Sunday River Puts Winning Bid on 2006 Masters National Alpine Championships
Friday, January 14, 2005

NEWRY, Maine (Jan. 14, 2005)--Sunday River has been selected by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) to host the 2006 Masters National Alpine Championships, March 17-25, 2006.

“It is with great pleasure that we accept the bid from Sunday River for hosting the 2006 Masters National Alpine Championships… USSA is awarding this event to Sunday River based on the discussion, inspections and bid proposal presented by your organization,” says Bill Skinner, USSA Masters Coordinator. The event will include Men’s and Women’s Downhill, Super G, Giant Slalom and Slalom.

“At the Masters level, you really get to see the history of ski racing in the space of 150 competitors,” says Marvin Collins, VP of Operations at Sunday River and former Masters Alpine racer. “The older competitors take you back to the 1940s, 50s and 60s style of skiing around the poles, and the younger competitors bring you up through the 70s, 80s, 90s and today’s style of skiing through the poles.”

Newly expanded to include younger skiers, masters from ages 21 to over 80 compete on the same runs used for World Cup events. Masters are unique among the participants of alpine skiing. Not content to rest upon past successes, masters racers seek to reach their best beyond the public perception of “prime years.” Masters racing is designed for every level of skier ability, from entry-level racers through ex-national team members. Masters racing provides the next step for up and coming accomplished skiers who are late bloomers, NASTAR and college racers, ski instructors, former professional racers and even ex-national team members.

Slalom, giant slalom, super G and downhill are all included in the 200-plus races typically held each season. Masters series are conducted within each of the eight geographic divisions of USSA including Alaska, Central, Eastern, Far West, Intermountain, Northern, Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain.

Sunday River successfully hosted this event in 1996, and recently also hosted Super Series NorAms, The USASA National Championships, Sprint U.S. Freestyle Grand National/FIS Freestyle World Cup, U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix, Chevy Truck Masters of the Board, X-Nix U.S. Snowboard Championships, Chevy Truck U.S. Freestyle Championships, Junior Olympic events and many FIS starts. Additionally, Sunday River has hosted more technical continental cups in the Northeastern U.S. than any other resort in the last five years.

Masters are unique among the participants in the most popular snowsport: alpine skiing. Not content to rest upon past successes, masters racers seek to reach their best beyond the public perception of “prime years.” Masters racing is designed for every level of skier ability, from entry-level racers through ex-national team members. Masters racing provides the next step for up and coming accomplished skiers who are late bloomers, NASTAR and college racers, ski instructors, former professional racers and even ex-national team members. In order to participate in the USSA sanctioned 2006 Masters National Alpine Championships, a racer must be a member of USSA, or a properly registered foreign competitor, and eligible for competition as defined by FIS and USSA. See USSA.org for details.

“New England has a very active Masters program with about 20 races per year and it is exciting to get to know all of the regional faces in the program,” says Collins. “Then, at Nationals you see all the competitors from all over the country and it’s great to be involved in that.”

Sunday River Ski Resort is part of the American Skiing Company family of resorts and is a premier alpine competition destination. Jordan Ginsberg, director of events at Sunday River, said the resort is known within USSA for running professional events. “The competition staff has proven it can successfully host the highest quality competitions,” Ginsberg said. “The resort’s trail conditions, grooming and snowmaking capabilities, and lift facilities are second to none.”

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Sunday River is proud to be a part of the American Skiing Company family of resorts, which also includes Sugarloaf/USA in Maine, Killington and Mount Snow in Vermont, Attitash Bear Peak in New Hampshire, Steamboat in Colorado, and The Canyons in Utah.