Adrenaline junkies and Deadheads of Atlanta rejoice! Not only are U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Atlanta Braves bringing you Olympic-level skiing and snowboarding, but in partnership with Teton Gravity Research (TGR), will be premiering highly anticipated “Fire on the Mountain” in SunTrust Park ahead of freeski big air competition on Saturday, December 21. 

"We are excited to be sharing Fire on the Mountain and segments from Winterland on the huge screen at the Big Air competition in Atlanta,” said Todd Jones, Co-Founder of Teton Gravity Research. “Since we founded Teton Gravity Research 24 years ago, our mission has been to inspire - we look forward to bringing our films and the TGR energy to such a large scale event, in a region that isn't normally known for ski and snowboard events.”
 

  Tickets on sale now at Braves.com/visabigair
  More information at usskiandsnowboard.org/visabigair

“Fire on the Mountain” comes from the mind of Chris Benchetler, and this short film features a cast of some of the world’s best athletes on an improvisational journey of skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and music, complete with a soundtrack comprised of only Grateful Dead music. Narrated by Hall of Fame basketball player and television sportscaster Bill Walton, with music supervision by David Lemieux (audiovisual archivist and legacy manager for the Grateful Dead), “Fire On The Mountain” features some of action sports’ most legendary athletes: snowboarding’s Jeremy Jones, Kimmy Fasani, U.S. Snowboard Team alumnus Danny Davis, surfing icon Rob Machado, and skiers Michelle Parker and Chris Benchetler. This visual journey features never seen before visual effects within nature and original artwork by Benchetler and Skye Walker.
 

Attendees of Friday’s snowboard big air and Saturday’s free ski big air competitions will also be treated to segments of TGR’s newest feature-length film “Winterland” throughout the weekend. “Winterland” is a celebration of ski and snowboard culture just as is the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover. Spectators will not only be wowed by elite competition as skiers and riders complete tricks 80-100 feet through the air off of a 15-story steel scaffold jump covered in 800 tons of snow, but also by the insane visuals featured in these films. Through the partnership with TGR, fans from all sides of the ski and snowboard industry - competitive, big mountain and film - will have something to celebrate in what is sure to be the ultimate winter kick-off party in Atlanta. 

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Our sport was saddened to hear of the passing of snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton Carpenter. 

Jake was a man of vision who created the culture and nurtured the passion of snowboarding through his engagement and support of athletes. His persistence and a great sense of brand helped make U.S. Ski & Snowboard a much better organization. Burton was a longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner. Jake has been widely recognized for his innovation, including induction into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and as a recipient of U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Doc DesRoches Award for his company’s contribution to the industry. 

As snowboarding came into the Olympics in the 1990s, Jake and SIA pushed U.S. Ski & Snowboard to better understand the sport’s unique culture and independent identity. As a result, U.S. Ski & Snowboard created the U.S. Grand Prix tour, which still exists today, as a showcase of the sport and an open Olympic qualifying process. 

In the early days, U.S. Ski & Snowboard partnered with a Japanese company as the principal sport sponsor. But in 2003, Jake joined with U.S. Ski & Snowboard on what was a fruitful 15-year relationship with his namesake brand. 

Jake helped us all better understand the unique nature of snowboarding leading to U.S. Ski & Snowboard's more independent approach to team structure and the creation of pro and rookie teams. It manifested into a unique and notable approach to Olympic unforming which was embraced by athletes. Over the years, Jake continued to push to make U.S. Ski & Snowboard a better organization, with the athletes being the prime beneficiaries. He joined the U.S. Ski & Snowboard board of trustees in 2000 and remained on the board until his passing.

Information on a life celebration is pending. Jake’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Chill Foundation.
 

The initial freeski and snowboard athlete entry list is in for the Visa Big Air World Cup in Atlanta, and it serves as a true illustration of quality without sacrificing quantity for the two-day event at SunTrust Park. 

The Olympic spirit will return to Atlanta this December with an impressive roster of international competitors for the Visa Big Air slated for Dec. 20 and 21. SunTrust Park will host 27 nations represented by an estimated 164 athletes across men’s and women’s snowboard and freeski big air competition. To put that in context, at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games 30 nations competed in snowboarding and 27 nations competed in freeski and freestyle disciplines. Since founding the event, organizers have stressed the goal of attempting to bring back the Olympic spirit of competition to Atlanta and this elite athletic field sets the scene for exactly that.

Note. Initial athlete entries are subject to change. The list below does not contain all athletes or countries represented on the entry list. 
 

    UNITED STATES

• Two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper, two-time X Games gold medalist Alex Hall, 2018-19 FIS Slopestyle Crystal Globe Winner Mac Forehand, the Fagan Brothers (Deven and Kiernan), Colby Stevenson, and Willie Borm. 
• For the women, 2019 FIS World Championship big air silver medalist Julia Krass, Olympian Caroline Claire, and potentially Maggie Voisin making her debut back from injury.
• Olympic gold medalists Red Gerard and Jamie Anderson, Olympic silver medalist Kyle Mack, and six-time Crystal Globe winner and current FIS World Cup Big Air points leader Chris corning.
• 2016 Fenway Big Air World Cup winner Julia Marino and X Games gold medalist Hailey Langland. 
   

   CANADA

• Olympic bronze medalist Alex Beaulieu-Marchand, Dew Tour champion Evan McEachran, inaugural Olympic slopestyle gold medalist Dara Howell, and Megan Oldham.
• Mark McMorris, one of the most decorated competitive snowboarders in history, Darcy Sharpe, Michael Ciccarelli, and six-time X Games medalist and inaugural Olympic big air gold medalist Sebastian Toutant. 
• X Games gold medalist Laurie Blouin, Olympian Brooke Voigt, and rising star Sommer Gendron. 
   

   SWITZERLAND

• Three-time FIS Crystal Globe winner Andri Ragettli, Kai Mahler, Luca Schuler, and Fabian Boesch
• Swiss female double-cork freeski triple threat of Sarah Hoefflin, Mathilde Gremaud, and Giulia Tanno.
• Snowboard Olympian Michael Schaerer. 
   

   NORWAY

• Six-time X Games medalists Johanne Killi and Oystein Braaten, as well as Ferdinand Dahl, Christian Nummedal, and two-time X Games gold medalist Birk Ruud. 
• Two-time X Games medalist Mons Roisland. 
   

   SWEDEN

• Fan-favorite Henrik Harlaut alongside teammates Jesper Tjader and Oscar Wester.
• X Games gold medalist Sven Thorgren and Niklas Mattsson.
   

   GREAT BRITAIN

• 2019 FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Champion James Woods as well as Olympic bronze medalist Isabel Atkin.
• Snowboard Olympian Katie Ormerod. 
   

   AUSTRIA

• Anna Gasser, the first female snowboarder to land a triple cork and is also the inaugural Olympic big air gold medalist. Also, snowboard olympian Clemens Millauer.
• Freeski Olympian Lukas Muellauer.
   

 JAPAN

• Japanese riders Ruki Tobita and Ryoma Kimata. 
• 2018-19 FIS Snowboard Big Air Crystal Globe Winner Reira Iwabuchi, Miyabi Onitsuka, Kokomo Murase. 
   

   NEW ZEALAND

• Freeski Olympian Finn Bilous and Margaux Hackett.
   

  Tickets on sale now at Braves.com/visabigair  

  More information at usskiandsnowboard.org/visabigair

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**
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Slopestyle and Big Air National Development Coach Nichole Mason is back at it again, hosting a total of five USASA freeski and snowboard Level 100 and 200 coaching clinics, including two all-female clinics in Aspen Snowmass, Colo., Dec. 2-3 and Vail, Colo., Dec. 11-12. 

“I am truly looking forward to kick-starting the season with another set of USASA coach clinics,” said Nichole. “I always enjoy getting to know all the coaches from around the region and capturing a healthy dose of mental stimulation to set us up for a successful season. The aspect I enjoy most is learning from the participants and helping to strengthen the voices of our female community. If we can continue to learn and train with each other, we will grow stronger as a community.”

The all-female coaching clinics are a result of a deeper U.S. Ski & Snowboard focus to increase participation amongst women throughout the organization. 

“As in most other sports, gender ratios in ski and snowboard coaching do not reflect the ratios of athletes,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club Development Manager Ellen Adams. “On the athlete side, gender ratios are nearly 50/50. On the coaching side, the total number of women in ski and snowboard coaching is far below the number of men. Less than 24% of coaches at the grassroots level are women, and as you move up through the phases of athlete development to the elite level, that percentage falls significantly. In an effort to recruit, develop and retain more women in coaching, we must work both from the top-down and the bottom-up. This means increasing opportunities for engagement and development at the grassroots level, like the all-female coaches clinics being led by Nichole, where women can share and learn from each other, as well as lead by example with more women coaching at the highest levels. We are committed to making progress on both ends of the spectrum.”

The Level 100 clinic will target intro-level coaches who will be working with Phase 1 and Phase 2 athletes. The Level 200 Clinic targets more experienced coaches who have been working with athletes for a number of years and whose goals are to expand their knowledge and skillset to better work with Phase 3, 4 and 5 athletes. Each clinic contains both on snow and course-based work. In addition, prerequisites differ for the Level 100 and 200 clinics. Click here for more detail on course prerequisites.

The USASA Coaches clinics have been so beneficial, some clubs have chosen to make attendance mandatory for their coaches, including Tori Koski, the Snowboard Program Director at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. 

“In the past, none of our coaches ever really pursued their USASA certification unless they were coaching at USASA events,” said Tori. “We did our own in-house training. Then we really saw the importance of working with Nichole and USASA Executive Director Mike Mallon. The snowboard department agreed that everyone needs to be certified and we will figure out a way to pay for it to make it easier on our coaches. Immediately after implementing mandatory coaches clinics, we noticed faster progression with the kids. In addition, the clinics also gave the coaches the tools to continue to progress. We even had some level 200-300 coaches have some strong takeaways.”

The benefits of attending USASA Coaching clinics extend far beyond understanding core concepts and continuous learning. The ski and snowboard industry is one that thrives on networking and these clinics provide coaches an opportunity to not just learn from Nichole, but also the coaches around them. This dynamic can create relationships that last throughout a coach’s career. 

“Nichole keeps the connection alive with all the coaches that participate,” Tori added. “It’s cool to see our community grow with such strong relationships,” 

Amanda Poindexter, a coach working out of Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club, echoed Tori’s sentiment. “It’s not only very inspirational being surrounded by other rad women who coach, but it was really helpful to see other’s coaching strategies, drills, and approaches to coaching,” she said. “Nichole has so much knowledge, experience, and a great coaching philosophy. I can say with certainty that you will leave the clinic a much better coach.”

If you are a coach, it’s fair to say that the pure fun of snowboarding is what initially attracted you to the sport and probably what keeps you giving back to the community. Nichole has not forgotten this important philosophy when leading these clinics. 

“It’s a very friendly open atmosphere, with a lot of laughs,’” said Tori. “Frankly, it’s a blast to talk about snowboarding and be surrounded by like-minded people who are all very good at what they do. In addition to Nichole’s expertise, I think a lot of it is us learning from each other.”

USASA has over 25 clinics currently scheduled across the United States. For additional information or to register for another clinic visit the full clinic schedule here. 

MASON’S CLINIC SCHEDULE
Full USASA Clinic Schedule and Registration

Nov. 23-24: Steamboat Springs, Colo. -  level 100 - co-ed
Dec. 2-3: Aspen Snowmass, Colo. -  level 200 - all-female
Dec. 4-5: Aspen Snowmass, Colo. - level 100 - co-ed
Dec. 9 -10:  Vail, Colo. - level 100 - all-female
Dec. 11-12: Vail level 200 - co-ed
 

With FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup competition already underway in some disciplines, the world’s best halfpipe skiers and riders are gearing up to kick off their northern hemisphere season at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo. Dec. 11-14. The event will serve as the second halfpipe World Cup stop for the freeskiers and the season opener for the snowboarders. 

“Copper is always the first event of the year and I have never done well at this location,” said 2018 PyeongChang Olympic silver medalist Alex Ferreira. “For that reason, I am extremely motivated to get my first memorable result at Copper. I have been training like a mad man, so when the time comes, I will see if my preparation pays off!” 

The U.S. Grand Prix is more than just another stop on the World Cup Circuit. This is the 24th season of Grand Prix competition and the 11th year of the Copper Mountain Resort Grand Prix partnership. It’s no coincidence that the relationship between Copper Mountain, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and athletes from across the globe has been so successful. 

“Copper Mountain’s commitment to producing excellent early season conditions, fostering an environment of progression, and opening their arms to world-class athletes is what makes Copper the ideal venue for World Cup halfpipe competition,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Event Director Nick Alexakos. “Year after year, Copper continues to produce a 22-foot Olympic sized superpipe available for training and competition. This is no small feat. Building a quality superpipe demands significant time, resources, and skilled terrain park staff, but Copper has never shied away from the challenge.” 

In addition to their ongoing dedication to on-snow facilities, in February of 2009, Copper furthered their stance as freeski and snowboard paradise by opening the Woodward Copper Barn. Woodward Copper Barn is a 19,400 square foot indoor training facility with skateparks, Olympic-grade trampolines, foam pit jumps, indoor ski and snowboard training and more. Most recently, Copper and Woodward have taken inspiration from the U.S. Snowboard Team’s own Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard with the creation of the hike-to-jib style terrain park called Red’s Backyard set to debut at the end of 2019.

With elite facilities comes elite athletes. In this case, the “if you build it, they will come mentality” certainly rings true. However, one athlete that won’t be making the trip is 2018 PyeongChang Olympic gold medalist and 2019 FIS World Champion Chloe Kim. Chloe is taking the season off from competition in order to give her mind and my body a break, while also attending her freshman year at Princeton University. Even with Kim’s absence, the field at the Grand Prix is as strong as ever. 

Leading the way for the U.S. Freeski Team are Colorado locals Alex Ferreira and Aaron Blunck. Both Alex and Aaron are coming off strong seasons collecting podiums at last season’s pinnacle events. Alex earned X Games and Dew Tour gold, while Aaron collected a Dew Tour podium in addition to defending his FIS World Championship title. Blunck is also the defending champion from last year’s Copper Grand Prix. In addition, Birk Irving already has a World Cup victory under his belt from September in Cardrona, New Zealand after landing a very unique double-cork 720 to cap off his run.

Furthermore, there is potential for some big names to make their return to snow after suffering injuries last season including double Olympic gold medalist David Wise, Olympic bronze medalist Brita Sigourney, and pro team member Carly Margulies. 

Maddie Mastro will lead the way for the women of U.S. Snowboard Team and is focussed on finally earning what has been an elusive first-place finish. She placed second in 2017 and 2018, but has never come in with this much momentum. Maddie finished the season making history at the U.S. Open by landing the first-ever double crippler in the women’s snowboard halfpipe competition besting Chloe for the gold. 

“I’m looking forward to kicking off the season at Copper,” said Maddie. I have done well there in years past, but have yet to take the top spot. I feel I had a strong season last year and can hopefully continue to put my best snowboarding on display. Copper should be a great competition and I look forward to reconnecting with the halfpipe community.”

For the men, Toby Miller and Chase Josey will be looking to repeat their early-season success from 2018. Last year, Toby earned his first-ever World Cup podium with a second-place finish at the Copper Grand Prix alongside teammate Chase Josey in third place. Both Toby and Chase went on to swap podium positions at the Dew Tour only a week later. Miller and Josey both have proved there is no need to shake off the cobwebs early in the year podiuming at the first two events of the 2018-19 season. However, they have some stiff competition with Australian Scotty James looking to defend his title. 

The Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix’s second and final stop will be at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Jan. 29 - Feb.1. Mammoth Mountain’s Unbound Terrain Park consistently delivers a world-class venue for both training and competition. This season’s Grand Prix will feature both slopestyle and halfpipe competition. 

Join us at Copper Mountain to kick-off your winter with some of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s biggest stars or tune in below to catch the action from home.

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LAND ROVER U.S. GRAND PRIX - COPPER MOUNTAIN
Event Schedule
*Subject to change

Dec. 11: Freeski Halfpipe qualifications
Dec. 12: Snowboard Halfpipe qualifications
Dec. 13: Freeski Halfpipe Finals
Dec. 14: Snowboard Halfpipe Finals

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Preliminary broadcast schedule, subject to change
Streaming schedule TBA
*Delayed broadcast

FREESKI 
December 13, 2019
1:00 p.m. - Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe, Copper Mountain - NBC Sports

December 21, 2019
4:00 p.m. - Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe, Copper Mountain - NBC*

SNOWBOARD
December 14, 2019
2:00 p.m. - Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe, Copper Mountain - NBC Sports

December 21, 2019
4:00 p.m. - Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe, Copper Mountain - NBC*
 

NEW YORK, NY – U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that Volcom, a modern lifestyle brand rooted in board sports, will be the official apparel partner of the U.S. Snowboard Team. The partnership includes outfitting the snowboardcross, slopestyle/big air, and halfpipe teams through the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

Volcom has been a leader in snow sports for more than 20 years, delivering tech-infused products that reflect the brand’s unique design language and providing stylish and functional outerwear that helps riders perform their best under the most challenging conditions. The line features Volcom’s signature technical features, including Zip Tech®, a patented zipper system that allows the wearer to zip the powder skirt of virtually any Volcom Snow jacket into any Volcom snow pant – allowing no gaps for the snow to penetrate. The official U.S. Snowboard Team assortment will also include Volcom’s proprietary Thermal Defense System (TDS®), which features 3-layer jackets with strategically-placed down paneling to maximize warmth without overheating.

“We are so excited to be the official outfitter of the U.S. Snowboard Team. To have the Volcom stone be worn by the best athletes, on the highest of stages in this sport is an honor,” said Todd Hymel, CEO of Volcom. “As we celebrate 20 years of Volcom Outerwear, this partnership ushers in a new era of our history. Performance and innovation are the foundation of everything we do at Volcom. We look forward to working closely with all the athletes to gain insights, so we can continue to create best-in-class, elevated product.”

“Volcom is a brand that has strong ties to snowboarding,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We have an opportunity to embark on the journey to the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games together, and I believe that’s powerful. Alongside a strong and balanced roster of riders as well as an elite coaching staff, the Volcom partnership lays the groundwork for the athletes to perform at the highest level and continue to push the boundaries of competitive snowboarding.”

Volcom will outfit both the men and women of the U.S. Snowboard Team, including athletes, coaches, and support staff. The U.S. Snowboard Team uniforms will feature Volcom’s pinnacle product in outerwear, hoodies, gloves, hats, and beanies. The collection design nods to U.S. heritage with pops of red, white, and blue, as well as stylized camo prints. Key styles featured in the official assortment includes Men’s TDS® Infrared Jacket and Women’s Nya TDS® Jacket, both of which incorporate Zip Tech® and Thermal Defense System (TDS®).

Athletes will wear Volcom at World Cup, World Championship, and National events, as well as official training camps globally leading up to and during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

To learn more about product offerings and Volcom’s legion of snow athletes, follow @Volcomsnow on social media.

Click here for the official launch video including Shaquille O'Neal, Run The Jewels, and more.

###
 

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 2018, 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

About Volcom:
Inspired by creative spirit, Volcom was founded as a clothing company rooted in skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding. Building upon the foundation of sport culture, Volcom also supports initiatives in music and the arts and lives by the mantra ‘True To This’ as a rallying cry for persistent rebels and creatives that follow their passions.  Volcom creates meaningful products for men’s, women’s and kid’s across a variety of categories, including outdoor, swim, skate, denim, fashion and more. Volcom has more than 100 direct-to-consumer retail outposts globally and has distribution in hundreds of specialty retail and department store locations.

To learn more about Volcom’s deep product assortment visit www.volcom.com.

Follow @Volcom on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Authentic Brands Group
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a brand development, marketing and entertainment company, which owns a portfolio of global media, entertainment and lifestyle brands. Headquartered in New York City, ABG elevates and builds the long-term value of more than 50 consumer brands and properties by partnering with best-in-class manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Its brands have a global retail footprint in more than 100,000 points of sale across the luxury, specialty, department store, mid-tier, mass and e-commerce channels and more than 4,930 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops around the world. ABG is committed to transforming brands by delivering compelling product, content, business and immersive experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media. ABG’s portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands generates $9.4 billion in annual retail sales and includes Marilyn Monroe®, Mini Marilyn®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O'Neal®, Sports Illustrated®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Michael Jackson® (managed brand), Nautica®, Aéropostale®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Herve Leger®, Judith Leiber®, Frederick's of Hollywood®, Nine West®, Frye®, Jones New York®, Louise et Cie®, Sole Society®, Enzo Angiolini®, CC Corso Como®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx®, Adrienne Vittadini®, Taryn Rose®, Bandolino®, Misook®, 1.STATE®, CeCe®, Chaus®, Spyder®, Tretorn®, Tapout®, Prince®, Volcom®, Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Above The Rim®, Hind®, Thomasville®, Drexel® and Henredon®.

 For more information, visit authenticbrandsgroup.com.

Follow ABG on Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram.
 

STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports Group and U.S. Ski & Snowboard have renewed their media rights agreement through the 2021-22 season, both parties announced today. Under the agreement, NBC Sports will present 40+ hours of coverage of U.S. Ski & Snowboard events across NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and its subscription service NBC Sports Gold. NBC Sports and U.S. Ski and Snowboard have been partners since 1998.

Coverage will include seven U.S.-based events for the next three seasons: including the FIS Alpine World Cup events at Killington, Vt, for the women, and Beaver Creek, Colo., for the men; FIS Freestyle World Cup events at Copper Mountain, Colo., Mammoth Mountain, Calif., and Deer Valley, Utah; and two new events – the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover in Atlanta, and the FIS Cross Country World Cup in Minneapolis.

“We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with U.S. Ski and Snowboard, featuring some of the world’s fastest, most creative, and gravity-defying athletes,” said Gary Quinn, Vice President, Programming, NBC Sports Group. “And any time these exciting competitions are happening across some of America’s greatest resort destinations, fans will be able to watch whenever, and wherever, they want.”

“We are thrilled to extend our agreement with longstanding partner NBC Sports through the 2021-22 season,” said Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO. “Our relationship with NBC Sports is a valuable platform to be able to share our sports and athletes with fans across the nation as they prepare for Beijing 2022. We have an amazing season ahead and between the HomeLight Killington Cup – which has drawn record numbers on the World Cup circuit in both attendance and viewership – as well as new events on the calendar like the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover, and the FIS Coop Cross Country World Cup in Minneapolis, we have a big opportunity to share the excitement with the world through the eyes of NBC Sports.”

2019-20 SEASON
For the 2019-20 season, 12 hours of coverage will be presented on NBC, 21.5 on NBCSN, and 10 on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA.

Coverage begins on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with a live presentation of the first run of the women’s slalom at the HomeLight Killington Cup in Killington, Vt.. Coverage on NBC begins shortly thereafter with the second women’s slalom run at 3:30 p.m. ET. Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA begins its U.S. Ski & Snowboard coverage on Saturday, Dec. 7, with the Xfinity Birds of Prey men’s downhill from Beaver Creek, Colo., at 1 pm ET.

The full NBC schedule is available on the WATCH tab at USSkiandSnowboard.org

All coverage on NBC and NBCSN will live stream via authentication on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Coverage airing on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will live stream on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and the Olympic Channel app.

NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer product – will also stream all U.S. Ski & Snowboard events via “Snow Pass,” which provides fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports. Click here for more information.

NOTE: NBC Sports’ entire alpine schedule for the 2019-20 season, including international FIS events, will be released soon. Click here for NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2019-20 FIS Snowboarding World Cup schedule.

Release courtesy of NBC. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the 2019-20 U.S. Snowboard Team today, featuring seven Olympic medalists, including snowboardcross athletes Lindsey Jacobellis and Alex Deibold, slopestyle athletes Red Gerard, Kyle Mack, and Jamie Anderson, as well as halfpipe athletes Arielle Gold and Chloe Kim. Kim has elected to not compete this season in order to attend the prestigious Princeton University, but will remain a member of the U.S. Snowboard Team throughout her hiatus.

“Our U.S. Team riders have been on snow in training camps throughout the off-season and look more prepared than ever as we get into the competition season,” said U.S Freeski and Snowboard Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “Between athletes putting time on airbags, in the gym, and on-snow, this season has all the ingredients to be one of the most successful yet.”

This is no easy task, as the 2018-19 season had no shortage of milestones with athletes earning seven podiums at the 2019 FIS Snowboard World Championships, five podiums across two Junior World Championships, 20 podiums at World Cup events, and 12 podiums at elite level events including the U.S. Open, Dew Tour and X Games. Moving into the 2019-20 season, the U.S. Snowboard Team will field 32 pro-level and 15 rookie and development level riders. Last season, these rookies collected an impressive five Junior World Championship medals. In addition, the 2018 U.S. Snowboard Junior World Championship team won the FIS Marc Hodler Trophy awarded to the winningest nation at the event. 

“Across the teams, we have an incredible group of riders,” said U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “It’s not only due to their talent and skill set, but their personalities and unique qualities that allow the U.S. Snowboard Team to strive to be the best in the world. With a stacked competition schedule, I look forward to seeing what we will accomplish this season.”

The 2019-20 season features a packed schedule of elite-level competition including the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain Dec. 11-14, the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover Dec. 20-21 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, Ga., and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Jan. 29-Feb.1. In addition, invited athletes will also participate in X Games, Dew Tour, and the U.S. Open of snowboarding. 

To support our athletes throughout their busy competition schedule, the U.S. Snowboard Team has retained a world-class coaching staff. However, there are some changes. After being with the organization for 17 years, Jeff Archibald stepped down as snowboardcross coach after one of the most successful seasons yet, including two unforgettable victories. Mick Dierdorff won the snowboardcross title at the 2019 FIS World Championships at Solitude Mountain Resort and became the first American man to win a snowboardcross World Championship title in 14 years. He then teamed up with Jacobellis to take gold in the new mixed team snowboardcross event, which will make its Olympic debut in 2022. Archibald leaves the organization with family on the top of mind and will be replaced by Rob Fagan. As a former snowboardcross athlete and Olympian, Fagan is well suited for his new position. 

“The snowboardcross athletes are coming off a great on snow camp at Saas Fee and many of them were able to achieve personal records in the gym this fall,” said Snowboardcross Head Coach Peter Foley. “Also, It’s awesome to have Rob Fagan coaching with us. It went really well at our Whistler and Saas Fee camps and he is developing a great working relationship with the athletes. He’s been competing and coaching at the highest levels of the sport and we are lucky to have his wealth of knowledge and insight as a part of the team. We have a couple more good training blocks to go before the first World Cup,  but we are really excited to get racing again and see what we can do against the rest of the world.”

U.S. Snowboard Team
2019-20 Team Nominations
(Hometown; Club; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE
PRO TEAM
Men
Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Big Mountain West Series; 3/31/95)
Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/30/98)
Toby Miller (Mammoth Lakes, Calif; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; North Tahoe Series; 2/14/00)
Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/17/93)
Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/99)
Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/3/98)

Women
Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/23/00)
Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/4/96)
Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/22/00)

ROOKIE TEAM
Men
Jack Coyne (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 01/17/2002)
Jason Wolle (Winter Park, Colo.; Jim Smith Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/30/99)
Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.; Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/17/99)

Women
Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 10/10/03)

SLOPESTYLE / BIG AIR
PRO TEAM
Men
Chris Corning (Arvada, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/7/99)
Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.; Rocky Mountain Series; 6/29/00)
Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 4/3/01)
Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/22/98)
Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.; Great Lakes Snow Series; 9/6/97)
Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska; Auburn Ski Club; Big Alaska Series; 10/23/92)
Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.; Kirk’s Camp; Rocky Mountain Series: 12/18/00)
Sean Fitzsimons (Hood River, Ore.; Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; Central Oregon Series; 9/22/00)

Women
Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.; South Tahoe Series; 9/13/90)
Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.; Southern Vermont Series; 9/11/97)
Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.; Tahoe Select Snowboard Team; Tahoe Series; 8/2/00)

ROOKIE TEAM
Men
Jake Canter (Evergreen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen Snowmass Series; 7/19/03)
Dusty Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif; Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team; Unbound Series; 2/2/03)

Women
Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 1/27/02)
Ty Schnorrbusch (Monroe Township, N.J.; Tom Anderson, Rocky Mountain Series 5/15/02)
Courtney Rummel (West Bend, Wisc.; Adam Junio; Midwest Best Series; 11/12/03)
Addie Gardner (Riegelsville, Penn.; Maine Mountain Series; 2/19/2002)

SNOWBOARDCROSS
Men
Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/30/91)
Jake Vedder (Pinckney, Mich.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/16/98)
Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.; Superior Series; 12/17/81)
Alex Deibold (Manchester, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 5/8/86)
Hagen Kearney (Norwood, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/6/91)
Senna Leith (Vail, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/8/97)
Nate Holland (Sandpoint, Idaho; North Tahoe Series; 11/8/78)

Women
Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/19/85)
Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/24/92)
Rosie Mancari (Anchorage, Alaska; Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club; Big Alaska Series; 1/22/94)

DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Men
Mikey LaCroix (Shrewsbury, Mass.; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Maine Mountain Series; 7/12/98)

Women
Meghan Tierney (Edwards, Colo.; International Snowboard Training Center; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/15/97)
Stacy Gaskill (Golden, Colo.; Winter Park Snowboard Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/21/00)
Livia Molodyh (Hubbard, Ore.; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Mt. Hood Series; 6/30/99)

ALPINE
AJ Muss (Rumson, N.J.; Rocky Mountain Series; 12/15/1994)

2019-20 Snowboard & Freeski Staff
Snowboard & Freeski Director: Jeremy Forster
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Team Manager: Jess Tamez
Snowboardcross Team Manager: Alexis Williams
Snowboard & Freeski Team Communications Manager: Andrew Gauthier
Snowboard & Freeski Sports Development Senior Manager: Ashley Deibold
Snowboard, Freeski, and Freestyle Sports Development Coordinator: Elise Saarela

Medical & Sports Science Staff
High Performance Dietitian: Allen Tran
Senior Sports Psychologist, USOC: Alex Cohen
Clinical Specialist: David Quammen
Clinical Specialist: Jen Kimball
Freeski Halfpipe Team Physical Therapist: Jill Radzinski
Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air Team Physical Therapist: Sara Chavez
Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Athletic Trainer: Ben Quigley
Snowboard Halfpipe Team Physical Therapist: Emilie Whittemore
Snowboardcross Athletic Development Manager: Tschana Schiller
Snowboard and Freeski Athletic Development Coach: Matthew Voss
Aerials and Freeski Athletic Development Coach: Houston Deck

Snowboard
Halfpipe, Slopestyle & Big Air Head Coach: Mike Jankowski
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Ramirez (Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team)
Slopestyle/Big Air Pro Team Head Coach: Dave Reynolds (Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation Snowboard Team)
Slopestyle Wax Tech: Bryan Taylor
Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach: Rick Bower
Halfpipe Pro Team Coach: Rick Shimpeno
Halfpipe Wax Tech: Parker Rockwood
Slopestyle/Big Air National Development Coach: Nichole Mason (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Halfpipe National Development Team Coach: JJ Thomas
Snowboardcross Head Coach: Peter Foley
Snowboardcross Coach: Rob Fagan
 

OFFICIAL U.S. SNOWBOARD SUPPLIERS
 

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