PARK CITY, Utah  ­— Internationally recognized outdoor retailer L.L.Bean, known for its legendary customer service and high-quality gear and apparel that help to further people’s enjoyment of the outdoors, and Swix, renowned for its cutting-edge technology in world-class competition and training wear, today announced a partnership with the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.  

As official supplier to the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, L.L.Bean will provide insulated outerwear and rainwear, as well as casual wear and hats. Swix will develop customized World Cup and World Championship race suits and performance jackets and pants. Both companies will share responsibility for summer training products.

“We are thrilled that Swix will be joining us in partnership with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association,” said Christina Semanyshyn, L.L.Bean’s manager of strategic partnerships. “For more than sixty years, Swix has been one of the strongest, most recognized names in the ski industry, and L.L.Bean has been carrying our quality products for years. Like us, as well as U.S. Ski & Snowboard, they share our collective passion for living an active lifestyle and enabling people to get outside.”

“U.S Ski & Snowboard welcomes Swix as a clothing supplier to the U.S. Cross Country Team”, stated Dan Barnett, Chief Commercial Officer.  “The Swix product line complements L.L.Bean’s offerings and together will provide the comfort and performance the Team will need in the clothing category.  Swix’s product mix, technology and attention to detail will help the U.S. Cross Country Team achieve athletic excellence during the 2018-19 competition season.”

The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team achieved historic results last season with many top performances on the World Cup and at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.  On the World Cup, among many podiums, Jessie Diggins placed second overall with Sadie Bjornsen finishing sixth overall. Sophie Caldwell finished third overall in the Sprint category.  Diggins also finished third overall in the Tour de Ski. The season highlight was Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) and Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, Alaska) winning the gold medal in the in the Team Sprint at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

“I am thrilled that Swix will be a clothing supplier to the U.S. Cross Country Team, while simultaneously building on our strong partnership with premier retail partner, L.L.Bean,” said Swix Sport USA President & CEO Steve Poulin. “Together, we’re committed to ensuring this team will have unrivaled performance clothing while competing against the best in the world.”

“The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athletes and staff are very excited to be wearing Swix this season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Cross Country coach Chris Grover.  “Swix has a long history of providing high-end performance wear for some of the best athletes and teams in the world. The fit, functionality and performance of Swix racing and training gear is world-class, and we’ll need this level of performance to meet our goals of winning multiple medals at the 2019 Seefeld Nordic World Championships. The combination of L.L.Bean outerwear and Swix performance gear is ideal for the USA program and we are grateful to both companies for their incredible support and their belief in United States’ cross country ski racing.”

About L.L.Bean, Inc.

L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L.Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In the past five years, L.L.Bean has donated over $6 million toward conservation and land stewardship. L.L.Bean currently operates 41 stores in 17 states across the United States, along with 27 stores in Japan. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, Maine, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram.

About Swix

Swix with roots running deep in the snow and ice of Scandinavia, is an industry pioneer in the development of ski waxes, tuning tools, poles and apparel for both alpine and cross-country skiers around the globe. With a constant focus on research and development, athletes skiing on Swix wax, poles and technical wear have captured countless Olympic and World Championships medals since the company’s debut in 1946.  Swix Sport is part of the newly formed Brav outdoor group of brands. Toko, Lundhags, Ulvang, Helsport, Orginal, Hardrocx, and Skisporet. Learn more at Brav.com. Instagram.  Facebook.  www.swixsport.us

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Reese Brown
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Press Officer
[email protected]

PARK CITY, Utah – U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced that Bryan Fish has been promoted to the position of Cross Country Sport Development Manager. This is a new position and includes many of Bryan’s current duties at U.S. Ski & Snowboard, in addition to the key domestic and development responsibilities held by former Nordic Domestic Program Director Robert Lazzaroni. U.S. Ski and Snowboard will not fill that role but will hire a coordinator to assist Fish as he takes on his new role.

“This is an exciting time for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, and promoting Bryan Fish to fill this new role could not come at a better time,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Luke Bodensteiner. “Bryan has done great work as the development coach and the team is now seeing the positive outcomes of his well-orchestrated strategy. He has been a large contributor to the strong results we are seeing at Junior Worlds and most recently at the International Junior Camp in Norway. With these added responsibilities, Bryan will continue to be the driving force with the development pipeline and become a larger player in the national cross country scene.”

Bryan’s new role as Sport Development Manager is unique in that it will allow Fish to continue to coach in camps and lead trips including Junior World Ski Championships and OPA Cup.  Sustainability has been built in these programs and it is important that this consistency for the athletes continues.

“Thanks to U.S. Ski & Snowboard for offering me the opportunity to expand my support to the Cross Country community,” Fish said. “As the Cross Country Development Coach, I have focused on collaborating with our ski community to build out the development system. We have worked together with coaches, clubs, divisions, and regions to fill in structural gaps with needed programming. We have also made significant strides in building a stronger national development system. The preparation and performance of our athletes at every level is proof we are moving in the right direction. I am excited to place a greater focus on establishing a clear pathway as we move ahead.”

Based in Park City, Utah, Fish assumes his new role effective immediately and will be actively seeking an additional hire to assist in this new role.

The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation broke ground on a new 72-unit athlete and workforce housing facility July 19 at the Utah Olympic Park. With the toss of some dirt with their golden shovels, leaders of the project, including Colin Hilton, president and CEO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation; Chris Robinson, Summit County Council; Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biksupski; Utah State Senator Wayne Niederhauser; and Luke Bodensteiner, chief of sport for U.S. Ski & Snowboard; as well as U.S. Snowboard Team member Jake Vedder, officially broke ground on the facility.

“This facility is a testament to the vitality of Utah’s Olympic venues and a reflection of our ever-expanding commitment to Olympic winter sport,” said Hilton.

In an increasingly competitive real estate market, finding athlete housing in Park City becomes more challenging each year. The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation’s $13.6 million facility will provide peace of mind for many athletes who come to train, whether they do so at the Utah Olympic Park or at U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Center of Excellence, among other training sites in the area. The 72 units will provide 146 beds, of which 29 units will be used for short-term stays and 43 units will be used for long-term apartment rentals. The target price ranges for long-term units will be $600 – $700 per month and for the short-term units $35 – $40 per night.

“This athlete housing facility is going to add a new dimension to what we’re doing at the Legacy Foundation,” Bodensteiner said. “For our Olympians and Olympic hopefuls, easy access to low-cost housing is a real challenge for them. To be able to have access to housing like this, right where they train, is a huge benefit to their performance. I think we’re going to see that show up in Olympics in the future. And I expect this residence will attract more athletes to come train here, not only from the U.S. but also probably from around the world. And that will help Utah become known as an international Olympic training site.”  

The creation of athlete housing and continued investment in the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation cements Utah as the premier place for winter sports. Leaders of the project hope this housing development will showcase Utah’s commitment to hosting another Olympic Winter Games in the not-so-distant future.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - U.S. Ski & Snowboard has a brand new certified Center of Excellence in South Lake Tahoe, providing state-of-the-art medical facilities to the elite team athletes based in that community, as well as the thousands of skiers and snowboarders who dream of future Olympic success.

The facility is part of a dream to improve community health and well-being at the Robert Maloff Center, located on the Barton Health medical campus in South Lake Tahoe. The 26,000 square foot state-of-the-art medical facility houses the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness, which breaks the mold of regional healthcare by combining orthopedics, rehabilitation, performance-based training programs and overall wellness therapies. This new model of care addresses the entire patient, not just illness or injury.

Made possible by a $10 million donation from the “Angel of Tahoe” Lisa Maloff, the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness, inside the Robert Maloff Center, focuses on coordinated care, integrated treatments and education, a philosophy known as the continuum of care. Here, the patient’s journey is guided by care navigators, tapping any or all of the services offered by health care providers and certified practitioners at the Center.

“The Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness’ innovation is something we’ve been conceptualizing for over a decade,” said Barton Health CEO Dr. Clint Purvance at the Center’s grand opening event on July 12, 2018. “Now, with the support of our community, stakeholders, team members and donors we are providing a healthcare system that offers our community a new model of care, tailored to their personal goals and health journey.”

Designed to improve the health of the community, the Center combines traditional orthopedic medical care with integrative medicine and wellness treatments such as acupuncture, mindfulness classes, nutrition counseling, as well as personalized rehabilitation and sports performance. This proactive approach not only gets the patient moving again, but back to their active lifestyle – whether competing in Olympic trials or day hiking with grandchildren.

While offering multiple services for the entire community, the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness is also a certified U.S. Ski & Snowboard Center of Excellence. This designation represents advanced credibility for elite and Olympic snowsports athletes, attracting local competitors such as Kyle Smaine, Lila Lapanja, and Travis Ganong.

 “The Sierra Nevada is a hotbed of ski and snowboard sports, home to many elite athletes and more than 2,000 young skiers and snowboarders who represent the future generations of American Olympians. The Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness gives them access to a world-class facility and support to achieve their goals of competing,” said Luke Bodensteiner, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief of Sport.

Barton Health’s orthopedic physicians are well-known in the area and around the world, as these doctors help residents keep up with mountain activities as well as providing medical care for the U.S. Ski Team. Barton has a deep history with providing orthopedic care for Olympians, going back to the 1960s when Dr. Paul Fry launched the first orthopedic treatment practice after the Winter Games at Squaw Valley. The Fry family donated $1 million for the installation of hot and cold therapy pools at the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness to carry on his legacy.
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic national governing body for ski and snowboard sports in the USA, has announced that Mark Schneider has joined the organization as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Schneider brings a huge wealth of experience amassed to one of the largest sports bodies in the USA, including six years as Chief Information Officer with Red Bull USA. His most recent post was Chief Technology Officer with Zipscene, the Cincinnati, Ohio based company specializing in understanding and predicting consumer-dining behavior through deep learning and artificial intelligence on the Amazon (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Schneider’s range of experience, in particular with the high profile athletes and events associated with Red Bull, makes him ideally suited for the CTO role with U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Mark’s resume speaks for itself,” said Tiger Shaw, CEO, and President of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “He has worked in the technology field for nearly 35 years and was an integral part of the incredible growth Red Bull enjoyed in the US from 2007 through 2013. Most recently he has been working with a start-up which specializes in understanding and predicting consumer behavior, a knowledge that will prove highly valuable to the work we do with athletes and consumers at U.S. Ski & Snowboard.”

“I am delighted to have accepted the CTO role with U.S. Ski & Snowboard,” said Mark Schneider, talking about his move to U.S. Ski & Snowboard. ”The opportunity to move to Park City and work with some of the highest profile athletes in the world, a range of events broadcast globally, and blue-chip commercial partners is a huge and very exciting honor.

“Even in my initial discussions with the team at the Center of Excellence, it is clear that there are opportunities to integrate technology even more deeply with the athletes U.S. Ski & Snowboard helps become best in the world. This work will be focused on helping them increase performance levels even further, and to use technology to improve the fan experience, both in the live arena and in broadcast, and that is just the tip of the iceberg! My family and I are looking forward to relocating to Utah and I cannot wait to start work.”

PARK CITY, UTAH – U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced ClimateCase and CatTongue Grips as its newest partners in the mobile accessories category.

ClimateCase, the Official Insulating Smartphone Carrier of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, is an insulating smartphone carrier that can prevent a cellphone issue that almost everyone has faced at one time or another. After just 15 minutes below 32°F or above 95°F a cellphone may shut down completely to protect itself, leaving users vulnerable and out of touch. The ClimateCase was launched to address that issue by providing protection for smartphones from overheating and freezing.

“Prolonged exposure to harsh temperatures can permanently damage a smartphone and its internal battery,” said ClimateCase’s CEO Lisa Lambert. “With the ClimateCase, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s athletes and staff can protect their phones from harsh conditions, both on and off the mountain. It also protects against accidental drops, so users are covered in most all situations.”

CatTongue Grips are the perfect anti-slip solution for a mobile device and can be used directly on the device or existing case. CatTongue Grips feel great in users’ hands and are functional and super durable for everyday use or for extreme athletes to use. There are over 50 designs as well as a customization option, so users can make each grip their own.

“As lovers of all things art, we wanted this product to not only have a fantastic grip, but to include fun, feel-good artwork and design for a more personal touch,” said Missy Kelly, co-founder and president of CatTongue Grips. “Plus, CatTongue Grips are recyclable, extremely durable, waterproof and can stand up to the variable terrain and conditions U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes encounter.”

For more information, visit climatecase.com and cattonguegrips.com.

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – Five-time U.S. Olympian Kikkan Randall – who made Olympic history by winning the first-ever U.S. gold medal in cross country skiing – was elected by her peers to the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission. She joins Finnish ice hockey player Emma Terho as newly elected members of the 20-person commission that serves as a link between athletes and the IOC.

Randall and Terho will serve eight-year terms. The pair will be confirmed as members of the IOC on Feb. 25. As a U.S. IOC member, Randall will also become a member of the USOC board of directors. Voting took place among all competing Olympians from Feb. 1-21 in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Villages.

“Wow, what amazing news to get today,” said Randall. “I have so much passion and energy to put toward the Olympic Movement and it feels so good to have the athletes put their faith in me. I look forward to representing the athletes and making the Olympic Movement strong in the future. This is going to be a really fun ride.”

On Wednesday, Randall (Anchorage) and teammate Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) made history by winning the first Olympic medal in cross-country skiing for U.S. women (team sprint). In 2013, the duo became the first-ever U.S. world champions in cross-country skiing in the same event. Overall, Randall has skied in nine world championships, also winning silver in 2009 (sprint) and bronze in 2017 (sprint) after taking the 2015-16 season off for the birth of her child.

Randall is a three-time overall world cup sprint champion, three-time world championship medalist, 27-time world cup podium finisher and the first U.S. woman to earn a top-10 finish in cross-country skiing at the Olympic Winter Games.

“Kikkan has had a very strong impact across many sports as both a role model and a leader of athletes,” said Olympian Tiger Shaw, who is president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Her engagement with youth has become a hallmark, touching thousands of young girls through both her results as an athlete and a leader with Healthy Futures, and Fast and Female.”

Randall’s seat is one of two that become available when current chair Angela Ruggiero of the U.S. and member Adam Pengilly of Great Britain finish their eight-year terms on Feb. 25. Randall was one of six athletes vying for the two positions.

The goal of the IOC Athletes’ Commission is to ensure that the athletes’ viewpoint remains at the heart of Olympic Movement decisions. The majority of members of the commission are elected directly by Olympic athletes. Members of the commission are also present on the majority of other IOC commissions, and the chair serves on the IOC executive board.

“Kikkan has always represented Team USA to the highest levels,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “She’s a selfless and consummate athlete, professional, wife, mother, and advocate, and will no doubt have an extremely positive impact on the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Angela has set the bar high over the last eight years as she tirelessly advocated on behalf of athletes from all over the world, and Kikkan will no doubt further her legacy.”

Ruggiero – a four-time Olympic medalist in ice hockey – was elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission during the Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010. She became vice chair in 2014 and chair in 2016.

“Congratulations to Kikkan for this well-deserved honor,” said Ruggiero. “Serving in a key leadership role on behalf of the athletes at the center of the Olympic Movement is not only a great honor, but an important responsibility. Kikkan’s a proven and dedicated advocate for athletes, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact she’ll have in this new role.”

In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Randall has served as an active ambassador for youth through leadership engagement with both Healthy Futures and Fast and Female – organizations that promote the benefits of healthy, active lifestyles to youth. She also played a key role in establishing greater leadership engagement for athletes within the International Ski Federation.

Nominated by their respective National Olympic Committees, the six candidates originated from three continents and five sports. Joining Randall and Terho as candidates were Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen (Norway, cross-country skiing), Ander Mirambell (Spain, skeleton), Hong Zhang (China, speedskating) and Armin Zoeggeler (Italy, luge).

IOC Athletes' Commission (as of Feb. 26)

• Kirsty Coventry, Chair
• Danka Bartekova, Vice Chair
• Nadin Dawani
• Tony Estanguet
• Chelsey Gotell
• Daniel Gyurta
• Britta Heidemann
• Stefan Holm
• Yelena Isinbaeva
• Aya Medany
• Saina Nehwal
• Kikkan Randall
• Seung-Min Ryu
• Luis Scola
• Patrick Singleton
• Emma Terho
• James Tomkins
• Sarah Walker
• Hayley Wickenheiser

Previous U.S. IOC Athletes' Commission Members

• Bob Ctvrtlik, Volleyball
• Edwin Moses, Track and Field
• Angela Ruggiero, Ice Hockey