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The Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships will return to the slopes of Alaska's Alyeska Resort this spring, March 24-31, announced the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Alaska will host a flurry of competitive ski events this winter as other venues around the state are also hosting national title events as well, including the ConocoPhillips U.S. Cross Country Championships at Kincaid Park in January and the U.S. Cross Country Distance Championships outside Fairbanks in March.

"Alaska is a great place to host U.S. championships," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Vice President of Events Calum Clark. "The state is passionate about skiing.

"For alpine, Alyeska has an ideal set-up as the mountain challenges athletes and the venue is easily accessible for the public to watch the skiers cross the finish. Plus, they have always shown a commitment and great enthusiasm to host the best possible alpine championships."

The 2009 alpine title races will feature the country's best ski racers, including '08 World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Olympic gold medalists Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) and Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) as well as past U.S. champions Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA), Stacey Cook (Mammoth, CA), Jimmy Cochran (Keene, NH) and hopefully newly-crowned FIS World champions.

"I can't wait to be back racing in Alyeska," said Cochran who won a slalom title at the 2007 championships. "Good snow, a great hill, a fabulous bakery, and people with a sense of spirit."

No stranger to hosting major competitions, Alyeska Resort, located less than an hour outside of Anchorage, first hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships nearly 30 years ago, in 1981, 2004, and most recently in 2007. It was at the '81 championships that Phil Mahre, fresh off winning his first overall World Cup title, won the U.S. giant slalom title while brother Steve won the slalom. In 1989, Alyeska played host to the Junior World Alpine Championships where the U.S. team captured eight medals, including gold in super G and combined by Alaska racer Tommy Moe.

"We are thrilled to welcome back the U.S. Alpine Championships. This is a great opportunity to showcase our resort on a national level with some of the best talent in the world. Our rich ski racing tradition provides the backdrop for what should be a fantastic event leading up to the Olympic Games," stated Jason Lott, Director of Sales and Marketing for Alyeska Resort and the Hotel Alyeska.

U.S. Alpine Championships are considered a right of passage for many young racers who are hungry for the opportunity to ski in front of the national coaching staff and at the highest level of domestic ski racing. The championships match the best U.S. Ski Team athletes with hundreds of aspiring American skiers looking to measure themselves against world-class racers as they aim for spots on the U.S. Ski Team.

"Winning a national championship is very important and a goal that a lot of the athletes strive for," Clark said. "There's a lot of pride involved in being a national champion in the sport."

The Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships schedule:
March 24 - Downhill training
March 25 - Downhill training
March 26 - FIS downhill race
March 27 - U.S. Championships men's and women's downhill
March 28 - Men's and women's super G
March 29 - Men's and women's slalom
March 30 - Women's giant slalom
March 31- Men's giant slalom

The Nature Valley title races will be broadcast on Versus. Schedule details will be released closer to competition.

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