2013 US National Alpine Championships Take Over Squaw Valley

Squaw Valley will be transformed into the ultimate ski racing mecca March 20-24, as the 2013 US National Alpine Championships settle into the west coast. The US Alpine Championships are a culmination of the ski racing year which brings together the US Ski Team and hundreds of young athletes from US Ski and Snowboard Association club programs from across the country. Complete with opening ceremonies, parties and world-class racing, it is one spectacular event not be missed.

“It’s really cool to see all the great stuff happening at Squaw,” said Julia Mancuso, one of several Squaw skiers on the current ski team roster. “To have US nationals back just shows commitment to racing and its roots here in Squaw Valley.”

Julia Mancuso, splits her time between Squaw Valley, Hawaii and hotel rooms across the globe. In between, she has captured more Olympic medals than any other American woman with three. A four-event athlete from the beginning Mancuso started World Cup racing and was a NorAm champion at 16. Julia competed in the Olympics at 17, set a U.S. mark for Junior World Championships medals before she was out of her teens, and started her twenties by capturing two World Championships medals.

Mancuso tallied 1,020 World Cup points in 2012 to finish fourth in the overall standings, second in super G and top 10 in downhill and giant slalom. It was her best season since 2007 and included a stunning super G victory in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and a dominating performance at the Moscow city event. She then closed out the season by upping her own U.S. Championships title record to 15 before heading back to Hawaii to solar power up for the 2013 World Championship year.

Squaw Valley has a long-standing reputation for world-class skiing, from hosting the National Championship races in 2002 and most notably the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. Boasting over 3,600 acres of high quality terrain accessed by 30 lifts, there are three terrain parks, two beginner areas, and an average annual snowfall of over 450 inches. For more ski information check out www.squaw.com. Pictured Above – Julia Mancuso.