SAM Magazine-Park City, Utah, July 23, 2010-The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) will stage a showcase big air competition in Denver Jan. 25-26, just prior to the annual SIA Snow Show and the X Games in Aspen. The aim is to maintain the visibility of USSA athletes and highlight the addition of slopestyle and ski halfpipe to the list of USSA disciplines and, potentially, to the roster of future Olympic events. USSA presented its plan during its annual Partner Summit here July 20-21.

To gain maximum exposure for the big air event, USSA will construct a five-story ramp and jump in downtown Denver, in sight of the state capitol. With both the SIA show and the X Games to follow, USSA expects the big air exhibition will attract the top competitors in the world. And that should attract major coverage in a variety of media, from broadcast to social.

The new event is both a symbol and concrete manifestation of USSA's mission to raise the visibility and relevance of USSA athletes in mainstream culture during the long periods between Olympic events. The recent success of USSA athletes in the ESPYs (see earlier news report) shows that Olympic skiers and snowboarders have gained a place in the mainstream; the USSA's goal is now to keep them there. That would benefit the USSA and its sponsors as well as the ski and snowboard industry generally.

Andrew Judelson, USSA's newly-named executive vice president/chief revenue and marketing officer, unveiled the plan. Judelson, who's been on the job for less than two months, received mostly positive reviews, as did the entire Summit. His experience as both a ski team sponsor (with Sprint) and a marketer charged with expanding the visibility and reach of the National Hockey League should help him raise both the profile of skiing and snowboarding and the funds USSA needs to run its current programs and add new ones, including slopestyle and ski halfpipe.

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