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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
- Northstar SGs cancelled, Palisades updates
Northstar SGs cancelled
Regrets, but Far West Masters and Northstar have jointly made the decision
this afternoon that it won't be possible to hold our SG races on Thursday.
With over 2 ft of snow since the storm moved in on Sunday and more coming
tonight before the weather starts to clear tomorrow, there are simply too
many challenges to overcome and not enough time to be able to prepare the
race venue for SG racing.
We appreciate all the effort put in by the Northstar organizers to try to
pull off these races, but the weather has won out.
Palisades updates
Venue change: we will be racing both Fri and Sat on Racers/Motts, off the Siberia chair on the upper mountain.
Parking reminder: parking reservation REQUIRED on Saturday!
Free reservations inventory will be released at 7pm tonight Tue 4/1 - the noon release was sold out by 12:01pm so get on it!!
Paid reservation also available for $30
Entry deadline extended to 8pm Wed 4/2. With the cancellation of Thursday's Northstar SGs, we can keep Palisades registration open for another day on ASR:
Banquet signups: register or add a guest to bring family or friends!
Register yourself on ASR, then fill out a simple form to request extra guest tickets
or click the link below to check extra ticket requests.
Friday BBQ and General Meeting: Eddie Mozen will be putting on a post-race BBQ for us
after Friday's racing on the front deck of the Members Locker Room at the Palisades base
(near the Exhibition race building). Don't miss it - good food and our annual general
membership meeting where you can bring questions and comments on how to improve our program.
Palisades release: and one more thing... If you haven't yet signed the
Palisades/Alpine winter events release, PLEASE do it now!
Text message updates: sign up to receive race info updates by text message:
[3:30pm Tue 4/2/2025]
- Northstar-Palisades season finals info
A few reminders for our 2024-2025 season wrapup the first week of April,
with the rescheduled Northstar NSS SG races on Thursday 4/3 followed by
GS and SL at Palisades on Fri-Sat 4/4-5 and our season banquet on Saturday evening.
We will also have our annual membership meeting following Friday's GS race
at Palisades (location TBA).
Be sure to review the parking information in the event announcements
so you understand the free and paid parking options at both venues.
A parking reservation is REQUIRED on Saturday 4/5 at Palisades, so make sure
you get that taken care of!
Our season banquet on Saturday evening at Palisades will include dinner,
season awards, raffle prizes, and a silent auction to benefit the Far West Masters
Scholarship Program
All four races and the banquet signup are open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com
registration site. If you are bringing family or friends to the banquet,
register yourself on ASR for the banquet and click the link below to fill out
a short form requesting additional tickets for your guests; their banquet fees
will be added to your ticket cost when invoices are posted.
The early registration deadline for race entries is
Sun 3/30 and online registration for all signups
is 8pm Tue 4/1. (note the earlier-than-usual
close of registration on ASR so we have time to prepare for the Thursday
races at Northstar as well as Palisades races and banquet)
** NORTHSTAR AND PALISADES RELEASES REQUIRED **
Both Northstar and Palisades required that ALL participants sign and submit
their winter events release form. If you already signed this season,
e.g. before the cancelled March Northstar races or for the January
Alpine/Palisades event you're all set, everyone else PLEASE
sign the area releases prior to the races next week.
Finally, sign up to receive text notifications of race information announcements
by filling out the opt-in form at this link:
Only people who have opted-in by filling out the form will receive text messages
and you can stop receiving texts at any time by simply replying "STOP".
[28-Mar-2025]
- Northstar GS cancelled; SG reschedule
After considering the weather and snow outlook for the remainder of this week and
the likelihood that we would only be able to run a short GS course
with soft conditions on Saturday, Northstar and Far West Masters have
agreed that it is appropriate to make the call today and cancel the planned
Saturday GS race.
But!! We have some good news coming out of this disappointing schedule cancellation!
Details still need to be confirmed, but the tentative plan proposed today is to
reschedule the two Northstar SG races to Thursday Apr. 3, immediately preceding
our season finals GS and SL races at nearby Palisades on Fri-Sat Apr. 4-5.
That will give us a true finals event to wrap up the 24-25 season with
SG, GS, and SL races and our season awards banquet.
[3:30pm Wed 3/13/2025]
- Northstar SGs cancelled
We spoke with the Northstar Race Department late this afternoon
and the decision is that the Friday 3/14 SG races will not be possible.
The weather forecasts over the past week have consistently predicted a
significant winter storm impacting the Sierra on Wed-Thu.
Given the high confidence in a major midweek storm, it would not be
possible to prepare the race venue for SG racing by Friday.
Outlook for GS racing on Saturday is still unknown, it will depend
on what happens with weather and snow this week. We will stay in contact
with Northstar over the coming days to assess the feasibility of racing
on Saturday and will send an update as soon as we have anything definite.
[7pm 09-Mar-202t]
- Race news text message service
We are in the process of setting up a new text messaging service for sending
race information updates and will be trying it out for the first time
at this weekend's Northstar races. Text messages will supplement our
existing services for sending news and race information updates by email
and we hope will be more convenient for some of you, especially on
race weekends when many of us are traveling and rely on our phones
to keep in touch
In order to receive text messages, you must opt-in by filling out the form at this link:
We will only send time-sensitive membership and race information announcements via text messages.
Only people who have opted-in by filling out the form will receive text messages
and you can stop receiving texts at any time by simply replying "STOP".
If you have questions about the text messaging, contact us at membership@farwestmasters.org.
[09-Mar-2025]
- Northstar SG-GS races
Our March schedule continues with a SG doubleheader and a GS race at Northstar.
Both SG races on Friday are included in the 2025 masters National Speed Series (NSS).
Register online on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com (log into your ASR account to register).
Early registration deadline is Sun 3/9;
registration closes at 8pm PT Wed 3/12.
Parking: Village View lots in walking distance of the base village are free weekdays,
paid and require reservations on weekend; free parking with shuttle service in Castle Peak lots.
See the Northstar parking information page for details.
** Northstar competition release ** is REQUIRED for all participants.
The release form is available online - please submit early to make race day
checkin easier for everyone!
(enter "N/A" in the Name and Birthdate fields for a Minor participant and sign as the Adult)
[06-Mar-2025]
- Diamond Peak SL races
Our next races are 3 SL races at Diamond Peak on Sat-Sun Mar. 1-2.
To take advantage of the excellent SL race venue, we'll be holding 3 SL races over the 2-day weekend.
There will be 3 runs per day,
with SL #2 split over 2 days -
1st run Sat afternoon after SL #1, 2nd run Sun morning before SL #3.
Register online on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com (log into your ASR account to register).
Early registration deadline is Sun 2/23;
registration closes at 8pm PT Thu 2/27.
The Diamond Peak masters coaches are also offering Friday morning SL training for competitors.
Cost is $115 ($25 training + lift ticket) - purchase online with the link in the event announcement for racer lift purchase.
** Diamond Peak release ** is REQUIRED for all participants.
Submit online on our Masters ASR registration site by registering
for the race signup "Diamond Peak DPSEF Waiver 24-25".
Please submit early to make race day checkin easier for everyone!
[20-Feb-2025]
- Alpine SL and Palisades Bernard Cup GS races
Our next races are a 3-day weekend, with two SL races on Fri Jan. 31 at Alpine,
followed by GS races on Sat-Sun Feb. 1-2 at neighboring Palisades Tahoe (Olympic Valley).
The weekend GS races are also the annual Bernard Cup event held annually at Palisades Tahoe,
home area of masters pioneer Bob Bernard, with both GS races scored to determine
the winners of the overall age-handicapped Bernard Cup trophy.
Register online on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com (log into your ASR account to register).
Early registration deadline is Sun 1/26;
registration closes at 8pm PT Wed 1/29.
** Palisades release ** is REQUIRED for all particiapnts.
The release form is available online - please submit early to make race day
checkin easier for everyone!
** Palisades parking reservation ** is REQUIRED for the Sat-Sun
GS races at Palisades. (Not needed on weekdays for our Friday Alpine SL races)
Free reservations are limited, or pre-purchase to ensure your parking access.
[25-Jan-2025]
- 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]
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