USA Ski Jumping rolls out ambitious plan

Amidst all the excitement of the U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships from July 30-Aug. 1, at the famed Olympic ski jumping venue of Utah Olympic Park, there is equal cause for celebration and interest in the plans from a newly formed group to support ski jumping. USA Ski Jumping, an organization founded this Spring, which will absorb the former Project X program and which will provide sport development and marketing support.

USA Ski Jumping Chairman, Joe Holland, formally announced the creation of the new body that will oversee management, direction and administration of what was the well-known Project X program.

“We are proud to announce our new initiative to help support ski jumping in America”, said Holland. “In recent months we have organized a new group that will help to organize European trips for top athletes and also serve as a rallying for our ski jumping community. Our jumpers are among the most dedicated in the world. With the new support of USA Ski Jumping, we are preparing to both better support our top athletes and to create a greater awareness for the sport in the USA.”

USA Ski Jumping is working closely with the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association, the national governing body for the sport, to offer a top-to-bottom jumping program. In addition, to the USSA’s on-going coaches education program, USA Ski Jumping will support not only a “top team” program, but also manage elements of sports development and marketing of the sport.

Directing administrative and coaching operations for USASJ are a pair of noted Olympians featuring Steamboat Springs’ Clint Jones and Lake Placid native Casey Colby.

Jeff Hastings, a 1984 US Olympic ski jumper, is enthused and serving on the sub-committee that will oversee the marketing and fund raising operations of USASJ. “It’s been exhilarating to see how the challenge to better support our sport has brought out the best in a passionate core-group of supporters who didn’t have a role before,” he said. “The energy is contagious and I am confident that this will be a turning point for ski jumping in America.”

Peter Graves, the Public Relations and Media Director for USASJ said that the group couldn’t be more excited. “We simply couldn’t be more energized. We have tapped into some real creative energy with the group and the timing is right. We look forward to offering programs that will prepare our top team for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, but also will be ever-mindful of the sport, and how we can help at all levels. We have many great clubs, who do amazing work, without whom, this couldn’t work. We are going to be all about building partnerships.”