Welcome to the Far West Masters! If you are a new visitor to our site, visit the Information pages to learn more About masters racing. The How To Join page has for membership information and applications. We are open to all and welcome new racers!

Masters ski racing is the premier adult ski racing series in the country. We are governed by United States Ski & Snowboard competition rules, the sanctioning body in the US for organized ski racing at all levels from juniors up through international and Olympic competition.

Far West Masters organizes US alpine masters competition in the Far West division. Our yearly schedule includes all disciplines (SL, GS, SG, and DH), with races held mainly at ski areas in the central Sierras. Racers from 21 to over 80 years old compete in ten-year age groups.


Top News Items

  • Mammoth Speed Series SG races

    The next races on our January calendar are two days of SG racing at Mammoth Mountain on Fri-Sat. Jan. 24-25. There will be two SG races each day, with the first SG race each day counted in the 2025 National Speed Series. Mammoth will also be offering a training session on the SG venue on Thursday 1/23 to provide all competitors with an opportunity to get on the race venue and get "up to speed".

    Register online on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. Early registration deadline is Sun 1/19; registration closes at 8pm PT Wed 1/22.

    Thursday training: Mammoth is offering SG training on Thursday 1/23 from noon to approx. 2pm for $30, allowing all competitors to get on the race hill before the Fri/Sat races. Pay at the Race Dept office (Team HQ building) and show receipt to the coaches on the hill to access the training session.

    Note for FW Open class competitors: race awards for the two morning NSS races will be awarded by age class, but we will score your results in the Far West season standings under Open class for all who have elected OP for the season.

    [15-Jan-2025]

  • Sugar Bowl Viva Italia SL results

    Our first January races after the holiday break took us to Sugar Bowl for 2 SL races on Jan. 11-12, returning to a venue where we last raced back in 2012. It was a sunny but chilly weekend on top of Donner pass, with a cold NE wind blowing, and the firm conditions were a challenging racing surface for our field of masters competitors! The Sugar Bowl race crew made us welcome and put on a good event, with everything running on schedule.

    Complete race results are posted on the web site on the Race Results page, along with updated Season Standings rankings for 2025.

    The Sugar Bowl SL races were also the site for 2025 Viva Italia event, with the trophy awarded to the top man and woman racer in the combined standings using an age-handicap formula. The Viva Italia has a legendary history from founder John Gianotti and he would have approved of the grit and determination of the competitors tackling the challenging race hill. The Viva Italia winners were announced at the post-race awards, with the trophies awarded to Deb Lewis (W10) and Wences Lada Munoz (M08). And a well-deserved shout-out to class 2 racer Dave Law, who dominated the field both days and nearly overcame the daunting handicap of being "too young" in finishing a close runnerup to Wences.

    [14-Jan-2025]

  • Sugar Bowl Viva Italia SL races

    Our first races after the holiday break will be a weekend of SL racing at Sugar Bowl on Sat-Sun Jan. 11-12. It's been a number of years since we last raced at Sugar Bowl, so we're very excited to have this venue back on our schedule this season. This event is also the 2025 Viva Italia Cup, awarded to the top man and woman in the overall weekend results based on age-handicapped scoring

    Weather forecasts are calling for a dry pattern and high pressure settling in over the west, so we're expecting clear weather for the coming week! Register online on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. Early registration deadline is Sun 1/5; registration closes at 8pm PT Thu 1/9. You can sign up for the races and also purchase your 2025 Far West Masters membership if you haven't already done so.

    Purchase link for racer lift tickets will be sent to registered competitors early next week, along with additional details on venue, parking, and program schedule for the weekend. We'll be based at the Mt Judah Main Lodge, racing on DVR run from the Christmas Tree lift. Post-race pizza party on Saturday will be at Judah Lodge, plan to stay and enjoy some social time with our fellow racers!

    Open class reminder: if this is your first race of the season and you want to compete in the Open class, contact scoring director Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org.

    [04-Jan-2025]

  • December Forerunner Newsletter

    The December issue of the Forerunner newsletter has been published. Communication director Melissa House has pulled together reports from our season opening training camp and races at Mammoth, FWM chair Rees Palermo contributes his President's message, and there's more information about our upcoming season races.

    Questions about membership signups? Contact Mary Feddis at membership@farwestmasters.org
    Questions about The Forerunner? Contact Melissa House at forerunner@farwestmasters.org

    Note: the primary distribution method of the Forerunner newsletter will be electronic publishing through our news email list and here on the web site. All current members of Far West Masters should receive the newsletter. If you have any questions, contact us at forerunner@farwestmasters.org for assistance.

    [30-Dec-2024]

  • Race Signups open on Masters ASR

    All race signups for the 2024-25 season are now open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site!

    Our next races after the holiday break are Jan. 11-12 with two SL races at Sugar Bowl, and the Mammoth Speed Series SG races on Jan. 24-25.

    Registration is open and we'll be getting more information out over the holidays to help everyone plan their upcoming race calendar.

    [25-Dec-2024]

  • Mammoth Season Opener results

    Our season opening training camp and GS races at Mammoth Mountain the first week of December were blessed with spectacular conditions throughout the training and race days. Best early season conditions in many years - some said the best opening camp ever!

    In a change from our usual race venues, we were on the main Broadway run all week and it turned out to be very fun. Warm, sunny, and grippy snow all week. The Mammoth Race Department crew was out in full strength for the weekend races and put on a first-class competition event.

    Complete race results are posted on the web site on the Race Results page, along with the first Season Standings rankings for 2025.

    [25-Dec-2024]

  • 2025 Open Class and Season Scoring

    Far West Masters races are conducted following the standard US masters age class rules. An additional option is used by Far West Masters in our division races, allowing competitors to elect to be scored in an Open class drawn from all age classes rather than their age class for race awards and season scoring.

    All competitors start within their age group in the race start order but may elect to be scored for race awards based on the overall ranking of Open class participants rather than within their age class. The season leader bibs are awarded based on the rankings of the Open class.

    The 2025 Open class elections list is started with all current season bib holders registered by default. Everyone else (including "the usual folks") need to explicitly elect to participate in Open class. It's your choice - no one is obligated or expected to elect Open class - go Open if you'll have fun doing that, stay in your age class for scoring and awards if you're happy with the standard age class system.

    To elect Open class, contact scoring director Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org. Open class participants will be noted on start lists with "OP" designation and when possible on the finish board so that all competitors know who is competing within their age class and who is being scored in the overall Open class.

    IMPORTANT REMINDER: to participate in the Open class for any event, you MUST elect Open no later than the noon the day prior to the race. Day-of-race Open class changes will not be accepted!

    [05-Dec-2024]

  • Mammoth Season Opener updates

    The first good storm series of the season is hitting the west coast and Sierra ski areas are getting a welcome gift of snow for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We are GO for the Mammoth masters training camp on Tue-Fri Dec. 3-6 and our opening GS races on Sat-Sun Dec. 7-8 at Mammoth Mountain

    Update on training camp for those attending: we will be training GS all week (no SL).

    Race registration for the opening Mammmoth races and 2024-25 Far West Masters membership are open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. Training camp signup is available online on the Mammoth web site. Please pay your Far West Masters dues if you have not done so yet!! Membership chair Mary Feddis is doing a lot of work to get new bibs assigned to racers, help her to help all of us by getting your dues paid so we know which bib numbers can be assigned

    Early registration deadline is Sun 12/1; registration closes at 8pm PT Thu 12/5.

    Note: race registration signups for our full season schedule will be added by mid-December on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site. In the meantime, visit the Season Schedule page to plan your race season.

    [24-Nov-2024]

  • Mammoth Dec races and camp

    Race registration for our season opening GS races on Dec. 7-8 is now open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com! We have two GS races at Mammoth Mountain on Dec. 7-8, the weekend following the Thanksgiving holiday. Mammoth is also hosting a 4-day GS/SL training camp on Tue-Fri Dec. 3-6 prior to the weekend races, which is a good opportunity to get on skis and get in some preseason race training to get warmed up.

    See the event info announcement and training camp flyer for additional details. Mammoth is offering a discounted lodging package for camp week and race weekend.

    ** Far West Masters membership reminder** please remember to join or renew your Far West Masters membership by the renewal deadline Wed. Nov. 20. Pay your dues by purchasing "2024-2025 Far West Masters membership" through your account on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com (don't forget to complete the shopping cart checkout to pay!). All members are receiving new bibs this season, so bib number assignments will be made to current members.

    Early registration deadline is Sun 12/1; registration closes at 8pm PT Thu 12/5. You can sign up for the races and also purchase your 2025 Far West Masters membership if you haven't already done so.

    Training camp signup is available online on the Mammoth web site - you can sign up for all four days or for specific days, as your schedule permits. (Note: camp days are included for Mammoth Masters team members as part of the season training program)

    [11-Nov-2025]

  • Reno and Sacramento Ski Swaps

    We will be representing FW Masters at the Reno and Sacramento Avalanche Sale Ski Swaps this year as part of our outreach to add new members. This is also a good opportunity to pick up new gear for the upcoming season or get rid of anything you and your family have outgrown. Many of the big brands will also have reps at the event including Atomic, Head, Nordica, Volkl, K2, Salomon and more.

    The Reno/UNR event is Fri evening and Sat-Sun Nov. 1-3 at Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Used gear drop-offs will be in store at Ski Pro Reno on Neil Rd and Virginia St during regular store hours. The Sacramento event is Fri evening and Sat-Sun Nov. 22-24 at Cal Expo Hall . (check the event site for gear dropoff instructions)

    We are looking for volunteers that can help represent FW Masters at these events for 4-4.5hr shifts each day. If you plan on attending the event to shop, please consider staying and manning our booth to help spread the word and encourage racers new and old to come race with us this season. We will have flyers with all of the information on how to join, we just need you there to share your experiences, answer questions and network.

    For questions or additional information, contact FWM Recruiting chair Damian Palfini at recruiting@farwestmasters.org.

    [27-Oct-2024]

  • Fall Forerunner Newsletter

    The fall issue of the Forerunner newsletter is out! Communication director Melissa House has pulled together all the news and information for the upcoming race season, including reminders about membership with US Ski & Snowboard and Far West Masters.

    In this issue: "President's Message" from FWM chair Rees Palermo, information on 2024-25 race season membership and season schedule, and much more about our Far West masters race program and the upcoming season!

    Questions about membership signups? Contact Mary Feddis at membership@farwestmasters.org
    Questions about The Forerunner? Contact Melissa House at forerunner@farwestmasters.org

    Note: the primary distribution method of the Forerunner newsletter will be electronic publishing through our news email list and here on the web site. All current members of Far West Masters should receive the newsletter. If you have any questions, contact us at forerunner@farwestmasters.org for assistance.

    [2024-10-14]

  • Annual Membership Deadline Reminders

    There are two steps to signing up to race with Far West Masters each season. Please take a look at these instructions and take care of your US Ski & Snowboard membership now to take advantage of the lower pricing. We'll give you plenty of time to do the steps in the section marked later.

    Why do I need this?

    • Racing with Far West Masters requires BOTH a Far West Masters Membership and a US Ski & Snowboard Alpine Master membership
    • The US Ski & Snowboard Alpine Master membership is required for all scheduled races on our season calendar
    • Your FWM membership dues supports organizing our division race calendar and provides you with a permanent race bib for all our Far West masters races

    NOW - US Alpine Master membership

    COMING SOON - Far West Masters membership

    • 2024-2025 membership renewal for Far West Masters will open in early October on the Masters AdminSkiRacing site
    • Far West Masters is waiting for ASR to complete updating the site with improvements for the upcoming season, so membership renewal will open as soon as the vendor completes their updates
    • You'll have plenty of time to do this once we send it out

    US Ski & Snowboard Sign-Up Reminders

    • Most masters should select the "Alpine Master" membership type. Only select the "Alpine Master w/ requirements" membership type if you are required to have SafeSport training and background checks due to your engagement with junior athletes through a US Ski & Snowboard club role.
    • Most masters should select "No Club Affiliation" for the US Ski & Snowboard club affiliation. Do NOT select the club at the area where you ski and train unless you are actually a member - the clubs are generally associated only with junior alpine competitor programs.
    • At the end of the renewal or new member process, you will be asked to e-sign a release of liability.

    If you have questions, please contact membership@farwestmasters.org.

    [02-Oct-2024]

  • Preliminary 2025 Schedule

    The preliminary 2024-2025 race schedule is now available! Scheduling Director Mike Braun has worked hard over the summer to put together a calendar with a good mix of events at proven venues.

    The Western Region championship/FIS Masters Cup races will be held at Big Sky MT on Feb. 7-9. The National Championship DH will be held immediately following the Big Sky event, on Feb. 10-12 at nearby Soldier Mountain, ID, so this is an exciting "two-for-one" travel block that includes both of the major out-of-division events in our Western region this season.

    The US masters national championships are hosted this season by Mid-Atlantic Masters in Eastern division at Gore Mountain, NY on Mar. 18-22. Mid-Atlantic Masters is excited at their first opportunity to host the national championship races and are planning a 4-event championship with AC, SG, GS, and SL. The SG venue at Gore has hosted masters Speed Series races in recent years and gets rave reviews as a really fun track.

    Look for more information about the 2024-25 season and Far West Masters membership coming out in September as the organizing team prepares for the rapidly approaching race season.

    [08-Sep-2024]