STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO (July 22) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) has announced that Steamboat Ski Resort will host the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Freestyle Championships. The announcement continues the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s long-term plan to move the annual celebration of American ski competitions to top resorts around the United States. The U.S. Freestyle Championships will take place in late March at Steamboat Ski Resort across the Park Smalley Freestyle Complex, which consists of the Voo Doo aerial venue and the 1,000-foot vertical long adrenalin generating Mayer’s Mogul Course.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced Steamboat Ski Resort as the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Freestyle Championships location.
- Steamboat is a hotbed for successful freestyle athletes throughout the years and hosts many U.S. national team athletes during winter and summer.
- Steamboat has one of the premier freestyle facilities in the country and is a resort that launched numerous athletes on their way to the pinnacle of the sport including World Champion Ann Battelle plus Olympic medalists Nelson Carmichael and Travis Mayer.
- Eliza Outtrim, Olympian and 2014 U.S. Champion in both moguls and dual moguls, has called Steamboat her home mountain for almost a decade.
- Patrick Deneen, who placed sixth at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, and Hannah Kearney, 2014 World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist, have spent time training in Steamboat-Ski Town U.S.A.®
- Steamboat hosted the Freestyle Olympic trials prior to the 2006 and 2010 Games as well as the U.S. Freestyle Olympic Team Camp just weeks before the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Games.
- Steamboat has also been the location for many FIS Freestyle World Cups.
- Steamboat is home to the century-old Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, one of the most successful clubs in the country.
QUOTES
Calum Clark, Vice President of Events, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
Legacy and engagement in the sport is an important component in our selection of Steamboat for the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Freestyle Championships. As the home to great freestyle athletes like Olympic bronze medalist Nelson Carmichael and silver medalist Travis Mayer, the Steamboat community has a great tradition of supporting and celebrating freestyle skiing.
Rob Perlman, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, Senior VP-Sales & Marketing
It’s a privilege to welcome back the best freestyle athletes in the United States to Steamboat-Ski Town, U.S.A.® With a rich tradition in freestyle skiing and an Olympian heritage that dates back more than 80 years, Steamboat embraces a spirit that allows skiers to believe in big accomplishments and the upcoming U.S Freestyle Championships will provide the ideal platform to bring out their best.
Todd Schirman, Freestyle Program Director, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
As host of the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Freestyle Championships, Steamboat is continuing its long-standing support of the sport and our freestyle athletes. This is a chance for clubs from around the country to compete alongside the elite teams and Olympic athletes. Having these two events at Steamboat is just the beginning of our efforts to have more freestyle events to take place in the United States.
