NEW YORK (Nov. 3, 2017) - A tense energy wafted across the starlit ballroom in New York City’s Ziegfeld Theater Thursday. A day earlier, the Times Square countdown clock ticked down to just 100 days until the opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. As almost three dozen U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes gathered for the New York Gold Medal Gala, one theme was omnipresent: It was go time.

For an organization that goes up against heavily national-funded teams every weekend, the 51st annual New York soirée is a vital fundraising tool as well as an opportunity for athletes to exchange their snow boots for dress shoes and high heels to hang out with over 650 passionate fans. The gala raised well over $1 million net to support American athletes - the biggest night of its kind in Olympic sport. Next door in a unique ice bar at a local hotel, nearly a hundred more U.S. Ski & Snowboard ambassadors raised a toast to the team on its road to PyeongChang.

Athletes gather in front of the crowd. (Getty Images) 

Guests arrived at the midtown venue to the tune of pleasant chords from the strings of a Korean gayageum. TV crews scrambled for the arrival of stars like Lindsey Vonn, Gus Kenworthy and Ashley Caldwell. There were over a dozen Olympic medals in the house - including seven gold - plus countless world champions. The thunder of ceremonial Korean drums brought everyone's eyes to the stage as emcee and Olympic champion Jonny Moseley took to the stage.

"Do you notice a heightened level of intensity here tonight?" said Moseley. "I can tell you, the athletes feel it now - just 99 days from the biggest event of their lives. And all of you - our fans - you're paying closer attention right now, aren't you?"
 

Jonny Moseley MCs the event. (Getty Images)

U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw - himself a two-time Olympian - recognized that, as well. "What's on everyone's mind right now is how to make that Olympic team," said Shaw. "It will be tough. That's what this year is about."

Shaw also paid tribute to young Mikey Lillis - just 17 - who passed away in his sleep two weeks earlier. Lillis' older brothers - world champion Jon and World Cup winner Chris - were there as well as their mom Jamie. It was a poignant moment for a tight-knit family. "We really have something to ski for this year," said the boys.

Alex Deibold thanks the crowd. (Getty Images)

The gala capped a week of Olympic celebrations from team uniform unveilings by The North Face and Burton to a day of fun for fans meeting athletes in Times Square, along with snowboardcross Olympic bronze medalist Alex Deibold ringing the closing bell alongside team supporters at Nasdaq while action videos played on skyscraper-sized big screens outside in Times Square.

“I feel really lucky to be here,” said Deibold addressing the crowd at Ziegfeld. “I remember coming here for the first time in 2013 and what a thrill it was. I’ve appreciated the support that I’ve had from you.”

Lindsey Vonn echoed the feeling. “We can’t do what we do without your support,” said the two-time Olympic medalist. “This is what you do, New York, and we appreciate it.”

Lindsey Vonn smiles for the cameras. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

Strobe lights flashed and videographers jostled for position as media looked to grab that insightful quote that would foreshadow what was to come this February in PyeongChang. Supporters clamored for a photo with the ski and snowboard stars.

Auctioneer John Curley revved up the crowd. Skiing with Tommy Moe at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge in Alaska - bam, $30k. Making turns with Jonny Moseley at Squaw Valley - bam, bam, $22k. A weekend at Julia Mancuso's place on Maui - bam, $12k.

The the real meaning of the evening is the impact New York brings to the fledgling careers of athletes with stars in their eyes. No one said it better than world moguls champion and NFL star Jeremy Bloom. The Colorado native told the story of being inspired when, as a young boy, he watched the Olympic debut of moguls skiing in 1992.

Jeremy Bloom speaks to the crowd. (Getty Images)

"Seeing Edgar Grospiron win gold on TV that day changed my life," said Bloom. "I told my parents that night, 'this is what I want to do.' They said, 'put your mind to it and you can do anything.'"

Bloom had the audience spellbound as he recounted the day he was in the football locker room at the University of Colorado when he got a call from his moguls coach. The team had found some funding for him to go to Chile. It was his one-shot chance to get a result that would eventually lead him to making the U.S. Olympic Team. At his football coach's encouragement, he took a break from CU and went to Chile. At camp he skied 30-50 runs every day - first up and last off the hill. He got that result and later made the Olympic team. And he capped his career with a world championship.

"If it wasn't for what the U.S. Ski Team did for me," said Bloom, now a highly successful businessman, "this little C teamer wouldn't be standing in front of you today. It changed my life."

In 95 days, around 100 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes will walk into PyeongChang Olympic Stadium with big eyes, broad smiles and Olympic dreams. For many, that night at the New York Gold Medal Gala will resonate in their mind and push them further to achieve their dreams. 

ALAMEDA, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2017) – The North Face, official U.S. Ski and Snowboard partner, and the founding partner and official uniform supplier of the U.S. Freeski Team, today unveiled the official competition uniforms to be worn by the U.S. Freeski Team at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

It will mark the second straight time The North Face has designed and manufactured the U.S. freeskiing competition uniforms for the Olympic Winter Games. The 2018 U.S.Freeski collection again provides athletes with the pinnacle of performance to help them compete at the highest level – and reflects the unique, personal style that is endemic to the culture of freeskiing. With more than 63 pieces, each athlete can customize their “look” based on their personal style and preferences.

“We have worked alongside the freeskiing community since the beginning, and we embrace both the sport-specific needs and artful expression of athletes,” said Tom Herbst, VP of Marketing for The North Face. “Our mantra is Never Stop Exploring, which is the essence of the freeskiing movement. We are proud to continue our commitment to the sport – and its athletes – by outfitting the U.S. Freeski Team.”

“The North Face has been a strong partner of our organization and the sport of freeskiing for many years,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “It developed world-class uniforms that helped our team make an extremely successful debut at the Olympics in Sochi. The 2018 uniforms possess a level of innovation and individuality that will allow our athletes to perform their best come February.”

Olympic gold medalist and four-time X Games gold medalist Maddie Bowman, Olympic silver medalist and two-time X Games medalist Devin Logan, and Winter X Games halfpipe gold medalist Aaron Blunck, all part of The North Face’s roster of elite athletes, played a key role in the design. Their input helped influence aspects of the overall design – and ensured the new U.S. Freeski competition uniforms meet the needs of today’s elite freeskiing athlete.

In freeskiing, your personal style – from tricks during a run, to the apparel you are wearing – is such a huge part of the sport,” said Maddie Bowman. “No one knows this better than The North Face. They have been a part of the sport since the beginning, and a part of my own Olympic journey to gold in Sochi. The new collection celebrates both the team aspect of the sport and the individuality of the rider, and I am proud to wear it as I work to defend my gold.”

Inspired by the athletes and the cultural heritage of freeskiing, the collection includes outwear, base layers, accessories and footwear, that is both technically advanced and style-aware. The colors, style and design celebrate the sport’s humble beginnings, expression of individuality and spirit of exploration. This notion comes to life in the brand’s “Legacy Starts Here” creative campaign, which is live on TheNorthFace.com.

Key technical elements include The North Face’s Ventrix and FuseFormTM technologies; Ventrix helps regulate body temperatures through dynamic venting technology and Fuseform reduces weight via an innovative weaving process. The seminal piece of the collection is the Outerwear Hoodie – an iconic piece of apparel that epitomizes the spirit and style of the freeskiing community both on and off the mountain. The most innovative hoodie on the slopes, the 2018 version is waterproof and transforms the streetwear pieces many athletes wear on the mountain into a technical performance piece.

In addition to these technical upgrades, the uniform collection also has a unique and personal design aspect – a collage that is transferred onto the print in the interior of the jackets. It incorporates personal photos and artwork of the places and people important to each athlete, shared by the team’s families and friends. These images pay homage to the sport’s small-town roots and remind the athletes that home is never too far away.

The competition uniforms were designed stateside with the athlete outerwear assembled in the United States of imported components; The North Face has a local development center near its headquarters in Alameda, Calif., to keep technical prototyping and assembly close and to celebrate the United States in the athlete uniform manufacturing process.

“There is nothing like the pride an athlete feels when they represent their country on the world’s biggest sporting stage,” said Ruth Beatty, Design Director, Snowsports at The North Face. “We feel a similar pride in assembling the uniforms in our backyard. The uniforms are also inspired by the humble beginnings of these American athletes and the patriotic red, white and blue of the American Flag – this year in more natural, organic tones that embody embodies Freeskiing culture and gives each athlete the opportunity to wear their style of America.”