PSA-North America Votes to Disolve the ISF North America
By Lee Crane

At a meeting of the Professional Snowboarders Association of North America at the Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood on July 15, the board of directors voted to disolve the International Snowboard Federation North America, create a new Professional Snowboarders Association of North America incorporated in Virginia, and to take the vote away from the general membership.

Meanwhile back at the meeting... Kirby Vernon and the PSA-NA getting down to business at Mt. Hood.

The "all-new" PSA-NA, is an organization headed by promoter Kirby Vernon, the latest in a growing list of promoters who have tried bringing attention and large dollar sponsorship to snowboarding in North America. Only three board members or riders were present: Mark Fawcett, Lisa Kosglow, and Jerry Masterpool. d

The group also voted to establish an ISF marketing office in Snowmass, Colorado by August 1, and to creat a PSA-NA marketing office in Charlettesville, Virginia. This is part of a new plan to eliminate national ISF organizations and replace them with local marketing offices to represent ISF international on a national level.

The United States Amateur Snowboard Association's Don Sather gave the group an update on the current lawsuit against the FIS and IOC. "The arbitration court felt that this was not something they could solve, which is a good thing," Sather said. "They have passed the suit onto the European Community which is currently asking FIS for evidence. And so far they've provided nothing. This could help expose the FIS and IOC as what they are: a big old boy network that is working as a monopoly."

Aside from the lawsuit, there was also the issue of the 18 Point Agreement made by former US Skiing President Tim Leiweke which the PSA-NA believe's has been completely disregarded now that Leiweke is gone. In a letter dated July 4, Don Sather said, "The FIS, along with their national ski organizations and hired guns, are not taking an aggressive posture to destroy the ISF."

On the positive side, there was talk of a possible 1997 ISF World Championship at Heavenly Valley and that discussions are continuing regarding whether or not the PSA-NA will lift the current sanctions on riders who race on the FIS World Cup Tour.