|
News delivered to you! Yes, we've finally gotten our "email blasts" working
so we can send out news updates to members, along with others interested
in receiving email messages with news and race updates.
All current and recent members who've provided email contact information on their Far West Masters
membership application have been automatically added to the news mailing list.
If you'd like to be added, just visit news list information page and sign up!
Got News?!
If you have information you think is appropriate to post on the Far West Masters news page
and circulate to our members, send your message in an email to news@farwestmasters.org.
The moderators will review your request to ensure that the information provided is appropriate
and relevant to our members.
- Spring News
The spring issue of the USSA Masters newsletter is out and all licensed masters
will receive a print copy in the mail. You can also download a copy from the Alpine Masters page
on ussa.org using the link below.
Spring skiing and camps are still in progress at Mammoth!
You can celebrate the closing weekend on Memorial Day by getting out for a few turns,
or for something different sign up for speed camp training at the
Stacey Cook and Friends Speed Camp, featuring Olympians (and Far West junior athlete alumni!)
Stacey Cook and Marco Sullivan, along with local star John Teller and T.J. Lanning from
the US national speed team. The 3-day camp on May 25 - 27 is designed to handle
all ages and abilities and Stacey is welcoming all interested masters.
[21-May-2013]
- Season Wrapup
The 2012-2013 race season is a wrap! Sierra ski areas are shutting down and shifting
to spring/summer activities, with sking continuing at Mammoth through Memorial Day.
We'll post any news that comes up over the summer and in August/September the tentative
race schedule for next season will be posted.
Looking ahead to next season, the national committee has selected Okemo VT
to host the 2014 national championships on Mar 17-22. Okemo did a great job hosting
this year's eastern regionals and is reported to have excellent race venues for masters.
They will host a four-event championship, with both the national championship DH
and the three-event SG/GS/SL technical nationals. With a good race crew and venues this
should be an excellent event, so give some thought to an eastern adventure when planning
your calendar for next season!
With the nationals returning to Eastern division for the first time in five seasons,
planning is still in progress for a "big event" in the west next season. We'll post an
update when calendaring decisions have been finalized for whether there'll be a western
regional championship or a FIS international masters event.
[25-Apr-2013]
- Race Ski Sales
As most of you already know, Mike Braun is the Rossi, Dynastar, Look and Lange race rep for the Far West.
He is now taking preseason orders for Rossignol, Dynastar and Lange race products
and is able to offer racer pricing to Far West Masters members.
Orders must be placed by May 1 and will be delivered in the fall to your nearest
Rossignol Race Center (Footloose or Kittredge in Mammoth, Reno Mountain Sports and The StartHaus in Truckee.)
The attached flyer provides additional information, contact Mike for futher information.
He'll have demo gear available at spring camps in Mammoth.
[15-Apr-2013]
- Squaw Season Finale
The final races of the 2013 Far West masters season were held at Squaw Valley
on April 5-7. The determined Squaw race crew battled the onrush of warm spring
weather and the rapidly diminishing coverage on the race hill and succeeded in
getting the races off. After the scheduled SG on Thursday was cancelled, the
drizzle cleared out on Friday and good conditions ensued through the weekend.
With a bit of creative course-setting, the final GS and SL races were successfully
completed for a satisfying end to another season of racing.
Saturday evening brought everyone together for the season banquet. Along with the
the day's race awards and the overall season awards, the evening featured
raffle prizes and auction items to benefit the junior athlete scholarship fund.
Along with the season awards to the top 3 finishers in each age class, the "leader bibs"
for next season awarded to the top 10 men and top 5 women in the overall standings
were awarded. Several classes for both the men and women came down to the final day
of racing to determine final rankings and the overall class champions, making for
some exciting racing and tactical decisions on the final day of racing.
The Rookie of the Year awards recognizing new racers went to Tatjana Polyakova (W04)
and Tom Bullard (M08) - we welcome them and everyone else who competed this
season for the first time. The Most-Improved awards recognizing the racers
who have most impressed their peers with significant improvement went to
Ingrid Braun (W05) and Randall Sussek (M06). The Teddy Cantanho
"Spirit of Masters" award was presented to Elizabeth and Mike Kennedy,
who together have contributed greatly to our program for many years
now by organizing race day checkin, helping both new and returning competitors
to get registered and out on the hill racing.
[08-Apr-2013]
- Squaw SG Cancelled
Due to lack of people signing up for the Super G, we had to cancel the race.
The event organizer, Squaw Valley, needed a minimum of 50 people to make it worthwhile for them to hold the race.
As we had under 30 people sign up for the race as of 12:00 PM Tuesday, I have decided to cancel the race now,
as to allow our racers to alter their travel plans accordingly. Our final cutoff date for registration was this evening,
however we only had two new entrants in the last two days.
***Entry deadline extended*** The entry deadline for the Fri-Sat-Sun GS-SL-dual events as well as
Saturday's season banquet has been extended for an additional day to allow signups through Wednesday evening.
Please enter online at SkiRaceReg.com
if you will be competing or attending the banquet.
Our banquet location has been changed to the Palisades Room. This is a much better site than we originally had planned for.
The Palisades Room is in the main registration area of the Squaw Valley Village, at the extreme east end of the
Village Buildings. It is adjacent to parking for everyone's ease.
Sorry to have to cancel the Super G for all of those who had signed up, and for those that did not, please
support our variety of races by signing up in the future when possible.
[Mark Mirviss - President]
[02-Apr-2013]
- Season Finals
We're only a few days away from the final races of the 2013 Far West Masters season.
We have 3 final races scheduled that count in the season standings scoring,
starting with a SG on Thursday Apr. 4, followed by GS/SL races on Friday and Saturday,
and a fun-race dual on Sunday with teams formed from masters, family and friends,
and junior scholarship athletes. The entry deadline is Tuesday 4/2,
so please get your entries submitted.
The season finals banquet will be held on Saturday Apr. 6 at the Squaw Valley Olympic House,
in the O Lounge of the Olympic House (above where we have race checkin).
Dinner will be a buffet meal with chicken and appetizers. Once again, the banquet
will include raffles prizes as well as a number of auction items donated by
members, sponsors and supports whose proceeds go directly to the junior athlete scholarship fund.
Auction item details are provided in the announcement flyer; for those who may not be able
to attend the banquet in person, you can submit bids to Eddie Mozen by email or phone.
[01-Apr-2013]
- Big Sky National Championships
The 2013 masters national championships were held at Big Sky MT on Mar. 18-23.
Big Sky's excellent race venues handled a 4-event championship, with the first 3 days
for the national DH championship followed by 3 days of SG-GS-SL racing of the nationals.
While the calendar and daylight-savings changeover said "spring", the Montana weather
countered with "it's still winter here!". The week brought snow showers and increasingly
cold weather, with a glorious sunny day on Tuesday for the second day of DH training
followed by powder, showers, and single-digit temperatures through the weekend.
Nonetheless, the racing conditions were excellent, with the cold temperatures producing
firm, consistent racing surfaces on all venues. The Big Sky race crews and volunteers
worked hard all week and put on an outstanding event.
Nearly 200 racers from around the country as well as Canada competed in this year's national
championships. While Far West's 17-member team was relatively small, we had good results
from everyone and were proud to bring the Divisions Cup back home to Far West. Former Far West
chairman Don Smith was reportedly floating home with the trophy after capping his week by claiming
the title of M10 national SL champion on the final day. Mihai Filimon (M03) and Deb Lewis (W07)
took the overall in their age classes with 1st place sweeps, with Gate de Mattei taking the M12 title
by winning the final SL. Good skiing was produced by everyone, including DH and SL victories in M04 by Ara
Papazian and medal performances by numerous Far West racers, including Sandy Hogan (W10), Jim Dugan (M10),
Don Merritt (M10), Ingrid Braun (W05), Tim Stewart (M08), Pierre Jeangirard (M07), and Mike Braun (M06).
Even strong performances don't necessarily produce podiums in competitive nationals fields, and everyone
from Far West skiied well.
Complete event results are posted on ussamasters.org.
Excellent race photos by Marshall Tate of bigskyphotos.com can be
found on his web site, nicely organized in event galleries as well as by individual racer.
[28-Mar-2013]
- Mt. Rose McKinney Cup
The annual Mt. Rose McKinney Cup races were held in beautiful, sunny spring conditions
on the weekend of Mar. 9-10. Saturday featured a long SL on Sunrise, while Sunday offered
a full-length challenging GS on Silver Dollar. Mt. Rose once again outdid themselves welcoming
the masters, with a breakfast spread at checkin each morning and a tasty buffet for the afternoon
post-race party. Out on the hill, race director Rees Palermo and the Mt. Rose race crew and volunteers
teamed up to put together two excellent days of racing.
The McKinney Cup is sponsored by Tamara McKinney in memory of members of her family, Steve, McLane, and Frances McKinney.
The McKinney family started out skiing in Far West at Mt. Rose and the Cup is a perpetual trophy
on display over the mantle of the fireplace in the Mt. Rose lodge. Award to the skier with the fastest
combined time in the weekend event, the women's title was a tightly fought battle on every run with Carol Levine (W08)
edging out Leslie Marcacci (W01) to defend her McKinney Cup title. The men's title had several contenders
in the running after Saturday's SL race, but Matt Savage took the cup with a powerful display of GS skiing
to wrap up a an excellent weekend.
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2013
going into the season finals event at Squaw Valley on Apr. 4-7.
[11-Mar-2013]
- Mammoth FIS Masters Cup
The 2013 FIS Masters Cup international masters races were hosted by Mammoth Mountain
on Feb. 29-Mar. 3. SG training was held on Wednesday and competitors were treated
to two training runs on the World Cup/Terrie's race venue under warm, sunny skies
with light breezes and excellent conditions on the track with firm but grippy snow.
And it only got better from there - Thursday's opening race brought brought another day
of fabulous conditions, and the second SG on Friday was if anything even better.
Three days of ideal conditions and great racing - no wonder there were so many smiles at the finish!
The scene switched to SL for the weekend. While Saturday brought a few high clouds and increasing winds
ahead of a small front, racing conditions on Fascination continued the standard set by the speed
venue. Excellent skiing was displayed on both the Group B/C course and the younger Group A men's course,
with top positions settled by hundredths in tight racing.
Sunday arrived with snow, wind, and fog, leading to an early end to the weekend with the jury decision
to cancel the race due to the soft conditions on the race hill. Disappointment in losing the final race
was balanced by positive memories and encounters with old and new friends. We thank everyone who
was able to come and compete in this event, especially our friends from other countries who brought
an international flavor that was much appreciated by the American competitors.
[04-Mar-2013]
- Squaw Valley Bernard Cup
This year's Bernard Cup was held under mostly sunny ski in perfect weather conditions at Squaw Valley.
Snow conditions were fast and challenging. As usual, our races on Exhibition, featured very firm snow,
on a steep hill that truly tests the ability of our racers to make quality turns.
On Saturday we held two Slalom races (at total of four runs) all for the price of one lift ticket!
Racing began at 9:30 AM and finished before 3:00PM. Some high clouds rolled in for the second run,
but weather was never a factor in this race. The Squaw Valley Race Department again demonstrated
its ability to pull off a race without any glitches.
After the racing concluded, we adjourned to the Ponderosa Room at the Squaw Valley Lodge for our Awards Party.
As was the case last year, our party featured the fine culinary fashioning of ball tip steak generously provided
to us by Brian Smith, racer extraordinaire and owner of Kinder's Bar B Que in Reno, and wine courtesy
of our wine sponsor and bar sponsor, and also racer extraordinaire Gary Erickson, owner of Cliff Bar.
Thank both of them please when you see them on the hill for their generous donations!
The Awards presentation also featured speeches by scholarship athletes Claire DeAngeli, Jessica Tidd, and Niccolo Monforte.
In addition to forerunning and speaking, Claire and Jessica both went above and beyond by setting up the food
(except for the alcoholic beverages) for our party.
A moment of silence, and a toast was made in honor of Gayle De Mattei wife of 57 years to our Gate De Mattei.
As most of you know, Gayle and Nina Thys for years arranged and set up our Bernard Cup Party and were (and are)
huge supporters of ski racing. We honor her passing and will always remember her contributions to our organization.
Gayle always loved a good party, and I'm sure was smiling down on this one!
On Sunday we again started racing at 9:30 AM, but this time the event was Giant Slalom.
The courses included a bit of an "over the road" adventure that always draws a lot of oohs and aahs!
We raced two runs under cloudless skis, and were finished with the racing prior to noon.
This years winners of the Bernard Cup were Ingrid Braun, and Tim Stewart. Congratulations to the both of them.
For those of you who raced, thanks for your participation and efforts, and for those of you who didn't race,
we hope to see you there next year.
[Mark Mirviss, President]
[25-Feb-2013]
- FIS Masters, Nationals Entries
The FIS Masters Cup races are coming up this week at Mammoth Mountain.
There will be SG training on Wednesday, SG races in Thursday and Friday,
and SL races on Saturday and Sunday. The snow conditions are outstanding
for racing and the weather outlook is for warming and "ridging up" with a strengthening
high pressure system through the week, so we're looking forward to some classic
California sunshine racing. Online registration has closed, but Mammoth will
still accept entries made to the Race Department office through Wednesday.
Contact MRD at (760) 934-0642 or email racedepartment@mammoth-mtn.com.
The early entry deadline for the national championships on Mar. 18-23 at Big Sky MT
is Monday Feb. 25 - late fees apply after tomorrow, so get your entries in by tomorrow
to take advantage of the early registration discount! Big Sky reports great snow
and excellent racing conditions, so this should be a great week at a favorite masters venue.
[24-Feb-2013]
- Bernard Cup Info
We have a great weekend of racing planned for the Squaw Valley Bernard Cup this coming weekend of Feb. 23-24.
We will be racing on Exhibition in the Toyota Race Arena, with two Slalom races on Saturday and a GS on Sunday.
Race checkin will be 7:30-8:30am on the ground floor of Olympic House at the Squaw base complex.
(Please note: Squaw will **not** be able to accept day-of-race signups, so
be sure to get your entries submitted by the Thursday Feb. 21 entry deadline.)
Inspection will open at 8:30, with first run at 9:30 each day.
Saturday afternoon's post-race part will be in the Ponderosa Room of the Squaw Valley Lodge, conveniently located
between the Funitel and the Tram just past the the West end of Squaw Valley's main lodge,
about 50 yards from where we conduct our morning check in.
This is always a great party and this year will again feature meat courtesy of our own Brian Smith
from his Reno restaurant Kinders Meats and Deli.
So get your entries in and plan to have a great weekend of racing, as we gather to compete and honor
one of the most important individuals ever in Masters Ski Racing, Mr. Bob Bernard!
[18-Feb-2013]
- Mammoth Archibald GS's
This weekend's Giant Slalom Races at Mammoth were held under cold but near perfect conditions.
Under clear, sunny skies, the temperatures struggled to creep into the teens and a brisk wind
on Sunday encouraged competitors to keep moving, but the course conditions were fantastic.
The snow was firm and grippy on the Redelsberger/Terrie's track and times ran minute-plus
for most competitors.
The ambitious schedule of 3 runs per day for 3 races in 2 days kept racers and crew busy,
but once again the expert Mammoth Race Department put an outstanding event.
Saturday's post-race party at Giovanni's was hosted by Bill Archibald in memory of his wife Laura,
whose loss last spring to cancer took a good friend from us.
The "home team" Mammoth racers appeared to enjoy the race conditions. Ara Papazian swept the men's open,
while Ingrid Braun lit up the women's field with two days of dominating racing.
New racer Zach Lambert announced his arrival by breaking into the Men's Open class,
while "old-timer" Bill Archibald posted strong finishes in M10 and the ultra-competitive
M7 class had tight racing on every run.
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2013.
[10-Feb-2013]
- Mammoth Conrado SG's
After weeks of sunny January weather, the Far West Masters broke down the persistent west coast
high pressure ridge by bravely scheduling... a speed event! Thursday's SG training day
before the 3-day Rick Conrado SG event turned into a freshies day with 6-8" of new snow arriving
as a warm storm system brushed Mammoth on its way down the coast towards southern California.
With forecasts of iffy weather for the weekend, the planned race schedule was adjusted to
try to find the best weather window and the flexibility paid off with clearing conditions on Friday
that held through the arrival of a small cold front late Saturday.
Thanks to the weather break and some outstanding work by the Mammoth Race Department
to prepare and maintain the race venue, we had two good days of SG racing and completed 4 of the 5 scheduled
races, losing only the last race on Sunday morning to another powder day.
With two of the four races counting for the 2013 National Speed Series,
the Far West field was enhanced by visiting speedsters from Rocky, Intermountain, and PNSA.
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2013.
The first race each day was counted for the 2013 National Speed Series standings:
SG Scoring Note: for the 2013 season scoring, Open class for SG has been changed
to use the same system as for SL/GS tech events: the top 5 women and top 10 men qualify for Open class
(with "opt-out" for anyone who wishes to remain in their age class for season scoring).
If anyone was scored in OP because opt-out request to stay in age class was missed, please contact
Scoring Director Deb Lewis to request correction.
[28-Jan-2013]
- Mammoth SG's Friday Update
The weather cooperated on Friday, with clearing conditions through the day and we got our two SG races
off. Thanks to all the competitors for course slipping assistance and a fantastic job by the Mammoth
race crew to prepare and maintain the track despite the soft conditions from new snow that started the
morning.
The race organizer and jury met this afternoon following the completion of today's racing and
in consideration of the snow conditions and the well-being of the athletes, the decision was to
return to the original schedule of 2 races on Saturday, with the fifth and final SG to be held
on Sunday morning.
Click on the link below for the updated Sat/Sun schedule. Please pass the word to racers
who may not have internet/email access tonight to spread the the word on the schedule revision, thanks
[25-Jan-2013 - 6pm Friday]
- Mammoth SG's Update
The plan for the weekend SG's is.... BE FLEXIBLE!!
After glorious weather and ski conditions for the entire month of January, Mammoth is picking up
the edge of a warm storm moving down the coast and through Southern California.
Showers are forecast through the day Thursday, with 5-6" of new, warm snow Thursday morning.
The weather forecasts have been shifting daily, so we are making contingency plans to
maximize the prospects for getting our races off this weekend.
** REVISED SCHEDULE ** Following a morning meeting with race organizers
and Far West Masters, we are making the following adjustments to the schedule:
- Fri - 2 races (no training run)
- Sat - 3 races
- Sun - contingency day
We will hold to the timing of the original schedule on Friday, subject to weather permitting the course crews to maintain planned schedule,
with 9:15-10 inspection, 10:15am first race, noon second race. Saturday we will try to move everything up a bit
to try to get 3 races in. Updated schedule from Mammoth Race Department is available from link below.
Race checkin will be held in the Team HQ building at the Race Department counter (the old "Slopeside" building
just west of Ch. 1 Broadway Express base station). Please check in early to ensure you get the latest news for the race day schedule.
We will be having our post-race party on Saturday afternoon at Giovanni's Pizza at 4pm (in the Von's shopping plaza).
[24-Jan-2013 - noon Thursday]
- FIS Masters at Mammoth
The FIS Masters are returning to Mammoth!
Following up on the extremely successful 2012 FIS Masters World Criterium,
held in March 2012 at Mammoth Mountain CA, the International Masters Cup
circuit returns to the US and Mammoth Mountain with a 4-race event on
February 28 - March 3. SG training will be available for all competitors
on Wednesday Feb. 27. Thursday and Friday feature two SG races for all groups,
followed by a weekend of 2 SL races for each group A/B/C.
FIS international masters competitions are open to racers 30 years or older by Dec. 31, 2012.
You must have a current USSA Masters competition license as well as a FIS Masters license, available
from USSA for $30.
Additional information and links are available on
the 2013 Phillips 66 FIS Masters Cup page on ussamasters.org
and in the event announcement and detailed schedule published by the Mammoth Race Department.
Event registration is available online on SkiRaceReg.com and includes lift ticket
as well as race entry. (Competitors with Mammoth lift passes should print and
submit the "no lift" entry form for race-fees only)
Note: online entries on SkiRaceReg.com show US masters age classes.
Subtract 1 to adjust to international masters age classes for this event!
[20-Jan-2013]
- Nationals Entries
This year's national championships will be held at Big Sky MT on Mar. 18-23.
The 2013 nationals are a four-event championships with the DH championships
colocated with the 3-event SG/GS/SL nationals.
Big Sky has hosted many successful masters events and features excellent race venues,
[20-Jan-2013]
- Mammoth Conrado SG's
Next up on our race calendar is the Rick Conrado Memorial SG series on Jan. 25-27.
Rick loved ski racing and speed events, so bring your biggest grins this weekend to
celebrate his memory.
Friday opens with a SG training run then rolls into the first of 5 SG races over the 3-day event.
Two of these races will be scored for the National Speed Series (SG #1 on Friday and first SG on Sat. morning).
This is a fabulous weekend for everyone looking for a chance to ski fast
or tune up for the FIS masters cup event in February.
***FREE TRAINING THURSDAY***
Mammoth is offering free SG training for all competitors
on Thursday from 10am-1pm on World Cup and Terrie's with the Mammoth Masters team.
The Squaw Masters team is also offering SG training on Mon-Tue-Thu prior to the opening races
at Mammoth on Friday. Training will be the standard Squaw Masters rate of $70 per day,
or a book of five daily tickets can be purchased for $325.
Training passes can be purchased at any ticket window.
SkiRaceReg online registration: please note that when you log into
your SkiRaceReg.com account to register for these races, the left sidebar
which shows upcoming races only has room to display the next 5 races on the calendar,
which means you need to go into the full Races calendar listing to sign up
for the second SG on Sunday. Just click on the Races tab in the upper center of
the page to display the full race calendar - this is also easier when signing up
for several races, you can just click the registration checkbox for each race
on the season schedule that you wish to enter and see all your upcoming race
entries on one page.
[16-Jan-2013; updated 1/20]
- Sierra at Tahoe GS races
Following Friday's Viva Italia SL races at Heavenly, the Tahoe basin plunged
to record low temperatures for our weekend GS races at Sierra at Tahoe.
With the south shore dropping to -9 on Friday night and -14 on Saturday,
the conditions were... brisk! Luckily for competitors used to more moderate
temperatures, bright sun and light winds brought warmer conditions as the morning progressed.
Sierra at Tahoe gave us a warm welcome on this chilly weekend, providing an expedited
competitor lane for loading the lift and beer and pizza for the post-race awards parties.
Saturday's race start was pushed back an hour, with the course crew delayed from
setting the first run to allow cat crews to provide additional preparation of the race hill.
The resulting race conditions were quite good, especially considering recent snowfall
and cold temperatures that kept the snow surface powdery, and improved even more for
Sunday's race. Different course sets for each run provided fun racing - the hill is relatively short,
but has a good pitch, and competitors were challenged by a flat opening section
before the breakover onto a long steady pitch leading to the finish runout.
Given the cold conditions, it was also nice to be conveniently located "front and center"
with easy access to the base lodge for warmups!
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2013.
[13-Jan-2013]
- Heavenly Viva Italia SL races
The January race calendar opened with a Friday SL doubleheader on the World Cup race hill
at Heavenly Valley. Following a bountiful holiday break that brought significant snowfall
and excellent skiing conditions to Sierra ski areas, unusually cold weather dropped
into the Far West to bring a cold but sunny race day. The racing surface was superb - firm
but grippy - and the veteran Heavenly race crew welcomed our masters competitors
and once again put on an excellent event.
The first SL race is used for an age-handicapped overall scoring to present
the Viva Italia trophy, sponsored by veteran masters champion John Gianotti.
While John is now retired from active racing, many remember his joyous racing
days of "Viva Italia" cheers and race analysis "It was the best run of my life!" (every time!).
In addition to sponsoring the Viva Italia trophy, John organizes and sponsors
a fantastic post-race party. Many thanks to John for continuing to share his
passion for ski racing with us. The 2013 Vivia Italia trophy winners
are Deb Lewis (W07) and Ara Papazian (M04).
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2013.
[13-Jan-2013]
- Bring a Friend!!
Don't forget our new "Bring a Friend" program announced in the Fall Forerunner newsletter.
Help spread the word about masters racing and share your enjoyment of the sport
by bringing a friend to a race this season! We need everyone's help to build
our organization by bringing in new racers, so the board has put together an incentive
program to encourage all of us to help increase participation.
If you bring a new racer to any of our races, you will receive a rebate on your
entry fee for each race the new person enters that weekend. To qualify for your
free race(s), you just need to contact Far West president Mark Mirviss at least
24 hours prior to the morning of the race. Send Mark an email at
bringafriend@farwestmasters.org and let him know who you'll be bringing
to the event.
(Please, no phone calls!!! Mark says only email notification will qualify!)
This program is designed to attract more racers to our events and our organization.
Please note that "new" is defined as someone who has not raced with us
for at least three seasons, so you can qualify by bringing back a lapsed racer
or a friend who's never tried masters racing.
This is a grassroots effort to build our program and you will be rewarded for participating.
[02-Jan-2013]
- Heavenly and Sierra at Tahoe races
Happy New Year! The holiday period blessed Sierra ski areas and their skiers
with bountiful snow and great skiing conditions. The Christmas storms have been
followed by unusually cold weather, producing an unusual combination of
light fluffy snow with classic west coast sunshine - awesome!
Our next races are a 3-day "south shore" weekend on Jan 11-13.
The weekend opens with a pair of SL races at Heavenly on Friday Jan. 11
for the classic Viva Italia races, hosted by perennial Far West champion
and master party MC John Giannotti. The Heavenly crew is always welcoming
and puts on a great event on the World Cup race hill, and the
Viva Italia party at the end of the day is not to be missed!
We move over to Sierra at Tahoe for two days of GS racing on Sat-Sun Jan. 12-13.
A relatively new race venue for the the Far West Masters, Sierra at Tahoe has
rapidly become a popular site. This is a friendly GS hill and should be a fun race.
[02-Jan-2013]
- Major Bill Disbrow
While many of us gather this with friends and family to celebrate the holidays,
it's also a time to remember friends who are no longer with us.
Longtime masters racer USAF Major Bill Disbrow passed away over the summer
at age 96. We didn't see him much in the past few years, as he was
occupied caring for his wife, but memories of Bill in his classic
helmet and racing outfit remain for all who knew him.
Bill had an eventful and action-packed life. Born in 1915,
he joined the Army Air Corps in 1943 and flew 50 missions in B24s,
including 7 missions to the Ploesti Oil Fields in Romania where
so many US aviators were lost. Continuing his Air Force career Bill
flew missions in the Korean war and went on to be a test pilot and
squadron leader. Following his retirement from active duty,
Bill raced on skis and in Corvettes and was an active ballroom
dancer. Major Disbrow was buried with full military honors at
Riverside National Cemetery.
[24-Dec-2012]
- Alpine SL Results
This weekend's races at Alpine Meadows went off without a hitch
after a bit of scrambling by both racers and competitors in the week
before the event to move the races from the originally scheduled
site at Squaw Valley over to the better snow conditions available
a few miles away at Alpine.
The weather was cold on Saturday, followed by cold and windy on Sunday,
but all four courses were in excellent condition for all age classes,
providing fun yet challenging competition for all.
We haven't visited Alpine Meadows for quite a few years, but judging by the
smiles on most of our racers faces, I think it's safe to say we will be back
again next year!
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2013.
[16-Dec-2012]
- Squaw SL races moved to Alpine
Due to lack of snow on the planned race venue for this weekend's SL races at Squaw Valley,
where skiing is good higher up but warm temperatures at the base area during the recent storms
affected coverage on Exhibition, the Squaw Race Department is moving the races
to sister resort Alpine Meadows where there is good coverage on Kangaroo.
Due to the organizational logistics involved in the venue change, Squaw will be unable to
accept any late entries after the entry deadline of Thursday Dec. 13 or take day-of-race
signups at race checkin.
[10-Dec-2012]
- Mammoth Season Opener
The rescheduled Mammoth season opening races, postponed a week due to stormy
conditions throughout the Sierras, were held under nearly ideal conditions - clear, crisp, and sunny,
with an outstanding racing surface on the Andy's Double Gold (ADG) race hill.
While some who had originally planned to compete were regrettably unable to make the rescheduled date,
the 50+ racers who made the scene this weekend were treated to a first-class event
by the Mammoth Race Department crews.
2012 #1 bib holders Ara Papazian and Deb Lewis opened their season by sweeping
the weekend series. Ingrid Braun posted strong races to lock up second in the women,
with strong performances from Jeff Anderson and Erich van Stralen challenging Papazian in MOP.
Good skiing was demonstrated throughout the field as everyone got back into their racing
rhythyms for the new season. We were glad to welcome some new faces as well
as some familiar faces returning from racing hiatus to rejoin the scene.
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the initial Season Standings rankings for 2013.
[09-Dec-2012]
- Re-Scheduling of Races
It is always unfortunate, disappointing and an inconvenience to our racers
when we must cancel a race. With that said, Far West Masters is in the
business of putting on safe, high quality ski races for the enjoyment of our
racers. Our team of volunteers works very hard towards this goal. Ski areas
have very full race calendars throughout the ski season. It is not usually
the case that we have the ability to re-schedule a race. Therefore, when a
ski area is willing to re-schedule a race, we will jump at the opportunity
if it fits within our schedule. This is why our Mammoth race, which we
unfortunately had to cancel this weekend due to 2-4 feet of new snow, and
high winds, was moved to next weekend (December 8th and 9th).
We know when we re-schedule a race, it means some will not be able to attend
the re-scheduled race. However our season scoring allows a racer to "throw
out" 25% of their results (or non-results due to missed races), this allows
racers to compete for end of season awards without attending all races.
We are an all volunteer organization, every one of our board members works
hard to provide you with the best races we can possibly arrange. If you
feel that your voice is not being heard, becoming part of our Board or
volunteering in other ways is by far the best way to have a louder voice in
our organization.
I want to thank each and every one of you who comes out to compete in our
races, I am well aware of the commitment in time and money it does take to
compete, and I for one do appreciate the fact that it takes all of us to
make this a program as successful and enjoyable as it is.
Mark Mirviss - President, Far West Masters
[01-Dec-2012]
- Mammoth races postponed
This weekend's races at Mammoth are POSTPONED to next weekend Dec. 8-9.
With 2+ ft of heavy new snow and more coming all day Friday and into the weekend,
it was decided on Friday morning that it would not be possible
to race safely this weekend given the weather and snow conditions.
Mammoth has offered us a makeup date next weekend and after considering all the factors
we are accepting their generous support to reschedule our opening event.
Tentatively we will have the same schedule of events (2xSL Sat, GS Sun).
Details will be confirmed over the weekend and published on the web site and the news email list.
We will carry forward all race entries submitted for this weekend; if you were entered
this weekend but will not be able to compete on the rescheduled dates, just cancel
your entries on SkiRaceReg.com or by contacting the Mammoth Race Department.
UPDATED INFORMATION (Sun 12/2):
Discounted lodging is available for this coming weekend's masters races, call 1-800-Mammoth
and refer to "Dave McCoy SL/GS December 2012".
Mammoth Race Department will offer open GS and SL training from 12:30-3:00pm Friday
on Fascination for all competitors.
[30-Nov-2012; updated Sun 12/2]
- Membership and Masters License Reminders
Just a reminder to everyone before the first races of the season...
You need a USSA masters license to compete in Far West masters races.
(If you're a first-time racer, you can "try before you buy" by
getting a weekend temporary license that allows you to compete in
the event - the fee will be credited towards your masters license)
You can renew online at ussa.org or print and mail an application form.
For more information and links, see the How to Join
page on the web site.
You also need to join Far West Masters for the season. This gets you your
permanently assigned stretch bib for the season; the nominal $20 membership
fee goes towards the costs of organizing and putting on our calendar
of race events. Far West Masters is an entirely volunteer organization,
so your money comes back to you in the races and social events we put together.
-
How to Join - membership information and application forms
[21-Nov-2012]
- Season Opening
Thanksgiving is upon us and the season-opening races at Mammoth are less than
two weeks away!
After several nice early-season winter storms, the Sierra ski areas are
coming into the holidays with good conditions - welcomed by all after
last year's dry conditions! Mammoth opened as scheduled on Nov. 8
and is opening more terrain by the day, while all the areas around the Tahoe
basin are either already open (Squaw, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Northstar)
or opening this weekend (Mt. Rose, Sierra at Tahoe).
Mammoth will be holding the masters training camp next week, Mon-Fri Nov. 26-30,
featuring GS and SL training, 4 hours per day. The training is geared towards
serious racers and features drills, progressions and gate training
along with video and timed runs. Come for the full week or by the day.
See the info flyer for details and daily schedule; contact the Mammoth
Race Department for any questions and to let them know when you'll be attending.
Please get your entries in for the opening race weekend at Mammoth.
We have two SL races on Saturday Dec 1 and GS on Sunday; party at Giovanni's
on Saturday afternoon!
Use SkiRaceReg.com to enter online - it's the easiest and most reliable way
to submit entries. With our generous cancellation policy, there's no penalty
for early signup - you can cancel anytime up to the entry deadline for the race
(ordinarily a 1-day setback from the start of the event).
If this is your first visit to SkiRaceReg.com this season, don't be confused
by the somewhat confusing welcome pages about renewing your membership - your
SkiRaceReg.com account is only used for race signups (not for your Far West Masters
membership or USSA masters license). You'll need to provide a credit card
to activate your account for the season, but there are no fees charged
until we process entries at the time of the race(s) that you have entered.
[20-Nov-2012]
- 2013 Competition Rules
Need some relaxing reading? Check out the 2013 USSA competition guide!
The 2013 Masters Comp Guide contains everything you need to know about masters racing in divisions around the country,
as well as information on major regional and national events.
For the ambitious reader, the Alpine Comp Guide contains the complete rules for Alpine ski racing in the US - guaranteed to awe and amaze you!
A few highlights from the 2012-2013 annual officials refresher clinic...
With the exception of forearm and shin protectors, all body protection must be worn under the suit - this includes
knee braces and back protectors. Helmet cams are NOT allowed.
Single-pole SL and GS is approved for USSA competitions - be sure you know the rule for "correct passage"!
New this season are revised rules on hiking and overtaking: If a competitor comes to a complete stop (e.g., after a fall),
they may NOT continue in DH and SG events. Hiking is allowed in SL and non-scored (masters) GS,
but only so long as the competitor does not interfere with the following racer and has not been passed.
A competitor who has been passed cannot continue and is classified as DNF.
[19-Nov-2012]
- Race Registration is open
Race registration for the 2012-2013 season is now open!
The December races have been posted on SkiRaceReg.com for online race entry; the remaining
season races as well as the February FIS Masters Cup races at Mammoth will be added by December.
If you are unable to use the online registration system, entry information and a printable entry
form are also available. We strongly encourage use of the online registration system - it simplifies
the organizer's logistics for processing entries, makes it easy for competitors to enter or cancel as needed,
and best of all, it's free! There are no extra charges for using online registration, this is provided
as a member service.
[05-Nov-2012]
- Web Site Move Completed
This week the web site and our news mailing list were moved to a new home on the internet.
Considerable preparation was done to ensure a smooth transition and
we appear to be back up and running on our new server without any disruption,
but please be patient if you run into any glitches over the next few days
while the logistics of running the site on a new technology platform get sorted out
on our new web hosting server.
All current subscriptions to the news mailing have been preserved
and an email news blast will be sent out tonight to verify that our news emails
are being delivered properly from the new server.
If you aren't receiving the news emails and would like to be added to the list,
you can sign up yourself using the list information page (link) below
or contact Deb Lewis at webmaster@farwestmasters.org
to request that you be added (or report any problems).
[26-Oct-2012]
- Fall Newsletter
The Fall issue of the Forerunner newsletter is in the mail!
All members who have joined within the past few seasons will receive a copy.
Click the link below to view online; previous issues of the Forerunner
are available on the Newsletters page.
The fall issue also includes the Far West Masters membership package, with information
on the 2013 program and membership application for new and renewing members.
Please get your Far West Masters membership in to Membership chair Marcie Pettigrew
by Oct. 31 so she has time to process everyone's application
and ensure that our membership records and bib assignments are up-to-date for the
coming season.
Reminder: don't forget your USSA masters competition license! Renewals are charged a $25 late fee after Oct. 15,
so get your license renewal in to USSA if you haven't already! You can print and mail the USSA license form, or
use USSA's online member service to renew online. Details and links are available on the
How to Join membership information page:
[16-Oct-2012]
- Reno Mtn Sports Race Night
Far West Masters and Sierra League racers are all invited to the
Reno Mountain Sports race night on Friday October 19th from 4-9pm.
As many of you know, RMS owner Dave Garner is a long-time masters racer
(one of our best in both performance and attitude!),
and Reno Mountain Sports supports Far West Masters as our bib sponsor.
Dave's a great supporter of masters racing and when you support
his shop with your business you get great gear as well as expert assistance.
RMS Race Night is an annual event at the shop, with industry techs,
coaches, and the RMS staff on hand for advice, fitting, or just a friendly chat.
Great pricing as well!
Dave says:
Come help us celebrate the grand opening of the new 7 lane Moana expressway.
Looking forward to seeing you here.
[09-Oct-2012]
- 2013 Race Schedule
The preliminary 2012-2013 race schedule is now available.
Schedule VP Mike Braun has worked hard to put together a race schedule
which offers competitors opportunities to compete in all disciplines
at areas around the Far West with a proven ability to host excellent
events.
The season opens in December at Mammoth Mountain with a SL/SL/GS weekend on Dec. 1-2,
following the now-traditional masters training camp week
(preseason training camp details will be posted when available).
A north shore event follows on Dec. 15-16 with 2 SL's at Squaw Valley.
Following a break over the holiday period, which is usually a busy time
for most with family gatherings and early season skiing, racing resumes
on Fri Jan. 11 with the classic Viva Italia SL at Heavenly Valley,
followed by two days of GS racing at Sierra at Tahoe on the weekend.
January wraps up with a feature event for speed racers at
the 3-day Rick Conrado Memorial SG races at Mammoth.
February opens with a GS race weekend at Mammoth on Feb. 9-10, followed
by the Bernard Cup SL/SL/GS event at Squaw Valley on Feb. 23-24.
The month wraps up with a rare opportunity for international FIS masters
racing, with Mammoth following up on last season's outstanding FIS Criterium
event by hosting FIS Masters Cup SG and SL races on Feb. 28-Mar. 3.
March opens with another Far West Masters classic, the McKinney Cup
at Mt. Rose on Mar. 9-10. With no mid-season western regional championships
being held this season, the competition highlight of the season will
be the national masters championships at Big Sky MT on Mar. 18-23.
Big Sky has excellent race venues to host this 4-event championship event
(DH, SG, GS, SL) and a proven record on putting on great masters events,
so make some plans to travel next spring to a beautiful place for a fun
week of competition with masters from around the country.
The season finale will be hosted at Squaw Valley on Apr. 4-7,
with 3 days of racing (SG, GS, SL), the season banquet, and a final
"fun race" day on Sunday which mixes family members and junior scholarship
athletes along with masters race for a spring dual.
[10-Sep-2012]
- Summer Board Meeting
The Far West Masters Summer Membership and Board Meeting was held on
Saturday, July 14th at the Braun residence in Mammoth Lakes California.
Meeting topics were focused on reviewing the draft race schedule
put together by Mike Braun for the 2012-2013 season and discussing
proposals for increasing membership and race participation.
[09-Sep-2012]
- Junior Athlete Scholarship Application
Junior Athletes: the 2013 scholarship application is now available.
See the Scholarship Program News page page for details and links to the application form.
Applications are due Sep. 15, 2012 and we encourage you to apply
[12-Jun-2012]
- Summer Meeting
The Far West Masters Summer Membership and Board Meeting will be held on
Saturday, July 14th at the Braun residence in Mammoth Lakes California. The
Schedule for the planned activities will be as follows:
- 10:00 AM - biking - road bike ride (approx. 25 miles) OR or mountain biking
- 2:00 PM - Summer board and membership meeting
- 4:00 PM (Approximately) - Drinks and barbeque dinner
Please RSVP to Mike and Ingrid Braun (mbraun@farwestmasters.org) if you will be attending so we can plan refreshments.
Everyone's welcome, this is a good excuse to enjoy some beautiful Sierra summer activity. There's plenty of other
activities for any who want to come for the weekend, including golf, hiking, fishing, and biking.
[05-Jun-2012]
- FWM Suggestion Box
If you have an idea for improving Far West Masters or suggestions about how we could do things differently
to make our racing better and more appealing,
take advantage of our new Suggestion Box and
send an email message to suggestionbox@farwestmasters.org to share your ideas.
Please sign your message with your (real) name so ideas can be properly credited and we can follow up on your input.
You'll receive an acknowledgement message when your suggestion has been recorded by the system.
All suggestions are reviewed by Far West officers and we will do our best to respond and incorporate
good ideas into our program.
[26-Apr-2010]
- Frank App
Sadly we pass on the news that masters racer Frank App died
in a glider accident on May 19th. Frank raced about a half dozen races with
us this past season, and also raced extensively on the club racing circuit.
Frank trained at Northstar, and lived in Truckee.
The preliminary NTSB report (below) provides some details.
On May 19, 2012, about 1530 Pacific daylight time, an experimental
Avia-Stroitel AC-5M glider, N186P, impacted the terrain about 1 mile east of
Kingston, Nevada. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the
glider, received fatal injuries, and the glider, which was owned and
operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 91 flight, which departed the Kingston Airstrip
about 30 minutes prior to the accident, was being operated in visual
meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed.
According to witnesses, just prior to the accident sequence, the glider was
seen in a steep left turn about 500 to 600 feet above ground level. It then
suddenly entered a steep climb, while still remaining in a steep left turn.
During the climb, the pilot either bailed out of the glider, or was ejected
from it. The glider then made an uncontrolled descent into the terrain.
Although the pilot was wearing a parachute, its ripcord was not pulled, and
the parachute did not open.
[31-May-2012]
- Season Finale
The 2012 race season, which brought an unprecedented amount
of change to our race schedule, wrapped up with... schedule changes!
After one of the dryest seasons in decades, a much-needed late-season
storm brought several feet to most Sierra resorts and forced cancellation
of the planned speed events at Northstar. Anticipating the week's weather,
the order of the final weekend races at Squaw was swapped to provide
the best chance for getting the races off.
Despite lingering snow showers and overcast on top of a considerable
amount of new snow, Squaw's race crew successfully put on our final
races of the season. The turnout for Friday's SL was affected by travel
difficulties that hampered the travel plans of some competitors, but the
race came off and with clearing conditions into the weekend Saturday's GS
wrapped up our season races.
Saturday evening was our season banquet, a chance for everyone to relax
and socialize in a final gathering before we disperse to summer pursuits.
Season awards were presented to the top-3 finishers in each age class
and the top racers in the season overall standings were brought forward
to be presented with the yellow and blue "leader bibs" for next season.
The special awards were also presented, recognizing new racers
Carol Levine and Mihai Filimon in their first season
of competition in the Far West, while celebrating the accomplishments
of most-improved racers Annette Mirviss and Lance Laney.
Finally, the Teddy Cantanho "Spirit of Masters" award recognizing
a racer who exemplifies the joy and passion of masters ski racing
was awarded by acclamation to Gate de Mattei.
Pictures from our races and the banquet are being posted on our "Far West Masters"
facebook group - come by to visit, if you aren't a member yet join the group
and build the community area where we can share stories, pictures, and information.
[14-Apr-2012]
- Northstar SG's cancelled
Due to adverse course conditions; high winds, wind drifted snow,
a 12" layer that did not set up, and poor visibility, the jury has
cancelled today's Super G's. Checks mailed in will be torn, and
entries made via skiracereg.com will not be charged.
Thanks to Eric Whitaker and Northstar's race department for giving it a
valiant effort.
[12-Apr-2012 6:30am]
- Season Banquet Silent Auction
A fun part of our annual season banquet is the "silent auction" fundraiser
for our Far West Masters Scholarship Program which raises funds to benefit
Far West junior ski racers. Once again, we have a lot of great items to auction off,
and we sincerely thank all the generous sponsors and donors who have contributed.
The auction announcement provides details on items available for bidding.
If you'll be attending the banquet, check out the list and plan your bidding strategy!
For those who may be unable to attend, you can submit your bids to Eddie Mozen
and he'll place them for you at the banquet. (see announcement for contact details)
[11-Apr-2012]
- Still "go" for Northstar SG's
As of 1pm Wednesday, the Northstar Races are still a "go" for tomorrow.
Race director, Eric Whitaker, will be on the hill early, very early Thursday morning
and will update us of any changes.
He has also provided a race hotline phone number for any updates
that occur after he inspects the hill tomorrow: (530) 562-3232.
The schedule for tomorrow's races:
- 7:30 - registration checkin
- 9:00-9:45 - inspection
- 10:00 - SG #1
- 10:30 - slip/redress
- 10:30-11:00 - Inspection (only if needed)
- 11:15 - SG #2 (start time may be moved up if no re-inspection needed.)
Registration for racer checkin and ticket purchases will be in the main ticket office,
located on the southeast side of the Northstar Village.
PLEASE NOTE: there will be no day-of-race entries accepted.
[11-Apr-2012]
- Northstar DH cancelled; Squaw schedule changes
The Downhill scheduled for Wednesday at Northstar has been cancelled due to lack of racer signups.
We will try to have an extra Super G in its place.
("Try" being the operative word, as weather may be an issue.)
We are in daily contact working with the Northstar Race Department
and will let everyone know about updates as they occur.
We have decided to switch the Squaw Valley races scheduling in order to give us the
best chance of completing a GS and a Slalom race. The Slalom will now be held on Friday,
with the GS to be held on Saturday.
Reminder that entries are due by Wednesday at 9:00 PM Pacific Time; no late entries
after the entry deadline will be accepted.
[09-Apr-2012 8pm]
- General Membership Meeting
Our General membership board meeting will be held Saturday at 2:00 PM in the Alpenglow Room in the Squaw Valley Village. T
his meeting is also the election meeting for the following positions and nominees:
- President
- - Mark Mirviss
- Treasurer
- - Dan Simmons
- Secretary
- - Sandy Hogan
- VP of Officials
- - Don Smith
Everyone is welcome to come and contribute comments and suggestions
to help the board members in planning for next season. Bring your ideas
on how to grow and improve our program and make it better for all of us!
[09-Apr-2012]
- Season Finals Update
We need signups, for the Northstar Downhill on Wednesday 4/11. We have 22 racers currently signed up and we need 30 racers to have the race.
Please sign up via skiracereg.com as soon as possible so that we can have our end of season Downhill race as planned (weather permitting).
If you mailed in your entries for the Sugar Bowl Races, we will put you on the start list for the Squaw Valley Races.
Sugar Bowl has torn up your checks (which were written to Sugar Bowl),
so you will need to pay for the Squaw Valley races at check in at Squaw Valley the morning of the race,
or contact president Mark Mirviss (email: president@farwestmasters.org) to make other payment arrangements.
PLEASE NOTE: Squaw's registration policy is that there will be no late registrations.
You will need to be registered for the Friday GS and Saturday SL races by the event entry deadline
of 9PM PT Wednesday 4/11 on SkiRaceReg.com or by close of business
on Wednesday if submitting printed entry by mail or in person to Squaw's Race Services office.
One correction to note: the price of the season banquet on Saturday evening is $40, not $38 as originally published.
[08-Apr-2012]
- Sugar Bowl Finals moved to Squaw
Due to a scheduling conflict at Sugar Bowl brought on by (guess what, weather!)
Sugar Bowl will hosting the J3 Far West Championship races the same weekend that was
scheduled for our season finals races (Fri-Sun 4/13-15).
Rather than trying to compete with the kids for hill space, course crews, etc.
we have decided to move our final GS/SL/dual races to Squaw Valley.
The race schedule along with the entry deadline of Wed. 4/11 will remain the same.
If you have already signed up using skiracereg.com, you do not need to change anything
except where you intend to be Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings;
if you will be unable to race at Squaw, simply un-register yourself on skiracereg.com
in the usual fashion before the entry deadline cutoff on Wednesday evening.
If you sent a hardcopy entry to Sugar Bowl and need to cancel your entry,
you will need to contact Sugar Bowl to have your entry and check torn up.
We expect to be able to obtain the print entries from Sugar Bowl and transfer them
to Squaw so that duplicate entries do not need to be submitted; if there are any problems
with transferring the entries we will let everyone know by email and on the web site.
If you have any questions please contact Far West president Mark Mirviss (email: president@farwestmasters.org).
[05-Apr-2012]
- Season Finals Schedule
The season finale speed events scheduled for Northstar in April are a go!
Race Director Eric Whitaker says that there is now plenty
of snow on the course to hold the races and that he has the grooming crew
pushing more snow onto the track in order to give us every possible chance
to have quality Downhill and Super G Races.
We planning on eliminating the Downhill training day (originally scheduled
for Tuesday) and one Downhill race in order to preserve the track in order
to have one good safe training run and one good safe race run. Northstar is
planning and ready to salt the courses if needed, but still feels it will be
best to have the races completed by 1:00 PM on both days.
The schedule for the speed events on Wed-Thu Apr. 11-12 is:
- Wednesday Apr. 11 - mandatory Downhill training run and DH race
- Thursday Apr. 12 - two SG races
The final tech events of the season will be held at Sugar Bowl
on Fri-Sat Apr. 13-14, with the season banquet on Saturday evening
and a finale fun-race dual SL on Sunday. The GS will be held on McTavish,
a very fun GS hill, and the SL and Sunday's dual will be on DVR.
Saturday evening's season finals banquet will be held at the Tahoe Biltmore
in Crystal Bay, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Please RSVP to
Linda Crowell by Sunday Apr. 1 so we can
confirm the banquet arrangements.
Details and event information flyers are available (as always!)
on the Season Schedule page:
[25-Mar-2012]
- Squaw Bernard Cup
The annual Bernard Cup weekend races at Squaw Valley featured weather changes,
time changes, and the always-challenging Exhibition race hill. Despite the
season-long run of warm, dry weather and below-normal snowfall, Squaw's race crews
and grooming crews were able to prepare the Exhibition race hill and provide
the Far West Masters with a good racing surface. Artful course-setting
by Kurt Beldon and Pierre Jeangirard worked with the terrain and around the
thin areas to make good use of the hill.
Saturday was sunny and warm (50's?!) - sunscreen was definitely in order!
Although the warm temperatures and fierce sunlight rapidly softened up
the morning run's firm surface, the courses held up reasonably well.
The younger guys had a bumpy ride, despite continuing efforts of the experienced
Squaw course crew and assistance from other racers with course slipping, and
their good spirits were an inspiration.
After 3 runs on Saturday, the between-runs break of GS #2 was higlighted
by a great afternoon social, with good food and some great raffle prizes.
Guest star Norma Lausmann drew the grand prize winner - a pair of new
Rossignal race skis for next season - and racing couple Donn and Barbara Bryant
went home with the marital challenge of deciding whose ticket won the skis.
Sunday dawned with strong winds and light snowfall, as the front edge
of a what's shaping up to be a week-long series of much needed late season
storms arrived over the Sierra crest. The first run of the day went off
after a short delay to permit all competitors to do a final slip of the race
hill to provide safe runout and slide zones on the hill. It was a bumpy ride
for most and a day for rising to the challenge of making tactical
decisions to accomodate the conditions. With the crew preparing
for the start of the third race of the weekend, rising winds, intermittent
visibility problems, and difficulties slipping the track into a safe racing
surface led the jury to reluctantly cancel the remaining two runs.
After two challenging GS races in varying conditions, the 2012 Bernard Cup
winners truly earned the honor with some great skiing. Carol Levine (W08),
newly transferred to the Tahoe area from Rocky Mountain, and long-time
Far West ace Dave Garner (M09) set a standard for all of us of good skiing
and gracious competitiveness.
[11-Mar-2012]
- Squaw changed to GS
The races for next weekend at Squaw Valley have been changed to all GS races.
The changed event schedule will be three giant slalom races over two days ,
instead of two slalom races and a giant slalom race as originally planned.
If you have already registered for the two slalom races and wish to race the two GS races
instead, no changes will be needed on your part - your entries will be used for the GS races.
If you do not wish to compete in the changed Saturday GS or cannot make both days
to be able to compete in GS #2, which will consist of the 3rd run on Saturday afternoon
and the 1st run on Sunday morning, please cancel your entries in the usual fashion
(simply unregister on SkiRaceReg.com if you entered online, otherwise
contact the Squaw Race Department - contact details provided on the
Season Schedule page).
[02-Mar-2012]
- Mt. Rose McKinney Cup
The weekend weather turned colder and breezy for the Mt. Rose McKinney Cup.
The Lower Lake View SL run provided a challenging SL venue, with a variety
of terrain and firm snow conditions. The 2012 McKinney Cup, awarded
to the man and woman with the fastest total time for the weekend races,
was won by Carol Levine (W08), in an outstanding debut weekend with
the Far West Masters, and Ara Papazian (M4), topping the men's standings
both days with clean powerful skiing.
[27-Feb-2012]
- Heavenly Viva Italia
The 2012 Viva Italia SL races at Heavenly, rescheduled from
the original weekend after New Year's, was held on a beautiful,
warm sunny day. Competitors enjoyed classic views of the south shore
of Lake Tahoe, hanging out comfortably all day in race suits
and plenty of sunscreen, while racing 2 SL races on the outstanding
racing surface of the World Cup run.
John Gianotti, Mr. Viva Italia himself, put together another great
post-race party. Hungry racers were treated to plenty of food
and a lot of great raffle prizes.
The annual Viva Italia trophy is awarded to the
top man and women in the overall standings, using an age-adjusted
handicap formula. The 2012 women's trophy went to newcomer Carol Levine,
recently moved from Rocky to north Tahoe, whose return to racing
proved to be a successful debut in the Far West.
The men's trophy went to John Mukavitz, with a display of powerful
SL skiing as he continues his return to racing after a devastating
knee injury that took years to recover form. Congratulations
to both winners!
[25-Feb-2012]
- Heavenly/Mt. Rose Updates
Race director Buck reports from Heavenly, site of next Friday's Viva Italia SL double-header:
"The hill is in fantastic condition, we've been running a lot of events throughout the week and it
hasn't even made a dent. Plenty of snow to set, so pass the word on and we look forward to hosting
the Masters."
Heavenly always puts on a great race for us and John Gianotti's Viva Italia
post-race party is not be missed!
McKinney Cup race director Rees Palermo met with the Mt. Rose organizers on Saturday and the decision is
that there is not enough coverage for the planned GS race on the Slide side on Sunday.
So we'll be racing SL both days next weekend at Mt. Rose - venue will be Lower Lake View,
registration and continental breakfast at the
Mt. Rose base lodge. (There will be no racing this weekend on the Slide side)
Details and event information flyers are available (as always!)
on the Season Schedule page:
[19-Feb-2012]
- Conrado SG's
Under a beautiful blue Sierra sky, the 2012 Rick Conrado SG's
were held at Mammoth on a lovely Friday that would have brought a
huge smile to our friend Rick's face. Rescheduled from the original
date in January, we were blessed with 2+ feet of new snow at the beginning
of the week and spectacular weather on race day - clear, sunny, warm,
very little wind. The planned start was moved down to allow the
hard-working Mammoth race crews to provide the best possible conditions
on the race track and while the snow was soft all three courses
held up well.
It was a great day of fun SG racing and a day to enjoy being with friends
on a lovely day in the mountains.
[18-Feb-2012]
- Harold Wescott
Sad news from Rocky - Harold Wescott passed away this weekend
while at Ski Cooper to compete in the weekend Rocky DH races.
Initial indications are that he may have suffered a heart attack.
Harold was a fierce competitor and well known to many, as he resided
in a number of different divisions over the years, including a period
here in Far West before he moved on to the Rockies.
A familiar face on the race hill and the podium, Harold was a great
character. He will be missed.
[12-Feb-2012]
- Northstar GS
Racing resumed in the Far West last weekend with a GS race on Saturday at Northstar.
Originally planned as a 3-race weekend, schedule adjustments had to be made to
accommodate the still-limited terrain available for racing as our dry pattern
continues after a welcome series of storms in late January.
Sasha Glushenko is again sharing his race photos with us - follow the link
below to check out his pictures from the Northstar GS posted on his
picaso photo site.
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2012.
[13-Feb-2012]
- February Schedule Updates
Due to the lack of snow at Northstar, we are cancelling one day of
racing. We will race on Saturday, February 11th, (probably 2 races) but we
will *not* race on Sunday, February 12th.
As announced last week, the Mamnmoth SG event is being rescheduled
as a one-day event with 3 SG races on Fri. Feb. 17.
We must have the minimum fifty registrations by
Fri. February 10th in order to be able to hold this event.
The reschedule of the Heavenly Viva Italia SL races has been confirmed for
Friday Feb. 24, the day before the Mt. Rose McKinney Cup
race weekend.
[02-Feb-2012]
- Web Site Improvements
Online Member Lookup is back! You can now check your Far West
membership status and related race registration information (bib, age class, license status)
using the Member Lookup feature.
Updates are reflected immediately when membership VP Marcie Pettigrew
processes membership applications and renewals.
We've also added a new Links page to collect useful links
related to masters ski racing. Links to some of our favorite
weather forecast and blog sites are included.
[01-Feb-2012]
- Jeff Gray in Ski Racing
Be sure to check out Bill McCollum's Masters column in the latest
issue of Ski Racing. Always a featured stop for regular fans,
this one is of special interest to us here in the Far West
with new racer Jeff Gray featured as one of the competitors
profiled.
Jeff describes his background and his path to the race hills this season.
(He's not kidding about hopping straight into a training course
as his first run in years - eyewitnesses confirm he looked pretty good after his layoff, too!)
Great stuff, and we're thrilled to have Jeff and other new racers joining
us this season. The more people we get out to play with us, the more fun for all!
Props to Hamish Butler for helping Jeff find his way to our races.
We should all think which of our skiing friends might enjoy the challenge
and camaraderie of masters
and encourage them to try racing with
Far West Masters. Bring a friend!
[31-Jan-2012]
- FIS Criterium
The FIS international masters World Criterium is being held March 26-31
at Mammoth Mountain.
The Criterium is a premier event of the 2012 international masters competition season
and a major event that is expected to draw top competitors from around the world.
FIS international masters competitions are open to racers 30 years or older by Dec. 31, 2011.
In addition to your USSA alpine masters license, you'll need to purchase
a FIS Masters license from USSA - this is only $30, print out the application
and mail to USSA by the Feb. 25 entry deadline.
There are no special equipment rules other than a minimum length requirement
for SG skis - 185 cm for men, 180 cm for women. (In past years FIS masters equipment rules have been
different than USSA masters rules, but this is no longer a concern.)
American racers who have competed in international masters events
report that it's a great experience and they have made friends from
around the world.
This is a unique opportunity to sample international competition
on our home slopes of the Far West and Mammoth has a well-earned reputation for putting
on outstanding events, so give some thought to this event if you aren't
already signed up!
[30-Jan-2012]
- Mammoth SG's Rescheduled
We have rescheduled the Mammoth Super-G races to a one-day fun-filled three-race event
on Friday, February 17, at Mammoth Mountain.
That's three races on the Friday before Presidents Day Weekend.
We didn't want to take away from the Northstar races the weekend before
or from the Heavenly and Mt. Rose races the weekend after, so we purposely made this a one-day event.
*** We need at least fifty entries to put on the race ***
We need a minimum of at least 50 competitors in order to hold this event,
as putting on a safe speed event requires a significant commitment from the organizer
for course preparation and hill space.
Please sign up on SkiRaceReg.com or mail your entry to Mammoth Mountain Race Department.
We must have the minimum fifty registrations by Fri. February 10th
in order to be able to hold this event.
Thursday training:
Mammoth Race Department will provide open SG training on Thursday from 11-2 for all
competitors. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this generous offer - having
a chance to do speed training will increase your enjoyment of Friday's racing,
as well as making it a safer event by allowing all competitors an opportunity
to ski the race hill at speed.
[29-Jan-2012]
- January Wrapup
We're nearly to the midpoint of the 2012 race season and winter has finally arrived!
While the cancellation of our races last weekend at Mammoth is disappointing,
the multiple feet of snow that's fallen at all the Sierra ski areas is
most welcome. Everyone can finally break out the powder boards, and those
good new race skis gathering dust in the back of your closets waiting for
conditions to improve.
The February race schedule opens with the Western Region championships
at Big Sky MT on Feb. 2-5. Big Sky has great race venues and has been reporting
excellent conditions even before the storms of the past week, so this
should be a great event. Consider taking a mid-season trip to the northern
Rockies, it should be a lot of fun.
The Far West division schedule resumes the following weekend
with 3 GS's at Northstar on Feb. 11-12. We'll have 3 runs each day,
with the middle race split across Sat/Sun.
This year's Far West division Gala fundraiser is being held in Squaw Valley
on Saturday Feb. 11, during our Northstar GS weekend.
In addition to be a fundraiser to support Far West junior athletes,
this event is a lot of fun according to past attendees.
This year's event has a Mardi Gras theme, with Cajun and Zydeco music
completing dinner, live and silent auctions.
[23-Jan-2012]
- Mammoth GS's Cancelled
The GS races scheduled at Mammoth Mountain this weekend (replacing the originally
scheduled SG races) have been canceled due to significant snowfall and high
winds as the first strong series of winter storms this season has been
hitting the Sierras since Thursday night (with one more coming in tonight
and tomorrow).
Mammoth and all Tahoe area resorts are reporting multiple feet of snow.
With the early part of the storm series coming in fairly warm, this snowfall
should provide a great base layer for the colder storms arriving today.
The winter of 2012 has finally begun!
[22-Jan-2012]
- Mammoth SG's changed to GS
The decision has been made by Far West Masters and Mammoth Race Dept.
to change the SG's scheduled on Jan. 20-22 to 3 GS races on Jan. 21-22.
There is no way we can safely run a speed event right now - the
coverage on the SG course World Cup run is solely man-made and there's just
not enough to set a speed course and safety fencing. Weather forecasts are for
continued dry and warm through this week; the longer range forecast models
into next week are still inconclusive, but even with possible
"pattern change" that would allow the storm track to shift into
the Sierras we have no reasonable prospect for conditions to change
significantly enough to make a speed event feasible.
So the decision to change from SG to GS is being made now to allow
competitors to adjust their plans.
Mammoth will be offering open GS training on Fri. Jan. 20,
so competitors who have had limited training opportunities at their home areas
will have an opportunity to get on the race hill for training.
Event schedule details will be available later this week.
The plan is to have 3 race runs (1-1/2 races) each on Sat and Sun Jan. 21-22.
[10-Jan-2012]
- Mammoth GS's
January's race schedule opened the new year with adjustments necessitated by the
extremely dry, warm weather on the west coast this year. The Heavenly Valley Viva Italia
SL races are being rescheduled for later in the season and the Sierra at Tahoe races
were moved to Mammoth Mountain, whose Race Department stepped up to accommodate our
event along with junior races moved from Northstar in an already- busy weekend.
With snow cover limited to man-made, the Mammoth snow-making and grooming crews
did an amazing job when the temperatures finally got cold enough to make snow again.
Although we raced on a short course from a lower start, the racing conditions on
Andy's Double Gold turned out to be excellent - firm, consistent, and grippy.
So for all competitors who made it to Mammoth this weekend, we had great weather
and two days of very good GS racing.
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2012.
[08-Jan-2012]
- Mammoth GS Schedule
As announced just before the holidays, our Jan. 7-8 races have been moved
from Sierra at Tahoe to Mammoth Mountain. The Fri. Jan. 6 SL races at Heavenly
are being rescheduled for later this season. With the extremly dry, warm conditions
throughout the Sierras this season, Mammoth is one of the few areas with the
ability to host racing at this time and we greatly appreciate their willingness
to host our races.
***Please note start times and inspection periods.
Mammoth stepped up and was willing to add our races to an already-busy weekend,
so our “usual” race-day schedule is being adjusted to accommodate the slots
when we can have hill space and race crews for our events.
We will be racing on Andy’s Double Gold (ADG) both days, which has the best coverage.
Inspection time will be shortened to a half-hour, but with easy access from
Broadway Express (chair 1) there will be plenty of time for all competitors
to have an adequate inspection – just be sure to plan your race day to be there
promptly and make good use of the available inspection period.
Details and daily schedule are provided in the race announcement flyers.
On Saturday, we will have inspection at 12:30-1 with a 1:15 start; racer checkin
will be at the Race Department in the Slopeside building (just west of the Main Lodge
and Broadway Express loading area).
Sunday's race will be at 9:30, with inspection from 8:45-9:15; checkin will
be in Roma's Room (3rd floor Main Lodge, east end).
Open Training on Friday!
Mammoth Mountain Race Department is offering free GS training
on Friday from 10:30 to 12:00 on ADG (our race hill for Saturday and Sunday).
Please thank Pierre, Tom and all involved with the Mammoth Mountain Race
Department for providing this opportunity to all competitors!
[03-Jan-2012; updated Wed 1/4]
- Heavenly SL's postponed
With no break yet in the warm, dry weather pattern that has persisted in the Sierras
throughout the early part of this season, we've agreed with the organizers at Heavenly
that the Viva Italia SL races scheduled for Fri. Jan. 6 will be postponed until later
in the season.
Tentatively we hope to reschedule on Fri. Feb. 24, the day before
the Mt. Rose race weekend, which will allow for geographic proximity to make
a great 3-day race weekend with the Viva Italia and McKinney Cup trophy races.
The rescheduled date will be confirmed during the first week of January.
[30-Dec-2011]
- Schedule updates for Jan. 6-8
Heavenly still has hope that they will be able to host the Viva Italia
Slaloms on Friday, January 6. But, should they not have enough snow, we
have tentatively scheduled a back-up date of February 24, which is the
Friday before the Mount Rose races. We should know Heavenly's status by
Wednesday Dec. 28th.
The races scheduled for Sierra at Tahoe on January 7 and 8 have been moved
to Mammoth Mountain. Unfortunately, due to lack of available terrain,
Sierra at Tahoe is unable to accommodate any racing at this time. We
searched for a substitute location in the Tahoe area,
but we weren't able to find a race hill open. The Mammoth
Mountain Race Department graciously offered to host the races, and we gladly
accepted. We will have a GS race on Saturday afternoon and a GS race the
following Sunday morning.
Due to the dismal snow conditions in the west, this is the only game in town
right now! I know that there will be a strong showing of attendance from
the racers south of Tahoe. We would love to see an equal amount of racers
from the Tahoe area and other parts of the Far West Masters come to Mammoth
and support this race. The next scheduled event is not until January
20th-22nd. Losing the GS races at Sierra at Tahoe and not trying to come
up with another venue was way too long for us not to race. Remember, we are
in the business of putting on races and we are doing everything possible to
keep that promise to our members.
Once again, please come down to Mammoth and support our organization. This
should be great event!
[Mark Mirviss, President]
[24-Dec-2011]
- Regionals, Nationals, FIS Criterium
Registration is now open for the regional, national, and international championship events of the 2012 season.
The Western Region championships will be held February 2-5 at Big Sky, MT.
The regional championships are a 4-discipline SC/SG/GS/SL event, with super-combined included in the combined scoring
for the overall regional class champion awards. The SG race also counts in the
2012 National Speed Series.
The National Championships will be held Mar 19- 23 at Park City, UT.
The nationals will include 4 events, with a Super-Combined (SC) race along
with the 3-event SG/GS/SL races for the combined age class champions scoring.
The national DH championships will be held at Ski Cooper, CO on the weekend of March 10-11. T
he national championship DH and SG races are the final events in the
2012 National Speed Series.
A special highlight of the 2012 competition will be the FIS Masters World Criterium,
hosted in North America this season at Mammoth Mountain, CA on March 26-31.
The Criterium is a premier event of the 2012 international masters competition season
and a major event that is expected to draw top competitors from around the world.
Online registration is now open for all major events.
[22-Dec-2011]
- Warren Hellman
It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of
Warren Hellman. When I first started skiing Masters and training a Squaw
Valley, I met Warren and his wife Chris. They both trained and raced with
us. Soon after, I met their Daughter, Tricia Gibbs, who was a former U.S.
Ski Team member and also competed with us.
Warren's passion for life was exhibited in his passion for sport. He played
NCAA water polo while a student at Cal Berkley, he ran ultra marathons, and
of course competed in skiing. Warren's love of sport drove him to co-found
the Stratton Mountain School in 1972, a skiing academy that stressed
academics as much or more than just success on the slopes. One of his
primary reasons for the founding of the highly successful school was to
enable his children to be highly educated while at the same time, become
highly competitive skiers. Not to rest on his laurels, Warren repeated the
process by founding the Sugar Bowl Academy for the benefit of all young
skiers including his grandchildren.
Warren will always be remembered for his philanthropy and for this; a street
in Golden Gate Park was recently re-named in his honor. Warren said, "What
does move me is the philanthropic stuff," he told Forbes magazine in 2006.
"Giving really does move me. Part of it is selfish. It's fun to be
appreciated. But the other part is that good things really are growing."
Warren died last Sunday at the age of 77 from leukemia. The family has asked
that, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to the San Francisco Free
Clinic (founded by Warren, and now run by Tricia), the Bay Citizen and the
San Francisco School Alliance. The family also requests a donation of blood
or platelets to a local blood bank.
[Mark Mirviss - Far West Masters president]
Warren's passing was widely noted, reflecting his influence and passion
in business, sports, and culture
[21-Dec-2011]
- Mammoth Race Photos
Expert race photographer Susan Morning was out shooting our opening races at Mammoth on Dec. 3-4.
If you didn't have a chance to stop by Mammoth Photos in the Main Lodge, you can check out
the race photos online at Mammoth Memories photos -
select Race for the Location and the date of Dec. 3 or Dec. 4 to see the race photos.
[20-Dec-2011]
- Mammoth Season Opener
The 2012 Far West Masters season opened this weekend with 3 days of SL racing
at Mammoth Mountain. The original schedule of 2 SL's on Friday and 3 GS's on the
weekend was modified due to limited early season coverage to 3 SL races.
The preceding week featured some excellent SL training for those able to attend
the Mammoth Masters training camp. Sidelined Mammoth Masters head coach
Pierre Jeangirard worked on 1 ski all week due to an early season calf injury,
but even with limited mobility his leadership and coaching tips in video analysis
were an asset. Unfortunately several athletes were lost for the weekend races
due to training injuries - Marcie Pettigrew, Marietta Frinnell, Randall Sussek,
and Bob Davis - best wishes for rapid recovery to all!
After a strong cold front blasted through the West Coast on Thursday,
with 100+ mph winds in the Sierras and Southern California producing widespread
power outages and downed trees, our race season opened on Friday with brisk but
clear weather and excellent firm racing conditions on the Andy's Double Gold (ADG)
race hill. The action continued on Saturday with a brisk NE wind producing single-digit
morning temps that challenged the racers with another day of firm conditions.
The Saturday post-race party at Giovanni's pizza provided us with a warm welcome
and plenty of food to go with the apres-race socializing.
Wrapping up on Sunday, the temperatures moderated to a more typical Sierra range
and we finished the weekend with a spectacular scenic day of clear blue skies
and calm winds.
The weekend standings were topped by #1 bib holders Matt Savage and Deb Lewis,
who backed up their 2011 overall rankings with strong skiing to open the 2012 campaign.
Complete results are posted on the Race Results page
along with the initial Season Standings rankings for 2012.
[04-Dec-2011]
- Revised Mammoth Schedule
First the good news, the snow at Mammoth is good and firm. Now for the bad
news, due to the limited amount of snow, our weekend races will be as
follows:
- Friday - Slalom
- Saturday - Slalom
- Sunday - tbd (decision on Saturday)
Sunday's race (either slalom or GS) will be determined Saturday. We
would like to have a GS, but for that to happen, we will either need for
more snow to be made, or to fall. So once again, we are dependent on the
weather and snow gods.
For those of you that are already training at Mammoth and planning on
participating in Thursday's morning early bird GS training be advised that
if the wind appears to be extremely strong, you can call the Mammoth Race
Department (760) 934-0642 for a status update at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning.
[Mark Mirviss - President, Far West Masters]
[30-Nov-2011]
- Mammoth Schedule Update
Due to limited terrain, our race schedule for the season opening races
this weekend at Mammoth is being revised to one race per day.
We will still be racing the disciplines as scheduled, with one SL race on Friday
and one GS race each day on Saturday and Sunday.
Any entries submitted for the second SL race on Friday and the middle GS race split
across Sat/Sun will be torn up.
[28-Nov-2011]
- Season Kickoff This Weekend
Hopefully everyone had a good Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.
The Far West was gifted with a beautiful weekend, with early-season skiing
available at Mammoth and Tahoe areas.
Mammoth's masters camp training week kicked off on Sunday afternoon,
leading up to our season opening races next weekend on Fri Dec. 2 - Sun Dec. 4.
Saturday's party will be at Giovanni's (see race info flyer for details).
Terrain is somewhat limited but coverage is adequate - we WILL be racing this weekend!!
If you haven't yet done so, please get your race entries in now! Entry deadline is Wednesday Nov. 30.
As a reminder, the first time you log into your SkiRaceReg.com account
this season for submitting online race entries, you'll be asked to (re)activate your account for the current season.
Your login and password are unchanged, the activation procedure is to let you review/update your contact information
at the start of the new season as well as to enter the credit card information that will be used for any entry fees.
Remember, there's no additional charges for using SkiRaceReg.com for submitting race entries and you will only
be charged when a race that you have entered is held.
Far West Masters membership is still done separately by sending your membership application and check to Membership VP
Marcie Pettigrew - see the How to Join page for program details
and the membership application form. USSA masters competition licenses must be obtained through USSA.
[27-Nov-2011]
- Race Registration is Open
Race registration is now open for the 2012 season!
Complete details for each event on our season calendar
is provided on the Season Schedule page.
The popular online entry system on SkiRaceReg.com is back this season,
or you can stay "classic" and print an entry form to mail with checks to the organizer.
Online race entry is encouraged - it's easier for both racers and organizers, so check it
out and give it a try if you aren't already on the system. All racers will need to
activate their SkiRaceReg.com account for the 2012 season to verify contact information
and payment account for this season; you'll be shown the signup pages the first time you log in.
[04-Nov-2011]
- RMS Race Night
It's that time of the year again...
Far West Masters sponsor Reno Mountain Sports
will host its 17th annual race night on
Friday,October 21st from 4-9pm.
All masters racers are invited to join fellow masters racer Dave Garner,
the RMS staff, and ski industry race techs from your favorite brands.
Don't miss the special pricing on all the high performance
equipment and clothing in the store.
So pull up your calendar and book RMS for Friday evening at 155 E. Moana Ln in Reno.
For racers outside the Reno/Tahoe area who may not be able to get to the RMS race night,
check with your local shops for their plans for race-related events.
Command Performance in Mammoth is having their annual race weekend on Oct. 22-23.
Owner Robin Falkingham will be on hand throughout the weekend, along with race reps and gear for the coming season.
[18-Oct-2011]
- Training Camps & Programs
With a surprise winter storm rolling in bringing 1-2 feet of snow in higher elevations of the Sierras
the first week of October, it's definitely time to be planning your on-hill training program for the coming season!
The Training information page has been updated with the information
we currently have available on preseason camps and masters training programs offered in the 2011-2012 season.
Mammoth will once again be offering a 5-day masters training camp the week following Thanksgiving, leading
into the opening race weekend on Dec. 2-4. This will be a 5-day program, kicking off with a Sunday afternoon
session and 4 days Mon-Thu with 4 hours training daily. Sign up for the full week or participate on a daily basis
as your schedule permits; this is a great way to ramp up for the 2012 Far West Masters race season.
Two of our strongest programs, the Mammoth Masters Team and the Squaw Valley Masters program, are back
this season offering full-season training programs. Other long-established and popular masters
training programs are offered at Northstar, Mt. Rose, Alpine Meadows, and Sugar Bowl.
Racers in southern California should check out the Big Bear Masters, who train at Snow Summit.
Many of the season training programs have early signup deadlines approaching soon,
so if you're interested contact the organizers and get your signup in before prices go up!
The Squaw Masters program early-pricing ends this coming weekend Sat. Oct. 15,
while the Mammoth Masters early-registration pricing ends Oct. 31.
Don't hesitate to ask your fellow masters races about any of these training programs - we're all happy to share information
and tips about our home areas and training programs and to help new racers find their way to a program that fits their needs.
Check out our Far West Masters page on Facebook to post questions and share opinions.
[11-Oct-2011]
- Fall Newsletter & Membership Package
The Fall issue of the Forerunner newsletter is in the mail this week.
All members who have joined within the past few seasons will receive a copy.
Click the link below to view online; previous issues of the Forerunner
are available on the Newsletters page.
The fall issue also includes the Far West Masters membership package, with information
on the 2012 program and membership application for new and renewing members.
Please get your Far West Masters membership in to Membership chair Marcie Pettigrew
by Oct. 31 so she has time to process everyone's application
and ensure that our membership records and bib assignments are up-to-date for the
coming season.
Reminder: don't forget your USSA masters competition license! Renewals will be charged a $25 late fee after Oct. 15,
so get your license renewal in to USSA if you haven't already! You can print and mail USSA license form, or
use USSA's online member service to renew online.
[06-Oct-2011]
- Officials Clinic and Fall Board Meeting
We will be holding our annual Far West Masters Officials Clinic and Quarterly Board Meeting October 15th 2011
at the home of Danielle and Maurice Palermo in Verdi, Nevada. Their address is
12105 Silver Fox, Verdi NV - they're located just northwest of Reno, maps and directions available on request.
The official’s clinic will begin at 9:00 AM and continue through 3:00 PM.
The Quarterly Board Meeting will convene immediately following the official’s clinic and will last approximately two hours.
A continental breakfast and a lunch will be provided. If anyone has any topics they would like addressed by the board,
please forward them to president Mark Mirviss via email at mmirviss@farwestmasters.org.
A note from president Mark Mirviss:
For those of you who are concerned about the cost of ski racing, becoming an official provides the opportunity to save on costs.
When you officiate a race, your lift tickets are provided by the hosting ski area. At some venues, this equates to a savings of over $100.
But the most important reason to officiate is that it allows you to give something back to our organization.
As most of you know, we are a volunteer organization that is exclusively dependent on our members to schedule,
provide for registration, set courses, host award parties, and officiate races.
If you are not volunteering to help out, it weakens the strength of our organization.
So please do your part in the upcoming season and become a volunteer.
Mark Mirviss, President, Far West Masters
[29-Sep-2011]
- Fall is Coming
Labor Day has come and gone and our great West Coast late summer weather
is starting to offer hints of fall. It'll be ski season again before too long,
so it's not too soon to start planning for the coming race season!
The Far West masters membership packages and the Fall newsletter will be out this
month - copies will be mailed to all recently active members and posted here
on the web site. The preliminary schedule is posted on the
Season Schedule page (the final schedule
will be posted as soon as we settle a few remaining details, but the basic event
schedule is in place).
Don't forget to head over to ussa.org
to sign up for your master's competition license for the coming season if you haven't already
done so. You can register online or print and mail an application (be sure you sign up
for the Masters's competitor license). More information and links are on
the How to Join page.
Information about preseason training camps will be posted as information
is available. Coming up in just a few weeks is a fall dryland training camp
with Olympic and national team racer Stacey Cook. This is a 3-day camp
in Mammoth where you'll have a chance to learn training techniques and philosophies
direct from one of our most successful American racers.
For a change of scene in your early season, the California Fire/Police Olympics
organizers have put together a camp in Kaprun Austria Oct. 22-Nov. 5.
The package includes transportation, lodging, and up to 12 days of skiing
with coach Thomas Gardtman.
More information on training camps and preseason race events at area shops will be posted
as available, including details on Mammoth's annual Masters Camp week Nov. 28-Dec. 1
before the opening races on Dec. 2-4.
[11-Sep-2011]
- Summer Board Meeting
Minutes from the summer board meeting held July 9 at president Mark Mirviss's home in Squaw Valley are posted on the
Board records page (posted in the FWM Documents section).
Principal topics were to review the draft 2012 race schedule and
planning for the upcoming race season. We will once again be using SkiRaceReg.com
for online race entries; this has been very successful with racer participation, although
there are some "back-end" operations aspects that we will work on improving next season.
We'll also continue the emphasis in recent years on publicizing the Saturday post-race parties
and promoting social gatherings and race sponsorships.
[30-Jul-2011]
- Preliminary 2012 Schedule
The preliminary 2011-2012 race schedule is now available.
Mike Braun has stepped in for his first season as our Far West race scheduler
and has been working hard to put together an attractive schedule since spring.
This season's schedule features over 20 races on our division race series calendar,
along with a very special event at the end of March with Mammoth Mountain
hosting the FIS International Masters world criterium (the season finals).
As always, we've tried to put together a race schedule which provides a variety of
disciplines at the best possible venues. We're continuing to schedule 3-races-in-2-days
events where feasible, to provide maximum racing opportunity for your weekend
investment of time, money, and travelling.
The season will open with our traditional stop at Mammoth in early December, where
early-season snowmaking and great support from the organizing area has always provided us
with a solid opening event. Recognizing the December and the holidays are
a busy period for many with year-end ad family commitments, the schedule resumes
in January with a 3-day weekend on the South Shore of Tahoe, starting with the classic
Viva Italia SL races at Heavenly on Friday and moving over to Sierra at Tahoe
for the weekend. Our next event is a 3-day SG event at Mammoth, which has
become a favorite for many and will be the opening event of the 2012 National
Speed Series.
The Western Region Champships are being hosted this season in Intermountain
Division on Feb. 2-5 at Big Sky, MT, which has fantastic race hills.
February continues with a GS weekend at Northstar and the McKinney Cup
at Mt. Rose. In an action-packed March, Squaw Valley hosts the Bernard Cup and the
USSA Masters National Championships will be at Park City UT on Mar. 19-23,
before finishing with the International Masters Criterium at Mammoth Mountain CA
on Mar. 27-31.
The Far West season wraps up in April with the season finals moving back
to the North Shore of Tahoe. The finals carnival opens with DH/SG races
at Northstar and continues with a return to Sugar Bowl for the final GS/SL
races of the 2012 season and our traditional year-end season banquet.
[29-Jul-2011]
- Jeff Wattenmaker Scholarship
Jeff Wattenmaker Scholarship -
Jeff Wattenmaker was an avid Masters racer who supported the Masters Scholarship Program and its ideals.
Prior to his recent passing, he generously arranged to donate funds to expand the Masters Scholarship Program
and to thereby make available funding for a University education to members of the Program.
The Jeff Wattenmaker Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship to be used towards college expenses.
This scholarship will be given out yearly to a member of the Far West Masters Scholarship Program.
The Far West Masters Scholarship Program is pleased to announce the winners of the Jeff Wattenmaker Scholarship for 2011.
Scholarships are awarded based on a combination of (and in order of importance) citizenship, exemplary work ethic,
academic scholarship, financial need, and alpine ski race results. This year's winners are :
- Sal Monforte (North Tahoe High School)
- Brian Tidd (North Tahoe High School)
- James Clifford (Sugar Bowl Academy/Middlebury College)
- Amie Lonza (Mammoth High School)
You can read their scholarship applications on the
Scholarship Program News page -
it's well worth a few minutes to learn about some great kids who are successfully
combining accomplishments in both ski racing and their education.
The application form for junior athletes who wish to apply for a 2011-2012 season
scholarship is now available. Applications are due September 15, 2011
[09-Jul-2011]
- Summer News
The summer solstice and the 4th of July holiday have been celebrated
and the 2011 ski season is slowly winding down at last,
with Mammoth and Squaw both offering holiday skiing before
closing for the season. There's still a lot of snow
in the high country, but summer activities are on now
in full swing for most.
The major events schedule for the 2012 season is in place,
highlighted by the FIS International Masters World Criterium
at Mammoth Mountain on March 27-31.
This is the FIS masters season finale and a big event for the Europeans,
and we can expect a top-quality racing event from Mammoth.
Western Regionals will be hosted by Big Sky on Feb. 2-5,
with the National Championships at Park City
on Mar. 19-23. Both the regionals and nationals will offer
4-event SC/SG/GS/SL racing. Because Park City is not able
to hold a downhill, the national championship downhill
will be hosted by Rocky Mountain at the Mar. 10-11 Ski Cooper DH.
Mt. Hood camps will be running this summer on a great base
from last winter. The Summer Fun Nationals
will be held Jul. 22-23 - this is a fun race weekend
with a GS and SL, see link below for info and online registration.
For something a bit more exotic, consider a South American
race camp in September including an International Masters race
to establish your seed points for the Criterium.
Olympic and national team downhiller Stacey Cook is organizing
a fall dryland training camp weekend for masters in Mammoth at the end
of September. The camp will include strength and fitness training
sessions, along with the priceless opportunity to learn
from someone who's at the top of her sport.
[08-Jul-2011]
- Teddy Cantanho Memorial
A note from Teddy's family:
Our mother, Teddy Cantanho, passed away last Friday, June 24.
It was very unexpected, as she was feeling up and on top of her game.
This happened during a heart procedure at Renown Hospital in Reno,
as she was having some symptoms the cardiologist wanted to address through an angiogram.
Family and friends are very much in shock, but we would like to honor her life with an
Open House at her home (425 Claire Ct., Gardnerville, NV 89460) on Friday, July 15, from 2-5pm.
Thea Norum and David Cantanho
If you would like to make a memorial contribution in Teddy's honor,
the family has asked that gifts be made to the Scholarship Program
in honor of Teddy's love of ski racing.
Donations are tax-deductible; checks should be made out to
Far West Masters Scholarship Program with a note indicating
In Memory of Teddy Cantanho.
Mail to scholarship chairman Eddie Mozen at:
In Memory of Teddy Cantanho
C/O Far West Masters Scholarship Program
P.O. Box 3718
Olympic Valley, Ca 96146
Memories of Teddy... Be sure to check out George Crezee's Jan. 2010 video interviews
with Far West masters racers Kurt Beldon, Gate de Mattei, and Teddy Cantanho, you'll get a smile listening to her!
Teddy's family shared a photo of Teddy on the podium at the 1995 national championships
in Alyeska AL - a big smile from the national SL champion that day!
We've posted it on the Photos page.
[05-Jul-2011]
- Teddy Cantanho
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Teddy Cantanho
passed away last weekend.
Born in 1922, Teddy turned 89 this year and was active, alert, and
still skiing to the end. It was sudden and unexpected when her heart
gave out, only a month after the passing of longtime partner Max.
Teddy was a passionate skier and traveler with many interests and
friends. She had no pretentions about being the fastest ski racer, but
she loved the sport and surely was the happiest racer on the hill.
Teddy had incredible grit as well, coming back more than once from
serious injuries that would have ended the skiing career of someone
less determined.
It was truly a privilege and a pleasure to have known Teddy and shared
skiing experiences with her. We will miss her very much.
[30-Jun-2011]
- Summer Meeting
The summer board meeting of the Far West Masters will be held
Saturday July 9th at 2:00 PM
at the Mirviss residence in Squaw Valley (450 Forest Glen Road, Olympic
Valley, CA).
Food and beverages will be served immediately following the meeting.
All members are welcome to attend the meeting or just come for the party
and socializing.
Please RSVP by July 4th if you are planning on attending the meeting.
Agenda items can be emailed to chairman Mark Mirviss at president@farwestmasters.org.
[23-Jun-2011]
|
http://lists.farwestmasters.org/mailman/listinfo/news
http://lists.farwestmasters.org/pipermail/suggestionbox
Far West Masters group on Facebook