U.S. Ski & Snowboard Designates Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows As Official Training Site
U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced a five year agreement with Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, designating the resort as an Official Training Site of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows joins Mammoth Mountain in California, Deer Valley in Utah, Copper Mountain in Colorado and Timberline Lodge in Oregon as one of only five official training sites across the country. In addition to being an Official Training Site for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is a U.S. Ski & Snowboard High Performance Center and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Development Site.
“Since hosting the Olympics in 1960, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has produced some of our nation’s best skiers and snowboarders,” said Luke Bodensteiner, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief of Sport. “As a World Cup venue, a NASTAR resort and home of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Ski Teams, both U.S. Ski & Snowboard gold certified clubs, it has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the development of athletes and providing the resources they need to succeed at the elite level. Squaw Valley’s designation as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team training site not only provides elite-level training resources for our national team, but also creates resources in high performance and education that athletes, coaches and clubs in the region can all benefit from.”
As an Official Training Site for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will host U.S. team athletes for elite training sessions at the resort at key times during the season. Additionally, the High Performance Center and Development Center designations connect Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Team staff with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Park City-based Center of Excellence and other high performance centers across the country to share best practices in strength and conditioning, sport science and sports medicine while also acting as a central training and education site for U.S. Ski & Snowboard clubs in the region.
“Being the only US club to be designated as a US Ski & Snowboard Gold Certified Club, Development Site, High Performance Center and Official Training Site is a true honor,” said Todd Kelly, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Ski Team Program Director. “Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have a number of phenomenal on-hill training venues for all U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and we look forward to welcoming them to our resort, and supporting their needs while they’re here. This designation also gives our great youth coaches access to additional resources available through U.S. Ski & Snowboard, allowing them to continue in their own development as coaches. Finally, there’s nothing better for our young athletes than the opportunity to watch, train alongside and get inspiration from some of our country’s best winter sports athletes.”
Host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, 1969 and 2017 FIS World Cup’s and, this year, the NASTAR National Championships, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and the surrounding communities of Truckee and North Lake Tahoe have a strong connection to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. With athlete representation at every winter games since 1964, many current and former U.S. Ski Team athletes credit the resort’s diverse and challenging terrain for much of their success. The resort currently has six athletes on the U.S. Alpine Ski Team, more than any other resort or race program in the country. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is eager to continue the legacy with the designation of Official Training Site of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Teams.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the NASTAR National Championships return to the Sierra: This March 21-25, Squaw Valley will host the 2018 Liberty Mutual Insurance NASTAR National Championships. Following the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, the event will build on the enthusiasm generated by the Games and provide a new locale for fans to get involved with alpine sports. NASTAR participants qualify for the championships by earning a top ten national ranking or a top five state ranking within their age, gender and ability group by February 19. Racers can also qualify by earning a top ranking at their favorite resort or at the Regional Championships. Squaw Valley has seen strong growth in NASTAR participants over the past few seasons, including more than 800 children ages five to 12-years-old racing in its Mighty Mite World Cup program. NASTAR continues to bring greater awareness to the sport, motivating participants of all ages to get involved in alpine racing. The program’s integration with the U.S. Ski Team also gives racers the opportunity to meet and interact with their favorite racers.
