Ted Ligety joins NASTAR as ambassador

By Published On: July 18th, 2011Comments Off on Ted Ligety joins NASTAR as ambassador

Ted Ligety2011 World GS Champion Ted Ligety has signed an agreement with NASTAR to serve as its official ambassador.

NASTAR, an acronym for the NAtional STAndard Race, is the largest
recreational ski and snowboard race program in the nation. NASTAR
provides a fun, competitive racing program that, through the development
of a handicap system, allows racers of all ages and abilities across
the country to compare their race results regardless of when and where
they race.

“It is an honor to have 2011 GS World Alpine champion and 2006 Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety as our Nature Valley NASTAR ambassador,” said Johnny Alamo, NASTAR executive director of Partnerships and Strategic Alliances. “Ted’s trajectory from his early days of racing NASTAR to being the top racer in the world is what the Next Generation of Ski Racing is all about. As we embark upon rebranding NASTAR with some rock-star imagery, Ted will play a role of inspiration for amateur racers and families within the new marketing campaign.”

“NASTAR introduced me to ski racing at a young age, fostering my continued love for the sport,” said Ligety, founder and president of Shred Optics, a line of cutting-edge goggles, sunglasses and helmets. “I remember getting the competitive juices flowing by challenging my friends on the NASTAR course at Park City Mountain Resort.”
From his early days in Park City (he put on his first pair of skis at age 2), Ligety has been known to push the boundaries of ski racing. He picked up the nickname “Ted Shred” from a Park City Ski Team coach at the age of 10 because his zeal. His first major accomplishment was slalom silver at the 2004 Junior World Championships, but that was only a glimpse of his skiing proficiency.

At the age of 21, Ligety won a gold medal at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. He went on to win eight World Cup events from 2006 to 2011. He has won the overall World Cup giant slalom title in 2008, 2010 and 2011. Earlier this year, Ligety proved once again he’s at the top in alpine skiing, winning the 2011 giant slalom Alpine World Championship.
GEPA photo.

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”