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In March of the 2023 season, the US Ski and Snowboard Team expanded its partnership with Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) to become the official Team Naming Partner of all ski teams under the US Ski & Snowboard brand. The global wealth management and investment banking firm became the title sponsor for the Stifel US Freeski Team, the Stifel US Freestyle Team, and the Stifel US Cross Country Ski Team. 

When the US Ski and Snowboard brand decided to expand Stifel as their Title Partner for the Stifel US Cross Country Team, Jessie Diggins, a three-time Olympic medalist, and the most decorated US cross country skier, stated, “As an athlete on the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, the additional funding will be an enormous lift for our sport across all levels—all the way from the development level to the World Cup level. This type of funding is pivotal for the success of our sport on the national and international level.”

Stifel’s new team naming partnership with the US Cross Country Ski Team gave Stifel US Ski and Snowboard team the capability to collaborate with nonprofit organizations, The Loppet Foundation 501(c)(3) and Share Winter Foundation (Share Winter), to bring Coop FIS Cross Country World Cup back to the United States for the first time in two decades. 

“To have a home World Cup is what every skier dreams of,” stated Zac Ketterson in the Loppet Cup Promo video. 

The Stifel Loppet Cup

The Coop FIS Cross Country World Cup is returning to the US for the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup. The event will be in Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis, from February 17th- 19th. 

On Saturday, February 17th, the event will kick off with Sprint Races, and on Sunday, the athletes will compete in the Distance Races. The last day will host a Citizens Challenge for the general public with fun family activities, food, and more. 

The Loppet Foundation is the host venue because it created incredible cross-country ski trail systems at Wirth Park and its partnership with the city of Minneapolis. 

Stifel is thrilled to bring success to this World Cup by partnering with the event. The firm looks forward to assisting the sport in returning the World Cup circuit back to the US and continuing the trend for years to come. 

Jessie Diggins First World Cup on Home Soil 

Stifel and the Stifel US Ski Team have engaged in a proud partnership with cross country superstar athlete Jessie Diggins. Diggins is the most decorated cross country skier. To name a few highly praised accomplishments, she has earned three Olympic medals, was the 2023 World Champion, achieved 18 World Cup victories, was the 2021 overall World Cup winner, and won the Tour De Ski twice. 

The athlete has also had her struggles coping with different physical and mental health challenges, but she has continued to persevere. 

At her November 20th press conference, Diggins stated, “We’re all human, and we’re doing the best we can every single day. So this season, I’m focusing on just doing my best and taking it one day at a time and one race at a time.” 

She has been taking it one race at a time, and with each race, she is continuing to build on her athletics success. After achieving 56 podiums to date, she is still hungry for more, and she will strive to earn another at her first home World Cup. 

Diggins is enthusiastic about the Loppet Cup and believes it will bring more positive attention to the sport. 

In an April Press Conference, she stated, “It will inspire so many people; it is going to change lives. People are going to be inspired to learn how to ski, and to get outside in the winter in this awesome state and states all across the country. It is going to inspire people for the rest of their lives.”