Park City-based ski clubs announce intent to consolidate

By Published On: June 9th, 2017Comments Off on Park City-based ski clubs announce intent to consolidate

A collection of five Park City ski and snowboard clubs has shared the news of the potential collaboration of multiple local clubs into one, all-encompassing organization to better serve Park City’s aspiring athletes. The Park City Ski & Snowboard Club (PCSSC) would include alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, nordic skiing and jumping, and snowboarding programs and is scheduled to launch early fall.

Photo by Susie Theis

In an effort to streamline and facilitate innovative programming for winter youth athletes and their families in the Park City region, a volunteer Integration Team, comprised of representatives from Park City Ski Team, Summit Ski Team, Team Park City United and the Nordic and Fly Freestyle divisions of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, have committed to integrate existing ski and snowboard clubs. A consolidated club would give athletes the opportunity to participate in multiple winter sports as part of PCSSC. Conceivably overseeing programming for more than 1,000 athletes, PCSSC’s increased population would leverage access to venues, training facilities and critical development resources. The one-club structure would eliminate redundant operational areas and streamline sport management and administration. Overall, PCSSC would provide a seamless, multi-sport experience for athletes and their families and focus on a progressive athletic and social development model. The club would create a positive environment for youth to have multiple pathways from recreational, development and elite level programs all within one club.

“In looking at the potential benefits of uniting our talented Park City athletes and families into one ski and snowboard organization, we feel this is a major opportunity to provide world-class personnel and top-notch training resources to better serve our youth,” said the PCSSC Integration Team.

PCSSC will exist under the umbrella of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF), but will operate as a separate LLC. The PCSSC Integration Team will appoint a local board of thirteen to guide staff in overseeing and evolving the integrated club. The executive director will oversee the four divisions – alpine, freestyle, nordic, and snowboard.

After an extensive vetting process and numerous rounds of interviews with the PCSSC Integration Team and executive staff of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Jesse Hunt was selected to serve as PCSSC’s executive director. Hunt has led the Park City Ski Team since 2009 and would oversee the new organization. Ski team representatives and community partners involved in the decision have a vested interest in the potential future of PCSSC and its athletes and are confident Hunt is the best fit to direct the new club.

“Park City Mountain supports the one club concept being considered by the various teams within Park City,” said Bill Rock, senior vice president and Chief Operating Officer at Vail Resorts. “The efficiency of scheduling and coordinating training while providing exceptional experiences for the youth in our community will be big advantages.  We are committed to providing ‘official club status’ to the new effort, which would mean priority scheduling and we would require visiting clubs to coordinate their training through the new club.”

“The Deer Valley team fully supports the forward-thinking collaboration,” said Deer Valley Resort General Manager Bob Wheaton. “As always, we are proud to play an integral role in the futures of Park City’s youth and provide a world-class platform for them to consistently perform at their best.”

“Each year, the Youth Sports Alliance looks forward to providing need-based scholarships for local youth to participate in sports and after school activities,” said YSA Executive Director Aimee Preston.  “We embrace this collaborative initiative because it will provide more access for local youth to pursue active and healthy lifestyles, in addition to, providing a strong sports club program for kids to follow their dreams.”

“The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation’s administrative staff will assist Jesse and the local board in providing access to the best resources, coaches, facilities and programs for the athletes and families,” said Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation President & CEO Colin Hilton. “We are committed to making PCSSC the premier ski and snowboard organization in the nation.”

“Park City’s Olympic legacy is unlike any other resort community in the world,” said Tiger Shaw, President and CEO of U.S. Ski and Snowboard. “The consolidation of ski and snowboard competition clubs in Park City is a big win for athletes and their families, providing more long term stability of programs and the cross pollination of sports together that has been one of the keys to our own nation’s Olympic success.”

An open house to learn more about the Park City Ski and Snowboard Club is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21st at 7 p.m. at The Utah Olympic Park. More information on PCSSC can be found here.

Further details about PCSSC will be shared in the coming weeks. For additional information, please contact any of the following club representatives:
Brent Nixon, President Park City Ski Team: bnixon66@gmail.com
Jim Fitlow, President Summit Ski Team: jim.fitlow@gmail.com
Pat Quigley, President Team Park City United: pquigley@clublespri.com
Marc Norman, Vice President UOLF: mnorman@uolf.org

Release from Park City Ski & Snowboard Club

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