3-5.

“The chance to put a bib on again and practice race-day tactics, dialing in the wax and overall effort is perfect at this time of year,” Diggins added.

Diggins and Kern make the 23-hour return trip back home in September to resume their training programs prior to the next round of training camps for the U.S. Cross Country Team Oct. 7-20 in Park City, Utah, and Lake Placid, N.Y.
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is doubling down on athlete physical fitness with its national validated physical fitness testing program, SkillsQuest-Fitness. 

SkillsQuest-Fitness is part of SkillsQuest, a cornerstone program of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Training Systems, designed to motivate and reward athletes in working toward and improving abilities in the key areas of emphasis. 

SkillsQuest-Fitness tests eight physical properties including strength and power, coordination, speed, and aerobic fitness. It’s a holistic view of an athlete’s fitness, and through the data gathered during testing sessions and already amassed by the high performance staff, athletes have the ability to see where they stack up against peers and national team members in their sport.

Alpine athletes on the development team, National Development Group and anyone aspiring to compete in the Alpine World Junior Ski Championships will have to pass a minimum overall standard assessed by SkillsQuest-Fitness by November 1 of this year. Minimum physical fitness standards will be phased into all levels of the Alpine National Team over the next few years. 

“Physical fitness is extremely important for athletic development for athletes coming up the pipeline onto the national team,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Development Director Chip Knight. “We want there to be a baseline of physical conditioning that aspiring athletes have as a foundation for them to continue to move forward in our sport. Anyone who has national elite level aspiration should be targeting these SkillsQuest-Fitness events and working on their physical conditioning in the summer.”

“Research consistently shows that improved physical fitness is correlated to improved alpine ski racing performance, particularly in junior skiers,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s High Performance Director Troy Taylor. “The fitter you are the more quality training you can do, the more quality training you get, the better you can improve.”

“We’re pushing fitness to support quality skill and technical development,” emphasized U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s High Performance Coordinator Calin Butterfield. “Fitter, more physically robust athletes can train for their sport with higher quality and less likelihood of injury.” 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will offer multiple SkillsQuest-Fitness validated tests across the country before the November 1 deadline. However, these tests are not exclusive to the alpine community. Taylor encourages any ski or snowboard athletes 14 years or older to participate in the events so that they can get assessed and see where they stack up against the best in their age group, their region, or the best of the national team members. 

For more information on registering for validated SkillsQuest-Fitness testing and dates in each region, please visit our registration website.

U.S. Snowboard Team athletes will compete in the first FIS World Cup big air event of the season this week in Cardrona, New Zealand Aug 23-24. 

U.S. Pro Team riders Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.), Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.), Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii), Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), and American Storm Rowe (Jamaica, Vt.) are all scheduled to compete.

“I am excited to be back in New Zealand," said Corning. “I hope to bring home a win again. The jump is usually pretty great and if the weather holds out it should be a good contest. Being in a contest after the summer can always be more nerve-wracking than one in the middle of the season, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Big air will serve as one of the marquee events in the Winter Games NZ program, which also hosts freeski, alpine, and cross-country competitions. It has become a tradition to kick off the freeski and snowboard World Cup competition season in the southern hemisphere. Last year, on Corning’s 19th birthday, he stunned the crowd and his fellow athletes with a perfectly stomped backside quad-corked 1800 melon grab on his second run. That was the first time the trick was landed in World Cup competition. Corning’s performance earned him the top spot on the podium. His teammate and PyeongChang Olympic big air silver medalist Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.) just missed the podium, finishing fourth. 

Corning is coming off yet another impressive season where he earned his fifth and sixth FIS Crystal Globes in March by winning the snowboard slopestyle and overall titles. He is certainly a favorite this weekend, but there are plenty of contenders ready to put up a fight including teammate and Olympic gold medalist Gerard. Gerard also had a successful season last winter taking home the gold at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, as well as at the 2019 Burton U.S. Open Slopestyle finals. In addition, first-year pro team member Luke Winkelmann is searching for his first World Cup podium. U.S. Snowboard slopestyle and Big Air Pro Team Head Coach Dave Reynolds is excited about the team he has on the ground in New Zealand. 

“We are excited to be back on snow down here in New Zealand,” said Reynolds. “We have a small, but very capable crew out here with four out of our top five ranked riders competing. We don’t get many on snow big airs (vs. scaffolding) and the crew is pumped to get the first big air of the season in the books.”

While this weekend’s original schedule called for qualifications on Saturday, Aug 24, and finals on Sunday the 25th, a winter storm front approaching means that that is all very likely to change. The one window of good weather projected for this weekend appears to be for Friday, Aug 23, when blue skies and mellow winds are expected. With this forecast in mind, organizers and officials have decided to move qualifications up to Friday. And while hopes are high that a fitting finals will be able to go down sometime between Saturday and the Monday weather day, there is the distinct possibility that those qualification results may have to stand in as official results should finals not be possible.

Don’t miss your chance to watch the first snowboard World Cup event of the season. Tune in on the Olympic Channel to catch the action live.

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST
Subject to change

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, August 24
8:00 p.m. - World Cup men’s and women’s big air - Cardrona, New Zealand - Olympic Channel-TV & OlympicChannel.com
 

-- A special thanks to John Dakin for contributing this wonderful story about Pepi Gramshammer.

Somewhere around 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, the heart of Vail, Colorado skipped a beat. The air in the heart of Vail Village seemed to become lighter and a sense of calm settled over the Gasthof Gramshammer.

Austrian ski legend and Vail pioneer Pepi Gramshammer had left his beloved valley for a higher place⁠—he was 87. He is survived by his wife Sheika, daughters Kira and Sheika, and two grandsons.

Gramshammer spent the waning days of his storied life in the place he loved most⁠—Vail. His hospital room’s window looked out on Vail Mountain and the Riva Ridge ski run.  His family played video thank you messages from other ski racing legends including, Mikaela Shiffrin, Franz Klammer, Hermann Maier, and Annemarie Moser-Proell, along with celebrities Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wolfgang Puck.

Many in the Vail Valley will forever wonder what could have been or, more appropriately, what might not have been if Pepi Gramshammer had decided that he was a better cheesemaker than a ski racer.  Born in Kufstein, Austria in 1932, he was determined to make the Austrian National Ski Team following the completion of his apprenticeship making cheese.

Gramshammer began skiing at the age of ten, moving to Innsbruck as a 17-year-old and joining the Innsbruck Skiing Association to ensure himself better training opportunities.  He initially worked as a ski instructor in Igls, while also teaching skiing during the summer months on the Stevio Pass in Italy.

It would take him four years to work his way up the ranks to earn a spot on the powerful Austrian team of the 1950s, joining the likes of Toni Sailer, Anderl Molterer, Christian Pravda and Ernst Hinterseer.  Gramshammer’s first major international victory came in 1956 in a Giant Slalom in Obergurgl, Austria.

Following the conclusion of his amateur career in 1960, Gramshammer moved to the United States, settling in Sun Valley, Idaho to teach skiing with Kitzbuhel native Siegfried Engl, who served as the ski school director. He also jumped aboard the newly-created U.S. Professional Ski Tour, becoming the circuit’s top racer in 1962, sponsored by Head skis, Nordica boots and Look/Nevada bindings.

That same year, Pepi was approached with another new opportunity, a fledgling ski resort in Colorado called Vail.  Resort pioneer Dick Hauserman showed him a film about the new ski area that impressed Gramshammer enough to agree to meet with developers Pete Seibert, Morrie Shepard, and Bob Parker, following a pro race at Loveland.  The next day, the men visited the mountain and skied the Back Bowls.

Pepi credits his decision to move to Vail to Hauserman and his wife, Blanche. “It was the best move I ever made in my life,” he maintained. Initially, Gramshammer worked for the ski school, but the lion’s share of his responsibilities came in public relations and racing for Vail.  He quickly became the resort’s Ski Ambassador, showing people around the mountain.

At the conclusion of his first season, Pepi approached Hauserman with an idea—he wanted to make Vail his home. Gramshammer had always harbored a desire to operate an Austrian-style hotel and wanted to build one in his adopted home.  With the help of investors that included Howard Head, Endicott Davison, Edward Lynch, and Jack Crosby, Gasthof Gramshammer and Pepi Sports became reality.

In the summer of 1966, Gramshammer, along with fellow Austrians Erich Sailer and Anderl Molterer, founded the Red Lodge International Summer Ski Racing Camp in Red Lodge, Montana in an effort to help teach alpine ski racing techniques to American youth.  He also created training programs for adults in Vail called “Wedel Weeks”.

When President Gerald R. Ford made Vail the Western White House during ski vacations, Pepi was one of his most frequent companions, both on and off the slopes. “Don’t worry about the White House,” advised Gramshammer, “you’re skiing now”.  As a result of this friendship between the Fords and the Gramshammers, the President and Mrs. Ford returned the favor, hosting Pepi and his wife Sheika at the White House.

But perhaps the Gramshammer’s greatest contribution to the Vail Valley has come from their love of skiing and ski racing. Through the proceeds of their annual Crystal Ball, which celebrated its final chapter in 1998, over $2 million was raised and donated to ski-related organizations and programs throughout the gala’s 20-year run, with beneficiaries including the Vail Valley Foundation, the U.S. Ski Team, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail and Vail Resort’s Adaptive Ski Program. Pepi also served on the board of directors of the Vail Valley Foundation for 20 years.

Gramshammer was instrumental in helping to return World Cup ski racing to the Vail Valley in 1983, along with helping to direct the campaigns to bring the 1989, 1999 and 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to Vail and Beaver Creek. He also created the Legends of Skiing competitions in conjunction with Vail’s annual American Ski Classic, while being inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Pepi has been fortunate enough to enjoy a very special love affair with Vail since day one. During the 1994 FIS Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he stepped to the microphone as part of the Vail/Beaver Creek World Championships presentation and laid it out for the international delegation. "I was born and raised in Austria and I am proud of that”, Gramshammer explained. “But my home is Vail, Colorado and I love that.”

Throughout his life and career, Pepi Gramshammer has truly been the heartbeat of Vail, embodying the American “can do” spirit, along with the fun that is skiing.  His love for his adopted home and for all things skiing will remain as his lasting legacy and gift to Vail. The Vail Valley, along with everyone that visits Vail and Beaver Creek each year, most certainly owes the cheesemaker a great debt of thanks.

A memorial service for family and close friends has been scheduled for Monday, August 26, at 11 a.m. at the Vail Interfaith Chapel. A reception will follow at Pepi’s. A community Celebration of Life will be hosted at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in September.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Pepi’s name to the Colorado Snowsports Museum, Vail Health Hospital or the Vail Valley Foundation, targeted for World Cup ski racing.

One of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s most revered ski racing officials, Allen Church, 91, passed away August 17 in Albuquerque, N.M. after a long illness. Church’s career as a volunteer official spanned five decades. In 2002, he was selected to take the oath on behalf of all competition judges and officials at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, where he served as chief of timing and scoring for alpine skiing.

Church began his career serving as an official with his home ski club in Taos, N.M. His career extended around the country and the world. With a primary focus on race timing, he became one of the world’s most knowledgeable experts and has been responsible for training thousands of other officials.

“Allen Church typified the passion we see in our volunteers that helps our sport thrive,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “While we miss Allen, his legacy will be in the thousands of officials he has impacted throughout his career.”

His professional career was as a scientist, heading the Sandia Labs in Albuquerque. He was also an actor, appearing in several cowboy westerns.

But his passion was working in alpine ski racing where served as a technical delegate from 1978 to 1995. In his career, he worked at the highest levels of the sport, including World Cup, World Championships and Olympics. He is a past recipient of some of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s highest honors for officials, including the Westhaven Award for international technical delegates (1996), John Clair Award for service to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Teams (2014) and the Bud and Mary Little Award for service to the Olympics and International Ski Federation (2003). He was inducted into the New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame in 2007.

In 2015, he was recognized with the organization’s highest honor, the Julius Blegen Award. “Allen’s hallmark was that he was always available at any time to help anyone in our sport,” said Paul Van Slyke. “He was a true mentor to others and largely responsible for bringing Thelma Hoessler (2019 Blegen recipient) into our sport. He taught at her first timing clinic many years ago and mentored her through many events and experiences. Allen was an icon and mentor to many of us, his patient ways and thoughtful approach was an inspiration to us all.”

Church was born in Los Alamos in 1928 where his parents ran the Los Alamos Ranch School. His mother, Peggy Pond Church, was a famous poet. He grew up skiing at Sawyer’s Hill. In the 1940s, the Manhattan Project took over the school and the family moved to Taos. Church attended both Colorado State and Colorado A&M, initially to study veterinary science but then deciding to go into acting. After serving in the Korean War, he enrolled at Stanford, earning an engineering degree, returning to his home to work at the Sandia National Laboratories. He is survived by his two daughters, Janet Harrison, and Nancy Whetstone. It was their engagement in ski racing that brought him into the sport.