Bode Miller's Team America sets ambitious slate

Bode Miller announced Thursday that his independent race team, comprised of himself, his coaching staff, technicians and support staff, will be called Team America.
SÖLDEN, Austria — Bode Miller announced Thursday that his independent race team, comprised of himself, his coaching staff, technicians and support staff, will be called Team America.  
    After an 11-year tenure with the U.S. Ski Team, Miller made the decision in May to ski independently. “We co-existed and had a lot of success for the past 10 years and I value the relationships I made with my teammates and the staff,” said Miller, “but I felt that this was an opportunity for me to concentrate on training and do it on my own terms. The U.S. Ski Team’s program is set up to assist 30 to 40 alpine racers each season. With Team America, I will be able to solely focus on maximizing my training and race-day performance, which has me super-excited to get on the hill.”
    Miller, with 25 World Cup wins, begins the 2007-08 race season just two wins shy of Phil Mahre’s American World Cup record of 27, which has stood since 1984. At 30 years old, Miller is the 10th-winningest World Cup racer in the history of the sport. He won the super G World Cup title in 2007, his fourth Cup title, to go with four World Championships and two Olympic medals, and enters 2007-08 as the fourth-ranked overall ski racer in the world.
    Team America consists of head coach John McBride, assistant coaches Forest Carey and Mike Kenney (all three former U.S. Ski Team coaches), team manager Jennifer Holden, technicians Robi Kristan and Heinz Hammerle, agents Lowell Taub of CAA Sports and Ken Sowles and driver/chef Jake Serino.
    McBride, on joining Team America, said, “I am excited to continue my working relationship with Bode. We have a great staff and a phenomenal race horse. Bode is motivated and training with focus and intensity. I believe with a little good luck he will have an epic season.”
    Miller and Team America will partner with Kjus clothing, based in Switzerland, which will provide all of Team America’s outerwear, including ski jackets, ski pants, ski suits and ski accessories for the next three seasons. A limited-edition Team America line of ski clothing is planned for a winter 2008-09 retail release. Kjus CEO Didi Serena said, “I am delighted with the opportunity to enter into this partnership with Bode. He is an impressive personality, an absolute individualist and a guy who loves to win. He will bring Kjus Skiwear further with his crucial input in product development. The Kjus brand will also benefit from Bode Miller’s international charisma.”
    Miller has added several new sponsors to Team America, including Go Fast energy drink, in which Miller has an equity position, and the World Championship Sports Network, to whom Miller will supply unique online and televised content. Additionally, incumbent headgear sponsor Superfund, a global managed futures investment provider, has increased its support of Miller and Team America while Nike, under terms of its existing relationship, will provide Team America with training gear and footwear in preparation for the 2007-08 season. SportSkool, an on-demand instructional sports network, will be releasing a new round of Miller programming on sports conditioning in the fall of 2007. Concorde Reisemobile will provide Miller with a motorhome to live in for the fifth consecutive season. Miller’s equipment partners continue to be Head, which extended its Miller partnership an additional three years, Briko and Booster straps.
    On extending its partnership with Miller, Head Wintersports Marketing Director Mike Bisner said, “HEAD could not be happier that Bode has set his goals and has stripped all the obstacles from his path to become America’s number one all-time World Cup skier. He is genuine in his approach to everything he does and a true iconoclast in skiing. Head will provide all the resources available to support his World Cup campaign as well as his goals with the Turtle Ridge Foundation.”
    Miller, his family and Taub founded The Turtle Ridge Foundation in spring 2006. It has a mission of supporting sustainable living, community and health causes in New Hampshire and beyond. Over the short life of TRF, Miller has raised and donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Bretton Woods adaptive ski program, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club and other worthwhile causes. 2007 was TRF’s most successful year, with three separate events each raising more than $15,000 apiece for charitable causes. Miller’s sponsors Head, Go Fast, Kjus and WCSN.com will donate a combined $5,000 to TRF for each World Cup race Miller wins over each of the next three seasons, and Miller will match the total of his sponsor’s donations for a $10,000 per win donation.
    On TRF, Miller said, “I’m a ski racer and that’s my job right now. I understand I have an opportunity to help other people and that’s the basic goal of Turtle Ridge. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and look forward to continued success.”