Page 45 - Winter 2018 Journal

A meet-and-greet with Steven Nyman and Ted Ligety during 2017 US Ski Team training at Copper Mountain. Photo courtesy USSA

Games, said Liesl Hepburn, public relations director for US Ski & Snowboard athletes have been centerpieces
Squaw. “The rich legacy of the resort goes well beyond the of NBC’s promotion of the upcoming Winter Games, with
1960 Winter Games—it’s due in huge part to the incredible skiers Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, Ted Ligety, and Gus
number of athletes that have their roots here and who con- Kenworthy and snowboarders Chloe Kim and Shaun White
tinue to recreate here year after year,” she said. heavily featured in the six months leading up to the open-
Squaw Valley guests often see athletes out on the moun- ing ceremonies.
tain, perhaps sharing a chairlift ride with Travis Ganong, “Given the large number of sport stars we have amongst
booking Errol Kerr as their North Face Mountain Guide, our US Ski & Snowboard teams, we do expect that the sport
or joining Jonny Moseley for laps and après drinks during will see a sizeable bump,” Kelly added.
the holidays, according to Hepburn. “Whether facilitated or Chris McCloskey, vice president of communications at
casual, those interactions fuel our guests’ passion for winter The NBC Sports Group, agrees that the public’s interest in
sports, and continue to build and strengthen the Olympic the 2018 Olympics is promising. “Viewership has been up
legacy that makes this place so special,” she said. “Our role for all of the US-based ski and snowboarding events in the
is simply to help that along. Having the chance to compete lead-up to the Olympics compared to viewership for the
alongside Nate Holland in the Cushing Pond Crossing with 2016 World Cup events,” he said. “The Women’s Ski World
Julia Mancuso on the judging panel . . . that’s a story that Cup event at Killington in November notched a 28 percent
will keep you fired up on coming back here. It’s something
that parents love to share with their kids and that kids want
to share with their friends. It’s just a ton of fun.”

ith so many options these days for how to watch the
W Olympics (TV, tablets, smartphones), and more hours
than ever before slated for NBC’s extensive coverage of the
games, it’s not unreasonable to expect that more people will
be inspired by the various events and the profiles of the ath-
letes themselves.
“A key benefit for skiing and snowboarding in America
is the partnership between US Ski & Snowboard and NBC
leading into the Olympics,” said Tom Kelly, vice president
of communications for the organization. “Ratings on our
initial programs from Killington and Beaver Creek were up
dramatically. We will continue with those NBC broadcasts
Former Olympian Jonny Moseley and a fan during ‘Ski With Jonny’ day at
up through team selection in January, then naturally leading Squaw Valley. Photo courtesy Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows
into the Olympics in February.”

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