What’s in store for NASTAR?  Thanks to Ryan Fuller of Midwest Masters for sharing the information he got from Bill Madsen, Director of NASTAR:

1. What will happen with NASTAR pricing? Will prices go up?
   Pricing will not change.
2. What is going to happen in the immediate future?
   Our goal is to unite alpine racing under one organization so that we can promote the sport and its stars
3. Will the NASTAR racing that I am used to change?
   NASTAR racing will not change as you know it. We do want to involve more organizations so that NASTAR can be used as a complete event management system for race administrators. We want it to be easier to host races and provide participants with more information about their experience. We want NASTAR to be used as a universal scoring system to connect alpine racers.
4. Will NASTAR scoring change?
   No.
5. Who runs NASTAR now? Who owns it? Is this a permanent change?
   The USSA administers NASTAR and the goal is to make this a permanent change. NASTAR is a franchise that is provided to resorts and clubs annually.
6. Why was this decision made?
   The change was made to bring all levels of alpine racing under one roof. With NASTAR operated by the USSA there will be a seamless transition for athletes to move from NASTAR racing, to USSA racing, to FIS racing.

Ski Challenge will be matching the NASTAR age groups for this year.  Because of NASTAR’s alignment with USSA, some of the kids categories have changed.  Our scoring chart will still remain slightly different for some of our “older” age groups.  We would like to move toward matching NASTAR eventually and will gradually move toward this goal through the upcoming seasons.

Age Groups:
1-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-20
21-24
25-29
The rest of the age groups will remain the same.

For more information go to:  www.nastar.com

Ski Challenge will be adding an ALL AGE league to Hyland in 2016.  The league will be set for Saturday nights with racing starting at 6:30 pm (course inspection at 6 pm).  The league will start January 9 and run for seven consecutive weeks ending on February 20.

All ages are welcome to join.  Teams can be made up of all kids, kids and adults or just adults.

A complimentary gate practice will be held the first three weeks of the season from 5-6 pm.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE.

Complimentary* timed practice and gates is also offered at Wild Mountain
For individuals who are new to Ski Challenge.
Check in at the Ski School Desk

Dates:  Wednesdays, December, 23 and 30
Time:  7 pm inspection 7:30 timing
Location:  Expressway week 1 / Wild week 2

Dates:  Sundays, December 27 and January 3
Time:  4 pm Inspection – 4:30 timing
Location:  Expressway for both weeks.

Times will be read over the loud speaker – nothing will be recorded, posted or sent in to NASTAR.

* Current Ski Challenge racers are welcome to come to the practice time.  There will be a $10 charge payable to Wild Mountain.
This clinic is designed for skiers who can ride the chairlift on their own and who can handle skiing on Expressway and/or Wild- There will be no staffing available to assist young children on an individual basis. 

Ski Challenge will be offering BONUS LEAGUES for the upcoming season.

BONUS LEAGUE – Each participant gets to take TWO runs in each course at each race as time permits.  Only the best time in each run will be used to determine handicaps.  Ski Challenge scoring will then be implemented using those two handicaps.  Only the best times in each course will be sent to NASTAR.  Running orders must be followed for all four runs.

Tentative Bonus leagues for the 2015-16 Season include:

• BHPREF
• WMPRE
• WMFRI
• WMSUNA
• WMSUNP
• WMWED
• HYSAT

If bonus league adds more teams, the bonus league will become a normal league and will go to one run in each course.

Registration is now set up for the upcoming season.  Captains can register a returning or new team and Individuals can register and pay for pre and regular seasons.

Everyone is required to fill out an online waiver for the upcoming season.  Even if you have filled one out in the past, this needs to be done each season.  The waiver is where you give us updated information such as a new address, new phone # or new e-mail address.  It is also where you give us your birth date and racing discipline (Alpine – Snowboard – Telemark).

Follow the links below to get going!

• REGISTRATION
• LIABILITY FORMS (WAIVERS)

The season has come to a close and with that, we summarize and analyze where we’ve been and where we’re going.  Our demographics and summary are drawn from our annual surveys, our database and of course all our photos taken throughout the season.

This demographic analysis and summary are then put together in booklets and given to each of our participating ski areas and sponsors.  Each ski area is also given a documentation of skier visits throughout the years.

This process is a good way to see how our numbers are aligning with the Ski Industry standards and current trends.

You can see a copy of our demographics and summary for the 2014-15 season here.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Ski Challenge 2015 Championships up at Giants Ridge!  We had a total of 566 racer finishes over the three day event!  (518 taking out duplicate racers).  This, of course, is an increase from the year before probably due to temps being more tolerable than the previous year!

To see more photos from the 2015 Championships CLICK HERE.

SKI CHALLENGE OPEN

We were very happy with the positive vibes we got for the new Ski Challenge Open held on Friday.  We pretty much filled up the race to the max with 90 participants!  Our event was partially sponsored by Hoigaard’s, Joe’s and Pierce.  Prizes from Hoigaard’s, Joe’s and Pierce, were awarded out to the 1st and 2nd place teams along with some Ski Challenge Gear.  Third place team received Smartwool Socks.  Our third to last place team was surprised with ski tunes from Hoigaard’s, Joe’s and Pierce!

NO WAX – Winners of the 1st Annual Ski Challenge Open Race. Pat Hiller, Jukka Mahonen, Mike Berggren, Bill Christopherson, Mark Cater and Ken McAdam.

We plan on expanding the Ski Challenge Open next year to more teams of six and will allow non-Ski Challenge members to also participate!  We will be offering great prizes and another fun awards ceremony in the restaurant/bar for all participants!  The Ski Challenge Open will remain on Friday afternoon of Championships weekend.

RESULTS RECAP

Congratulations to the winning teams for the 2015 Championships!

Division 1 – RE/WAX – BHWEDD – Captain, Pat Hiller
Division 2 – The Young and Edgeless – BHSUNA – Captain, Gary Griffin
Division 3 – Team Mongoose – BHWEDP – Captain, Tom Fredericks
Division 4 – Buck Naked – BHWEDD – Captain, Don Hammer
Division 5 – The Rookies – BHTHUR – Captain, Matthew Lysne
Division 6 – Samurai Squad – WMWED – Captain, Renata Engel
Division 7 – Rut Riders – BHSUNA – Captain, Craig Stubbins
Division 8 – BBC – BHWEDP – Captain, Joe Heinemann

Click here to see all Championship Results

PBR SKI WINNERS

Congratulations to the Pabst Blue Ribbon Ski Winners!

Thor Morales and Mike Bloomquist.

Thor Morales and Pat Dougherty, Hibbing Coach (holding skis for picture). Mike Bloomquist was not available for the photo.

CHAMPIONSHIPS FUTURE

We have some great new ideas for our 2016 championships.  As things change and evolve, we are constantly thinking about how to improve the racing/event experience.  We have looked at new venues, but find that Giants Ridge still seems to be the best for our kind of event.  There are a few other options out there, but don’t seem to offer anything to improve the experience and seem to make things harder to accomplish.  Logistics, parking, (freedom to have a parking lot party), ability to watch races if you are not a skier, are all lost at some of the other areas we have looked at.  Giants Ridge offers us a location where our group can come together and hang out without a lot of “public” getting in the way.

It seems over the years that our racers are looking for more opportunities to race throughout the weekend.  So, we will be expanding our “Ski Challenge Open” race to more teams of 6 on Friday giving all racers an opportunity to race on Innsbruck.  This race is also open to non-Ski Challenge participants.

We are also going to attempt to have all divisions on Saturday going down to five total divisions.  By going to five divisions on Saturday, this allows for us to have Division 3 on Innsbruck!  If need be, we will add a sixth division on Sunday at 10 am.  On Sunday we are going to offer an Individual Championship race which everyone in Ski Challenge is invited to participate in.  Our preliminary idea for this race would be to allow racers two runs on Innsbruck and two on Helsinki.  Awards will follow ranking individuals within their age groups.

GEAR UP FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2016

Because we are planning on our Individual Championships being held up at our Championship weekend, we are going to offer a different kind of event the week before Championships hopefully at both Wild Mountain and Buck Hill.  This event will have some kind of gate practice and race.  Possibly a “League vs. League” race.

All of these ideas are in the beginning stages and we hope to get them set as we get closer to next season!

Anyone who races at the State Championships up at Giants Ridge this weekend will have a chance to win a pair of Pabst Blue Ribbon Skis (21 and older participants) and a Thule Roller Bag!

Tickets to fill out will be available at check in.

Tomorrow is the last day to pre-pay for State Championships.  To see a list of who has paid so far you can follow this link:  REGISTRATION SO FAR

PRE-REGISTRATION AND PRE-PAY ARE NOW CLOSED.  PLEASE PAY UP AT GIANTS RIDGE

• $25 per person per Division paid by cash or check to Ski Challenge office by February 25.
• $28 Paid online with Credit Card by February 25
• $30 Paid after February 25 – Up at Giants Ridge – Cash/Check/Credit Card

We still have room in the Ski Challenge Open on Friday.  You can add on to a team up at Giants Ridge.   An Awards Party will be held in the Bar/Restaurant at The Lodge at Giants Ridge at 5:30 pm.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2015 Individual Championships at Wild Mountain Yesterday.  It was a fun day with awesome conditions!  The results are now posted.  You can find them here:  INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS.