Women’s Ski Jumping USA

Inducted into US Ski Jumping Hall of Fame for Contribution to the Sport

Challenge

Flying over 60 miles an hour, falling the height of a 12 story building while traveling the distance of a football field, that’s the sport of ski jumping. Although an original Winter Olympic sport since 1924, women were not allowed to compete until 2014 in the Sochi Winter Olympic Games. Women’s Ski Jumping USA is a non-profit dedicated to supporting the development of world-class women ski jumpers. As a member of the Board, and Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, we helped lead the fight for equallity for the women jumpers internationally. 

Solution

Women’s Ski Jumping USA, a small non-profit started by a jumper’s father, acted as the governing body of women’s ski jumping in the US. We took on the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the International Olympic Committeee (IOC) over many years. Together we used the power of the international press, coordinated support from women’s jumping teams around the world, the power of the courts and support from sponsors to build our case. The Exordium Group negotiated deals with VISA, Nike, USANA, Chocolate Milk, RC WIlley, Columbia Sportswear and others and in turn negotiated sponsor rights with the USSA when they named our top women to the US Ski Team.

Results

Women’s Ski Jumping was first granted World Cup status for the 2011-2012 season and admitted to the Olympics for the 2014 Winter Games. From the US team, jumper Lindsey Van won the first ever World Ski Championship gold medal, Sarah Hendrickson won the 2013 World Championship and the US team ranked number one in the world. The Exordium Group founder, Ronda Thomas Farrell, was admitted to the US Ski Jumping Hall of Fame for her contributions to the fight.