March 18, 2009 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – CHAOS Headwear and the Nordic US Cross Country Championships announce their team sponsorship as a special headwear supplier for this race series. One hundred and eight Staff and participants will be given a Chaos collectors hat for this year’s championship.

Chaos custom designs and distributes participant gifts for many snow sporting events in the US, they are pleased to add the US Cross Country Championships to their roster. Events like these offer future retail opportunities in communities to carry specialty event co-branded merchandise, including caps and beanies, that can be available at retail outlets during the upcoming 2009/2010 season.

The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks is pleased to host the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships in March 2009. These four national championship races are also qualification events for the 2010 Olympic Team. The U.S. Ski Team and other top skiers in the nation will be racing in the biggest ski event Fairbanks has hosted since the 1984 World Cup. All races will be held at the Jim Whisenhant Ski Trails at the Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks

The 2009 US Distance Championships have been eagerly anticipated on the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks calendar for months. The distance events are the Skiathlon and the marathon scheduled for March 27 and 29. With great excitement, recently the club has added two more championship races to the calendar. Due to cold weather at the US Cross Country Championships in Anchorage in January, the classic interval start race and freestyle team sprint race were cancelled. These races will now be held in Fairbanks on March 24 and 25, creating an exciting race series which will crown US champions and count as part of the 2010 Olympic team selection period.

Not only is it a unique opportunity for Fairbanks to host such an esteemed race series, but this mix of races is rather unique. One of the midweek races features the newest addition to ski racing: the team sprint, which was first introduced at the Olympic level in 2006. The series finale is perhaps the most traditional of Nordic ski races (pun intended): the 30 and 50 kilometer classic events. The 50 K was one of two races in the very first Winter Olympics in 1924 in Chamonix, France.

2009 US Cross Country Ski Championships Schedule of Events

– Tuesday, March 24 – 5:00 pm – Classic 5/10 K presented by Yukon Title Company
– Wednesday, March 25 – 5:00 pm – Freestyle team sprint presented by Doyon Utilities, LLC
– Friday, March 27 – 5:00 pm – Skiathlon 15km/30km presented by First National Bank Alaska
– Sunday, March 29 – 11:00 am – Marathon 30km/50km presented by University of Alaska – Fairbanks

These races are a wonderful occasion for Fairbanks and Alaska cross country skiers (especially our juniors) to compete with the best skiers in the United States. It is anticipated that between 100 and 200 skiers will race in these events. The Birch Hill Trails offer excellent opportunities for spectators to see the competitors multiple times during each event.

Community Involvement
These races are a wonderful opportunity for Alaskan skiers to compete with the best skiers in the US, earning national ranking points and, especially for our juniors, invaluable race experience. It’s also beneficial to the younger skiers that will watch the races. Pete Leonard, head coach of FXC, the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks junior racing program, says, “The exposure to that level [of ski racing] is pretty awesome. It’s something to be able to see how fast this really is and to know what is possible. From a practical standpoint, for those juniors racing, it’s great points and great to have this on your home course.”

Norma Haubenstock, the club’s volunteer coordinator, estimates that seventy-five to one hundred volunteers will be in action with everything from bib distribution to stadium set-up and take-down.

This is an event that you won’t want to miss. Some of these skiers will be competing at the 2010 Olympics in less than a year from now! What an incredible opportunity to see former and future Olympians in action. These dedicated athletes are giving their best out on the trails and this is something to celebrate. Our very own youth will be inspired to chase their dreams as they watch these skiers chase theirs on the Birch Hill trails.
www.ussadistancenationals.org

To learn more about Chaos Headwear, our products and programs, log on to www.chaoshats.com

Chaos offers quality, responsiveness and a vast array of headgear possibilities. The Brand is owned by Do-Gree fashions, a Mill locally owned and operated-with three generations of experience. Do-Gree Fashions in Montreal, Canada is able to respond quickly to customer requests, as well as fast-paced market trends, both of which translate to unparalleled service. Designs from CHAOS, CTR and sister brand MOON SHADOW vary from winter-technical to four-season, urban to alpine, casual to high-end alpaca, all of which supply the men’s, women’s and youth markets. Materials include: merino wool, mohair, acrylic blends, cottons, angora, fleece, and technical fabrics from the New CTR-Chaos Thermal Regulation, Fits ALL 4X®, Polartech®, Windbloc®, Thermolite® and Outlast® and now Dri -Release®.

CHAOS major sponsorship programs

– Teton Gravity Games – TGR – Tetongravity.com
– USASA Sponsor – USASA.org
– SOS -Snowboard Outreach Society – SOSoutreach.org
– Windell’s Camp – Windells.com
– Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge – Mountaindewvc.com
– Snowcountry USA – Snowcountry.com
– American Ski Classic
– Jr Olympics – www.vailskiclub.com