USFS videos with Julia Mancuso focuses on Tahoe National Forest and World Cup

The U.S. Forest Service has released two videos created to not only highlight the upcoming World Cup ski events at Squaw Valley, but to celebrate the Tahoe National Forest.

Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso is featured in each video showing the beauty and recreational values of the forest where she grew up.

In the videos, Julia Mancuso invites visitors to enjoy places where she learned to ski as a young child. These mountains overlook world-famous Lake Tahoe. Mancuso grew up in the Tahoe-Truckee region and has seven World Cup wins, five World Championship podium finishes and three Olympic medals, including a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2006 games in Turin, Italy.

“Wintertime activities are a wonderful way for people to experience the National Forests,” said Eli Ilano, Forest Supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest. “Partners like Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows help make skiing, snowboarding and many other opportunities possible on the Tahoe National Forest.”

Like more than 120 ski areas across the United States, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are located on national forest lands. The Forest Service works with permittees to conserve and restore these public lands. Seven ski areas on the Tahoe National Forest operate under permit with the Forest Service.

“It is with pride and great respect that we operate portions of our mountains on lands managed by the United States Forest Service,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, the parent company of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “It’s particularly fitting for the USFS and our company to not just celebrate our partnership but also promote the upcoming Audi FIS Ski Alpine World Cup.”

Forest Service employees will be at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Squaw Valley to greet and educate visitors about the Tahoe National Forest. Events take place from March 9-12 at Squaw Valley. The Women's Giant Slalom is on Friday, March 10 and Women's Slalom is on Saturday, March 11. For more information: http://squawalpine.com/worldcup.

Rotor Collective of Incline Village, Nev., filmed and edited the two one-minute spots.

One of the two videos is in this story, and the other is here: Speed and Beauty.