U.S. twist underpins Beaver Creek worlds (Reuters)

By Mark Lamport-Stokes VAIL, Colorado (Reuters) – With cheerleaders, college football-style tailgating parties and a variety of musical entertainment, the 2015 world championships at Beaver Creek are all about big business with a unique American twist. More than 120,000 fans are expected to attend the two weeks of ski races in the Vail Valley that conclude on Sunday and event organizers have arranged a wide-ranging program, on and off the piste, to give everyone attending “something special.” Whether it is Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies, Austrian folk singer Andreas Gabalier, thrills and spills on the ski slopes or a ‘Vail-gating’ party for fans on arrival, there is been no shortage of entertainment on offer. “We wanted to put our U.S. brand on these championships so we thought we would treat them a little bit more like we treat our other big sports, like football,” Ceil Folz, president of the 2015 world championships organising committee, told Reuters.