USCSA-USASA Press Release

[Guest Ghostrider]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USCSA and USASA Offer Collegiate Snowboard Competitions Nationwide

Cummington, MA September 15, 2006

Laura Sullivan Tom Collins

Executive Director, USCSA Executive Director, USASA

413.634.0110 800.404.9213

LauraSullivan@USCSA.com tcollins@usasa.org

The United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) has teamed up with the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) to host team oriented, collegiate, snowboard competitions nationwide.

The USCSA is excited to begin a new relationship with the largest and most successful grassroots snowboard organization in the country. USCSA will have five new, regional, collegiate, series within the USASA structure. USCSA events will run in conjunction with established USASA events, where available, or new stand-alone competitions will be created where needed. USASA competitions will be open to all USCSA competitors, provided they meet USCSA eligibility requirements and are registered members of the USASA. Teams and individuals competing in USCSA events will be members through their institutions. Please visit www.uscsa.com for more information related to university, team, and individual membership registration.

All events will be run under current USASA rules and guidelines. Team competition will be scored using USCSA rules. Teams and individuals will qualify for USCSA regional championships by competing in regular season events. Regional championships will qualify riders for the showcase event in college ski and snowboard competition, the United States Skiing & Snowboarding National Championships which consists of Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Boardercross®, and Giant Slalom events.

The United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association is the sports federation for collegiate team ski racing and snowboarding in America. Membership in the USCSA is in excess of 150 colleges from coast to coast, fielding some 3,800 men and women, alpine, cross country and snowboarding athletes in over 200 race events annually. The United States of America Snowboard Association is the governing body for competitive grassroots snowboarding and represents both the recreational and competitive interests of amateur snowboarding in the United States. Their goal is to promote safe, fair and fun events while fostering a competitive spirit in snowboard athletes.

[Kent]

I apologize for my speed reading...but does this mean that the events will be combined on some fashion or will they remain separate?

This could be both a good and bad relationship.

[Guest Ghostrider]

It is very flexible but the idea is that the college competetors are essentially in a new age group. They won't take away national qualifying spots for any of your current riders. I believe there were 5 new competition regions created in the USASA for each collegiate division. This added spots on the USASA BOD for the USCSA. For example, I am now the Midwest USCSA Rep for the USASA. This will also allow us to remain seperate as much as possible but also get interest and registration numbers up for both organizations.

I know some people might be skeptical of the whole deal but both the USCSA and the USASA worked very closely together to make this partnership so that nobody loses and everybody benefits. It will basically take the two seperate efforts of pushing grass roots snowboarding and combining them into one shared effort to help our sport grow.

As another example in the midwest, in the USCSA we have lacked freestyle events but have had an extremely strong racing background with over 70 racers every weekend. On the USASA side, our freestyle program grew strong but the alpine had totally disappeared. With this new partnership, the USCSA can now offer freestyle events and the USASA can bring back the alpine events.

So it should work out great and its totally optional for USCSA regional directors at this point so some ASA regions may never even notice anything happened.

[Kent]

Okay....so was is the implication for National Championships?

Separate?

Also, should be interesting to see if USSA jumps in on this.

k

[Guest Ghostrider]

At nationals, our riders will be normal competetors. Either in their normal age group or the open class. We will still host our nationals seperate from yours.

I believe usasa national invitations will be given to:

-Top combined rider at the regional level (5 seats nationwide for both guys and girls)

-1st place in each event at USCSA nationals (3 seats for both guys and girls)

-Overall individual at USCSA nationals (1 seat for both guys and girls)

So in total, 18 USCSA riders will be invited to the USASA nationals probably in the Jam's category..maybe Senior or Open if they decide to go for more competition.

[NMU Alpine Boarder]

So what does this mean? I can either race with skiers at the MCSA races, or I can travel to a stand alone snowboard event? Or will it just be stand alone events around the MidWest?

[110/220V]

Perhaps it means you'll have something other than a 250 ASA Nationals entry fee to look forward to...but I've been wrong in the past!

G.W.B.

[Guest Ghostrider]

So what does this mean? I can either race with skiers at the MCSA races, or I can travel to a stand alone snowboard event? Or will it just be stand alone events around the MidWest?

Yes to all 3 actually! I believe for yall up at NMU, you'll be able to

a) go to the MCSA races

b) go to a USASA event and have it count towards your MCSA races

c) regionals will be a ASA event..as it was in the past...for us in the midwest, it doesnt really mean any big changes, just more events for you to compete in if you want.