In comparison to the ski industry as a whole, ski racing may appear to be very small. But in terms of impact on the sport, ski racing is significant—as a vehicle to convey excitement to millions of potential skiing customers. The U.S. Ski Team is, indeed, a calling card for the sport of skiing!
More people are exposed to skiing every year through televised ski races in America than through any other medium. And even more will take in the excitement when CBS televises the Lillehammer Olympics next February.
All of us in skiing — whether it’s the ski resorts, equipment manufacturers and retailers, or the U.S. Ski Team — have many goals and challenges in common, and none is more important than getting more people on skis.
Our challenge at the U.S. Ski Team is not just providing the highest level program for ski stars like AJ Kitt and Julie Parisien. Our challenge begins at the local level, at small and large ski areas around the USA. World Championship and Olympic medalists like Picabo Street, Diann Roffe-Steinrotter and others all began their ski racing careers as young skiers — youngsters out to enjoy the thrill and excitement of skiing, not just ski racing.
Earlier this winter, U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director, Dennis Agee, distributed a three-point plan to ski areas around the country. This plan is extremely important to our future U.S. Ski Team growth. But it requires a mutual, working partnership with ski areas around America:
- To implement low-cost introductory programs for children, much like the noted “Aspen Supports Kids” (ASK) program;
- To work within their U.S. Ski Association divisions to support programs designed to minimize travel for qualification races through creative scheduling; and
- To help develop simple, local race series to identify exceptionally talented local skiers.
Each and every ski area in America can be a part of this plan, to help introduce youngsters to skiing and to work locally to keep the costs of ski racing down. U.S. Ski Team racers come from all ranges of ski areas — from Brantling and Swain in New York, which produced medalists like Diann Roffe-Steinrotter and AJ Kitt, to big resorts like Sun Valley, where Picabo Street grew up.
U.S. ski resorts continue to provide much needed backing for the U.S. Ski Team through ongoing support of local and national race programs. Other areas — notably Attitash, Mt. Bachelor, Park City and Sugarloaf/USA — provide added support through the Team’s “official training center” program.
With all of your support, the U.S. Ski Team can produce the heroes of the sport here in America. And help to put even more sizzle into the exciting, lifelong sport of skiing.
