Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows to host 2018 NASTAR National Championships

By Published On: June 1st, 2017Comments Off on Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows to host 2018 NASTAR National Championships

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced on Thursday that Squaw Valley will host the 2018 Liberty Mutual Insurance NASTAR National Championships from March 21-25, 2018. The event will return to the Sierras for the first time since 1981. Following the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, NASTAR National Championships will build on the enthusiasm generated by the Winter Olympic Games and provide a new locale for fans to get involved with alpine sports. NASTAR participants qualify for the championships by earning a top ten national ranking or a top five state ranking within their age, gender and ability group by February 19. Racers can also qualify by earning a top ranking at their favorite resort or at the Regional Championships.

“As a mountain community with a heritage that’s truly embedded within alpine racing, including the Olympic Games and World Cup racing, we look forward to sharing our legendary mountains with NASTAR participants from across the country,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “Very much like the recent alpine World Cup, this event will be great for the entire region, attracting thousands of avid skiers and their families who are passionate about ski racing…as we all are! Our entire community is excited to provide all participants and their families and friends with a warm reception – we are all genuinely honored to be working with NASTAR and U.S. Ski & Snowboard.”

Following the success of the 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup as well as numerous U.S. Alpine Championships and the 1960 Winter Olympics, Squaw Valley has proven to be a world class venue, excelling at hosting large, multi-discipline events. Squaw Valley is known for vast alpine peaks with iconic lifts such as KT-22 and the Aerial Tram, providing a scenic backdrop for NASTAR’s biggest event of the season. The resort has also seen strong growth in NASTAR participants over the past few seasons, including more than 800 children ages five to 12 racing in its Mighty Mite World Cup program.

“Squaw Valley exhibits a deep passion for skiing and snowboarding that will resonate with the NASTAR community,” said Bill Madsen, director of NASTAR. “The resort has seen strong growth in its NASTAR participants over the past few seasons and has been a great partner in supporting the growth and promotion of the program. We’re looking forward to working with Squaw Valley to put on a great event.”

NASTAR continues to bring greater awareness to the sport, motivating participants of all ages to get involved in alpine racing. The program’s integration with the U.S. Ski Team gives racers the opportunity to meet and interact with their favorite racers.

Built on the legacy of the 1960 Winter Olympics hosted at Squaw Valley, the resort has since reared celebrated athletes such as Jonny Moseley, Julia Mancuso, Travis Ganong, Marco Sullivan, JT Holmes, Michelle Parker, Cody Townsend, Jeremy Jones, Ralph Backstrom, Nate Holland and Errol Kerr.

“These mountains have been the training ground for so many incredible winter sport athletes,” said Marco Sullivan, former U.S. Ski Team member, Squaw Valley Ski Team alumnus and NASTAR pacesetter. “So much of my success as an athlete is due to my development as a kid on the slopes of Squaw Valley. I am excited to share the mountains I grew up on with the great competitors at the NASTAR National Championships.”

The NASTAR National Championships will come to Squaw Valley March 21-25, 2018. In addition to the alpine ski division, the NASTAR National Championships will also host snowboard, telemark and physically challenged disciplines. Just a 45-minute drive from the Reno-Tahoe International (RNO) airport via all-weather I-80, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows can be easily reached on nonstop flights daily from 20 U.S. cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York and more.

For more information, visit the NASTAR National Championships site.

Release from Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

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