Created: 15 November 2019
By Andrew Gauthier
October, 31 2019
This Dec. 20-21, Atlanta’s SunTrust Park will transform into a ski and snowboard destination for the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover. We are not talking about a chairlift serviced resort, or a backcountry powder-filled peak, but rather a 15-story steel structure covered in snow featuring a massive kicker designed to launch the world’s best freeskiers and snowboarders for international World Cup big air competition.
So the question is, why Atlanta? Why build a ski slope in a city that doesn’t always embrace the snow? In a January 2017 article in Curbed Atlanta, the mere presence of snow was referred to as “the devil’s dandruff,” yet here we are just 50 days out from Olympic snowboard gold medalists Jamie Andreson and Red Gerard dropping in at SunTrust Park with hopes of topping a World Cup podium. So again...why Atlanta?
Created: 21 October 2019
| Rocky Mountain Series | Copper Mtn HP | 12/5 SB & FS Closed Practice - 12/6SB & FS Comp |
| Southern Vermont Series | Mt Snow SS | 1/21st SB - 1/22 FS |
| New Hampshire Series | Loon SS & HP | 1/24th SB SS - 1/25th SB & FS HP - 1/26th FS SS |
| The Unbound Series | Mammoth SS & HP | 2/11th SB SS - 2/12th FS SS - 2/13th SB & FS HP |
| Rocky Mountain Series | Copper Mtn SS | 2/24th Open Practice - 2/25th FS - 2/26th SB Comps |
| Big Mountain West Series | Park City HP & SS | 2/27th Open Practice - 2/28th FS SS - 2/29th SB SS - 3/1st SB & FS HP |
| Upper Midwest Snow Series | Spirit SS & HP | 3/6th Open Practice -3/7th SB & FS HP - 3/8th SB & FS SS |
*All HP Days are Combined SB=Snowboard FS=Freeski
The Futures Tour calendar has been set and registration is now open.
You may only register for a contest in your home series region for the first two weeks. USASA, US Ski & Snowboard and FIS memberships are required to register for an event. Minimum age is 13. Event will be scored Open for FIS and age groups for USASA. Breakers will not receive Regional USASA points. (12 yr olds are not allowed to compete per FIS rules.) Visit THE FUTURES TOUR FAQ for more info.
Created: 23 September 2019
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct 1, 2019 — The Live Like Sam Fund — a local nonprofit dedicated to providing young athletes with character-building education and athletic scholarship opportunities — today announced its partnership with USASA to help make five young athlete’s dreams a reality through its merit scholarship competition.
Founded by Ron Jackenthal, Live Like Sam was created after his son, Sam Jackenthal passed away after suffering a tragic skiing accident in Australia. A Park City, Utah, local with exceptional athletic ability and strong character, Sam won the overall combined title at the U.S. Junior Freestyle Championship and was extremely active in the USASA Big Mountain West Series.
Created: 20 September 2019
By Andrew Gauthier
U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA continue their fruitful relationship with major improvements to the event pipeline. USASA will now serve as the sole event entry point for both freeskiing and snowboarding events.
This vastly improves the clarity of the layout in the United States and makes it easier to access grassroots competitions through USASA’s 31 regional series and 500-event network. Highlighting this shift, USASA will also take on a new role in the running of "The Futures Tour" for the 2019-20 competition season.
Created: 08 July 2019
Welcome to the 2020-2021 USASA season.
We have improved upon age groups for the coming year. The USASA coaches and leadership team wanted to create a more harmonized USASA age class system to better match the international standard to meet with FIS and World Rookie Tour ages. This is especially helpful for those athletes making the jump up to The Futures Tour and other progress-driven events. All age groups advanced one year to line up with the international standard and make progression more streamlined as athletes move forward in their development.
| Age classes for both men and women, snowboarders and freeskiers for participation in Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Boardercross / Ski Cross. Snowboarder classes only in Slalom and Giant Slalom. | |||
| * NEW AGE GROUP | Rascals (6 & Under) *Regional Events Only | ||
| Ruggie (7-8) | Grommet (9-10) | Menehune (11-12) | Breakers (13-14) |
| Youth (15-16) | Juniors (17-18) | Jams (19-22) | Senior (23-29) |
| Master (30-39) | Legend (40-49) | Kahuna (50-59) | Methuselah (60 & over) |
| Open Class | |||
| Para Snowboard | Para Freeski | Kekoa Snowboard | Kekoa Freeski |
| Age classes for both men and women, snowboarders and skiers in Rail Jam | |||
| 6 & Under | 7 to 10 | 11 to 14 | 15-22 |
| 23 & Over | Open Class | ||
Progress means always putting the USASA athletes first and providing the most ethical, fair, and fun competition environment. For the 2020-2021 season, we have adjusted to a more age-appropriate class for the 6 & under group. The newly formed "Rascals" age group will experience an enhanced regional event structure that will have more of a focus on fun and inclusion.
These events for ages 6 & under will take place within the existing USASA regional competition structure and will only be available for regional points and ranking. Rascals competitors will not be eligible to travel to and compete at USASA National Championships. This adjustment is to bring our competition offering more in line with the U.S. Training Systems model and allow our youngest members more time to have fun regionally. Once athletes become Ruggies they will then be eligible to compete in the USASA National Championships.
Created: 20 August 2019
A big congratulations goes out to Southern Vermont Series freeskier, Elaina Krusiewski, on winning the 4-night all-inclusive stay for 4 at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya resort in Mexico. Thank you to everyone who entered!
If you're feeling a little envious of this experience don't you worry, USASA Members get a guaranteed one category room upgrade (based on availability), 10% off rate, and 1 free session at Woodward Riviera Maya between now and December 20th with promo code: USASAWW
Created: 16 August 2019
Woodward Progression Award winner Ella Beutler with Sam Jackenthal Award winner Henry Townsend
Each year, Woodward Camps honors a most progressive athlete from each USASA series with the Woodward Progression Award. Thirty-two USASA recipients get to spend one week honing their skills on snow and on the ramps and tramps at either Woodward Tahoe or Woodward Copper. This year's Big Mountain West Series winner, Ella Beutler, has been on her own personal path of progression. In 2018, Ella won Park City Ski and Snowboard Team's Development Athlete of the Year and in 2019 Ella nabbed bronze at the USASA Slopestyle National Championships after placing 7th in 2018. We had a chance to catch up with Ella and learn what kind of progression can happen in just a week at Woodward Copper.
