1.16 - [RELEASE] USCSA Adds Snowboard Slalom to Nationals

Apr 18
2 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Sullivan

CUMMINGTON, Massachusetts. – JANUARY 16th, 2018. The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) is excited to announce the addition of a new event to its annual Collegiate National Championships: Snowboard Slalom.

Snowboard Slalom is a Snowboard Alpine event. Similar to Snowboard Giant Slalom, Snowboard Slalom involves competitors racing downhill through a set of gates, with the fastest combined time after two runs winning. Gates in Snowboard Slalom are spaced between 8 and 15 meters apart, compared to Snowboard Giant Slalom where gates are spaced between 25 and 32 meters apart.

"The addition of Snowboard Slalom to the USCSA National Championships competition program is a great way to showcase the talents of the constantly growing number of Collegiate Snowboard athletes,” said Patrick Wilcox, USCSA Vice President for Snowboard and Freeski. “Adding slalom enables the USCSA to crown speed champions in Snowboard Alpine events, encompassing Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Snowboard Cross for the first time in Collegiate Snowboard competition, joining the Freestyle Snowboard Team and Individual Championships which include Slopestyle, Rail Jam, Half-Pipe, and Snowboard Cross competition.”

The first national Snowboard Slalom competition and the awarding of the first team and individual Snowboard Alpine National Champions will occur at the 40th USCSA Collegiate National Championships, taking place March 4th-10th 2018 in Lake Placid, New York. Fans and relatives from across the country can watch the competitions live at broadcast.uscsa.com.

USCSA is the only ski and snowboard league where colleges and universities compete and qualify for post-season competition as a team. This emphasis on team performance is a departure from the typical individual or world cup scoring format often found in skiing. Allowing entire teams to qualify for the USCSA Collegiate National Championship^TM also allows for a greater number of competitors to attend the event, with over 230 alpine athletes, 210 freeski and snowboard athletes, and 100 nordic athletes competing this March in Lake Placid. Teams begin their quest to qualify for the U.S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboarding National Championship^TM in their local conference competitions, held across 11 conferences spanning the nation, this January. Top teams from each conference then attend one of 6 regional championships, which decide who ultimately qualifies to participate in events at the Collegiate National Championship. Results from all events can be found at www.uscsa.com.

The USCSA is the sports federation for collegiate team ski racing and snowboarding in America. The USCSA believes that student-athletes of all levels and abilities should have access to quality and exciting venues of competition. USCSA athletes agree that our team orientation fosters a collaborative approach across their collegiate athletic and academic careers, and often this mentality proves indispensable in their adult lives and careers. The organization includes 150 colleges from coast to coast, fielding over 4,700 male and female Alpine, Freestyle, Nordic, Snowboarding and Nordic Ski Jumping athletes in over 300 events annually.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Laura Sullivan at LauraSullivan@uscsa.com