Alpine skiing-'Ski to Survive', US Ski and Snowboard eyes F1 example to engage fans

(Reuters) - Before taking over as president of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Sophie Goldschmidt was CEO of the World Surf League (WSL) and held leadership positions with the NBA, WTA and Rugby Football Union.

She brings lessons learned from those posts to her new job but it is Formula One that has Goldschmidt's attention as a new Alpine World Cup ski season gets underway at the weekend on the glaciers above Soelden, Austria.

The U.S. will host a record eight World Cup races (alpine, snowboard, freestyle and freeski) this season but like Formula One Goldschmidt says there is room for more and hopes a return to glitzy Aspen for a men's downhill in March can generate the same buzz F1 did when it put a race in Miami.

"We would like to see more (races)," Goldschmidt told Reuters. "Look at what F1 has done.

"Aspen is one of the most iconic locations in the world for skiing, who doesn't want to go to Aspen?

"I've set our team a little bit of a task to try and have that do for us what the Miami Grand Prix did for F1.

"I could not believe the attention that event got in its first year it's almost seemed bigger than the Super Bowl.

"I think Aspen can kind of turbo charge our sports and make the profile of our athletes the same way if we get it right."

Moving from the surf to snow, Goldschmidt took over the duties at U.S. Ski and Snowboard near the height of the COVID-19 pandemic before the Beijing Olympics.

She has used the time since to evaluate U.S. Ski and Snowboard, identifying areas where things were operating well and others that could be improved.

At the top of that list is raising the profile of snow sports and U.S. athletes.

As part of that effort Goldschmidt said U.S. Ski and Snowboard will be taking another page from the Formula One