Courtesy of USSA.org

"U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding, has named High West Distillery, Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870, its new spirit sponsor. The partnership is set for three years, effective now through April 1, 2020, opportunely timed for U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboard Team and U.S. Freeski Team athletes to compete on the global stage. Through ongoing digital, print and broadcast media campaigns, along with a number of special events throughout the year, the new partnership gives U.S. Ski & Snowboard and High West Distillery a variety of occasions to mutually benefit from each other’s joint promotions including a hospitality presence by High West at major international ski and snowboard events across America. "

This sounds awesome, right?! Let's break this down a bit more:

-"through ongoing digital, print and broadcast media campaigns, along with a number of special events throughout the year...to mutually benefit from each other’s joint promotions including a hospitality presence by High West at major international ski and snowboard events across America"

Read - "through a bunch of parties that we won't publish photos of athletes getting hammered (because they're going to the Olympics & public image is everything, right Goepdawg?) with the ritzy crowds of Vail, Beaver Creek, Park City, & other locations, as well as cheesy as fuck product photo shoots, we plan to get promote each other through the well known but hush-hush party scene of professional athletes."

Can you imagine if Chug was on the US Ski Team during this partnership? CHUG Life would be 10x more insane.

The next part of the press release reads as follows: "“High West has become a very notable brand in the lifestyle of skiing and snowboarding and is an important complement to our lineup of global partners,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Commercial Officer Dan Barnett. “This is an opportunity to bring awareness to the already internationally known whiskey brand with whom we proudly share our Park City home.”

"A very notable brand in the lifestyle of skiing and snowboarding". You're fucking right it is. I'd be willing to bet that TYW loves going to those boring training sessions a bit buzzed. Hell, Hoodcrew is out there doing the Booze Cruise blackout drunk & throwing down some wild tricks. Imagine, what someone like Gus Kenworthy could do blitzed out of his mind.

Finally, High West marketing guru Justin Lew chimed in with, “High West has built its brand over the past decade among skiers and snowboarders here in Park City,” said High West Director of Marketing Justin Lew. “U.S. Ski & Snowboard provides High West with a unique opportunity to gain more global brand exposure.”

After dissecting each statement, it's clear to me that the athletes on the US Ski & Snowboard team really pushed for this partnership so they could have more parties, better/free booze, & forget how much FIS really thinks they don't do anything.