Slalom Keys for the First-Timer...autumn 2012 Whack, whack, whack. The sound of slalom. The collision of plas-tic on plastic can either be addicting or in-timidating. Ski racers dressed

autumn 2012www.ussa.org

Whack, whack, whack.The sound of slalom. The collision of plas-tic on plastic can either be addicting or in-timidating. Ski racers dressed like warriorsready for battle. This is slalom. Althoughthis may be the macho attitude, slalomcould also be regarded as the ballet of skiracing. Weaving through red and blue flag-less gates is as much an art form as it isWorld War III.

While the speed events deal with highexternal forces, slalom deals with high in-ternal forces. The average time per turn onthe men's world cup is only 0.82 seconds—not much time, so every tenth of a secondis critical to the job of negotiating gates.While slalom can seem incredibly athletic,it is precision that is the key to success.Traveling 28 mph with a ski tip that is only1mm away from the gate is indeed a finesseproposition.

We envision slalom as afast event because we hearclichés like “quick feet” and“fast twitch muscle fiber.” Mov-ing fast is not necessarily theanswer. One of the reasons forDNFs (Did Not Finish) is“hooking.” Hooking is wherethe inside ski tip ends up onthe wrong side of the gate. Ifthe ski tip ends up on the in-

side of the gate, then turning the skis too fastis the problem.

Simultaneous leg steeringBeing precise involves knowing where yourskis are at all times. Since there is not muchtime between gates, turning the feet simulta-neously is advantageous. This is a generalrule, and on hard snow, or a result of a lowline, a rule that is broken. In the search forspeed there are times when the finish of oneturn melds into the next. A “finishiation” ofsorts emerges, when the finish and initiationblend into one move.

Gate clearingTo ski a tight line, the body travels throughthe gate as opposed to around it. This in-volves “clearing,” blocking, or moving thegate out of the way. The important part of

this gate-clearing movement is not so muchwhat you do, but what you don’t do. Keep-ing a body quiet in space is important. Anyreaching movement toward the gate must beindependent of the torso.

Outside arm clearing is the convention,although an inside-arm clear has many valu-able uses (see figure 1). Flushes start with an

Slalom Keys for the First-Timer

Continued on page 8

These companies support Masters Ski Racing…

Figure 1 IvicaKostelic, so closeto the gate thathis inside ski in-tuitively slides ontop of his outsideski. In spite ofbeing so close,Ivica prepares foran inside armclear.

…and we support them.

Racing for the Futureby Steve Slivinski, Masters National Chairman

Once upon a time, on a dark and stormy night, theworld came to an end. At least according the Mayancalendar, December 21st is the big day. Sun Valleyhas assured me if this happens I’ll get a refund onmy seasons pass. It will probably snow that day.Speaking of snow, forget about the end of theworld; it’s racer—ready—go! for another fantastic

winter season. Rest assured, Masters racing is going to be on fire this year, end

of the world or not. At Park City last season, our national commit-tee put some serious thought in trying to make USSA Masters rac-ing significantly more inviting and user-friendly. A tremendousovation goes to our working group headed by Bill McCollom, andincluding Ryan Fuller from Central, Nadine Price and Lisa Dens-more from Eastern, and Thunder Jalili from Intermountain, with apush and assist by Walt Evens from USSA, and of course the tirelessleg work of Bill Skinner our “do anything it takes” man.

Three main objectives were put on the table. First: get USSA togive us more temporary memberships to help us sell Masters racingto first-timers. Maybe even give some free ones out. Second: workup a marketing strategy with brochures and posters that show theworld the avalanche of benefits and discounts they get when theyjoin the USSA family. Third: work on providing an introduction toMasters racing with a free race clinic to beer leaguers, town seriesracers, fast NASTAR-types, and anyone with a serious interest inadult ski racing. The results of these initiatives has been outstand-ing. USSA has given authorization for more temps. Bill Skinner andthe USSA staff have done a fantastic job in creating an eye-catchingbrochure and poster. And finally, Lisa Densmore and Ryan Fullerwill be working on doing two Masters clinics this winter. Staytuned for time and location. I have a feeling this is just the begin-ning of great things to come in Masters ski racing. You racers atBuck Hill, Killington, North Star, Stevens Pass, Snow King, WinterPark, and the rest of the country’s hundreds of ski areas are theheart and soul of making Masters ski racing a success. We needyour ideas and enthusiasm to grow our sport. You know where toreach us. I'll be seeing you at top of the race course, so be sure tokeep those ski tips pointed downhill.

News & Info of the Alpine Masters Page 2

Masters Membership Newsby Bill Skinner, USSA Masters Manager

USSA Masters have 217 scheduled races in10 divisions for the 2012–2013 ski race sea-son. In addition, we will be hosting fourFIS Masters Cup races at Mammoth Mt., CAand our National Championships at BigSky, MT plus our summer races at Mt.Hood. Below is a breakdown of the number of races in each division.

Alaska 7Central 40New England 21 (incl. Eastern Championships)New York 18Southern 16

This all exists thanks to your local leaders who spend count-less hours organizing and making your race experience happen.Special thanks to our National Chairman Steve Slivinski, GaryRandall, Ryan Fuller, Nadine Price, Bill McCollom, Jack Eisen-schmid, Horst Locher, Mark Mirviss, Amy Lanzel, Toby Chapman,Ann Ozuna, Graham Smith and Meri Stratton.

The 2013 Molecule F National Speed series is back with thetraditional venues, plus two additional SG events at Attitash, NH.

Phillips 66 has stepped up to be our title sponsor for the Masters Nationals and FIS Master Cup races.

A special thanks to Joel Loane of the Skier’s Edge Companyfor his support of Masters racing for the past ten years. Skier’s Edgewill continue with their support of Masters Ski racing.

Major event update2013 Phillips 66 Masters National Championships will be thetraditional four-event series including the National DH duringrace week. March 18–23 (DH/SG/GS/SL) we are going to Big Sky,MT. There is no better host for our biggest event of the season. Ski-in ski-out resort lodging will go fast, so schedule your winter vaca-tion with friends and family now. For special lodging rates, call

800.548.4486 and tell them you’re with the Masters. Schedule andrace sign-up info on our web site, www.ussa.org Alpine then Mas-ters.

Phillips 66 FIS Master Cup, Mammoth Mtn., CA, Feb. 28–Mar. 3 (SG/SG/SL/SL). After the success of the Master’s WorldChampionship at Mammoth, it was decided a return trip was inorder, featuring double SG and SL events. Expect a host of Euro-peans to return to the site of the best Criterium event in theirmemory.

USSA Eastern Region Championships: Feb. 8–10 Okemo,VT, SG/SG/GS/SL. The Easterns are returning to Okemo, a favoritesite for the Championship weekend. Okemo is debatably the bestSG in the east, and will also be included in the National Speed Se-ries scoring.

Masters Working Group and 2013 initiatives1. We have put together a Masters brochure outlining what oursport is and USSA Masters membership benefits. A panel is avail-able for divisions to include their schedules and promotion intheir regions. Some divisions have taken advantage of a brochure.A special thanks to Donna Allen (IM) for her expertise. 2. 2013 Masters schedule poster is back by popular demand. Theaction race shot features Bode Miller. Each region has been send-ing a good supply already; contact your division chair to get yourcopy.3. The working group requested that the temporary membershipoption be increase from one per season to two per season to allownew recruits to get a real taste of the challenges and enjoyment ofMasters racing. USSA has approved. 4. Two USSA Masters-supported clinics are in the process of beingscheduled in Central and Eastern divisions.5. Central Division is trying a pay-as-you-go membership optionto increase participation and Masters membership. It is being or-ganized and financing in-house, with a look to make Masters moreaccessible in the Central region.

The 2013 Masters race season will be a great one. Find a friendto join us for the coming season. See you all at the starting gatesoon.

Far West 25Intermountain 20Northern 5 (plus Nat’l Championships)Pacific NW 30Rocky 25


2013 Alpine Masters SchedulesAlaska Alpine MastersJan. 5 . . . . . . . . .Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . .GSJan. 26 . . . . . . . .Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . .GSFeb. 9 . . . . . . . . .Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . .GSFeb. 23 . . . . . . . .Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SLMar. 2 . . . . . . . .Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SLMar. 9 . . . . . . . .Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SLMar. 30 . . . . . . .Alyeska . . . . . . . . . . . . .GSInfo: Gary Randall 907.242.2927

Central Alpine Masters Dec. 9 . . . . . . . .Afton Alps . . . . . . . . . .2SLDec. 15 . . . . . . .Afton Alps . . . . . . . . . .2SLDec. 16 . . . . . . .Wild Mtn. . . . . . . . . . .3GSJan. 5–6 . . . . . . .Blackjack . . . . . . .2SL/2GSJan. 12 . . . . . . . .Buck Hill . . . . . . . . . . .3GSJan. 13 . . . . . . . .Welch Village . . . . . . . .3SLJan. 26–27 . . . .Mt. La Crosse . . .2SL/2GSFeb. 2 . . . . . . . . .Buck Hill . . . . . . . . . . .3GSFeb. 3 . . . . . . . .Afton Alps . . . . . . . . . .3SL

Northern Regional ChampionshipsFeb. 9–10 . . . . .Spirit Mt. . . . . . .2GS/2SL

Southern Regional ChampionshipsFeb. 23–24 . . . .Chestnut . . . . . . .2SL/2GSMar. 9–10 . . . . .Spirit Mtn. . . . . . .2GS/2SLInfo: Ryan Fuller 612.501.3268 www.midwestmasters.org

New England Masters/Sise CupDec. 15–16 . . . .Killington . . . . . . . .SL/GSJan. 5 . . . . . . . . .Blackwater . . . . . . . . . . .SLJan. 6 . . . . . . . . .Sunapee . . . . . . . . . . . .GSJan. 12 . . . . . . . .Middlebury . . . . . . . . . .GSJan. 13 . . . . . . . .Suicide Six . . . . . . . . . . .SLJan. 26 . . . . . . . .Stratton . . . . . . . . . . . . .GSJan. 27 . . . . . . . .Bromely . . . . . . . . . . . . .SLJan 29–30 . . . . .Attitash . . . . . . . . . .SG/SGFeb. 2–3 . . . . . .Ragged Mt. . . . . . . .GS/GS

Eastern ChampionshipsFeb. 8–10 . . . . . .Okemo . . . . . .2SG/SL/GSFeb. 23 . . . . . . . .Cannon Mtn. . . . . . . . . .SLFeb. 24 . . . . . . . .Gunstock . . . . . . . . . . . .SLMar. 2 . . . . . . . .Waterville . . . . . . . . . . . .SLMar. 3 . . . . . . . .Crotched . . . . . . . . . . . .GS

Sise Cup FinalsMar. 8–10 . . . . .Cranmore . . .GS/SL/DualInfo: Bill McCollom 802.234.9561www.nemasters.org

New York MastersJan. 6 . . . . . . . . .Swain . . . . . . . . . . . .GS/SLJan. 12 . . . . . . . .Song Mt. . . . . . . . . .GS/SLJan. 13 . . . . . . . .Greek Peak . . . . . . .GS/GSJan. 26 . . . . . . . .Hilimont . . . . . . . .GS/GSJan. 27 . . . . . . . .Holiday Valley . . . . .SL/SLJan. 29 . . . . . . . .Greek Peak . . . . . . .GS/GS

Eastern RegionalsFeb. 8–10 . . . . . .Okemo . . . . . .2SG/GS/SLFeb. 23 . . . . . . . .Hunt Hollow . . . . .GS/GSMar. 2 . . . . . . . .Bristol . . . . . . . . . . .GS/GSMar. 3 . . . . . . . .Swain . . . . . . . . . . . .GS/SLInfo: Jack Eisenschmid 585.288.4554www.nymasters.org

Southern Masters (SARA)Dec. 22–23 . . . .Bryce Resort . . . . . . .GS/SLDec. 27–28 . . . .Sugar Mtn. . . . . . . . .SL/GSJan. 12–13 . . . .Bryce Resort . . . . . . .GS/SLJan. 21 . . . . . . .Wintergreen . . . . . . . . .GSJan. 26–27 . . . .Sugar Mtn. . . . . . . . .SL/GSFeb. 2–3 . . . . . .Snowshoe, WV . . . .SL/GSFeb. 9–10 . . . . . .Timberline. . . . . . . .SL/GSFeb. 18 . . . . . . . .Wintergreen . . . . . . . . . .SLFeb. 23–24 . . . .Massanutten . . . . . .GS/SLInfo Contact: Horst Locher 540.856.2121www.skisara.org

Far West MastersDec. 1–2 . . . . . .Mammoth . . . . . . .2SL/GSDec. 15–16 . . . .Squaw Valley . . . . . .SL/SLJan. 11 . . . . . . . .Heavenly . . . . . . . . .SL/SLJan. 12–13 . . . .Sierra at Tahoe . . . .GS/GSJan. 25–27 . . . .Mammoth . .SG/2SG/2SGFeb. 9–10 . . . . . .Mammoth . . . .GS/GS/GSFeb. 23–24 . . . .Squaw Valley . . . . .2SL/GS

FIS Masters CupFeb. 28–Mar. 3 .Mammoth . . . . . .2SG/2SLMar. 9–10 . . . . .Mt Rose . . . . . . . . . .SL/GSApr. 4–7 . . . . . .Squaw Valley . . .SG/GS/SLInfo contact: Mark Mirviss 530.583.6971www.farwestmasters.org

Intermountain Masters/ JANS Cup Jan. 11–13 . . . . .Park City . . . . . .SG/SL/GSJan 18–20 . . . . .Sun Valley . . . . .SG/GS/SLJan. 26–27 . . . .Snow King . . . . . . .GS/GSFeb. 9–10 . . . . . .Snowbasin . . . . . . . .SL/SLFeb.12–13 . . . . .Soldier Mtn. . . . . .DH/DHFeb. 16–17 . . . .Bogus Basin . . . . . .SG/SGFeb. 22–24 . . . .Wolf Mtn. . . . . .GS/SL/SLMar 8–10 . . . . . .Snowbasin . . . .SG/GS/GSInfo: Amy Lanzel 435.649.5751www.intermountainmasters.org

Northern MastersJan 4–6 . . . . . . .Red Lodge, MT .GS/GS/SLJan. 11–12 . . . . .Park City, UT . . .SG/GS/SLJan. 18–20 . . . . .Sun Valley . . . . .SG/GS/SLJan. 26–27 . . . .Snow King . . . . . . .GS/GSFeb. 2–3 . . . . . .49 Degrees . . . . . .2SG/SGFeb. 21–24 . . . . .Schweitzer . . . . .4SG/2GSMar. 16–17 . . . .Lookout Pass . . . . .GS/GS

Masters NationalsMar. 18–23 . . . .Big Sky . . . .DH/SG/GS/SLInfo: Toby Chapman 406.541.0866

Pacific Northwest MastersJan. 5–6 . . . . . . .Snoqualmie . . . . .trGS/GSJan. 12–13 . . . .Crystal Mt. . . . . . . .GS/GSFeb. 2–3 . . . . . .49 Degrees N. . . . .2SG/SGFeb. 9–10 . . . . . .Alpental . . . . . . . . .2SL/SLFeb. 16–17 . . . .Willamette . . . . . . . .SL/GSFeb. 21–24 . . . . .Schweitzer . . . . . .4SG/GSMar. 2–4 . . . . . .Stevens Pass . .SL/GS/2SGMar. 9–10 . . . . .Ski Bowl . . . . . . . . .SL/GSMar. 16–17 . . . .Lookout Pass . . . . .GS/GSApr. 4–7 . . Mt. Bachelor . .trSG/2SG/GS/SL Info: Ann Ozuna 509.993.2283www.pnsamasters.org

(Subjectto change)

Rocky Mountain MastersDec. 9 . . . . . . . .Loveland . . . . . . . . . . . .SLDec. 12 . . . . . . .Echo Mtn. . . . . . .SL nightJan. 5–6 . . . . . . .Winter Park . . . . .2SG/GSJan. 12–13 . . . .Copper Mt. . . . . . . .GS/GSJan. 18–20 . . . . .Ski Cooper . . . .DHtr/DHJan. 25 . . . . . . . .Echo Mtn. . . . . . .SL nightFeb. 2–3 . . . . . .Copper . . . . . . . . . . .GS/SLFeb. 8–10 . . . . . .Beaver Creek . .2SG/GS/SLFeb. 16–18 . . . .Aspen . . . . . . . .2SG/2DHMar. 2 . . . . . . . .Echo Mtn. . . . . . . . . . . .SLMar. 9–10 . . . . .Ski Cooper . . .trDH/2DHMar. 30 . . . . . . .Loveland . . . . . .SG/GS/SLInfo Contact: Graham Smith 719.510.0747www.rmmskiracing.org

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

Phillips 66 Masters National ChampionshipMar. 18–23 . . .Big Sky, MT . .DH/SG/GS/SLBill Skinner 435.647.2633

Phillips 66 FIS Masters CupFeb.28–Mar. 3 . .Mammoth, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SG/SG/SL/SLBill Skinner 435.647.2633

USSA Eastern Region Championships Feb. 8–10 . . . . . .Okemo, VT .SG/SG/GS/SLBill McCollom 802.234.9561

Summer Fun NationalsJuly 20–21 . . . . .Mt Hood, OR . . . . .GS/SLMeri Stratton 541.387.3674

Molecule F National Speed SeriesJan. 11 . . . . . . . .Park City, UT . . . . . . . .SGJan. 26 . . . . . . . .Mammoth, CA . . . .SG/SGJan. 29–30 . . . . .Attitash, NH . . . . . .SG/SGFeb. 8 . . . . . . . . .Okemo, VT . . . . . . .SG/SGFeb. 12–13 . . . .Soldier Mtn., ID . .DH/DHFeb. 16–18 . . . .Aspen, CO . . . . . . .SG/DHFeb. 21–22 . . . . .Schweitzer, ID . . . . . .2SGMar. 9–10 . . . . .Ski Cooper, CO . . . . .2DH Mar. 18–21 . . . .Big Sky, MT . . . . . .DH/SG

Masters adult racing: Age class competitionfor skiers 18 years and older. For more infor-mation contact USSA’s Bill Skinner at435.647.2633 / [email protected] subject to change. For completeinfo on Masters Racing visit www.ussa.organd click “Alpine,” then “Masters,” at thebottom of the page.


Contact Bill Skin-ner at [email protected] forlicense and en-tries. In order toparticipate in FISraces, you mustbe over 30, be-long to the USSAand have a validFIS license. Travelmedical insur-

ance is inexpensive and recommended.More info at FIS-SKI.com; go to “MastersCalendar,” then click the PDF file link atthe bottom of the page.

Valle Nevado and La Parva, Chile, Sept.16–18, 2012: SL, two SGs. Notes: The North American speed teamstrain down here in Sept. so you can rub el-bows with elite racers. The Skinner Bros.run a great race camp at ValleNevado each year, immediatelyprior to the race dates. The resortsare above the tree line with beauti-ful dry snow and many sunnydays. El Colorado is adjacent andconnected to Valle Nevado, so youcan ski over. 2:20 hrs drive fromSantiago, SCL. Helicopter servicefrom SCL airport to the resorts isalso available.

Valle Nevado, Chile, Sept. 15,2012 (20 point penalty): GS raceon Saturday

Abetone, Italy, Dec. 8–9,2012: 2 GS. Notes: Abetone has hosted the FISWorld Masters Criterium a couple timesand is very experienced at putting on goodraces. 1:30 hours from Florence, 4:30 fromMilan, MXP, 4:14 from Rome, FCO.www.abetone.it.

Maria Alm, Austria, Dec. 15–16, 2012:SL, GS. Notes: A quaint alpine village withexcellent accommodations and well-runraces. This is at the “Christkindl” (Christ-mas market) season, which is particularlyspecial in Salzburg. 1:10 driving time fromclosest airport Salzburg, SZG.www.bergflex.com.

Cerkno, Slovenia: Dec.22–23, 2012:SL, GS. Notes: Highest piste is at 4,000 ft.so watch the snow conditions. 3:20 hrs.from Venice, VCE. www.ski-cerkno.com.

Veysonnaz, Switzerland, Jan. 12–13,2013: SL, GS. Notes: Race on World Cup

runs. If you don’t get into the two top ho-tels slope side, the accommodations are abit rustic. No après ski to speak of. NearVerbier. 2:30 hrs from Geneva, GVA. 3:00hrs from Zurich, ZRH and Milan, MXP.www.veysonnaz.ch.

Innerkrems, Austria, Jan. 18–20,2013: SL, GS, SG. Notes: New on the inter-national Masters calendar.10 lifts. Paul Mc-Cartney’s ex-wife, Heather, won a GoldMedal here in SG for the British DisabledSki Team. 1:30 south driving fromSalzburg, SZG. www.scie.at.

Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 25–26, 2013:SL,GS. Notes: Both races are held at nighton the World Cup hill. The Croatians are ajovial and welcoming group. They knowhow to throw a good party after the races,too. 3:50 hrs from Venice, VCE. Go to www.fis-ski.com and click the Zagreb linkon “Masters Calendar.”

Kalpalinna, Finland, Jan. 25–26, 2013(40 point penalty): two SL. Notes: Uniqueexperience with Russian, Scandinavian andEstonian skiers. No Americans here, so youwill be a novelty. Eino Kalpalla is your gra-cious host. 1 hr. from Helsinki, HEL.

Rokytnice nad Jizetou, Czech Republic,Jan. 25–27, 2013 (40 point penalty): SL,GS. Notes: Nearest airport is Prague, PRGwhich is 67 miles away. www.roktnice.com.

Bischofswiesen, Germany, Feb. 2–3,2012: SL,GS. Notes: Beautiful area close tothe Austrian border. Near the site of Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” WWII hide-out.Known for intense competitors racing onrock-hard ice. Closest airport is Salzburg,SZG, less than one hour drive away.www.bischofswiesen.de

Megeve, France, Feb. 8–10, 2013: SL,

GS, SG. Notes: An Aspen-like resort withprices to match. You race on the WorldCup run. Very popular with Europeans, sobook early. 1:10 hrs. from Geneva GVA.cssportmegeve.com. Race link is www.kandahar.org.uk.

Piancavallo, Italy, Feb. 22–24, 2013:SL, GS, SG. Notes: Well-run races, lots ofsun and the one of the best SG courses onthe calendar. Women’s World Cups havebeen held here. 1:10 hrs. from Venice, VCE.www.piancavallo.it

Mammoth Mtn, California, U.S.A., Feb.28–Mar. 3, 2012: 2 SL, 2 SG. Notes: NorthAmerica is back on the regular FIS calendarat Mammoth after a five-year absence. BeatHupfer is the Director of Mammoth’s RaceDept. and he knows how to put on an FISevent without a hitch. There will be SGtraining the day before the races. It’s neverbeen easier to fly right in to Mammoth

Airport from connections throughLAX, SAN, or SFO. www.FIS-ski.com, click on “Mammoth” onMasters Calendar.

Pec Pod Snezkou, Czech Republic,Mar. 9–10, 2013: SL, GS. Notes:On the Polish border. Nice littlevillage with a tiny hill. 2:40 hrs toPrague, PRA. www.pecpodsnezkou.cz.

Grand Bormand, France: Mar.16–17, 2013: SL, GS. Notes: Newon the international Masters cal-endar. In the Haute Savoie. 38lifts. Has been the start and alsothe finish of a Tour de France stagemany times. Could be a nice

warm-up for the Criterium next week. 1:30hrs. from Geneva, GVA. www.esf.grand-bo.com.

Megeve, France FIS World Cri-terium Masters Championships, Mar.19–23, 2013-SL, GS, SG. One additionalGS held on March 23, the last day, offersdouble points. Notes: Chic. Good restau-rants. Expensive. 1:10 hrs. from Geneva,GVA. Contact: [email protected].

Sestriere, Italy, April 5–6, 2013:SL,GS. Notes: Has hosted both the WorldCup and the 2006 Winter Olympics. Yourace on the run where Ligety won gold.The town was built by the Agnelli family,who were the founders of Fiat automobilecompany. 2:50 hrs from Milan, MXP. www.sestriere.it.

2012/13 FIS Masters Cupby Bob Davis

Bob Davis and MikeRobbins at the race hillin Megeve, France.

Greg Sarkis, New York Master


NASTAR for Mastersby Bill Madsen

Medal Counts: FIS Skier’s Edge Masters World Championships

No. Com- No.Place Team Medals Gold Silver Bronze petitors Medalists1 United States 81 31 26 24 117 422 Austria 31 20 3 8 28 153 Italy 22 2 9 11 23 94 Japan 11 1 5 5 10 45 Russia 8 4 4 4 36 Czechia 8 1 3 4 14 47 France 7 3 3 1 10 48 Switzerland 4 1 3 10 29 Germany 4 1 3 25 410 Argentina 3 3 1 111 Canada 3 2 1 5 112 Sweden 3 1 2 12 213 Finland 3 3 2 114 Brazil 3 2 1 2 115 Norway 2 1 1 1 1

Great Britain 3Croatia 2New Zealand 1Netherlands 1Poland 1

Event Standings Summary Three races scored. Scoring policy: medalcounts across all races. Total number of competitors: 272 (213men, 59 women). Number of qualifiers: 94 (59 men, 35 women).

There are 115 resortswith Nature ValleyNASTAR race coursesfrom coast to coast,providing Masters withaccessible racing andtraining opportunities.Every time you race,you earn a handicapthat represents the dif-

ference between your time and the time ofthe national pacesetter, Ted Ligety. Resultsare posted on the nastar.com website, andparticipants are ranked with their peers intheir ability group at the host resort, intheir state of residence and nationally. Thetop-ranked racers qualify to compete inthe NASTAR National Championships.

The Nature Valley NASTAR National Cham-pionships will take place at Snowmass Vil-lage, CO March 20–24. Ted Ligety, Julia

Mancuso and a team of the mostrenowned U.S. Ski Team alumni will be onhand to set the pace, offer coaching andcelebrate the sport. There will be parties,concerts, Warren Miller movies, race videoand games to salute the sport of alpine skiracing.

In addition, there will be two regionalchampionship events that will serve asqualifiers for the National Champi-onships. The Nature Valley NASTAR MidwestChampionships will be held at Spirit Moun-tain, MN, Dec. 15–16, and Okemo Moun-tain will host the Eastern ChampionshipsFeb. 2–3. The events will include individ-ual races on Saturday with participants di-vided into age and ability groups. OnSunday, there will be a Race of Championsto determine the fastest racers, using hand-icapped times and raw times. Sunday willalso see teams of racers competing for su-

premacy. There will be separate divisionsfor family teams and teams of friends. Thetop three point gainers will be used toscore points for the team, but up to sixpeople can be included on a team. NAS-TAR Team Points will be used to scoreteams so that age and gender can be usedto handicap racers. Get your team togetherand register online today.

Streamline your NASTAR experienceat the host resorts by registering to race on-line. If you registered in the past, there isno need to register again—we know whoyou are. Simply go to nastar.com andsearch for your last name and login. Thereis no fee to register and your NASTAR reg-istration can be used as a bib number any-time you race. Your number will alwaysbegin with the first three letters of your lastname, so it is easy to remember.

Dear Masters Racers,After 10 years as the title sponsor of Mastersracing, it is time to congratulate and pass thebaton to Phillips 66. We wish to thank youall for your participation in Masters racing,and look forward to seeing you at the racesduring the coming years.

The Skier’s Edge Masters World Cri-terium 2012 was truly a successful racingevent, with the U.S. Team capturing 81medals out of a total 193. We are proud to beable to say that over 50% of Masters racersown a Skier’s Edge! We hope now to success-fully introduce the LT Carver, which is for rac-

ers and moms from 45 to 155 pounds. We hope that our successwith Masters will cross over here. We would also like to thank allof the members of the Skier’s Edge Masters Team and assurethem that the team will continue to race. We have our sights seton Megeve, France this year.

We would like to thank our good friend Bill Skinner for thehard work he has put into Masters. Certainly he is the anchor tothe success of Masters racing.

From my personal perspective, I have observed that theMasters class of racers are by far the hardest-working racers onthe planet. I admire and congratulate you for this perseverance.We here at Skier’s Edge wish you the best and safest racing thisyear and that you continue to enjoy the sport.

Congratulations,R. Joel Loane, CEO, The Skier’s Edge Company

The Alpine MastersSeries newsletter

is produced by Jim Hayes (a Master in age only) in Salt Lake City. Visit www.Ha-YesDesign.com.“Summer Fun” photos courtesy of Brian Robb, www.BrianRobbPhoto.com

Tuning Tips for GS RacingGraham Lonetto

Hello, my name is Graham Lonetto. I amthe owner of Edgewise Elite Ski Service inStowe, VT. Ten years ago, after working as aWorld Cup Serviceman for the U.S. SkiTeam, I opened our specialty ski racingservice shop with the idea that we couldbring World Cup-level service to allathletes. In those years, I have beenreally lucky to work with a lot ofgreat people and help young ath-letes chase their dreams of skiing incollege or even making the U.S. SkiTeam.

As we start another season, Ithought it would be good to talkabout the variables involved inchoosing a GS ski, given the num-ber of choices available, and theimpact the correct choice can haveon your time. I’ll also explain howto set up any of your skis properlyonce you’ve picked them out. Dif-ferent lengths and turn radius canbe selected to match ability level in a waythat brings out the best in an athlete, andproper preparation is just as importantwhen trying to squeeze every bit of speedout of a race setup. Every detail matterswhen trying to eliminate 1/10th of a sec-ond from your final time when racing.

Variables in Selecting GS SkisWhen selecting skis, it is important to lookat your overall ski racing needs. Will yourequipment need to conform to any spe-cific rules? For example, National Teamracers have to adhere to strict equipmentguidelines for competition: binding standheight, skis turn radius, ski length and skiwidth are all regulated. To get the best per-formance out of your equipment, youmust know the rules to which you mustadhere.

If you don’t have to conform the FISrules for World Cup and Europa Cup rac-ing, you should consider yourself lucky.Although we all want a pair of our favoriteNational Team member’s skis, the reality isthat GS equipment at that level has verylittle shape and would probably not bevery much fun for the rest of us to ski on. So, what should you look for in a GS ski?The answer is as varied as the ability andathletic levels you find among those of usnot on a national team. If you aren’t con-strained by equipment rules, the choicesget really interesting. Here are the options:

• Men’s FIS legal GS skis: 191cm and

185cm, which are 27 M-plus turn radius

• Women’s FIS legal GS skis: 182cm and175cm,which are 23 M-plus turn radius

• Race Carver (production GS skis): 165cmup to 185cm, which are anywhere from 16

M to 19 M. The Men’s FIS-legal skis have a mini-

mum of a 27-meter turn radius, and havethe least amount of shape. They don’t turnvery easily, but they do drive down the hilleffortlessly, which is fast.

The Women’s FIS-legal skis have aturn radius that is at least 23 meters. Theyare not as straight as the men’s skis, and soare easier to turn, but they don’t drivedown the hill like the 27 meter ski.

Finally, we have the production raceski, also known as the Race Carver. Theseskis are without a doubt the most fun tofree-ski on, as they turn most easily. Thedownside for racing is that they driveacross the hill rather than down the hill,making them slower on all but the turniestof courses.

Last winter, two Edgewise technicianstested these skis at our local race. The firstrun, we ran on the Men’s FIS legal 191cmskis, and finished with a respectable time.The second run, on a similar set, we racedon a production Race Carver 180cm 19meter ski. On a 28-second course , theywere both 2 seconds slower on the 19meter ski. They both said they felt great,and they turned really welll, but…theywere slow.

To help decide what makes sense foryou, think about the answers to a few basicquestions. Do you need help turning?Look for a shorter turn radius. Look at thetype of racing that you do: easy hills? Flat

terrain? Try a longer turn radius. Steep andicy? Something with more shape. Most im-portantly, test the different choices know-ing what variables you are dealing with tofind the match to your skill level and rac-ing needs.

New SkisMost new skis come out of thewrapper with a standard “factory”prep. Usually, the side edge bevelon race skis will be set at 3 de-gree, the base edge bevel willmost likely be 1 degree or moreand there will be some sort ofbasic stonegrind. The angles andgrinds that are set from the fac-tory usually are done with basicmachines and a great deal of de-tail work lies before you to dial inthe skis to your specific needs.

Choosing the Right SetupSide edge bevel, base bevel, and base struc-ture are the three factors that will dictatehow your new skis perform. These bevelsare very personal and when selected withthought and care, you can get the mostperformance out of your equipment.When selecting bevels, it is important tomake sure your boots have been fit prop-erly and that you are in a neutral stance.Some canting work may be necessary toachieve this.

Base BevelBase bevel is the single most important as-pect in ski tuning. Base bevel controls howquickly, or slowly, your skis engage thesnow once rolled on edge. Less bevel onthe base (.5 degree) means the skis willreact faster, and more bevel (1 degree)means the skis will react slower. If you area strong skier rolling and arcing from edgeto edge with no skidding at the top of theturn, then less base bevel may be right foryou. On the other hand, if you have a ten-dency to skid or slide at the top of theturn, the flatter base bevel may leave youfeeling like the skis are engaging tooquickly, preventing you from getting yourfeet away from your body, and, ultimately,hindering your ability to turn.

When selecting base bevel, if you arenot sure what bevel will work best for you,it is better to start with less bevel. If youfeel that the skis are too edgy, or feelrailed, it is easy to add more bevel to the


.

Continued next page


Intermountain Mastersracers are undoubtedlyfamiliar with JansMountain Outfitters.Having sponsored theIntermountain Mastersrace program and theJans Cup for the past 20years, the Jans name isall over the place.

But there’s far moreto it than logos on bibsand a few banners scat-

tered around the course. The partnership isdeeply rooted, and based on a mutual ap-preciation and enthusiasm for racing. Janshas Masters racers on staff, and fittingly,Masters racers are some of Jans’ most loyaland longstanding customers.

As ski racing in the U.S. is increasinglyovershadowed by other, higher flying disci-plines of skiing, the partnership between In-termountain Masters and Jans has onlystrengthened. The revamped www.inter-mountainmasters.org website is speckledwith tips and advice from the expert racersand tuners of Jans’ race services division,Rennstall.

Rennstall Manager and accomplishedMasters racer Erik Boller described the rela-tionship between Masters racing andRennstall as one that has grown “due to in-

volvement not only at race venues, but alsoin the brick and mortar with hands-on ad-vice.” On everything from skiing techniqueto proper preparation and maintenance ofyour equipment, the site has become awealth of information that is finally reach-ing a larger audience.

An Online CommunityWhile Jans has provided support to theirlocal Intermountain Division of Masters rac-ing for years, there are nine other divisionsthat can, and should, benefit from a com-munal source of race information. It waswith this in mind that the development ofthe Racing Center on www.jans.com cameabout. There is an undeniable need for aconsolidated source of information for rac-ers of all levels.

The world of racing is constantly chang-ing and progressing, and at times, it can beoverwhelming. By compiling the knowledgeand experience of racers who have been inthe game for decades, the hope is that a re-source has been created that can keep pace.

The Racing Center provides anyonewith the ability to do extensive research onrace product, read expert reviews from top-level racers, and stay up to date with themost current equipment. From skis, toboots, to poles and armor, different brandswork for different people. By consolidating

all of this information into one spot, the op-portunity is provided for unbiased and com-parative research. Regardless of the brand,regardless of the outcome on race day, theidea is that you’ll have the most fun whenyou’re using the gear that is right for you.And that, after all, is what Masters racing isall about.

Recently, U.S. Ski Team members BryceBennett and Nick Daniels joined AtomicCompetition Sales and Promotion ManagerMatt Schiller to host a “Live Team Night” onjans.com. The event was open to all regis-tered USSA members and provided a rareopportunity to learn about products fromboth the people on the design end, and thetop-level athletes who use them on thebiggest stage. The race world is a tight-knitcommunity, and these Live Team Nights area great platform from which to share all theinformation and advice that is available.

As Masters National Chairman SteveSlivinski noted in a recent newsletter, “we allrecognize that Masters ski racing, and skiracing in general, has had a smaller andsmaller portion of the public’s eye.” Thesewords ring true, and speak to the need forracers of all levels to stick together and workat the growth of this sport. From World Cupmedalists, to part-time Nastar enthusiasts,the race world can only benefit by poolingknowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

skis with a simple pull of a file. On theother hand, if you start off with too muchbase bevel and the skis feel dead and dampwith no life, the only way to reduce the basebevel is to regrind the skis flat, reset the basestructure and reset the base bevel as well.

It is important to remember, once basebevel is set LEAVE THE BASE EDGE ALONE.Tinkering with the base edge will add moreand more bevel and your skis will becomeless and less reactive. Never use a file toclean up the base edge bevel, it will createmore bevel. Even the use of diamond stoneswill increase the bevel over time.

Side Edge BevelSide edge bevel controls how powerful theskis will feel while on edge. Generally speak-ing, a three degree angle is fairly standard inski racing. The more acute the angle, themore edge hold and power the skis willhave. A four degree side edge angle is morepowerful than a three degree angle, but with

the sharpness comes a finer point or edge,which means the skis will become dullerfaster, and if the edge is damaged by rocks,the finer point sustains more damage thanthe less acute, more durable three degreeangle. Also, the finer angle will need moreattention in the ski room. It will wear outfaster, meaning more filing and sharpening.

Ski Base Structure and GlideThe base material of quality race skis ismade out of polyethylene known asUHMW-PE (Ultra High Molecular WeightPolyEthylene). In short, it is a very durablecompressed material that has pores thathold wax. This material can be manipulatedwith machines called stonegrinders, whichcan precisely cut different patterns for differ-ent snow crystals and varying levels of mois-ture content. Cold and icy conditions callfor very fine structures, with very littledepth, whereas warm, wet conditions callfor larger structures, which move water with

efficiency. These stonegrinding patterns arevery similar to tread patterns found on cartires.

At Edgewise, we specialize in selectingthe correct stonegrinding pattern for the re-gion and discipline of racing our customerswill encounter. If you have questions abouthow to choose your grind, we are happy tohelp you learn what will work best for you.

We have recently purchased a Winter-steiger Race NC which is the premier raceservice stonegrinder available today. Thereare less than 10 of these machines in useworldwide and our machine is the first oneavailable for consumer use in North Amer-ica.

The Race NC brings a new level of pre-cision and detail to the stonegrinding finish.We use the analogy that it is like adding anHD (high definition) finish to yourskis…FASTER!

Check us out at www.EdgeWiseSkiService.com!

Information sharing and the Race World

Tuning Tips (continued)

Jan Peterson, 20-year sponsor of In-termountain Masters

outside arm and continue with that samearm, which makes it an outside, inside, out-side arm clearing strategy. Learning an in-side arm clear will also serve you well indeveloping ruts which seem to migrate theline farther and farther from the gate witheach passing skier. If the outside arm clearis your only option, the odds of overreach-ing or banking the turn are increased. Nei-ther are a good recipe for finding the finishline.

VisionTo facilitate your body going through thegate rather than around it, focus your visionto the inside of the turn by looking to theopposite side of the gate from where yourskis will go. Since the body tends to followthe lead of the head and eyes, this will helpto get you closer to the gate such that you

ski through rather than around thegate. Don’t confuse this with lean-ing in, but using your vision tomerely lead your body to the insideof the turn and through the gate.

Vertical spine lineThe external forces in slalom, albeithigh, are less than in the otherevents. Therefore the inclination wesee at higher speeds is replacedwith greater angulation in slalom.This bend is solely at the hip joint,and when performed correctlyleaves the spine in an anatomicallyaligned position. This is not onlygood for a Master’s aging back, but

SlalomKeys

a biomechanically-efficient edging position. We do see inclination although the risk of alateral balance issue is increased. A verticalspine line eliminates the travel distance ofthe upper body and creates a solid supportfor the lower body to edge the ski(s)against.

Pressure in the fall lineNo matter how much the turn is down oracross the hill, the general rule is to createpressure in the fall line. This is accom-plished, first, by having purchase with theski edge in the snow and then standingagainst, or better yet, extending against theski.

Round turnsOne of the reasons those World Cup guyscan look so slinky and flowing (and arefast) is that their turns are round. Skiers that

tighten their turn shape duringthe turn end up with unman-ageable forces. These turns endup in a skid or chatter, bothleading to a loss in line.

Gate contactA concern of a round turn is itsplacement around the gate. Basically, how much of thatround turn is above the gate

Continued from page 1

For The First-Timer

Figure 2 U.S. skierMikaela Shiffrin shownwith her vision to theinside of the gate whiledemonstrating a vertical spine.

Figure 5Kathrin Zettel,in spite of limited ankleflexion, hasmoved forwardto engage theski tip with legand hip extension.

Figure 5Kathrin Zettel,in spite of limited ankleflexion, hasmoved forwardto engage theski tip with legand hip extension.

Figure 3 BodeMiller, known forhis simultaneous“Gumby” legs, isalso adept at initiating with sequential legs.Here his next turnhas already beinginitiated with hisleft ski while hisright ski is stillfinishing the previous turn.

Figure 3 BodeMiller, known forhis simultaneous“Gumby” legs, isalso adept at initiating with sequential legs.Here his next turnhas already beinginitiated with hisleft ski while hisright ski is stillfinishing the previous turn.

Figure 4 Stefano Gross creating pres-sure in the fall-line at gate contact.

While slalom is a seemingly fast event,the real secrets lie in precision. Whetheryou are a seasoned slalom skier or thinkingabout entering you first slalom race, it willbe the precision you apply that will makeyou not only successful at finding the finishline, but will be the key to walking awaywith a medal at the end of race day.

By Ron Kipp Photos: Getty Imagesand RonLeMaster

Ron Kipp is the USSAAlpine Sport EducationManager. He has workedwith the U.S. and Norwegian Ski Teams.

…orFindingthePodium

and how much is below the gate? A linethat has half of the turn above the gate andhalf the turn below the gate is not alwaysthe safest, but it will be the fastest. Safe inthe sense that the margin for error is nil,and fast in that to go any straighter wouldmost likely scrub speed. This 50/50 generalrule is for even rhythmic, swinging turns.This round line can be further dissected.

Taking into account the upcominggate, the angle of gate contact should besuch that the “gate fall” is toward the up-coming gate. This can been seen by the in-dention in the snow the gate has left from itimpacting the snow. If this gate fall impres-sion is more downhill than toward the nextgate, too little of the turn was accomplishedabove the turning gate. If the track is moreacross the hill than toward the upcominggate, it would evidence that the skier com-pleted too much of the turn above thegate—although safe, it is slow!

Fore/aft movementStaying in the “sweet spot” is an often-heard cliché—basically a mantra of racersthat have fore/aft balance issues. Attempt-ing to stay in one spot on the ski is a noviceapproach to balance. Although difficult tosee in eight tenths of a second, elite athletesinitiate with tip pressure and finish with

tail pressure. This slight fore/aft movementis faster and will actually facilitate balance.To achieve this sort of fore/aft balance,there needs to be tension in the ankles dur-ing the entire turn. Don’t confuse this withjust flexion of the ankles. While flexion isgood, it does not necessarily create balanceor tip pressure. The movement forwardcomes from leg and hip extension.

Inside leg flexionFlexion of the inside knee and hip are es-sential for the extreme edge angles neededfor tight quick turns in slalom. This flexionallows for angulation, which permits out-side ski dominance. With the inside leg es-sentially out of the way for angulation, theoutside ski is free to do its job. The insideski then works as a pressure control device,either adding to or taking away pressurefrom the outside ski by increased flexion orextension during the turn.

To master this extreme position re-quires outside ski dominance with the abil-ity to balance on that ski. Practice skiingone-ski drills. Then progress to greater inde-pendent movements with the inside ski.

Figure 7 Marcel Hirscher,with extreme flexion ofthe inside leg.

Figure 6Patrick Biggsutilizing everycm of his165s—onlypossible withtension in theankles.


New England MastersNadine Price, chairwww.nemasters.org

La Niña, the Old Farmer’s Al-manac, the width of the belton those big furry caterpil-

lars, the bushiness of gray squirrels’ tails,the snowmaking improvements made overthe summer at many New England skiareas, the off-season efforts of the NEMSboard and staff. They all point to a greatseason ahead. We have a terrific lineup ofraces, lots of parties, lots of prizes, and afew new twists! We are very happy to re-port that Lucy and Kip Blake will be backas our race administrator and majordomo,and Stacey Weston will continue as our In-formation Manager. In addition to all theamazing work they did last year, they havebeen busily getting ready for the comingseason and we are especially appreciativeof the work they’ve contributed over thesummer.

And speaking of summer, while mostof you have been enjoying all those finewarm-weather pursuits, a brand new initia-tive has borne its first fruit. With the helpof Walt Evans, then director of sport devel-opment at USSA, a national Masters work-ing group was formed at Park City duringNationals last March. This group wasformed with the lofty goal of growing par-ticipation in USSA Masters and chargedwith developing specific strategies for ac-complishing this. The members of theGroup are Bill Skinner, Ryan Fuller fromCentral, Lisa Densmore now from North-ern, Thunder Jalili from Intermountain,and Bill McCollom and myself from East-ern. Walt and Skinner brought in otherfolks at USSA and the group slaved awayall summer through conference calls andemails and has several things to show forthe effort. We have a very cool nationalMasters poster with all the divisions’schedules to post in places it may attractinterest, a slick USSA brochure with localschedules to help spread the word, a clinicto recruit new racers scheduled for January25 at Wachusett Mountain in Massachu-setts, and a couple of changes to the tem-porary license structure. The changes to thetemporary license structure involve USSA’sagreement to permit an individual to usetwo temporary licenses for two separateevents (generally two separate weekends),the $25 fee for each of which will be cred-ited toward the cost of a full license shouldthe racer decide to convert to a full license.

The other thing which USSA has agreed to,regarding temporary licenses, is reallyhuge. They have stepped up and offeredMasters 100 “funded temps,” which meansthat USSA will pay for these licenses. Theconcept is that these funded temp licenseswill be used to re-cruit new mem-bers who mightneed just that lit-tle extra incentiveto try racing withus. They will betracking these li-censes to see howmany convert andwe will be devis-ing some creativeways to take ad-vantage of thiswindfall to hooksome new racers!We expect thesethings to reallyhelp our efforts toreach more poten-tial racers and sharethe amazing experience that is Masters ski racing!

With the generous assistance of USSA,we will, once again, be jump-starting theseason with a New England Masters boothat the Boston Ski Expo. This will be ourfifth season at the show, and we hope tokeep building on the very positive experi-ences we have had. Each year our presenceat the Expo has been a little stronger, andwe have reached a few more folks who justdidn’t know that it’s never too late to startski racing, or get back into it. This year,thanks to USSA’s funded temp initiative,we will be giving away some of thosefunded temp licenses for specific races toski show visitors who decide to give it atry. We will also have other giveaways,prizes, games and everything else we canthink of to get attention! If your plans in-clude a visit to the Expo, make sure to stopby.

We have a great schedule of races thisseason. We will be starting things off atKillington in December with our third al-most-annual joint venture with ASRA, a skiracing organization with races in Vermontand points a little west and south. Eventswill include an SL, the season’s first Rock-port Mortgage Corporation GS Series raceand, of course, a Saturday evening party!This has quickly become a popular tradi-

tion and a great chance for some early-sea-son racing. After the holidays, we will bevisiting as many of the favorite venues aswe could fit into the schedule. Many ofyou have asked for a weekend off, so wehave scheduled no races for the weekend

of January 19–20.Go free skiing! Orget in some train-ing! Or go to themovies! And letus know what youthink.

We will be re-turning to theever-popularOkemo Mountainin VT for regionalsFebruary 8–10. Inaddition to an SLand a GS, theevent will includetwo SG’s and achance for poten-tial Molecule FSpeed Series con-tenders to collect

some points! We never seem to get enoughSpeed! But wait! This year, for the firsttime in what we are hoping will become atrend; we have managed to schedule twoMasters SG races in concert with U18, U21& senior races at Attitash on Jan. 29 and30. We will have our own race but will beusing the same hill on the same day. Thereis a big upside to this collaboration: thevenue gets more bang for their buck (alarger field), we get more speed, and weget to meet potential future Masters racers.These races will count for Sise Cup scoring,and we are hoping to get them included inthe Molecule Series as well. So get thosebig boards ready!

The Sise Cup Finals will be at Cran-more this year, March 8–10. There will be aGS Friday, an SL Saturday, and a dual eventon Sunday. This weekend is going to be ahuge event! The GS and SL will be com-bined for the Gibson Cup (that venerablealmost-annual tradition of more than sev-enty years that goes to the fastest men andwomen when combining an SL and a GS).This year, in addition to names being en-graved on the cup and bragging rights, theprizes are going to go deep! There will beprizes for all of the top 10 men andwomen! The combined race will alsocount as a Sise Cup race (in class and over-all) so there could a lot on the line this

Division News

The New England Masters Series addstwo SGs to its schedule for 2013The New England Masters Series (NEMS) willbe partnering with Attitash ski area and NewHampshire Alpine Racing Association(NHARA) to offer Masters ski racers a pair ofSG races on Jan. 29 and 30. The races will beheld on the Bear Peak section of Attitash skiarea in Bartlett, NH on the FIS homologated,Illusion trail. The course, which has been apopular speed venue for all levels of racing inthe East, descends 358 vertical meters and is1,280 meters in length. The Masters races willfollow the USSA U18 entry level events, andwill be run with the same format (seeding,scoring, entry) as all other Masters events. TheSG races will be scored for Sise Cup points, aswell as the National Molecule F Speed Series.


weekend! There will be a gala banquet,with all the season’s awards on Saturdayevening. Yes, that does mean that the dualon Sunday will not count for Sise Cupstandings. But wait! If the idea of hangingit all out there in head-to-head competi-tion—or watching your buddies do so—isn’t enough to entice you into the dualrace, maybe this will be: We will be rafflingoff a brand-new, super high-end KHS roadbike (a KHS Flite 750) at the awards partyfor the dual race! Here are the catches: youmust be present to win and you must be amember of NEMS. But here’s the twist: Youget one chance to win for every start duringthe season! The more races you do, themore chances you have to win.

We only have a couple of months togo, so ramp up your training, get to thegym, start waxing those skis. We’ll see youat Killington.

As always, our series is made possibleand enhanced by our sponsors. Our GS se-ries has been generously sponsored byRockport Mortgage Corporation. We wishto thank them most sincerely. Our endur-ing gratitude goes to Artech, for its gener-ous and continued support. We welcomeKHS to our family of sponsors. And wethank Booster Strap, SkiChair.com, Denbyand EasyOn for their continued support.When you have need or use for any of theproducts or services our sponsors provide,we hope you will visit them first.

AlaskaGary Randall, chairwww.alyeskaski -club.org

As I look out my win-dow into the dark, it’sa beautiful morning,

about 29 degrees, with snow scheduled fortomorrow. We had our first snow at theend of September, but its gone now.

Alyeska Resort is just about finishedwith the new quad going from the base ofthe mountain to mid-mountain. We are allvery excited to have the new addition.

A number of our Masters are workinghard at the Tuesday Thursday dry landtraining program. We are put through thepaces for 1½ hours.

The Alyeska Masters Program this yearwill have the addition of a couple of newhigh-quality coaches, which the uppergroups are looking forward to, and withthe addition of the new lift, our turn-around time should greatly increase formore and better training. We are all look-ing forward to the Masters Nationals in BigSky, and hope to bring 12 to 15 racers.That’s about all from Alaska. The scheduleand training will about the same as the2011–2012 season.

Ski you later!

Division News

The 2012 Summer Fun Nationals was one of the best ever, with a strong showing of high-caliber skiers.

Skiracereg.comis entering its third season of providingonline race registration for USSA Mas-ters. This year, skiracereg.com will beproviding online registration for bothUSSA regional championship events,the USSA Masters Nationals and for theFIS Masters races in the U.S. We areadding new features for administrators,as well as updating the ability to host avariety of events and registrations ofnon-division races.

Take advantage of skiracereg.com’sability to let you sign up for races—aswell as cancel registrations—up to thedeadline for online registration. Yousave time and effort usingskiracereg.com, since on the day of race,you don’t need to deal with registrationat the hill. Race administrators savetime with every online registration,leaving them more time to help put ona better race for you. These advantagesmake your account on skiracereg.com awin-win situation.

Using skiracereg.com is easy. Newmembers simply click on “sign up” andfollow the instructions to create yournew account. Renewing members justlog in and follow the instructions torenew your online account. Once youhave a current account, you only needto log in and click on a check box toregister and cancel registrations for anyrace hosted by skiracereg.com.

Thanks to everyone that has usedskiracereg.com. I encourage anyone thatdoesn’t have an account with skirac-ereg.com to create one. It’s quick, it’seasy and it’s free.

Best of luck with your racing this season,

Doug Briggsowner and creator of [email protected]


Division NewsIntermountain Masters Amy Lanzel, chairwww.intermountain-masters.org

The reason for allthat IntermountainMasters joy can be at-

tributed to the recent siting of snow in themountains! This year we have added twonew race venues, Bogus Basin and RedLodge Montana. We are expecting our ournumbers to grow through better marketingand sweeter deals. We just produced ourfirst Intermountain Masters marketingbrochure and hope to spread them aroundto ski shops, ski shows and anywhere wecan get the word out about our fantasticprogram.

We have also enhanced the variety ofrace offerings. Our schedule boasts fiveSG's, seven GS’s and six SL’s. Where else inthe country can you get that?

We will once again be using the on-line race registration site, Skiracereg.com,and have an exciting enhanced partnershipwith Jans Mountain Outfitters. In additionto our Jans Cup race series, Jans is launch-ing a new race-specific online site,JANS.com. This new venue will make iteasier to locate and get product at incredi-ble Master racers-only discounts while atthe same time enhancing their sponsor-ship with Intermountain Masters with asmall monetary give-back of all items soldonline.

We also welcome back our long-timerace sponsors, team doctor Phil Davidson,Team Healthcare, Dominator wax, BrentAmsbury at Park City Ski Boot, EZPACK,

and our newest member, SlackBow by Dy-namic Athletic Balance of Park City. In ad-dition, we are always grateful for SunValley’s Formula Sports for their support ofthe Skoch Cup. Race sponsors are a funnything…without them we simply would notbe. Whenever you visit any of our spon-sors, please be sure to let them know youshop their store because of their support toIntermountain Masters. Show the love!

We will look forward to another excit-ing, party-filled season. Get on board andstay tuned!

CentralRyan Fuller, chairwww.midwest-mas-ters.org

SEASON PREVIEW

Midwest Masters hasmade tremendousstrides over the summer

for the 2012–13 season, and we are moreexcited than ever for the snow to fall thisyear. We have an aggressive and activeboard, with many new faces, resulting infresh ideas and renewed energy. We’ve cap-italized on this energy, and with initiativessent down from USSA as a result of theMasters Working Committee, we have a lotof great things happening this year. Hereare some highlights:

● An aggressive new marketing plan fo-cused on getting the word out!

● A new prototype membership pricingsystem geared toward making it easier forthe “casual racer” to race with USSA Masters.

● New championship races which aregeared towards bringing more prestige toadult ski racing for racers in the CentralDivision

● A fall Masters SL camp being coached byMinnesota native and 3-time OlympianKristina Koznick

This season, we plan to continue touse SkiRaceReg.com as our membershipand race registration system, and to alsocontinue using our own FIS-style divi-sional points system, complete with pointslists and our own “ability class” racer clas-sification. Both of these have been ex-tremely successful parts of our program.

We’ll continue racing at many of thefamiliar venues, including Buck Hill andSpirit Mountain, but have added ChestnutMountain Resort this year for one of ourChampionship races.

OUR GOALS THIS SEASON

This past Spring, Midwest Masters deviseda three-year plan for the program, as wellas specific initiatives to meet the goals setin this plan. To know whether we arebeing successful, we need to measure ourperformance from year to year. This planrelates to many things including training,member recognition, and sponsorships.Most important, however, is that we planto reverse the trend that we have seen inMembership over the last few years and in-crease the number of new faces we see andbuild momentum for future seasons!

Here’s a quick summary of the metricswe are using to measure ourselves thisyear. In a nutshell, we’re trying to increasethe number of new faces (the number ofdistinct members) and the level of utiliza-


tion(how often each distinct member raceswith us), while stemming the loss of mem-bers from last season. Take a look at thechart.

We believe in publishing these num-bers to our membership so the MidwestMasters board is held accountable! We’llreport back on these numbers next spring.

LOOKING FORWARD

We have high hopes for this season andare excited to get started racing. We’re alsovery excited for Nationals at Big Sky, as thisis a favorite destination for skiers in theMidwest. If there are any questions aboutMidwest Masters, please send an e-mail [email protected] we will get back to you.

We’ll see you on the hill!

Far WestMark Mirviss, chairwww.FarWestMasters.org

As I sit here composing this letter, I lookout my back window and see 18” of newsnow. Not too bad for the first storm ofthe season! We in the Far West will behosting a great race schedule, and we’dlove for some of our Master friends fromaround the country to come out West andrace with us!

Highlights of this season’s scheduleinclude our first race of the season atMammoth Mountain, 2 SL’s and a GS(Dec. 1–2); five SG’s at Mammoth, two ofwhich will be National Speed Series races(Jan 25–27); FIS International Masters,also at Mammoth, which will be two SL’sand two SG’s (Feb. 28–Mar. 3); and ourseason finale, consisting of an SG, GS, SL,a dual SL fundraiser at Squaw Valley, andone hell of a party! That will be April 4–7.Please come out and join us if you can.

To top it all off, Squaw will be hostingthe US Alpine Championships (unfortu-nately most of us won’t qualify to race inthat race) but come out, watch and enjoy!

Northern DivisionMastersToby Chapman, [email protected]

Northern Divisiononce again will have ajoint race schedule

with PNSA and Intermountain. The raceseason will start off in Montana at RedLodge with a joint junior/Masters race con-sisting of two GS’s and one SL Jan. 4–6.The other divisional race will be at Look-out Pass ski area for two GS’s Mar. 16–17just before the Nationals Championshipsat Big Sky on Mar. 18–23. I encourage any-one driving down Interstate 90 on the wayto Nationals to stop and race at Lookout!The other joint races during the seasonwill be Intermountain divisional races atPark City Jan. 11–13 for an SG/SL/GS; SunValley, Jan. 18-20, for an SG/GS/SL; andSnow King, Jan. 26–27 for GS/GS. JointPNSA races will be at 49 Degrees North,Feb. 2–3 for SG trg/two SG/SG; andSchweitzer, Feb. 21–24 for two SG/2SG/GS/GS.

Having the National Championshipsin Northern Division is a great opportu-nity to see and race against your friendsand the best Masters racers in the country,so show up! This year’s Nationals will be afour-event venue with a DH and SG for thespeed freaks, and an SL and GS for thetechnical events.

Gate training opportunities are avail-able throughout the Northern Division, socheck your local ski areas and clubs fortraining opportunities. For training oppor-tunities at Lookout Pass Ski Area, contactToby Chapman at 406-541-0866, or emailme at [email protected] look forward to seeing you all this winter!

Rocky MountainGraham Smith, chairwww.rmmskiracing.org

Well, to begin, being this great program’snew president has been an experience akinto taking a drink of water from a fire hose.I have a huge responsibility in taking overthis very successful and active race groupfrom the incredibly hard-working presi-dent for the past 7 years, Jennifer Kauf-man. Fortunately, she has only retiredfrom the administration piece, not the skiracing part (sorry all you W03s, she’s stillgonna be on the start lists). Because of herstrong guidance and enthusiasm, I don’tknow what our program would have donewithout her. Thanks, Jen, from all of us in

Rocky Mountain Masters ski racing for allyour hard work and dedication.

As we start this 2012–13 season, wewill all gather at our fall party on Nov. 12to celebrate all of this past season’s suc-cesses, and welcome the new season’s po-tential. Our new VP, Wiebe Gortmaker, hasbeen hard at work putting together a sea-son race schedule that is both varied andcompetitive with a few new venues, likeEcho Mountain and a return to BeaverCreek, as well as our old reliable areas likeAspen, Copper, Loveland and Ski Cooper.Our Sponsor-A-Race program will be ac-tive, and my expectation is that again we’llhave 100 % of our season’s races coveredwith the generous support from our mem-bership. And speaking of sponsorship sup-port, we at RMM are very thankful for ourcorporate involvement with aCOS, A Rac-ers Edge, Foothill Ski and Golf, FUXI skiracing, Greenlight Collaboration, SaucerWax and SKS. We could not do this with-out their generous support and prize do-nations. We are also very pleased to againhost (for all you speed freaks) some of the

Division News

Graham Smith,having fun lastsummer.

Central Division End Goal PercentMetric (includes temps) 2012 2013 ChangeDistinct Members: how many members we have 146 163 12%

Utilization: how often our members race with us; starts per distince member 6.8 8.2 20%

Attrition Reduction: the percentage of members we lose from season 1 to season 2 28% 15% n/a


Molecule F National Speed series (NSS)events at Aspen and Ski Cooper. We wel-come all other division racers to not onlycome to the NSS races but any other racesthat might fit into your own schedule.

In these austere times, we on theRMM board have come up with a coupleof new initiatives we hope will attract ad-ditional race entries, recapture some ofthose who have left our ranks and rewardthose existing members that loyally try tocompete in all our offerings.

• Offer a season race entry pass toreduce the cost per race for those ac-tive participants

• Offer a one-time purchase five-punch race entry card for those whowant a discount to race in morethan one or two races

• Continue special race entry pricingfor those under 25

• And for newbies, we now havetwo weekends of reduced race entryrates with a temp license. If theylove it, it can be rolled over into apermanent Masters license

Finally, I would be remiss if Ifailed to thank the great members ofRMM board who have made mytransition to the president’s rolefairly painless. They are Wiebe Gort-maker, VP, David Velasco, treasurer;Lauren MacMath, scheduling; Pat Palm,sponsorship; and our indefatigable officediva, Stacy Estelle. Thanks, guys.

On a final note…We, the entire Masters ski racing commu-nity were all saddened by the loss ofHarold Westcott and Gene Timmons andnow the RMM group are additionallymourning the passing of longtime RockyMasters racer Jay D. Meyers. All three had atremendous love for ski racing and theirinspiration, passion, courage and sense ofadventure inspire us all. They will besorely missed.

Look forward to seeing everyone onthe race hill. Ski fast and take somechances!!

New York State Snow Masters SeriesBarbara Settel andJack Eisenschmid, chairwww.nymasters.org

The 2012 ski season in the northeast—es-pecially in upstate New York—tested thepatience, resilience and sharp edges of

every die-hard ski racer. To give you anidea of extremes, this season we got awhopping 50.6 total inches of snow inSyracuse. And on top of the low snowfall,we experienced warmer-than-average tem-peratures, with rain showers almost everyweek from December until March. It was abitter pill to swallow, coming on the heelsof one of the snowiest and best ski seasonsof all time in 2011, where Syracuse saw179 inches of snow, and when the skiareas closed the first week of April, there

was still more coverage than we saw in theentire 2012 season.

The conditions made free skiing andtraining difficult. Nevertheless, we pulledoff every race except for the very first onescheduled in January. We totaled 20 racesat nine mountains across western NewYork state. What we lacked in numbers ofracers we made up in enthusiasm andfriendly competition. In a repeat perform-ance of last season, Jim Thoman and BarbBrumbaugh took the overall men’s andwomen’s to claim the Marshall and JoanSkiff Cups. Joan was also smiling down onus as we tipped our skis in her memory atthe Greek Peak Joan Skiff memorial race.

A good showing of New York Mastersmade it to Killington for the Eastern Re-gional Championships in February. Mov-ing the races up earlier in the seasonproved to be a wise move this year, buteven so, we rattled our fillings as we racedon “pond ice.” (Note to westerners, waxwas not necessary.) Age class championsfrom New York Masters included BarbaraSettel for class 8, Sharon Vinsick class 6,

Barb Brumbaugh in class 5, Pepi Neubauerclass 9, Greg Sarkis for class 6, Lou Moorefor class 4, and Jim Thoman for class 2.Eight New York Masters racers made it toNationals at Park City, where they sawtheir first two-foot snowfall for the year onthe weekend they arrived. After a warmupday of powder skiing, temperatures turnedwarm, we detuned our edges, layered onthe warm wax, and enjoyed a great week ofracing. Barbara Settel, Jim Thoman, PepiNeubauer and Bob Andre were all named

to the 2013 Spyder NationalMasters team, and in addition,Barb Brumbaugh, Lou Moore,Bill Zimmerman, and GregSarkis helped the East bringhome the Division Trophy againfor 2012.

We are looking forwardto another great ski racing sea-son here in NY. This will be the39th Season for NY Masters! Wehave downsized the total num-ber of races, in order to get bet-ter attendance at each event.This season we will have 16races on 8 different days. As al-ways, NY Masters events havetwo 2-run races & usually finishby 2:00 pm, leaving plenty oftime for free skiing & après-raceparty.

This season we will con-tinue to have a single point of contact forall race registrations. Nancy Fella, the raceadministrator, will collect all entries. As al-ways, registration ahead of the eventmakes it much easier for those who runthe races. We also welcome walk-in regis-trations, and for those without USSA li-censes, temp licenses will be available. The2013 Staff for NY Masters is Jack Eisen-schmid, Chairman; Nancy Fella, race ad-ministrator; Laura Moats, webmaster &scoring; Mark Sertl, treasurer; Barbara Set-tel and Jim Thoman, schedule. As always,we are looking for additional volunteers atall the events, for registration, scoreboard,etc.

This September, very sadly, Richard“Rockett” Prentice passed away. Rockettwas from Vestal, NY & was a ProgramManager at IBM for many years. He was aregular skier at Greek Peak for over 50years. In the 1970s he started ski racingand raced for over 35 years in Masters skiraces. He won numerous NY state, regionaland national titles. He was a very dedi-cated organizer for the annual Greek Peak

Division News

Nancy Auskelis, 71, demonstratesmodern slalom technique. It’s nevertoo late!


Division News

/ Joan Skiff Memorial race, and regionalMasters races. He was also a big supporterof junior ski racers at Greek Peak. Rockettwas a great friend to all Masters racers, bothon the race hill & at Apres race parties. Wewill greatly miss him!

Think snow & see you all at Swain!

Southern MastersHorst Locher, chairwww.sararacing.org

After a very hot sum-mer in the mid-At-lantic region, wesouthern Masters arelooking forward to

have a very ski-racing season. Actually, theFarmers’ Almanac predicts a cold winter inthe east. Hopefully with superb snow con-ditions, we should be able to generatemore fun and speed on the race course.

We are very proud of our KathyHurdCarrillo, who travelled last March tothe Masters World Criterium at MammothMountain, California. There, she enteredall international events and took third inthe first SL event and a first in the one-runGS.

The ski racing season of 2012–13will kick off with a Master Racing camp atSugar Mountain, NC Dec. 7–9. 994Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist DianeRoffe will return again as the head coach.

The Guru On The MountainSkinner’s TipsGoing Into TheNew Season

Richard “Rockett”Prentice, a 35-yearMaster, has passedaway—pretty muchthe only way hecould quit racing.

Skinner’s Masters Tech Tip #1“Fall is the time to look at your equipmentfrom the previous year and determine yourneeds for the upcoming season. With thenew WC FIS rules, skis with more shapeare going to be less available than theywere in the past. Start outfitting yourselfwith SL and GS skis in the pre-season.And be sure to take into considerationwhat you learned last year.”

Skinner’s Masters Tech Tip #2“Ideally, you should have put last season’sskis away already waxed. Scrape thoseskis and use them at the beginning of theseason, when conditions aren’t necessar-ily the greatest. Always keep your oldequipment to start the season.”

Skinner’s Masters Tech Tip #3“Once the snow flies, you don’t want torun gates right away. It’s important to startout with a good fundamental foundation.Begin the season using freeskiing andone-on-one drills with Masters coaches toget your stance, balance and carvingdown. Build on your strengths and hope-fully forget last season’s bad habits.”

Skinner’s Masters Tech Tip #4“Masters racers should get a performanceski tune once or twice a month, depend-ing on snow conditions. They should alsomaintain their skis in between tunes. Janscalls their performance tune a Renntune.The smart money is to have a Renntunedone the week before a race, not the nightbefore. That way you can ski on thefreshly tuned skis, ensuring you won’thave any surprises on race day. Skis per-form differently with a performance tune.”

Skinner’s Masters Tech Tip #5“The new FIS standards are not required,or recommended, for Masters racers.There’s no reason to step back in time toskis which we all skied on 20 years ago.Stay with being progressive. Masters rac-ers want to ski better and faster, not beslowed down by their equipment.”

Get more wisdom at www.jans.com

2011–2012 Winning Runs now available!

USSA Masters Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . .

The VISION of the USSA AlpineMasters is to provide adult skiers with alifelong opportunity to enjoy the chal-lenges and rewards of alpine ski racing.

The MISSION of the USSA Alpine Masters is to make this vision a reality by developing,promoting, organizing and coordinating the highest level of alpine ski racing throughout

snow country in the United States and internationally, and to fulfill our passion for and loveof nature, the outdoors, mountains, freedom, self-challenge and accomplishment.

P.O. Box 100Park City Utah 84060

National Masters ChairmanSteve Slivinski

tel: 208.726.3442email: [email protected]

USSA Masters ManagerBill SkinnerP.O. Box 100

Park City, UT 84060tel: 435.647.2633fax: 435.649.3613

email: [email protected]

DIVISION CHAIRPERSONS

Alaska: Gary Randalltel: 907.243.4259


Central: Ryan Fullertel: 612.501.3268


Eastern: Bill McCollomtel: 802.234.9561


Eastern/New England: Nadine Pricetel: 802.746.8850


Eastern/New York: Jack Eisenschmidtel: 585.288.4554


Eastern/Southern: Horst Lochertel: 540.856.2121fax: 540.856.8567


Far West: Mark Mirvisstel: 530.583.6971


Intermountain: Amy Lanzeltel: 435.649.5751


Northern: Toby Chapmantel: 406.541.0866


Pacific Northwest: Ann Ozunatel: 509.455.7944


Rocky Mountain: Graham Smithtel: 719.510.0747


2013 Major EventsPhillips 66 Masters

National ChampionshipsBig Sky, MT, Mar. 18–23

DH/SG/GS/SL

Eastern Region ChampionshipsOkemo, VT, Feb. 8–10

SC/SG/GS/SL

Phillips 66 FIS Masters Cup Mammoth, CA, Feb. 28–Mar. 3

SG/SG/SL/SL

Canadian National Championships Nakiska, Alberta, Mar. 29–31

SG/SG/GS/SL

Summer Fun Nationals’ Fastest Man, Michael Bansmer

Non profitU.S. Postage

P A I D4753

Salt Lake City

Documents

Slalom Keys for the First-Timer...autumn 2012 Whack, whack, whack. The sound of slalom. The collision of plas-tic on plastic can either be addicting or in-timidating. Ski racers dressed