Last year the USST released a new slogan – “All Out!” This has created some confusion in the nordic community as the cross-country team has been using “All In!” for some time.
There is a new line of “All Out” USST apparel available from the USST on-line store (see design below), and there is a series of videos featuring USST athletes on at www.usskiteam.com promoting the “All Out” concept including “All Out Lindsey Vonn” and “Ted Ligety goes ALL OUT!” No nordic athletes yet.
Says XC Head Coach Pete Vordenberg “The XC team has had the slogan All In for three years. It means that we are all in it together as a team, that we are 100% committed to the team and to the pursuit of our shared goals.” And while being both “All In” and “All Out” may seem like a contradiction, Vordenberg doesn't see any conflict. “The USST in general adopted the slogan “All Out” last season. Obviously this means we go all out on the race course. We are both. The XC team will retain it's own motto as well as the USST's All Out slogan.”
To go “All Out” you certainly need to be “All In.” And you definitely are not “All In” if you are not going “All Out.” Despite the fact that “All In” is an XC sepcific idea, Freestyle skier Hannah Kearney says in her “All Out” video “'All Out' just means putting everything in to your sport… And you are only going to get out what you put in.”
Over the years the US Ski Team has had a number of marketing slogans, some better than others – “Best in The World,” “Home of The Brave” to name a few. We see “All Out” as the newest iteration, surely designed to capture the commitment and drive of the athletes. “All In” on the other hand, is specific to the cross-country team, and seems to represent the lifestyle – in relation to work, teammates and competition.
