Olympic Valley, CA –After a 10-year hiatus from the Sunshine State, the 2013 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships will move to Squaw Valley.

The U.S. Championships are a culmination of the ski racing year which brings together the U.S. Ski Team and hundreds of young athletes from U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association club programs from across the country. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) made the announcement during a U.S. Ski Team Day fundraising event on Saturday featuring Squaw Valley athletes Julia Mancuso, Marco Sullivan and Travis Ganong, along with a host of alumni including World Cup and World Champion Tamara McKinney.

“Squaw Valley is an amazing example of how the longtime legacy of ski racing has fostered a culture that continues to motivate great athletes today,” said Bill Marolt, President and CEO of USSA. “Our U.S. Ski Team athletes and USSA clubs from around the country will find Squaw Valley to be an amazing host with a world class venue and depth of experience to produce a great Championships.”

“It’s really cool to see all the great stuff happening at Squaw,” added Mancuso, a Squaw Valley local. “To have U.S. nationals back just shows the commitment to racing and its roots here in Squaw Valley. It’s nice to be able to stay home and race in my backyard – which I also consider to be the best resort in America – so I am psyched.”

Squaw Valley, host of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, last hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships following the 2002 Olympics. The 2013 edition will take place March 17-23, 2013.

“We’re absolutely honored that  Squaw Valley has been selected to host the 2013 U.S. Alpine Championships,” said Andy Wirth, the resort’s President and CEO. “Squaw Valley has a very proud heritage of hosting the Winter Olympics and producing a great number of Olympians and world class athletes. We are excited to offer unique and challenging terrain for the competitions on what are some of the most spectator-friendly courses that the Alpine Championships has ever seen.”