USA Nordic Sport Returns To Original Name, USA Ski Jumping

USA Nordic Sport (USANS) has announced a significant strategic shift by returning to its original name, USA Ski Jumping. This change mirrors the organization’s foundational mission: ensuring the survival, success, and growth of ski jumping throughout the United States.

Founded in 2007, USA Ski Jumping initially focused exclusively on men’s ski jumping. A decade later, in 2016, in response to the defunding by USSA, the organization expanded to include the Nordic Combined Team. In 2017, the USA Women’s Ski Jumping Team was absorbed bringing all these U.S. Nordic skiing disciplines under a centralized structure, USA Nordic Sports. This past June, motivated by severe budget constraints, the USA Nordic Combined National Team made the decision to break away from USANS and form their own 501c3 organization (Nordic Combined USA) to help drive revenue and support to their National Team athletes. With the
absence of the Nordic Combined National Team, USASJ is now dedicated to s upporting men’s and women’s Ski Jumping National Teams as well is committed to supporting both Ski Jumpingand Nordic Combined activities at the youth development and club levels.

In 2022, a landmark partnership with the Norwegian Federation for Ski Jumping was formed. This collaboration provided U.S. athletes access to world-class training facilities, equipment advancements, and mentorship from Norway’s elite coaches. The partnership has already delivered historic results, leading to the best team finishes in decades with two Summer Grand Prix podiums and marking milestones with the hosting of the first FIS Ski Jumping World Cup events in the U.S. in 33 years.

USA Ski Jumping’s success has also extended to the junior level, where American athletes have excelled internationally, securing podium finishes and medals at prestigious events like the Youth Olympic Games and Junior World Championships. These accomplishments underscore the organization’s commitment to athlete development and its role in fostering the future stars of the sport.

“Our primary goal is to support the entire U.S. ski jumping community,” said Tom Bickner, USANS Board Chair, “From grassroots clubs to our national teams, we are committed to growing the sport and providing resources for men and women athletes, coaches, volunteers, and officials.”

In addition to this restored focus on ski jumping, USA Ski Jumping has strengthened its partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, giving athletes and coaches access to a number of the National Governing Body’s robust resources. This collaboration enhances the organization’s ability to sustain the sport’s growth and compete at the highest international levels.

“I’m really excited about the progress that our athletes have made the past two years, building off the great season we had last year,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Ski Jumping and Nordic

Combined Sport Director Anders Johnson. “Nearly the entire ski jumping team recorded new personal bests, two athletes with podium finishes in the Summer Grand Prix circuit, and you can see that the confidence is building in each athlete daily. Our staff has done an amazing job preparing our team and I feel very confident this will be our best season yet.”

Since its inception, USA Ski Jumping has been driven by former athletes and alumni who remain passionate about the sport. The organization currently collaborates with more than 30 clubs supporting over 700 young athletes nationwide, from youth development to elite competition.

As USA Ski Jumping continues to evolve, its vision remains clear: to elevate SkiJumping in the United States to global prominence and provide unparalleled support to the athletes and communities who love the sport, while instilling Courage, Confidence, and Character in all  athletes.