Athletes - Events

Dear Snowboard Athlete:

The US Deaf Ski & Snowboard Association (USDSSA) is pleased to announce plans for the tryouts for the U.S. Deaf Snowboard Team that will be competing in the Winter Deaflympics in February 2011 at High Tatras, Slovakia. The tryouts will be held as part of the USASA Intermountain Snowboard Series (ISS) on February 26 – 28, 2010 in Park City. All members of the USDSSA National and Development freestyle snowboard and alpine snowboard teams are required to compete in this USASA event at Park City if they wish to be considered for selection to the US Deaf Snowboard Team representing the USA at the 2011 Deaflympics.

The Deaflympics will have the following Snowboard events: Parallel Giant Slalom, Parallel Slalom, Half Pipe, and Snowboard Cross. There will be three different competitions (which match 3 Deaflympic snowboard events) during the February 26-28, 2010 USASA event: Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Half Pipe. On Friday February 26, there are GS and SL alpine snowboard competitions. The Halfpipe event will be on Sunday February 28. You should register for the events that you have trained for. You will be competing against other hearing and deaf athletes. US Deaf Snowboard Team Coaches Will Garrow and Matt Gustafson will be on hand to observe the competition.

Selection to the US Deaf Snowboard Team will follow the athlete selection guidelines developed by USDSSA, which will include your performance at this USASA event. We will be able to compare the performances of all our deaf athletes during the competition on February 26 – 28. Athletes who are selected to the US Deaf Snowboard Team will have the opportunity to compete during training camp for the Snowboard Cross event. For more details about the athlete criteria check our website www.usdssa.org under athlete.

There will be a team meeting for all tryout participants at 7 pm on Thursday night February 25, Friday night February 26, and Saturday night February 27 at the Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Salt Lake City. This Center is about a 40 minute drive from Park City. The meetings will be run by the USDSSA Director of Snowboard Kyle Emard; Snowboard Alpine Coach Will Garrow; and Freestyle Coach Matt Gustafson. These meetings will be for information sharing and planning.

Each athlete is responsible for their own transportation, lodging, meals and all race and membership fees. We suggest that athletes sleep in Salt Lake City where hotel prices are lower, and drive to Park City each morning.

There are a few requirements in order to participate in the USASA ISS events. Athletes must:
  1. Be a member of USASA to participate in the races (go to www.usasa.org to join)
  2. Register online through USASA ISS Snowboard Series for the events in Park City that you want to participate in. (go to www.usasa.org and then go to events and link on intermountain series). Note: you cannot register for these events until you become a USASA member!
  3. Join USDSSA in order to be considered for selection to the US Deaf Snowboard Team (go to www.usdssa.org and download application for athlete members and mail application and check to USDSSA)
  4. Join USA Deaf Sports Federation to be considered for selection to the US Deaf Snowboard Team (go to www.usdeafsports.org then go to member section, download general individual membership form and mail to USADSF with a check)

We will be checking all athletes’ memberships with USDSSA and USADSF before the events at Park City. If you are not a member of both organizations, you will not be allowed to tryout for the US Deaf Snowboard Team.

Please let Kyle Emard, Director of Snowboard for USDSSA, know if you plan to try out. Also, f you have any questions please contact Kyle Emard. He can be reached at Snowboard@usdssa.org.