Olympic Valley, CA…The 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Squaw Valley will mark the return of World Cup ski racing to the area after nearly 50 years, welcoming top international athletes and hosting numerous free events including three free concerts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A free Community Kickoff Parade will celebrate the region’s Olympians, U.S. Ski Team alumni and an estimated 1,000 local and regional athletes, culminating with a live artistic performance by America’s Got Talent finalist David Garibaldi. Visitors will enjoy the flavors of the region as The Village at Squaw Valley transforms into California Way, a vendor village with some of California’s most notable and recognizable products. Race spectators can enjoy free standing room viewing near the finish arena as well as skier spectator viewing on looker’s right of Red Dog Face, and live stream viewing will also be available at select locations in The Village at Squaw Valley including KT Base Bar Sun Deck.
Music and Fireworks
Headlined by Rusted Root, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will host three free concerts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Friday’s Rusted Root concert complemented by a fireworks display that will be visible from The Village at Squaw Valley. The free music lineup will start with Dustbowl Revival on Thursday, March 9 at 5:15pm and continues with Rusted Root at 7pm on Friday, March 10. The trifecta of free shows concludes with HoneyHoney at 2:45pm on March 11. All concerts will take place on the KT Base Bar main stage.
Community Kickoff Parade
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will commence World Cup weekend with a Community Kickoff Parade celebrating the region’s alpine skiing and Olympic legacy. Beginning at 4:15pm on Thursday, an estimated 1,000 youth representatives from more than 15 different ski teams from across California and Nevada, and former Olympians and U.S. Ski Team members will walk from the east end of The Village at Squaw Valley to the KT Deck. Following the parade, performance artist and America’s Got Talent finalist David Garibaldi makes his return to Squaw Valley for his second show of the 2016-17 season.
Flag Ceremony and National Anthems
66 young female athletes from the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Ski Team will kick off the celebrations on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, carrying the national flags of all countries represented in the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. Separated into groups of 22, these young women will participate in the Community Kickoff Parade on Thursday and ski down the bottom portion of the course prior to the National Anthems on Friday and Saturday. The 66 young women have been chosen through a rigorous application process to represent the next generation of athletes and celebrate the inspiration of world class competition. In addition, an F-18 jet fly over is planned for Friday and Saturday following the National Anthem.
Poster Signing and Public Pick Bib Draw
Following Friday’s Giant Slalom event, the U.S. Ski Team will host a poster signing at 5pm on the Plaza Bar deck and Public Pick Bib Draw at 6pm, a staple event at World Cups across the world. The top 15 athletes skiing in Saturday’s Slalom will be presented with their randomly assigned bib number. Each athlete will be accompanied by a Squaw Valley Ski Patroller and Squaw Valley Ski Patrol Dog in honor of the critical role that these teams play in the safety of our mountain communities.
California Way
Throughout the World Cup festivities, The Village at Squaw Valley will be transformed into California Way, open from 9am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday. California Way will feature a sampling of notable California-grown food and beverage products, mixed in with product displays from many California-based companies. The Village will also feature product and information booths from some of World Cup ski racing’s biggest supporters.
Toyota ProAm Ski Challenge
In addition to the Audi FIS World Cup Events, Squaw Valley will host the Toyota ProAm Ski Challenge to benefit the Waterkeeper Alliance and Protect Our Winters (POW). The event will begin on Saturday, March 11 with a benefit gala at the Resort at Squaw Creek and continue into Sunday, March 12 with head-to-head races on the lower portion of the Red Dog course.
Mobile App
The Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows mobile app, new for the 2016-17 season, will feature World Cup information including event schedules, athlete bios and course info as well as real-time race results straight to the palm of your hand.
SWAG Coat Drive & Drink Mountain Tap Initiative
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is dedicated to preserving our winters and alpine environment for current and future generations. The World Cup will be 100% carbon neutral, and in an effort to share a commitment to sustainability with World Cup fans, the resort will host a coat drive to reuse retired jackets for those in need. Since 2009, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has dontated over 10,000 retired jackets to NSAA’s Sharing Warmth Around the Globe (SWAG) and other natural disaster relief efforts and encourages all World Cup fans to bring their retired jackets. Donation bins will be located on California Way in The Village at Squaw Valley. Addtionally, the resort encourages guests to carry a reusable water bottle and stay hydrated for free with Squaw Valley’s great tasting mountain tap water at over 20 refill locations across the resort. As part of its Drink Mountain Tap initiative, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has discontinued selling single-use water bottles, and as a result, will remove over at least 28,000 bottles from our waste stream and landfills each season.
2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is proud to host the Audi FIS World Cup on March 9 – 12, 2017. This marks the return of World Cup ski racing to California for the first time in 19 years. Events held will consist of a Women’s Giant Slalom on Friday, March 10 and Women’s Slalom on Saturday, March 11. Olympic champions like Mikaela Shiffrin will compete on the legendary Red Dog run, which also played host to the 1969 World Cup and 1960 Winter Olympics. For more information on the 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Squaw Valley, click here.
About Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows
Voted ‘Best Ski Resort’ in North America for the second year in a row by USA Today and 10Best Readers’ Choice 2017, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is an internationally renowned mountain resort in North Lake Tahoe that spans over 6,000 skiable acres. The resort features slopeside lodging at The Village at Squaw Valley®, which bustles year round with nonstop events and nearly 60 bars, restaurants and boutiques. With an annual average of 450 inches of snowfall and 300 sunny days, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is known as the spring skiing capital as it provides one of the longest ski and snowboard seasons in Lake Tahoe. Skiers and riders of all ability levels are welcomed by over 65 percent beginner and intermediate terrain, 14 easy-to-navigate mountain zones and a custom app to make the most of every visit. Visit squawalpine.com or call 1.800.403.0206 to learn more.
Rusted Root To Headline Four Full Days Of Free Events At 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup At Squaw Valley, March 9-12 added by News Desk on
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