Audi Returns as Proud Sponsor and Official Vehicle of the U.S. Ski Team

Audi of America announced today that it will return as the official automotive sponsor of the U.S. Ski Team. As a returning sponsor, Audi will continue to support the U.S. Ski Team’s talented athletes for the next five years, while supplying Audi vehicle transportation in the United States and Europe for teams including alpine, freestyle and nordic.

As part of Audi’s continued commitment to World Cup skiing, Audi will remain as title sponsor of the Audi Birds of Prey Race Week at Beaver Creek Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2013. Audi will also be associate sponsor at the Nov. 24-25, 2012 Nature Valley Aspen Winternational, the Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2013 Visa Freestyle International at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort, and the Mar. 20-24, 2013 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships at Squaw Valley.

Audi’s all-new performance S Models – S6, S7 and S8, the all-new Audi RS5 and the Audi R8 will be on display at various events throughout the 2012-13 season.

“Audi and the U.S. Ski Team are committed to high performance, unparalleled technology, innovation and willpower,” said Loren Angelo, General Manager of Brand Marketing for Audi of America. “Our sponsorship with the U.S. Ski Team has been a natural fit since 2007, and we’re excited to continue our relationship for another five years.”

“The U.S. Ski Team and Audi are strong partners with a focus on performance,” said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. “Audi’s commitment to excellence is in alignment with our own Best in the World vision. As a global partner in the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup, the relationship with Audi and the U.S. Ski Team is a natural complement.”

Consumer Events

The season officially kicks off on Nov. 15 during Nature Valley First Tracks as the U.S. Ski Team – including Olympic champions Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Ted Ligety and Julia Mancuso – help celebrate the start of a historic 50th anniversary season at Vail and introduce the 2013 U.S. Alpine Ski Team.

This year, the sponsorship includes The Audi Ski Challenge – a ski racing competition that brings together local ski racing fans in support of Audi and the USSA. Held at Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek and Squaw Valley throughout the 2012-13 ski season, The Audi Ski Challenge is a giant slalom race that gives fans the opportunity to race and win an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime trip to race with the U.S. Ski Team at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships on March 23, 2013 in Squaw Valley, CA.

Audi and the U.S. Ski Team will award the following prizes to the top two winners – determined from the best of their best runs – plus a guest from Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek, and Squaw Valley:
· Official 2012-13 U.S. Ski Team Jacket
· Three nights lodging at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships (March 20–24, 2013)
· VIP pass with three days of skiing, access to all VIP functions including early lift access to ski with U.S. Ski Team athletes
· Meet and greet with members of the 2012-13 U.S. Alpine Ski Team
· VIP gift bag

The Audi Ski Challenge event schedule:
· Vail: November 16, 2012
· Aspen: November 23, 2012
· Beaver Creek: November 29, 2012
· Squaw Valley: March 21, 2013

The events in Aspen, Beaver Creek and Squaw Valley are open to the public, providing recreational racers with the opportunity to ski against the team. For more information and to register for The Audi Ski Challenge, please visit http://alpine.usskiteam.com/events/audi-ski-challenge.

For over five years, Audi-sponsored USSA events have featured top talent including Olympic gold medalists and Audi FIS World Cup champions Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller and Ted Ligety, along with Olympic champion Julia Mancuso and Olympic bronze medalist Andrew Weibrecht.