Contact: Troy Hawks
NSAA Communications
(720) 963-4215
thawks@nsaa.org

NSAA, USSA and Snow Monsters Launch Olympic Fan Club
Program Aids Resorts in Supporting U.S. Athletes at ‘06 Winter Olympics

LAKEWOOD, Colo. — September 29, 2005 — NSAA President Michael Berry, today announced that the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has partnered with the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding, and Snow Monsters (www.snowmonsters.com) in developing a national program to show support for U.S. athletes competing at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games to be held Feb. 10-26 in Torino, Italy.

“We feel that everyone in the ski industry should be connected to, and support our Olympic team at the grassroots level,” said Berry. “This is an opportunity to showcase skiing and snowboarding to a huge television audience and through this program we can generate excitement for the games among resort guests nationwide.”

As part of the program a special 2006 Olympic coloring book has been developed in cooperation with NBC, who will broadcast the games. Each page of the coloring book features various winter Olympic events, and on the back page is a pre-addressed fan letter to the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding athletes. In addition, the fan club invites resorts to create a banner supporting the U.S. Team or individual athletes. The banners will be sent to Torino and presented to American athletes. Photos will be taken and emailed to resorts for distribution to local media, staff, and guests in time for display during the NBC Olympic broadcast.

Lastly the program includes a U.S. Ski Team Day, slated for Saturday, Feb. 11, in which participating resorts nationwide can show their support of the U.S. Ski Team through various activities. All NSAA member resorts are encouraged to participate, for complete fan club details log on to http://www.snowmonsters.com/2006fanclub

 THE NATIONAL SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION, LOCATED IN LAKEWOOD, COLO., IS A TRADE ASSOCIATION FORMED IN 1962 FOR SKI AREA OWNERS AND OPERATORS NATIONWIDE.

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