STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO-December DRAFT, 2015-The sounds of racing will amplify the night as athletes of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) fly down the new “All Out” trail in the Stevens Family Alpine Venue at the Steamboat Ski Resort during three exclusive evening training sessions on Thursday, December 3; Monday, December 7; and, Thursday, December 10. 

“This special training opportunity begins a new era for young athletes across the Winter Sports Club,” said Rob Perlman, president and chief operating officer for the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. “Steamboat has a rich history in producing top level athletes and this new venue will launch the next generation of Alpine competitors while providing a home field training advantage.”

Night training will be available exclusively to SSWSC club athletes and coaches and the ski resort will be closed to the general public during the evening sessions.  The Christie Peak Express chairlift will run from 5:30pm to 8:30pm whisking SSWSC athletes to the top of the All Out trail for three hours of intensive and dedicated Alpine training. The SSWSC launched its Creating Champions Campaign a year ago to finance the new venue; and, recently achieved its goal of $2.35 million for this project. 

“The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club is more than 100 years old and continues to positively shape the lives of young athletes across the Yampa Valley,” stated Jim Boyne, executive director of SSWSC. “Due to the generosity of so many people and organizations from near and far, the next chapter in the Club’s Alpine history is ready to be written; and, I know I’m not the only one excited to get the racing started.”

Long heralded as one of the best winter sports clubs in the country, SSWSC elevates its training capabilities with the addition of a new championship-caliber Stevens Family Alpine Venue for Alpine training and competition at the Steamboat Ski Resort. The venue, closed to the public outside of limited special events, allows Alpine ski, telemark and Alpine snowboard athletes to excel with the ability to control on-mountain conditions, grooming and the firmness of the snow surface, often considered the critical factor in modern ski racing. The latest technology in snowmaking, grooming, lighting and slope configuration went into the new venue to help the next Steamboat Olympians to achieve their dreams. 

“Dreams do come true,” said Caroline Lalive Carmichael, SSWSC Alpine Director and three-time Alpine Olympian. “Steamboat athletes have taken a huge competitive step forward before even stepping into the starting gate with this venue. It will be fun to see how these young athletes tackle the course while making their first turns under the lights in this new training environment.”

The Club’s heritage is a major reason Steamboat enjoys the moniker Steamboat-Ski Town, U.S.A.®  No other town in North America has produced more winter Olympians than Steamboat Springs, a record 88 and counting. In fact, Steamboat sent more athletes (14) to the 2014 Games than many small countries. Steamboat’s Winter Olympians have represented twelve different countries/territories and made over 151 Olympic appearances during 19 Winter Games.