Thursday, March 11, 2010

NATURE VALLEY NASTAR CHAMPIONSHIPS TO AIR ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS, WINNERS GOING TO CHILE WITH U.S. SKI TEAM

What NASTAR racer doesn't have dreams of racing on the big screen and being shipped abroad with the U.S. Ski Team? Answer: they all do. And BMG is making it a reality.

While everyday ski racers watched the action in Vancouver from home, they’ll have their own chance to appear on Universal Sports and train with the U.S. Ski Team through the annual Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships.

NASTAR, a part of Bonnier’s Mountain Group (BMG), has worked with partners Nature Valley and Universal Sports to produce a documentary-style show covering the racers and events of the Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships. Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, serves as the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related and lifestyle sports programming available on television and online, reaching 57 million homes. The show will air during the Audi Birds of Prey race week in Beaver Creek, CO, December 4-6, 2010.

“We’re very excited to air the NASTAR Championships on Universal Sports. This gives our most-dedicated skiing fans the chance to see themselves on television,” said Carlos Silva, President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Sports. “An inside-look at NASTAR racers competing in the Championships at Winter Park will make for great television during the 2010 Birds of Prey events."

On top of the national exposure, the overall male and female Nature Valley NASTAR champions will also win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with the U.S. Ski Team in Chile at their summer camp.

"The Nature Valley NASTAR program provides a great entry into ski racing and helps to grow the sport throughout the country," said U.S. Ski Team President and CEO Bill Marolt, himself an Olympian. "Every racer wants to test themselves against the best - NASTAR offers that opportunity throughout the year, and the two national champions will get to experience it first-hand in Chile at our summer training camp."

Developed by SKI Magazine in 1968, Nature Valley NASTAR is the largest recreational ski and snowboard race program in the world. NASTAR provides a fun, competitive racing program that, through the development of a handicap system, allows racers of all ages and abilities across the country to compare their race results regardless of when and where they race. NASTAR is a key feeder program for the U.S. Ski Team.

The annual Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships draws up to 1,400 racers each year in all age categories, with approximately 5,000 total individuals attending from all over the country. The four-day event features the races, free outdoor concerts, meet-and-greets with the NASTAR Pacesetters and VIP events. This year’s Championships will take place at Winter Park Resort, CO, from March 25-28.

“With U.S. Ski Team icon Daron Rahlves as the zero pacesetter, skiers get excited about seeing how they match up,” said BMG President Mike Federle. “And especially in this Olympic year, adding recent U.S. team successes, the nation’s focus on ski and snowboard racing is increasing. Thanks to our partners Nature Valley, Universal Sports and the U.S. Ski Team, and all our participants throughout the country, we’re looking forward to a great National Championships event.”

Racers qualify if they are ranked in the top three in their division at any Nature Valley NASTAR resort as of Tuesday, February 16, 2010. Racers can track their progress throughout the year and for the finals at NASTAR.com, where each racer’s run from Winter Park will also be shown in embedded video.

Bonnier Mountain Group