United States Ski Team
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The U.S. Ski Team, operating under the auspices of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of
alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...
,
freestyle skiing Freestyle skiing is a skiing discipline comprising aerials, Mogul Skiing, moguls, Ski Cross, cross, Half-pipe skiing, half-pipe, slopestyle and big air as part of the Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics. It can consist of a ...
, cross-country,
ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...
, and
Nordic combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first ever 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympic ...
. Since 1974 the team and association have been headquartered in
Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City' ...
. These individuals represent the best athletes in the country for their respective sports and compete as a team at the national, world and Olympic level.


History

''*The first U.S. Ski Team was officially named in 1965 for the 1966 season, however the United States participated in skiing at all Olympic Winter Games and sent various athletes to World Championships prior to the '66 season.''


1860s - 1880s Early Ski Clubs and Ski Tournaments in the U.S.

Ski clubs appeared in the United States starting in 1861, in California. Norwegian "snowshoe" downhill races are noted in Sierra and Rocky Mountain mining camps. The Nansen Ski Club of
Berlin, New Hampshire Berlin ( ) is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coös County in northern New Hampshire, United States. It is the northernmost city in New Hampshire. The population was 9,425 at the 2020 census, down from 10,051 at the 2010 census. It ...
, was founded by
Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...
immigrants and named in honor of Norway's legendary Arctic explorer
Fridtjof Nansen Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 186113 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. He led the team t ...
. It continues to operate. Annual ski jumping tournaments began in Great Lakes mining and timber regions. The
Saint Paul Winter Carnival The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is an annual festival in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. History In 1885, a New York reporter wrote that Saint Paul was, "another Siberia, unfit for human habitation" in winter. Offended by this attack on th ...
included skiing events starting in 1888.


1891 - 1893 Central Ski Association of the Northwest tournaments

A regional ski association is formed by the Eau Claire (Dovre),
Ishpeming Ishpeming ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,470 at the 2010 census, less than it was in the 1950s and 1960s when the iron ore mines employed more workers. A statue of a ...
(Norden), Stillwater (Norwegian), Red Wing (
Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
), and
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
clubs, but dissolves after an
economic downturn In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
and a couple low snow winters.


1905 National Ski Association

The National Ski Association of America, the forerunner of the present-day U.S. Ski & Snowboard, was founded on Feb. 21, 1905 in
Ishpeming, Michigan Ishpeming ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,470 at the 2010 census, less than it was in the 1950s and 1960s when the iron ore mines employed more workers. A statue of a ...
. A meeting was held by the Ishpeming Ski Club in conjunction with its 1904 ski jumping tournament in Ishpeming - but the association was not formed at that gathering. Club President Carl Tellefsen proposed holding a meeting after the 1905 jumping tournament – a national competition – to found a ski association which, among other duties, would oversee jumping tournaments. In 1905, the association was formally organized during a meeting attended by officers from the Ishpeming, Minneapolis, Red Wing, Stillwater and Eau Claire ski clubs. On Feb. 21, 1905, Carl Tellefsen announced the National Ski Association of America with himself as its first president.


1910 International Ski Commission

In 1910, the International Ski Commission was formed at the first International Ski Congress to develop rules for international ski competitions. On Feb. 2, 1924 in Chamonix,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, while what would come to be recognized as the first
Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...
were being held, the commission gave way to the
International Ski Federation The ''Fédération internationale de ski et de snowboard'' (FIS; en, International Ski and Snowboard Federation) is the highest international governing body for skiing and snowboarding. Founded on 2 February 1924 in Chamonix, France during the ...
(FIS); 14 member nations were present at the founding; 108 are FIS members today.


1924 Inaugural Olympic Winter Games at Chamonix, France

The first Winter Olympic Games actually were under the banner of International Sports Week, but were renamed the Winter Olympic Games in 1924 after organizers saw how successful they were (and after Norway, which had opposed "Winter Olympic" events because of concern Norwegians wouldn't dominate, saw it would be a winter power) supported the concept. Only
Nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the Ski binding, binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe ...
events were held, including cross country, ski jumping (then the premier ski event everywhere) and Nordic combined. Sixteen nations competed. Anders Haugen, a Norwegian
immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, was listed as fourth in ski jumping because of a calculation error. In 1974, as Norwegians prepared to celebrate the 50th anniversary of those first Winter Games, a recalculation in
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
found Haugen was the real bronze medalist and not
Thorleif Haug Thorleif Haug (28 September 1894 – 12 December 1934) was a Norwegian skier who competed in nordic combined and cross-country. At the 1924 Olympics he won all three Nordic skiing events (18 km, 50 km and combined). He was also awarde ...
(1894–1934). A medal presentation was arranged in Oslo, where a frail Haugen received the bronze medal from the daughter of Thorleif Haug, who had been dead since the Thirties. Haugen's medal remains the only jumping medal won by an American in the Olympics or World Championships. Originally, the IOC did not recognize the medal exchange and kept Haug listed as its 1924 bronze medalist for years before recognizing Haugen as the legitimate medal-winner.


First FIS World Championships: Nordic (1925) and Alpine (1931)

International competitive skiing was still primarily a European sport in the Twenties. Although the United States participated in the Winter Olympics of 1924, '28 and '32 - where there were only Nordic events, there was no U.S. Ski Team. Athletes were selected for the various championships.


1932 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid, New York

The 1932 Summer Games were headed to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and
Godfrey Dewey Godfrey Dewey (September 3, 1887 – October 18, 1977) was the president of the Lake Placid Organizing Committee and a winter sports facility designer. He was largely responsible for the successful candidature of Lake Placid for the 1932 Winter ...
– whose father had founded the
Lake Placid Club The Lake Placid Club was a social and recreation club founded 1895, in a hotel on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York, under Melvil Dewey's leadership and according to his ideals. It was instrumental in Lake Placid's development as an internatio ...
– championed Lake Placid over a half-dozen other candidates for the Winter Games (including
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
;
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
and
Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
;
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...
and
Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevad ...
, California; and Bear Mountain, New York). Then-Gov.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
pledged to build a
bobsled Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Feder ...
run and Dewey, who had arranged a posting as manager of the 1928 Olympic Ski Team, parlayed those contacts to land the 1932 Winter Olympics for the small
Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...
village. Some 300 athletes from 17 nations competed. Skiing was still limited to Nordic events; top US skier was another jumper,
Casper Oimoen Casper Oimoen (May 8, 1906 – July 28, 1995) was an American ski jumping champion. Biography Casper Oimoen was born at Etnedal in Oppland, Norway. He immigrated to the United States in 1923 and settled near Minot, North Dakota. Unable to compete ...
, who finished fifth. ''*** This was the first major international ski event in the United States''


1935 U.S. sends first alpine team to FIS World Championships

The championships returned to
Mürren Mürren is a traditional Walser mountain village in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, at an elevation of above sea level and it cannot be reached by public road. It is also one of the popular tourist spots in Switzerland, and summer and wi ...
, Switzerland, site of the first official alpine championships in 1931. Six men, seven women were on that first official U.S. squad at Worlds.


1936 Alpine added to Olympic Winter Games at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Alpine skiing was introduced to the Olympics with a single event, the combined (one downhill run and two slalom runs). While Nordic remained an all-male province, alpine was opened to men and women. Germans took gold and silver in both the men's and women's alpine combined events;
Franz Pfnür Franz Pfnür (21 November 1908 – 21 September 1996) was a German alpine skier who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. He was born in Schellenberg Schellenberg is a municipality in the lowland area of Liechtenstein, on the bank ...
and
Christl Cranz Christl Franziska Antonia Cranz-Borchers (1 July 1914 – 28 September 2004) was a German alpine ski racer. Cranz dominated international competition in the 1930s, winning twelve world championship titles between 1934 and 1939. At the 1936 Winte ...
were the new champions;
Dick Durrance Richard Henry Durrance (October 23, 1914 – June 13, 2004) was a 17-time national championship alpine ski racer and one of the first Americans to compete successfully against Europeans. Durrance was born in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and mo ...
, who grew up in
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
but spent several years in Germany learning to ski before
Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
took power, was the runaway best U.S. skier, finishing 10th. For the only time, the FIS authorized a World Championships in addition to the Olympics with alpine championship races held in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
, Austria.


1948 Olympics return with first U.S. alpine medals at St. Moritz, Switzerland

The Olympics (with Germany and
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
barred from competing) returned after a 12-year hiatus, with American
Gretchen Fraser Gretchen Kunigk Fraser (February 11, 1919 – February 17, 1994) was an American alpine ski racer. She was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in skiing. She was also the skiing stand-in for ice skater Sonja Henie in the movies ' ...
(then of Vancouver, WA, later of Sun Valley, ID) winning the first two U.S. Olympic ski medals – and they came on the same day, Feb. 5; the combined downhill had been run the previous day and when she won the slalom, it gave her second place in the combined calculation. In addition to the combined, which debuted in 1936, alpine added both elements of combined as individual events, meaning alpine was now equal with Nordic, having three events (slalom, downhill and the combined; however, there were no women's Nordic events until 1952). Fraser led U.S. skiers, collecting the first medals by a U.S. skier - gold in slalom and silver in combined. The U.S. women's team captain,
Dodie Post Doris Barbara “Dodie” Post Gann (1922-2012) was an alpine skier in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics. Post later became an accomplished sailor and conservationist with her husband, author and screenwriter Ernest K. Gann. Ski racing Post wa ...
, broke her ankle in a practice session and was unable to compete. The team also included a talented young teen – Andrea Mead, 15, whose parents owned
Pico Peak Pico Peak is a mountain in the Green Mountains in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. Pico Peak is flanked to the south by Ramshead Peak. To the north, it faces Deer Leap Mountain across Sherburne Pass. Seen from the pass, the summit of Pi ...
, near Rutland, VT. Also of note,
Gordon Wren Gordon L. Wren (January 5, 1919 – November 25, 1999) was an American ski jumper who competed in the 1940s. He finished fifth in the individual large hill event at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. Wren was born in Steamboat Springs, Col ...
(Steamboat Springs, CO) qualified for all four individual ski teams. He eventually competed only in jumping. "I was going ragged, bumping into myself, trying to train, ski alpine, cross country and the rest, so I decided to focus on jumping," he explained. He finished fifth.


1950 World Championships in U.S.: Lake Placid, NY (Nordic) and Aspen, CO (alpine)

Poor snow in the Adirondacks almost forced cancellation of the Nordic events, but, alerted by 1948 Olympic cross country racer
Chummy Broomhall Wendall "Chummy" Broomhall (December 3, 1919 – December 30, 2017) was an American cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skier who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics. He finished 65th in the 18 km event at the 1948 Winter Oly ...
that there was more than a foot of snow in his hometown of
Rumford, Maine Rumford is a New England town, town in Oxford County, Maine, Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,858 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Rumford is home to both ND Paper Inc's Rumford Mill and the Black Mountain ...
, officials agreed to stage opening ceremonies and the jumping events in Lake Placid, then everyone drove to Rumford for the cross country competitions. At one point, Broomhall helped set the race tracks – no machine-setting equipment in those days, so skiers would ski-in the tracks – and then went home to change into his racing outfit; traffic at the site meant Broomhall missed his scheduled start time, but officials let him run at the end of the pack. The alpine Worlds, organized by racing great
Dick Durrance Richard Henry Durrance (October 23, 1914 – June 13, 2004) was a 17-time national championship alpine ski racer and one of the first Americans to compete successfully against Europeans. Durrance was born in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and mo ...
, then general manager at the fledgling Aspen Ski Area, included slalom, downhill, and the first appearance of giant slalom. American
Katy Rodolph Catherine Louise "Katy" Rodolph (November 1, 1930 – September 17, 1994) was an alpine ski racer from the United States. She was a member of four world championship and Olympic teams in the 1950s. At age 19, Rodolph was the top North American ...
of Colorado led the US, finishing fifth in the women's downhill.
Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the ''Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China ...
was established as an alpine destination as a result of the successful World Championships.


1960 Olympics return to U.S. at Olympic Valley, CA

The young Squaw Valley resort near
Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevad ...
in California ushered in a new Olympic era under the direction of
Alexander Cushing Alexander Cochrane Cushing (November 28, 1913 – August 19, 2006) was a lawyer who founded Squaw Valley Ski Resort in California. Early life Alexander Cochrane Cushing was born on November 28, 1913, in New York City. He was the son of Howard G ...
. No bobsled run was built but the skiing was memorable. In cross country, Squaw Valley introduced the initial machine-set tracks; everything had been walked or skied in before Squaw Valley but – with Al Merrill and
Chummy Broomhall Wendall "Chummy" Broomhall (December 3, 1919 – December 30, 2017) was an American cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skier who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics. He finished 65th in the 18 km event at the 1948 Winter Oly ...
setting the tone as chief of competition and chief of course, respectively – snow machines were used to help groom Nordic courses for the first time.


1962 NSA renamed U.S. Ski Association (USSA)

The 57-year-old National Ski Association got a new name as the U.S. Ski Association. The renamed organization moved from Denver to
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
, CO. Also, the U.S. Ski Education Foundation, designed to "Establish, administer and promote educational programs devoted to the development and training of skiers" and promote ski museums, was founded Oct. 8, 1862 (and chartered June 13, 1964). By enabling donors to receive tax deductions for contributions, it would become the fundraising arm of the U.S. Ski Team, the forerunner of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation.


1964 U.S. alpine men earn first Olympic medals at Innsbruck, Austria

The Olympics came to Austria for the first time in 1964. U.S. men earned their first medals Feb. 8 as
Billy Kidd {{Infobox alpine ski racer , name = Billy Kidd , image = Billy Kidd skier 1970.jpg , image_size = 220 , caption = Kidd after winning the world title in 1970 , birth_date = {{birth date and ag ...
(Stowe, VT) won silver in slalom and
Jimmie Heuga James Frederic Heuga (September 22, 1943 – February 8, 2010) was an American alpine ski racer who became one of the first two members of the U.S. men's team to win an Olympic medal in his sport. After multiple sclerosis prematurely ended hi ...
(Tahoe City, CA) took slalom bronze.
Jean Saubert Jean Marlene Saubert (May 1, 1942 – May 14, 2007) was an Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer from the United States. She won two medals in the Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics, 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, Austria. After graduating ...
(Hillsborough, OR) was a double medalist, tying for silver in giant slalom and collecting bronze in slalom.


1965 Bob Beattie named U.S. Ski Team alpine head coach

On June 21, 1965, the USSA took the first steps in the formation of a formal U.S. Ski Team by naming its first head alpine coach. At the annual USSA convention on June 21 in Spokane, WA, Bob Beattie was named the first full-time U.S. alpine skiing head coach. "When you think you're going too fast--accelerate!" he would goad team members. Chuck Ferries, a 1964 Olympian, was named assistant coach, with primary responsibilities as head coach of the women's alpine team. Ferries took leave from his job with Head Ski Co. to coach, and was named full-time women's coach in 1966. No full-time Nordic jumping or skiing coaches were yet designated.


1973 National Training Centers created

National Training Centers were created for both national alpine and Nordic teams. It was opened Oct. 28 in three old, mid-mountain, mining buildings at Park City Ski Area (now
Park City Mountain Resort Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) is a ski resort in the western United States in Park City, Utah, located east of Salt Lake City. Park City, as the ski resort and area is known, contains several training courses for the U.S. Ski Team, including ...
). Former Alpine Director
Willy Schaeffler Wilhelm Josef "Willy" Schaeffler (13 December 1915 – 9 April 1988) was a German-American skiing champion, winning coach, and ski resort developer. In skiing, he is best known to the public for his intensive training programs that led the U.S. S ...
was the center's director.


1974 U.S. Ski Team moves to Park City, UT

In the summer of 1974 the alpine portion of the U.S. Ski Team relocated from USSA's Denver office to
Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City' ...
. The athletes and coaches began utilizing the Alpine Training Center, a building designed by Willy Schaeffler, that opened in old mining buildings at Park City Ski Area. Administrative offices were set up in the old Mountain Air Grocery on lower Main Street. Eventually, the Ski Team move up the hill to the old Treasure Mountain Inn.


1976 USSA and U.S. Ski Team split

In 1976 the USSA and the U.S. Ski Team agreed to part ways. The USSA continued to control the rules and governance of the sport, as well as organizing travel programs for recreational skiers, while the U.S. Ski Team focused solely on the elite national team.


1988 USSA and U.S. Ski Team rejoin

After years of operating separately, the USSA and U.S. Ski Team were merged once again in the Summer of 1998 under the direction of Thomas Weisel. Weisel proposed the creation of a ‘super-board’ consisting of 15 people representing the leadership of both organizations. USSA CEO Howard Peterson was selected to lead the new organization and the USSA moved its national offices from Colorado Springs to join the U.S. Ski Team in Park City, UT, establishing its headquarters at its present location on 1500 Kearns Blvd.


2007 Center of Excellence Groundbreaking

The USSA broke ground on th
Center of Excellence
on July 18, 2007. Upon opening in 2009, the Center of Excellence housed world-class high-performance athletic facilities including strength-training areas, a gymnasium, a climbing wall, ski and snowboard ramps, trampolines, a nutrition center and rehabilitation facilities. Additionally, educational areas for athletes, coaches and clubs such as a computer lab, multimedia rooms for performance analysis and equipment workshops are available. All of the educational resources are shared with the USSA's 400 clubs around the country.


Making the U.S. Ski Team

Interested young athletes generally begin competing through one of 425 local U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association clubs located in communities around the country, generally at ski and snowboard resorts. Clubs provide introductory education and training, as well as competition programs. Each U.S. Ski Team sport is also organized at a regional and divisional level, with slight variances by sport. Alpine skiing, for example, is organized in three regions: Eastern, Rocky/Central and Western. Within those regions are divisions including Northern, Eastern, Southern, Central, Rocky Mountain, Intermountain, Far West and Alaska. In some areas, such as New England, there are also state-based organizations. Competition programs are held within each region or division leading up to national and international events. From these competitions, athletes earn points and are ranked nationally with the highest ranking athletes earning nominations to join the US national teams, which compete at th
World Cup
level. The USSA is one of the only Olympic sports in America to support a full-time standing national team in every sport. Teams are nominated each spring or summer based on results. Teams for FIS World Championships (held every odd year) and Olympic Winter Games (held every four years) are selected by specific criteria and named for those individual events.


U.S. Alpine Highlights


Olympic Winter Games


Alpine World Championships


Alpine World Cup


U.S. Freestyle Highlights


Olympic Winter Games


World Freestyle Championships


Freestyle World Cup


U.S. Cross-Country Highlights


Olympic Winter Games


World Cross-Country Championships


Cross-Country World Cup


U.S. Nordic Combined Highlights


Olympic Winter Games


World Nordic Combined Championships


Nordic Combined World Cup


U.S. Jumping Highlights


Olympic Winter Games


Ski Jumping World Cup


References


External links


U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association
official site
International Ski Federation
{{Authority control Skiing in the United States
Skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...
Ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...
Park City, Utah
USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
1965 establishments in the United States