U.S. Ski & Snowboard Commits to Sustainability

PARK CITY, Utah (Oct. 23, 2017) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding, today issued an official statement of sustainability, pledging the organization’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, promoting sustainability and preserving its sports for generations to come.

"The winter season and everything it encompasses, from snowfall to cold temperatures, is essential to our organization’s success on the Olympic stage and to the growth of skiing and snowboarding in America and across the globe," said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. "As a national and international leader in our sports, it is important for us to vocalize our position on climate change and join our athletes, members and partners in inspiring change."

In addition to publishing a sustainability statement, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has also formed an internal sustainability committee to help establish best practices for the organization at events and global team activities. The organization has aligned itself with the City of Park City, National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and Protect Our Winters (POW) in these efforts. Each entity plays a role in supporting U.S. Ski & Snowboard and its athletes.

"Protect Our Winters is proud to partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and we're happy to see them not only speak out about the reality of climate change and its impacts on our industry, communities, and the sports we love, but to also take action," said Barbara Weber, Senior Brand Manager at POW. "We look forward to working together to further find solutions to the climate crisis, while engaging many of the athletes who represent our respective organizations."

"Park City Municipal supports U.S. Ski & Snowboard in their industry leading efforts to address climate change," said Mayor of Park City Jack Thomas. "It will take all of us to ensure that our ski slopes stay snowy in the winter, so that great skiing and snowboarding conditions last for future generations."

The sustainability statement reads as follows:

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, a national and global leader in snow sports, is committed to addressing climate change and stewarding sustainability of winter sports. Millions globally are inspired by winter sports and enjoy healthy, active lifestyles in winter environments. Climate change threatens our winter environments with receding glaciers, rising sea levels, volatile weather cycles and less snowfall.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s vision is to make the United States of America the best in the world in Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Our mission is to lead, encourage, and support athletes in achieving excellence by empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans. We will achieve this excellence in our environmental practices by acting to sustain the sports that inspire us daily. We will tackle climate change by reducing our environmental footprint and promoting environmental responsibility. We intend to achieve our goals while minimizing our organization’s impact on the environment and helping to preserve the ability of future generations to safely live and play in our shared natural environment. Our commitment to environmental stewardship is long-term. A healthy environment benefits everyone – employees, fans, athletes, sponsors and the community at large.

To reach this vision, we adopt the following three guiding principles:

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will utilize and promote sustainable business practices within our organization, with our business partners, suppliers, sponsors and in our hundreds of events and competitions we organize, manage and sanction.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will educate our stakeholders, including athletes, coaches, parents, staff, clubs and fans, about the effects of climate change on the future sustainability of our sports.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will collaborate with resort partners, environmental groups, other sports federations and industry organizations to collectively promote and support environmentally sustainable practices in every aspect of the snow sports industry.

By formulating specific action plans based on these guiding principles, U.S. Ski & Snowboard will strive to lead nationally and globally in all aspects of sustainable practices in the snow sports world.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tom Kelly, tkelly@ussa.org