United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association -
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1967Holger Petersen established the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Ski Association (WISA) 1970Tri-State Collegiate Ski Association was formed by MN, MI and WI 1971The Intercollegiate Ski Racing of North America (ISRA of NA) was formed |
DID YOU KNOW?
USCSA was the first (and still only) organization to offer collegiate snowboard and freeski competition, with the first snowboard events held in 1999 and the first freeski events held in 2009.
1970s Skiers from the College of Idaho
1981 Men's NCSA National Team, College of Idaho
1980s Ladies Ski Champions, College of Idaho
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1980 Men's NCSA National Champions, College of Idaho
1991 College of Idaho Ski Team
Ernie Meissner, College of Idaho Coach
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1984 Women's Ski Team, College of Idaho
The Border to Border Race Fundraiser across Idaho
Skiing in the 80s
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1974Holger Petersen established the National Collegiate Ski Association (NCSA) 1976The first National Ski Championship of Collegiate Women was held at Boyne Mountain, MI 1982The NCSA was consolidated and established its office in Milwaukee |
At this time, women had not been able to participate in any national championship. Up until 1975, no national championship existed for women collegiate ski teams. Petersen decided to organize the first national ski championship of collegiate women in 1975. Invitations and program information were sent to all U.S. colleges with varsity or club standing and four-year or junior college status. The event was held at Boyne Mountain, Michigan the first weekend of March 1976 and included alpine and cross-country events, with teams able to go for separate Nordic, alpine or combined titles. This was the first true cooperation among regional leagues. For the next few years, annual women’s events were run under the auspices of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), then a relatively new and growing organization.
Through 1981, NCSA national championships only included male teams; women continued to compete through the AIAW. When the NCAA took over women’s sports in 1982, this led to the demise of the AIAW; as such, the NCSA decided to create a combined national championship for separate male and female teams. The first such event took place in McCall, Idaho, in March of 1982, and NCSA leagues sent teams from all over the country. That championship format continues today. Later in 1982, the NCSA consolidated its administrative functions and formally established its office in Milwaukee. Continued below... |
DID YOU KNOW?
USCSA was formerly known as the National Collegiate Ski Association (NCSA) and changed its name to USCSA in 1992
Share Your USCSA Stories & Memorable MomentsFor our 50th Anniversary season, we are inspired to hear and share USCSA stories and memories - and that starts with you!
Students, alumni and volunteers - we want to hear your most memorable USCSA experiences. Whether that is a story about a specific event, a relationship you made, a lifelong friend found, a connection that turned into a job or whatever that moment might be - we want to hear from you! We are collecting stories and photos and will be sharing them on our website and through our social channels throughout the year… and beyond! |
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By the mid 1980’s, the NCSA still was not officially an affiliate of the United States Ski Association (USSA). Instead, it was considered an “allied organization” that shared office space with USSA in Park City, Utah. The two organizations began to discuss the possibility of merging, which was thought to create a more stable future for the NCSA. The NCSA Board of Directors and USSA leadership discussed this concept for years, but little progress or consensus was achieved. After Chris Tapfer took over from Petersen as President of NCSA, the organization decided to change its name to United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA). Following this change, at its Spring 1992 Board Meeting, the USSA Board voted down the possible merger. The main sentiment was that, if they were to merge with any collegiate program, it should be the NCAA, not the USCSA. Both organizations subsequently moved forward with their own vision for the future of collegiate skiing.
The USCSA worked with earnest diligence in the 1990’s and first two decades of the 2000’s to offer a quality experience for all student athletes who had the desire to compete. The snowboard discipline was introduced in 1998, and in 1999 snowboarding was officially accepted at the USCSA National Championships and freeski was introduced in 2009. In 2018, the USCSA voted to restructure its Board of Directors to nurture committee and subcommittee dialogue, and provide more supported autonomy to the Conferences and Divisions. Continued below... |
1992The NCSA changed its name to United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) 1999The snowboarding discipline was introduced 2009The freeski discipline was introduced |
DID YOU KNOW?
USCSA was the first organization to offer women’s collegiate ski competition, with the first women’s championships held in 1976
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In September 2022, the USCSA released a five year strategic plan, which can be found here. This plan incorporates input from many different stakeholders, including athletes, coaches, former members, and both local and national USCSA leadership. The USCSA has set one, three, and five year targeted goals in the plan, allowing us to implement changes immediately while striving for and refining others.
Today, the USCSA is taking the lead in promoting collegiate skiing with the Alpine and Nordic Pathways initiative. We are proud to work closely with US Ski & Snowboard (formerly the USSA) and the NCAA to promote pathways for high school athletes and encourage participation in snowsports through a variety of available organizations and disciplines. The USCSA is the preeminent governing body for collegiate team ski racing and snowboarding in North America. We are an inclusive organization, with 5,000 student athlete members who represent over 175 institutions from 35 states. The USCSA hosts competitions across 11 Conferences in the U.S., culminating in six Regional Competitions and the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard National Championships in March of each year. Programs range from fully funded varsity teams to club teams, highlighting talent from elite level national team athletes to individuals who are competing for the first time. One of the organization’s unique strengths is its promotion of team competition first and foremost, with camaraderie and fellowship at the heart of our organization. Many people deserve recognition for their major contributions toward the establishment and success of the NCSA, in support of Holger Petersen’s vision: Michael Hanus, technical and administrative support, Marquette University; Robert Von Bereghy, legal advice and council, Marquette University; Ernie Meissner, creating support for the NCSA concept, The College of Idaho; Bill Toof, convincing the East that there is something else and his national leadership, Boston College; and Larry Ozzello, for developing initial rules and setting standards for race quality, UW Eau Claire. |
2022The USCSA released a five year strategic plan TodayThe USCSA has 5,000 student athletes who represent over 175 institutions from 35 states |
DID YOU KNOW?
The 2008 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships at Blue Mountain, Pennsylvania were featured as part of the short-lived TruTV reality show, Ski Patrol.
