SKI Magazine Takes Over NASTAR Operations
Active Interest Media, publisher of SKI, will return to the operational helm of U.S. Ski & Snowboard's pinnacle race program next season.
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Even if you’ve never bashed gates at one of the many NASTAR race courses at ski resorts across the continent, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the premier race-development program. But did you know that SKI Magazine actually created the program in 1968? Up until then, there was no organized national competition for recreational racers and no standard by which to judge racers’ progress. Some ski areas didn’t even allow gates to go up on their slopes.
SKI’s editor-in-chief at the time, John Fry, turned into the champion for the cause, helping to roll out the inaugural NASTAR (which stands for National Standard Race series) season at eight ski areas during the winter of 1968-’69. Today the program operates at over 100 resorts.
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Now, after five years under the oversight of the U.S. Ski Team, the program is coming home. Active Interest Media welcomes NASTAR back into the fold, taking back operations of the program.
“NASTAR has always been an important entry point for aspiring racers to our development pipeline in alpine ski racing and we are excited to see it continue to grow under AIM once again,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw in a press release. “Many of the best U.S. Ski Team athletes got their start at NASTAR—a tradition we expect to continue. We look forward to working with AIM to inspire participants of all ages to get involved in ski racing.”
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“We are excited to bring NASTAR back under our roof at AIM with SKI Magazine,” said Andy Clurman, AIM’s Chief Executive Officer. “AIM is well-positioned to continue to develop the lauded NASTAR brand, and we look forward to garnering greater awareness and participation in the sport of ski racing nationally.”
AIM will take over operations over the next few months, including handling partnerships with participating resorts. To read the official press release, check it out on SNEWS.