SIA showcases "lockers" of the U.S. Ski Team stars

Thousands of attendees at the SIA.07 SnowSports Trade Show in Las Vegas this week will get a glimpse into the lifestyle of top U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding athletes as the team partners with SnowSports Industries America in a unique “Locker Project” — an interactive showcase of professional snowboarders and skiers. The ultimate goal of the Locker Project is to create a traveling showcase offering a mini-museum dedicated to athletes and their sponsors.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Thousands of attendees at the SIA.07 SnowSports Trade Show in Las Vegas this week will get a glimpse into the lifestyle of top U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding athletes as the team partners with SnowSports Industries America in a unique “Locker Project” — an interactive showcase of professional snowboarders and skiers. The ultimate goal of the Locker Project is to create a traveling showcase offering a mini-museum dedicated to athletes and their sponsors.
    The project is the brainchild of longtime ski and snowboard promoter Jack Turner, a former U.S. Ski Team member. Turner’s Snow Monsters and Next Snow Search projects have been hallmarks of industry promotion during the past decade.
    “I’m really excited about the enthusiasm the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding have put into this project together with our industry,” said Turner. “The long-term goal of this project is to showcase these great athletes to the American public — not just what they do athletically, but their lifestyle and personal interests.”
    The U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding are sponsoring eight athletes: Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Kildow, Steven Nyman, Andy Newell, Scotty Lago, Lindsey Jacobellis, Hannah Kearney and Ryan St. Onge. Although locker contents can display anything from gear to funky memorabilia, the lockers primarily focus on the interests and personality of the athletes.
    Kildow’s locker will include a tennis raquet and can of tennis balls, because one of her passions is playing tennis. A wedding magazine will also be included, as she just became engaged. Other items include a CDs of Madonna and Coldplad, a Zoolander DVD and some Red Bull from her sponsor. Jacobellis will show off Aerosmith and Justin Timberlake CDs and a State Farm World Cup autographed bib by she and Seth Wescott. Kearney’s locker will include a Harry Potter book and DVD, cooking book, knitting needles and red yarn — red is her favorite color.
    Mancuso will display stickers of her home mountain, Squaw Valley, where she has a run named after her, flip flops, suntan lotion and painting supplies that represent her favorite hobby. Nyman’s locker will offer Child’s Hope Foundation information, one of his favorite charities, a sketch book and colored pencils. Newell will include one of his own cross-country movies, Fight Club DVD and personal photographs, plus a poster and T-shirt of Westminster College, where he and other team athletes attend college. Finally, Lago will offer a flannel shirt, Flow snowboard and his own Scotty Lago shoe that will debut in 2007, and a poaster of the movie Hustle & Flow to promote his screen debut in February.
    “This is a really cool way to showcase our top athletes as exciting young men and women, not just as successful sport competitors,” said ski team Vice President of Marketing Communications Tom Kelly. “Jack [Turner] is a very creative marketer of our sport and the Locker Project is another really innovative project. We appreciate SIA partnering with Jack and giving us and other project sponsors this opportunity at the SIA SnowSports Show.”
    Among the other featured athletes are Bode Miller, in collaboration with Head and Swix, U.S. Snowboarding rider Gretchen Bleiler with K2, and freestyle aerialist Jeret “Speedy” Peterson.
    Each locker will have a see through door cut out to view the contents. Other elements in the program include a big-screen, interactive video display, music listening stations featuring athlete playlists, prize giveaways and an online version of The Locker Project at NextSnow.com and more than 100 resort web sites. For more information on the The Locker Project, log on to www.lockerproject.com.
    The Locker Project has a host of sponsors, including U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding suppliers Head, K2, Rossignol, Salomon and Swix.