Aspen DH, Deer Valley skiercross slated for 07-08

By Published On: June 8th, 2007Comments Off on Aspen DH, Deer Valley skiercross slated for 07-08

Four U.S. resorts will host 23 World Cup ski or snowboard competitions for the 2008 season, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced. The lineup includes the American debut of a World Cup event with the newest Olympic ski discipline, skiercross, at Deer Valley Resort in Utah and the return of women's downhill racing to Colorado's Aspen Mountain for the first time in almost a decade.
FOUR U.S. RESORTS will host 23 World Cup ski or snowboard competitions for the 2007-2008 season, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced. The lineup includes the American debut of a World Cup event with the newest Olympic ski discipline, skiercross, at Deer Valley Resort in Utah and the return of women's downhill racing to Colorado's Aspen Mountain for the first time in almost a decade.
    "USSA is excited to add ski cross to the U.S. portion of the World Cup schedule as well as to see the return of a women's World Cup downhill in this country," said USSA Vice President of Events Annette Royle. "We couldn't have such incredible competitions that showcase our sports to the world and inspire young Americans coming up the pipeline with Olympic aspirations if it were not for our strong venue partners — Aspen, Beaver Creek, Deer Valley and Lake Placid. They play a significant role in our quest to be the best in skiing and snowboarding."
    The United States will host seven alpine races, 12 freestyle contests and four snowboard competitions. The worldwide schedules were approved by the International Ski Federation (FIS), the international governing body for skiing and snowboarding, at its annual committee meetings recently in Portoroz, Slovenia.
    The World Cup events at U.S. resorts in the 2008 season are:
    ALPINE
Nov. 29-Dec. 2 – Beaver Creek, Colorado (men's super combined, downhill, super G, giant slalom)
Dec. 7-9 – Aspen, Colorado (women's downhill, super G, slalom)
    FREESTYLE

Jan. 18-20 – Lake Placid, New York (men's and women's moguls, aerials, moguls)
Feb. 1-2 – Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah (men's and women's aerials*, skiercross, dual moguls*)
    SNOWBOARDING

March 1 and March 3 – Lake Placid, New York (men's and women's snowboardcross and parallel giant slalom)

* – Night event

U.S. men have enjoyed historic success in Beaver Creek in recent years during the Visa Birds of Prey races, winning the downhill for three consecutive years, adding a giant slalom victory and producing seven other top-3s in the same period.
    Skiercross, which will be introduced at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, has been apart of the FIS World Cup circuit since the 2003 season and debuted at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships at Ruka, Finland, in 2005. Deer Valley Resort will host the 2011 World Championships that will include moguls, dual moguls, aerials, ski halfpipe and ski cross.
    Deer Valley was the 2002 Olympic venue for freestyle and host of the 2003 FIS Freestyle World Championships. Last January, Nate Roberts and Shannon Bahrke won the men and women's moguls contests while Jeret "Speedy" Peterson set two world records in winning an aerials event in a snowstorm.
    Olympic champion Julia Mancuso, who produced the best U.S. women's World Cup season since 1984 last winter, finishing third overall with four victories and a medal at the World Championships, and Lindsey Kildow, silver medalist in downhill and super G at worlds, will headline the Aspen races. This season marks the 40th anniversary of Aspen's first World Cup alpine races when men and women raced downhill, giant slalom and slalom in 1968, the second year of the alpine World Cup schedule. It also will be the first women's downhill in Aspen since 1988.
    The FIS tour directors for each sport develop the various World Cup calendars together with national associations, such as USSA. Annual approval is by the respective sport committee and the FIS Council.

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