PARK CITY, UT (May 13) – Tickets to Sochi will be on the line for snowboarding and the newest Olympic sport of freeskiing in America’s longest standing winter action sports tour, the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix. The Sprint U.S. Grand Prix also incorporates the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix presented by The North Face with freeskiing events. The 18th season of the Grand Prix will feature stops at Colorado’s Copper Mountain Resort and Northstar California Resort with the final Olympic Freeskiing Team being announced after double events at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort and snowboarding at California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. The series will feature both halfpipe and slopestyle at every tour stop with each event counting towards Olympic selection. Halfpipe and slopestyle skiing, along with slopestyle snowboarding, will make their Olympic debut in Sochi.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The longest running domestic series, now in its 18th season, the 2014 Sprint U.S. Grand Prix events will comprise the primary selection events to choose the Olympic teams for halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding and skiing.
- The Sprint U.S. Grand Prix also incorporates the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix presented by The North Face with freeskiing events.
- The Grand Prix has been the platform for Olympic selection since the debut of snowboarding in 1998, sending athletes on to win 14 Olympic halfpipe medals.
- Events are slated at the top resorts for winter action sports including both freeskiing and snowboarding at Colorado’s Copper Mountain Resort along with Northstar California Resort, which returns to the tour for the first time since 2002. The series will conclude with double-event finales including freeskiing at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort and perennial tour stop at California’s Mammoth Mountain with snowboarding.
- Halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding athletes on the 2014 Olympic Team will unveil their Burton uniforms on NBC Jan. 19 at Mammoth Mountain, site of the inaugural Olympic snowboarding team announcement in 1998. Slopestyle snowboarding will make its Olympic debut in Sochi.
- Halfpipe and slopestyle skiing athletes on the inaugural 2014 Olympic Team will showcase The North Face uniforms at Park City Mountain Resort with a Jan. 19 team announcement to be broadcast on NBC.
- Each stop on the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix will be broadcast on NBC, NBC Sports Network, Universal Sports plus live streaming of select events on the USSA Network. Total coverage includes five hours on NBC, including same-day coverage of the final Olympic qualifying events at Mammoth Mountain and Park City Mountain Resort, plus 16 hours on NBC Sports Network.
- The Sprint U.S. Grand Prix also incorporates the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix with freeskiing events at Copper Mountain, Northstar California Resort and Park City Mountain Resort.
- USSA partner Sprint remains title sponsor of the overall Sprint Grand Prix.
- Olympic and USSA partner Visa remains title sponsor of the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix.
- Grand Prix partner Paul Mitchell will be title sponsor of the Paul Mitchell Progression Session events at Copper Mountain, Northstar California Resort and Mammoth Mountain.
COPPER MOUNTAIN HIGHLIGHTS
- A stalwart early season stop on the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix for the past three seasons, Copper Mountain will kickoff the Olympic season Grand Prix tour with both halfpipe and slopestyle Dec. 19-22.
- Copper will double up with its perennial Main Vein halfpipe for both snowboarding and skiing with slopestyle making a return to Main Park.
- Copper Mountain will also serve as the announcement site for the 2014 U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing national teams during early season training prior to the Grand Prix.
- The Copper Mountain Grand Prix will be broadcast on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
NORTHSTAR CALIFORNIA RESORT HIGHLIGHTS
- A regular stop on the USSA Revolution Tour, Olympic champion Shaun White’s home base Northstar California Resort returns to the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix for the first time since 2002.
- Northstar will be bringing back its Pipeline halfpipe venue front and center to the mid mountain lodge and the slopestyle venue will finish nearby at the base of Pioneer.
- The Northstar Grand Prix will be broadcast on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT HIGHLIGHTS
- The site of the famous 2002 Olympic men’s halfpipe snowboarding sweep returns for the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix finale in freeskiing along with the announcement of the first U.S. Olympic Freeskiing Team.
- The halfpipe will be held in the legendary Eagle Superpipe, site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the 2011 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships with slopestyle on King’s Crown.
- The Grand Prix finale at Park City Mountain Resort will be broadcast on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN HIGHLIGHTS
- An iconic tour stop on the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix since its inaugural season, Mammoth Mountain returns for double halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding events in the Grand Prix finale.
- Mammoth Mountain will also be the site of the Olympic Snowboarding Team announcement for the first time since it sent the debut team to Nagano, Japan in 1998.
- Both the slopestyle on Broadway and the halfpipe on Main Park are proven Grand Prix venues.
- The Grand Prix finale at Mammoth Mountain will be broadcast on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
ATHLETE QUOTES
Kelly Clark, Olympic Halfpipe Snowboarding Champion
The Grand Prix is the longest running series in the US, and from that experience they put on some of the best events out there. The Olympic qualification events are in good hands with the Grand Prix and I am looking forward to the Olympic season.
Tom Wallisch, AFP Slopestyle Champion
It’s great to have the Grand Prix in Park City. Competing at my home hill is awesome and I am sure PCMR will put on an amazing event. It's pretty cool that we get to have this sweet Grand Prix that helps with the U.S. Olympic Team selection in America!
TOUR QUOTES
Eric Webster, Grand Prix Tour Director
The success of the Grand Prix over 18 years has been based in great part on having the very best action sports resorts. That’s especially true this Olympic season where the best U.S. athletes will be selected for the Olympics at America’s most notable resorts.
Michael Jaquet, Chief Marketing Officer, USSA
The longevity of the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix has made it a strong event for major action sports partners including Sprint, Visa, Paul Mitchell and The North Face. With Olympic spots on the line at each tour stop we anticipate a strong broadcast and digital following on NBC, NBC Sports Network and the USSA Network on YouTube.
RESORT TOUR STOP QUOTES
Jesse True, Copper Mountain Vice President of Marketing and Sales
Copper Mountain’s easily accessible location and snowmaking infrastructure has made it a vital early season training and competition site for America’s top athletes. We’ll be ready with world class halfpipe and slopestyle venues as the opening event on the Grand Prix tour that will ultimately name the 2014 Olympic Team.
Bill Rock, COO, Northstar California
We are thrilled to host the U.S.Grand Prix at Northstar, especially in an Olympic year. Not only will we be showcasing our world class pipe and park program but we will also cheer on our athletes, including two-time gold medalist Shaun White, as they attempt to make the U.S. Olympic Team.
Matt Gebo, Director of Marketing and Communications, Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort has a long history of supporting the U.S. Olympic movement, and has been proud to support the U.S. Freeskiing Team since its inception. With a terrain park scene consistently ranked among the best in North America, we are the perfect host for the naming ceremony for the first ever U.S. Olympic Freeskiing Team and are honored to help introduce a new class of dynamic athletes to the world.
Rusty Gregory, CEO, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
I’m stoked that Mammoth Mountain will once again play host to the finale of the Sprint U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix. Mammoth has a long culture with the Grand Prix going back to the naming of the very first Olympic team here in 1998. That will continue this January with the best halfpipe and slopestyle athletes in America vying for coveted spots on the U.S. Olympic Team headed to Sochi.
2013-14 SPRINT U.S. GRAND PRIX
Copper Mountain, Dec. 18-22, 2013 (Grand Prix Tour Opener)
Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix – Halfpipe and Paul Mitchell Progression Session
Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix – Halfpipe and slopestyle skiing
Northstar California Resort, Jan. 9-12, 2014
Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix – Halfpipe and Paul Mitchell Progression Session
Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix – Halfpipe and slopestyle skiing
Park City Mountain Resort, Jan. 17-19, 2014 (Grand Prix Freeskiing Finale)
Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix – Halfpipe and slopestyle skiing
Paul Mitchell Progression Session
Olympic Freeskiing Team Announcement (halfpipe and slopestyle) with unveiling of The North Face Olympic Team competition uniforms.
Mammoth Mountain, Jan. 17-19, 2014 (Grand Prix Snowboarding Finale)
Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix – Halfpipe and Paul Mitchell Progression Session
Olympic Snowboarding Team Announcement (halfpipe and slopestyle) with unveiling of Burton Olympic Team competition uniforms.
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