MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA (May 20, 2013) – Top Olympic skiers and snowboarders will be heading to California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in the lead up to Sochi. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association has named Mammoth Mountain as an Official Training Ground for U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding, providing valuable spring and fall training camps for U.S. athletes through 2019 including Olympics in Sochi and PyeongChang. U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding Pro Teams will be based at Mammoth Mountain’s Unbound Terrain Park this November to prepare for the Olympic season. Freeskiing and snowboarding athletes, along with members of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team including World Champions Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin, have been training in Mammoth this month to kickoff the summer preparation season.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Mammoth Mountain Ski Area has been named an Official Training Ground for U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding through 2019, providing spring, fall and in-season camps every year including the 2014 and 2018 Olympic seasons.
- Freeskiers, snowboarders and the U.S. Alpine Ski Team have been on-snow in Mammoth this month for spring camps.
- Mammoth’s Unbound Terrain Park will also be the site of important pre-Olympic on-snow camps this November for U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding Pro Teams.
- Mammoth Mountain has a long history of playing host to both camps and competitions. Mammoth will be the site of the final Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Jan 18-19, and will announce the 2014 Olympic Snowboarding Team for halfpipe and the new Olympic event of slopestyle.
- U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing Project Gold and Junior Project Gold talent development camps will also be held at Mammoth Mountain each spring. The camps annually attract over 70 athletes ages 9-17 who train in the same venue as Pro and Rookie Team athletes and interact with national team coaches.
- The partnership also provides for training camps for the U.S. Alpine Ski Team and USSA regional development teams through 2014.
- A longtime spring training staple for alpine athletes, this month Mammoth has been hosting World Champions Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin along with the Best in the World women's downhill team including local Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith and Laurenne Ross.
QUOTES
Jeremy Forster, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing Director, USSA
Mammoth Mountain is an ideal location for our May and November training sessions, along with the opportunity for other projects during the season. The Unbound park staff provide the best possible setup for our Pro and Rookie Teams, along with our Project Gold talent development program. Mammoth has been a key player in snowboarding and freeskiing and is a place where the riders feel very much at home.
Calum Clark, Vice President, Events, USSA
Mammoth Mountain has long been one of our premier event sites. The resort is also uniquely capable of supporting vital training camps for our elite athletes with the ability to provide halfpipe and slopestyle courses in the spring and fall.
Rusty Gregory, CEO, Mammoth Mountain
Year after year, Mammoth Mountain has attracted top athletes from around the world to train on our legendary early and late season snow. I couldn’t be more excited that Mammoth Mountain Ski Area has been selected by the USSA to provide elite-level training facilities to the U.S. ski and snowboard teams for alpine, slopestyle and halfpipe training. Ted Ligety, Kelly Clark and crew are already here on the mountain and it has been inspiring to watch the world’s best rip it up through my office window.
Kelly Clark, Halfpipe Snowboarding Olympic Champion
Mammoth Mountain goes above and beyond to build us the halfpipe set up we need to progress our riding. I am looking forward to next year when Mammoth will play host to the final Olympic qualifiers and the Olympic team for Sochi is named.
David Wise, Halfpipe Skiing World Champion
Mammoth creates such a great environment for learning new tricks in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. It's great to have these training camps with the teams together, it's always a good time with everyone. It's a perfect way to start and end our competition season. I'm looking forward to many more camps at Mammoth!
