This winter, the U.S. Grand Prix is celebrating its twentieth season. The competition circuit will host three stops throughout the 2015-16 shred season, including: one stop at Mammoth Mountain, CA (January 21-24); one stop at Park City Mountain Resort, Utah (February 4-7); and the first-ever Big Air competition at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts (February 11-12). All three stops of the U.S. Grand Prix will be aired live on NBCSN and live streamed on the NBC Sports Live Extra platform, with post event coverage on NBC.

“I’m excited for the Big Air at Fenway. We’re looking to shine some good light on freeskiing big air,” said Olympic slopestyle gold medalist Joss Christensen. “I have a lot of faith in SPT [Snow Park Technologies]—they’ve got their degrees and dimensions on point. I know they’re going to make an amazing jump that’s safe and fun.”

With an El Niño year looming, the entire ski community’s fingers are crossed in hopes of an abundant snowfall. Cheers to another year of the Grand Prix, we wish the USSA and all of the athletes the best of luck this season.

For a complete schedule of events, see the press release below.

Press Release:

The U.S. Grand Prix, the longest running winter action sports tour, has announced its 20th season schedule, with three stops including Mammoth Mountain, CA, Park City, UT and the first-ever Grand Prix stadium big air in Boston’s legendary Fenway Park. The U.S. Grand Prix has been the exclusive U.S. Olympic qualifying series since 1998 and with two decades of experience hosting elite-level events at the best resorts in the sport, the 2015-16 season is anticipated to be the best one yet.

The tour kicks off Jan. 21-24, 2016 at Mammoth Mountain. A longtime resort partner of the U.S. Grand Prix series, Mammoth will host both slopestyle and halfpipe competitions for freeskiing and snowboarding in its award winning Unbound terrain park.

Local Olympians Kelly Clark and Greg Bretz, along with snowboarding phenom Chloe Kim, are excited to have the U.S. Grand Prix back in their hometown.

“I’m excited that two of my favorite things, Mammoth and the Grand Prix, are coming together again,” said Kelly Clark. “Mammoth and the Unbound crew always do a great job with the pipe and they have a long history hosting some of the best events in the sport.”

Park City, home of the 2002 Olympics and naming site of the 2014 U.S. Olympic freeskiing team, will host the second stop of the U.S. Grand Prix series February 4-7. Known for its pristine 22-foot tall halfpipe, Park City will be hosting halfpipe competitions for both snowboarding and freeskiing at this legendary locale.

“We’ve been competing at the Park City Grand Prix for four years in a row,” said David Wise, the Olympic gold medalist in freeskiing halfpipe. “It’s one of my favorite events of the year with a good pipe and good crowds. Park City always puts on a good show.”

For the tour finale, the U.S. Grand Prix will head east to the heart of Boston and home of Red Sox baseball glory, Fenway Park. For the first time in the U.S. Grand Prix’s 20-year history, the U.S. Grand Prix will host a stadium big air for both freeskiing and snowboarding. Big Air at Fenway will take place Feb 11-12 and is expected to attract the best international big air athletes alike thanks to USSA’s partnership with Snow Park Technologies (SPT), the industry leader in terrain park and jump design.

“I’m excited for the Big Air at Fenway. We’re looking to shine some good light on freeskiing big air,” said Olympic slopestyle gold medalist Joss Christensen. “I have a lot of faith in SPT—they’ve got their degrees and dimensions on point. I know they’re going to make an amazing jump that’s safe and fun.”

“I’m nervous and excited for the Big Air at Fenway,” said Vermonter Ty Walker, an Olympian and winner of the first women’s snowboarding FIS World Cup big air. “It means a lot to me and the other east coast riders to have a major event in the east coast and at such a legendary site like Fenway Park.”

The U.S. Grand Prix tour will be sanctioned as FIS World Cups for both freeskiing and snowboarding at all three stops in addition to being Platinum Level events on the Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) tour and International Level events on the World Snowboard Tour (WST).

All three stops of the U.S. Grand Prix will be live on NBCSN and live streamed on the NBC Sports Live Extra platform, with post event coverage on NBC. As World Cup events, all Grand Prix tour stops are broadcast worldwide with significant global reach. Last year’s tour stop in Park City attracted an international broadcast audience of over 5 million in the US and more than 7 million worldwide.

Highlights

The U.S. Grand Prix, the longest running winter action sports tour, announces its 20th season.

2015-16 tour includes three stops at legendary locations: Mammoth Mountain, CA’s Unbound terrain park and halfpipe will host a halfpipe and slopestyle competition, Park City Mountain Resort, UT will host a halfpipe event and Boston’s Fenway Park will host the Big Air at Fenway as the tour finale.

All three stops will be FIS World Cup sanctioned events. AFP Platinum points will be awarded for the freeskiing events and WST International points will be awarded for snowboarding events.

All of the 2015-16 U.S. Grand Prix events will be live on NBCSN and live streamed on the NBC Sports Live Extra platform, with post event coverage on NBC.

Mammoth Mountain Highlights

Mammoth Mountain has a long and legendary Grand Prix history, hosting 11 years of Grand Prix events and serving as the naming site for both the 1998 and 2014 Olympic snowboarding teams.

The 2015-16 U.S. Grand Prix tour will kick off in the award winning Unbound terrain park and pipe, with halfpipe and slopestyle events taking place Jan. 21-24.

Events will be sanctioned as FIS World Cups and as AFP Platinum and WST International level events.

Park City Highlights

With a longstanding history in winter sports including the famous American snowboarding sweep of the 2002 Olympic halfpipe, Park City returns to the U.S. Grand Prix.

Park City’s award winning Eagle Superpipe will be primed and ready to host a halfpipe event for freeskiing and snowboarding Feb. 3-6.

Events will be sanctioned as FIS World Cups and as AFP Platinum and WST International level events.

Big Air at Fenway Highlights

For the tour finale, the U.S. Grand Prix will host a stadium big air for both freeskiing and snowboarding in Boston’s Fenway Park Feb. 11-12.

Home of the legendary Boston Red Sox, this will be the first time Fenway Park will host a snowboarding or freeskiing event.

USSA is partnering with the industry leaders of terrain park and jump design, Snow Park Technology.

Events will be sanctioned as FIS World Cups and as AFP Platinum and WST International level events.

Quotes

Nick Alexakos, U.S. Grand Prix Tour Director
Now in its 20th year, the U.S. Grand Prix will continue to deliver world class competitions at industry-leading resort partners like Mammoth Mountain and Park City, but will also continue to aid the progressions of snowboarding and freeskiing with new events like the Big Air at Fenway.

Michael Jaquet, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
The strength of the U.S. Grand Prix is at an all-time high right now, coming off a record year for television ratings and overall digital reach. With over 5 million viewers domestically and another 7 million internationally, our reach puts us as the top snowboarding and freeskiing series in the world. With that recent success, we felt confident that we could step things up even more by adding the Big Air at Fenway into the mix. Our schedule this year is unmatched and we are excited to do our part in pushing these sports to the next level.

Kelly Clark, Olympic Champion, Snowboarding Halfpipe
I’m excited that two of my favorite things, Mammoth and the Grand Prix, are coming together again. I’ve been living in Mammoth for over 10 years and competing in the Grand Prix for more than 15 years and I always look forward to competing at home in front of my family and friends. Mammoth and the Unbound crew always do a great job with the pipe and they have a long history hosting some of the best events in the sport.

Ty Walker, 2014 FIS Snowboarding Big Air World Cup Winner
I’m nervous and excited for the Big Air at Fenway. It means a lot to me and other east coast riders to have a major event in the east coast and at such a legendary site like Fenway Park. Having my friends and family there too is going to be amazing.

Joss Christensen, Olympic Champion, Freeskiing Slopestyle
I’m excited for the Big Air at Fenway. We’re looking to shine some good light on freeskiing big air. I have a lot of faith in SPT. They’ve got their degrees and dimensions on point. I know they’re gonna make an amazing jump that’s safe and fun.

Mammoth is gonna be great. The first time I did a Grand Prix there it was the best event I’d even been to. I’m excited to get the season going and to try and one up last year. You never know who’s gonna be on top and I’m on my toes ready for the season.

David Wise, Olympic Champion, Freeskiing Halfpipe
The Grand Prix series has been really influential for freeskiing and for getting freeskiing into the Olympics and the more high caliber events we can have in the season, the better. I’m excited for both halfpipes especially Park City.

We’ve been competing at the Park City Grand Prix for four years in a row and it’s one of my favorite events of the year with a good pipe and good crowds. Park City always puts on a good show.

2015-16 U.S. Grand Prix Schedule

U.S. Grand Prix, Mammoth Mountain
Thurs. Jan. 21 – Snowboarding Slopestyle Qualifiers
Thurs. Jan. 21 – Skiing Halfpipe Qualifiers
Fri. Jan. 22 – Snowboarding Halfpipe Qualifiers
Fri. Jan. 22 – Skiing Slopestyle Qualifiers
Sat. Jan. 23 – Snowboarding Slopestyle Finals
Sat. Jan. 23 – Skiing Halfpipe Finals
Sun. Jan. 24 – Snowboarding Halfpipe Finals
Sun. Jan. 24 – Skiing Slopestyle Finals

U.S. Grand Prix, Park City Mountain Resort
Wed. Feb. 3 – Skiing Halfpipe Qualifiers
Thurs. Feb. 4 – Snowboarding Halfpipe Qualifiers
Fri. Feb. 5 – Skiing Halfpipe Finals
Sat. Feb. 6 – Snowboarding Halfpipe Finals

U.S. Grand Prix, Big Air at Fenway Park
Thurs. Feb. 11 – Snowboarding Big Air Qualifiers & Finals
Fri. Feb. 12 – Skiing Big Air Qualifiers & Finals

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