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Tech Corner – Omar at Joe’s Sporting Goods

Omar – Joe’s Sporting Goods

How long have you been working on skis?
Been working on skis for 48 years and I have been at Joe’s for 18 years.

What is the highest end athlete equipment you have worked on?
It was actually a snowboarder – Mike Schultz (USA Paralympic team). I have worked for countless USSA and High School athletes as well.

When a Ski Challenge racer brings in their skis, what is typically the biggest issue you see with their equipment?
Not enough handwork done (sidewalls not pulled back, edges not sharpened). Another issue is over grinding. Many skis I see have been ground too much and it makes proper tuning and grinding very difficult.

How often should a Ski Challenge Racer get their skis tuned/ground?
Factory tunes are getting better and better every day so it’s possible you don’t need a tune when you first get them. Feel the ski out and see how it performs.
When the ski quits responding the way you expect it to. Sometimes through excessive scraping and waxing the base becomes concave (low in the middle) or Convex (High in the middle). Another time to get a grind is when you have excessive base burn (white near the edges of a ski). Wax doesn’t like going into base burn and it’s very difficult to get out without grinding.

How often should a Ski Challenge racer wax their skis?
Everyday! Every time you use your ski! Snow is extremely abrasive and wax is your friend against abrasion.

What are three pieces of advice you would give any racer who waxes/tunes their skis?
Don’t scrape dark! When you scrape the wax off of the skis, in most cases when you see black mixed in with the wax: you are scraping your structure and base away!
Be consistent in your process. Find out what works for you and stick with it.
Make sure you have the right tool for the job! No Multi-Tools or Files are needed!

What are three tools that every racer/parent should have in their bag?
A decent iron,  a handful of good brushes for the different stages of waxing/tuning, and
a decent side edge tool and stone.

What are two things a racer should NEVER do to their skis?
1. Do not change/mess with BASE BEVEL! No files or stones when the base is showing!
2. Don’t use PTEX candles on the base for base repair. Bring it in and have the repair done correctly!

IN YOUR OPINION: What is THE ONE THING that a Ski Challenge racer could do with their skis to help lower their HCP/times?
Maintain your edges. GS is an ‘Edge Sport’ (Spend more time on edge than not) and having properly prepared edges is critical for best performance.

Final Question: How many skis do you work on a season?
Wow, that’s a good question. I would have to estimate about 1,000 pairs a season come through the shop.

Joe’s Sporting Goods
33 East County Rd B – St. Paul, MN 55117
Store: 651-209-7800

Tech Corner – Eric at Pierce Skate and Ski

Eric -Pierce Skate and Ski

How long have you been working on skis?
Got into this in 1998 and I have been at Pierce for 21 years.

What is the highest end athlete equipment you have worked on?
I have a handful of names: Isaiah Nelson (Current US Ski Team Member), Michael Ankeny (Former US Ski Team Member, Featured Athlete on the World Pro Ski Tour, Current Ski Challenge racer on BHTUES), and Paula Moltzan (Current US Ski Team) when she was with the Buck Hill team.

When a Ski Challenge racer brings in their skis, what is typically the biggest issue you see with their equipment?
I actually have a few:
Skis that have been worked on with a lack of information or misinformation. Sometimes people heard that a specific tune or set-up worked well for someone else and they, without knowing why, have it done to their equipment and it kills their performance. The other big issue is that people ‘overbevel’ their bases. Don’t touch the bases!
Not getting their race skis tuned when they get them. Factory tunes are not your tune!

How often should a Ski Challenge racer get their skis tuned/ground?
Ideally, once if you maintain and care for your equipment. The tune should last quite a while. If you notice that ‘something is off’, bring them in for a check-up.

How often should a Ski Challenge racer wax their skis?
As often and as much as possible! This is particularly true in cold, extra aggressive/abrasive, conditions.

What are three pieces of advice you would give any racer who waxes/tunes their skis?
Learn the importance of ‘why’ you need to do what you do. Don’t just do something because someone else told you to. Understand the tools you have and the gear you are on. Use the right tool for the job! This is important as too many people try to use tools that are not made for the task.

What are three tools that every racer/parent should have in their bag?
A good side edge tool and stone
A good quality iron
2-3 waxes you feel comfortable with

What are two things a racer should NEVER do to their skis?
Flat file (putting a file or stone on the bases) and trying to adjust the base angle
SEE #1!!! This is the number one thing you should NEVER do

IN YOUR OPINION: What is THE ONE THING that a Ski Challenge racer could do with their skis to help lower their HCP/times?
If you cannot tell: I like to have an understanding of the why of things. That being said; the number one thing an athlete can do is to work with someone to make sure they are in the right equipment and have a tune that works for them. Don’t just do what everyone else is doing.

Final Question: How many skis do you work on a season?
With our machine, we can get through 30-40 a day. We have a lot of demo skis/race skis that we work on during the summer as well. 12-15k a year?

Pierce Skate and Ski
208 West 98th Street – Bloomington, MN 55420
(952-884-1990 Phone
(888) 754-1996 Toll-Free

 

Masters Nationals @ Granite Peak Feb 5-10!

The 2024 USSS Alpine Masters Nationals will be hosted in the midwest for the first time ever at Granite Peak Ski Resort in Wausau, WI. If you love ski racing, you need to be there Feb 6-10! With an age range of 18 to over 90, racers compete in age classes of five-year increments and can race in GS, Parallel GS, SG, and SL. Social parties and awards nightly!

  • Do I need to qualify? No! Anyone can race and all abilities are welcome!
  • Equipment rules? No ski requirements but you must have a FIS stickered helmet. See this video for details.
  • What can I win? You compete only in your age class and gender. There are medals for each event as well as an overall. The fastest racers are named to the National Masters Team and are eligible to receive exclusive official Kappa race gear!
  • What’s the Cost? Masters License $135 plus $45 per race. Coached training $45. Daily lift tickets are $75 or use your Indy pass. We are working on a significant discount for those new to Masters.
  • Schedule, How to Register, Lodging, and more: See the Event Fact Sheet.
  • Want to geek out on Masters rules? See our Competition Guide.
  • Questions? Email [email protected] or tune in to our live Q&A session 7:30pm Sunday, Jan 14 on the US Alpine Masters Facebook page.

2024 Week 2 News

SCHEDULE CHANGES – CHECK IN / AWARDS CHANGES

  • DOUBLE RACE FOR BUCK SUNDAY AM
    No Sunday AM race on January 14
    Sunday, January 21 we will be having a double race.  This will be considered week 2 & 3.
  • MONDAY RACING
    No Monday race on January 8. Week 2 is January 15.
  • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17 RACES
    Wednesday DAY – Meet in Hutch / Awards in Hutch – Must be out of Hutch by 3:30 pm
    Wednesday PM – Check in – Bib Pick Up – Guests Sign up in Slopeside Room under Bar / Gather in Bar after Race.

LIFT TICKETS AT BUCK HILL
All racers must purchase a separate lift ticket or have a season pass from the ski area.  Buck Hill offers a discount if you purchase your ticket ahead of time online. Make sure you have your lift ticket visible when riding the lift. They will periodically be checking for lift tickets.

 

BUCK HILL EVENT CENTER ROOM / BUCK ‘54
Pre-orders – Don’t forget to use the pre-order forms and write when you estimate you will be coming in.  That way you will get your order in a timely manner.  If you order after you get it in, it will take a lot longer to get your food.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM
You can find us on Facebook and Instagram!  We share many things on social media including our league racers of the week and photos from each race.  We also post information about schedule changes and cancellations.  Sponsor events and sales are shared too!

INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM RANKING REPORTS
Want to see how you rank as an individual within your age group and overall?  Or, how your team is doing compared to the other teams in the entire league?

TEAM PHOTOS
Tuesday – January 23
Wendesday DAY – January 24
Wednesday PM – January 24
Thursday – February 1
Sunday AM – February 4
Sunday PM – February 4
Monday – February 5

TECH CORNER

Now that the first week of the 2024 season is in the rear-view mirror, many racers are starting to think about ski maintenance and how to get the most out of their skis! Ski Challenge is very fortunate to have two of the best shops in the state as Platinum sponsors – Joe’s Sporting Goods and Pierce Skate and Ski. Both Pierce and Joe’s have extensive experience in ski tuning and maintenance. We had the pleasure of sitting down with the service managers at both shops to pick their brains and we are thrilled to share their knowledge and recommendations with you. If you need assistance with your skis, whether that’s for a professional tune, equipment, or advice, be sure to stop into Joe’s or Pierce! Both shops are fantastic options and we are so grateful for their continued partnership and support all these years.

OMAR – JOE’S SKI SHOP

ERIC – PIERCE SKATE AND SKI

WEEKLY PHOTOS

You can see all of our weekly photos on Facebook and SmugMug.   On SmugMug we post high-resolution photos that you can download for free including our Team Photos.

Double Header Races

How does a Double Header Race work?

If you can’t make it for the start, try and get there when you can and we will do all we can to get all your runs in.  Sunday AM start time still 9:45 am.  Race will just take a bit longer.  Weeknight double races we will try and start racing at 7 instead of 7:30 pm.  Inspection is always 1/2 hour before start time.

Everyone will take one run on each course based on the running order for the first week of the two weeks we are covering.  Once everyone has gotten their two runs in, we will pause for a bit and either slip the existing courses, or make a minor reset.  Then we will start the next race based on the next week running order we are covering.

Awards
We will have an abbreviated awards ceremony for each of the two races.  We will honor Fastest, Fast and most improved of each race and then will abbreviate team awards depending on where we are with time.

We understand that having Double Headers isn’t ideal.  We appreciate your patience and understanding with this situation.

 

2024 Week 1 News

IN THIS NEWS

COURSE COLORS

The course colors will be Blue and Red at Buck Hill this year.  These colors will be used to match the new Start Shack lights!  The Blue course will be on Racer’s Right (left looking up the hill) and Red course will be Racer’s Left (right looking up the hill).  Results posted on the NASTAR website will still show Orange and Green as course colors.

7/11 COURSE WEEK

This season all the course setters will be picking one week to have a 7/11 course week.  What this means is one of the dual courses will have 7 gates and the other 11.  We will give each league notice of when this will happen.  It most likely will be around week 5 or 6.  No need to wear different skis.  Your normal race skis should be able to handle each type of course!

MEET YOUR COURSE SETTERS

Andrey Ryvlin

  • What Leagues/Events do you set: I really enjoy setting courses. I set Wednesday afternoon Ski Challenge, other than Buck Hill I set for Masters, also set at some other areas around the state
  • Years Setting at Buck Hill: about 5 years
  • What do you do when you are not setting courses: When not setting courses I work as a software developer at Idemia Corp, I like to travel with skis and without, I am busy helping with remodeling projects at my church, I also enjoy playing tennis (when there is no snow on the ground)
  • What skis do you race on: Mostly on Atomic skis
  • Favorite wax to use: Mostly use FastWax (#1), Swix, and Toko
  • Best Ski Challenge/Ski Racing memory: Best Ski Challenge experience was last year at Giants where our team won the big trophy.
  • Favorite Buck 54′ food/meal or Drink: At Buck 54 I like beer and good company.
  • About Me: Skiing and ski racing is a big part of my life. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid and will keep doing it as long as God allows me to.

Morgan Rapp (aka: Turd Ferguson)-

  • What Leagues/Events do you set: Thursday PM SC, Friday GS Clinics, SC State
  • Years Setting at Buck Hill: 17
  • What do you do when you are not setting courses: Senior Product Owner in digital marketing at Ameriprise Financial. Also, National Sales Rep, Fast Wax Ski Wax
  • What skis do you race on: Volkl Racetigers
  • Favorite wax to use: Fast Wax HS0
  • Best Ski Challenge/Ski Racing memory: The old Friday night family leagues I set for many years, and sending kids from the bottom of the ramp too scared to go from the top
  • Favorite Buck 54′ food/meal or Drink:  Hot Chicken sandwich
  • About Me: “Whenever I’m about to do something, I think ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.” Motto serves me well in life, especially in coursesetting.

Scott Flanary

  • What Leagues/Events do you set: SUN PM
  • Years Setting at Buck Hill: 8 years
  • What do you do when you are not setting courses: Coach Breck Alpine Ski
  • What skis do you race on: Rossignol Hero 23m
  • Favorite wax to use: No idea…” Skiing Ian” (Ian Montgomery) is my ski tech.
  • Best Ski Challenge/Ski Racing memory: Every Season that Premature Release Dominates the Thursday night SC League

Brent Wasti

  • What Leagues/Events do you set:  SUN AM 
  • Years Setting at Buck Hill: I think at least 12. 
  • What do you do when you are not setting courses: Woodworking or Underwater Basket weaving
  • What skis do you race on: Blizzard WC GS (25m)
  • Favorite wax to use: Dominator Rocket
  • Best Ski Challenge/Ski Racing memory: Beating regional pacesetter Jack Miller at State Championships
  • Favorite Buck 54′ food/meal or Drink: Pizza
  • About Me: I’m not funny.

Reed Anderson

  • What Leagues/Events do you set: WEDS PM
  • Years Setting at Buck Hill: 20+ (Grizzled vet)
  • What do you do when you are not setting courses: Retired from working full time. Play golf, ski, and spend a lot of summertime at the cabin in Northern Minnesota.
  • What skis do you race on: Rossignol Master (23M)
  • Favorite wax to use: Toko
  • Best Ski Challenge/Ski Racing memory: I’m too old to remember.
  • Favorite Buck 54′ food/meal or Drink: Surly Furious
  • About Me: I have enjoyed Ski Challenge since 1987 and hope my body holds out long enough to continue for years to come.
  • *Wednesday PM participants – I wish I could come out and set what I want every week, but sometimes with at least 2 other races on the hill before the evening race, I must set what the hill safely allows. Racer safety is the priority and I appreciate your patience!*

Thor Morales

  • What Leagues/Events do you set: MON PM, TUES PM, Ski Challenge NASTAR, Ski Challenge State (King of the Hel), Dabbling with Masters
  • Years Setting at Buck Hill: 16
  • What do you do when you are not setting courses: Account Representative at Power/mation (Industrial Automation). Attempt to play golf frequently.
  • What skis do you race on: Atomic RS 183 (24m)
  • Favorite wax to use: Fast Wax Thunderbolt+ 20 (Get it at Joes!)
  • Best Ski Challenge/Ski Racing memory: Got told by Daron Rahlves that the course I set for Pacesetter trials ‘Was Decent’.
  • Favorite Buck 54′ food/meal or Drink: Gotta be the Wings. I think I get them every night I am hungry there.
  • Funny lines to share: “Its Ski Challenge, Not Ski Easy” or “It’s Giant Slalom, not Mini Downhill”.

RACER CONFIRMATIONS

A confirmation email will be sent out to all rostered racers.  This confirmation will include race dates, times, check in information.  It will also include links to registration status, running orders and schedules.

ROSTERS AND RUNNING ORDERS

Rosters and running orders for the season are posted online.  Rosters are updated periodically and show registration, waiver and payment status.  We do not show personal information online.  Each captain has received an updated roster that includes personal information for each team member.  Captains will also receive a Captain Packet at the first race of the season.

Running orders will be posted at check in and at the top of the race run each week.  These running orders rotate each week with each team moving down one slot each week.  The bottom team on each side will rotate to the top each week.  Running orders were determined by the order that team deposits were made.

GO HERE TO SEE ROSTERS & RUNNING ORDERS

PACESETTING FOR 2024

NASTAR is not holding any Regional Pacesetting Trials this season.  And, with the mild December, we did not have an opportunity to run a trial.  We will be using last year’s pacesetting numbers for the start of the season.  We will periodically review numbers and see if any adjustments need to be made.

Because we are participating in NASTAR again this season, we are required to use pacesetters that have been approved by NASTAR.  If you are currently a pacesetter in our system and do NOT want to be, please notify Ski Challenge and we will take you off the list.  If you are not a pacesetter currently and average a 12 or less for handicap and want to become a pacesetter, contact us and we will get you a number.

GO HERE FOR THE CURRENT LIST OF PACESETTERS AND HANDICAPS.

GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PACESETTING

SKI CHALLENGE SCORING SYSTEM

A handicap system is used to determine medals.  A new handicap is achieved for each race run and is strictly the percentage slower than the par time (zero handicap).  The par time is determined by picking a pacesetter for each run and determining a par time based on their established pace handicap and their time.  Each racer’s best handicap of the two runs is used to determine medal and team points. Medals are awarded at each race at an awards ceremony. Refer to the official Ski Challenge Scoring Chart for details on the scoring system. The top six scores from each team count for team points. These accumulate weekly through Race 7 to determine team placement in league standings. Racer points for  #7, #8, #9 racers (and bonus points, how many points a medal is achieved by) will be accumulated each week to determine any tiebreakers at the last race.

GO HERE FOR MORE SCORING INFORMATION

GO HERE TO SEE THE SCORING CHARTS

GUEST RACING

You are allowed to guest race two times per regular season race league. The fee is $15.  We recommend that all guests register and pay online at least TWO hours before course inspection.  If you are unable to do this, you can show up at the hill and pay and sign up there.  Follow this link to register:  GUEST REGISTRATION.

BUCK HILL INFORMATION

Lift Tickets – must be worn at each event.  Tickets will be periodically checked.  Buck Hill offers online tickets deals and offers a late night lift ticket deal each night starting at 7 pm.  Check it out here:  BUCK HILL LIFT TICKETS

Event Center – NO Outside Food or Beverage allowed in the Event Center or Buck ’54 Restaurant.  You will have an opportunity to purchase food and beverage at each of our race events.

GENERAL RULES

Ski Challenge has a list of rules to keep things fair and running smoothly.  Here are some highlights of the rules concerning roster changes and substitutions.

Roster Changes
Additions or changes to teams (up to the roster limit of 10) can be made at any time until race 5.  Re-entry of participants is not allowed.  Open spots may be filled at any time.  You may not switch racers in and out of a roster.

Your week 5 roster will be the set roster for Championships.  No Changes after week 5.  You can only make one roster change per bib number.  Once a change is made, it remains for the remainder of the season*.

Substitutions
Roster substitutions are NOT allowed.  Guest racers may race with a particular team, but cannot count for the team scores or take the place of a missing rostered member for the week.  Each racer number is assigned to a rostered participant and all of their information (ie birthdate, gender, age, previous week’s handicap).  This is permanent until an official roster change has been made.

Switching Teams or Guest Joining Teams
If a member switches from one team to another in the same league, all race results before the switch will remain intact on the original team.  If a guest racer joins a team, his or her race results from his or her guest race in that league will be added to the team they joined.

GO HERE FOR COMPLETE LIST OF RULES

Welcome to the 39th Season of Ski Challenge!

A chill is in the air and Halloween is in the rearview mirror! That means it’s time to think about SKI RACING! Our 2024 season kicks off on Tuesday, January 2! We’re excited to dive into our 39th season of Ski Challenge. The schedule is shaping up to be a fun-filled season with lots of ski racing to be had!

Our Race Camp at Jackson Hole is going strong with close to 20 participants. We will be out there December 7, 8, 9. This camp offers racers three full days of skiing, coaching, gates, and video analysis, not to mention a ton of camaraderie.

Our leagues at Buck Hill are continuing to grow with many “younger” racers joining up and forming teams! We still have room for individuals and teams in all of our leagues. Contact the Ski Challenge office at
[email protected] to get started.

Ski Challenge will once again host the Saturday night NASTAR Open Races at Buck Hill this year. We have six Saturdays on the calendar in January and February. These races allow for as many runs as you can get in between 7 and 8:30 pm. Everyone is welcome, even non-Ski Challenge racers. This is a great way to get your friends out to try ski racing! We may have one preseason race in December if Buck Hill is ready to go with their new chairlift and start ramp!
Championships at Giants Ridge is scheduled for March 1, 2, and 3, 2024. This event is a fun-filled weekend with a lot of racing! Teams are divided into divisions with teams of similar abilities. There are also additional team and individual races that everyone can participate in, including non-Ski Challenge members! The weekend is finished up with a Sunday Fun-day race day put on by the Midwest Masters. All teams are invited to participate.

INTERESTING FACTS FROM 2023

101 – Total Teams
92 – Total Events
885 – Registered Racers
47 – The average age of participants
The highest concentration is in the 60-69 age groups (24%)
23% – Female
77% – Male
5,472 – Total Racer Starts ALL EVENTS
4,727 – Total Racer Starts Leagues
3,777 – Buck Hill Racer Starts
960 – Wild Mountain Racer Starts
480 – Racer Starts at Giants Ridge
60% – of participants surveyed who purchased season passes
69% – of participants surveyed took at least one ski trip outside of the Minnesota regional area
Ski Challenge was #1 Club in NASTAR Rankings

You can see our full demographics review by following this link:  DEMOGRAPHICS REVIEW FOR 2023

Dedication to Sara Bauer from Guys & Dolls – 2023

To Friends and Fellow Racers of Sara Bauer:

Guys and Dolls wanted to share that we dedicate the Guys and Dolls 2023 D2 win to our friend and sister in skiing Sara Bauer.

Sara corralled up this team of diverse people and made us into this crazy close team.  She had high standards of attendance, training and performance (you didn’t want to be on the “naughty list!”)!  She (strongly) encouraged that we all get on the Atomic Redsters (we all did)!  She wrangled us all up to State for the first time in 2021 and led us to the D2 victory–a first for the team, founded in 1997 by Queen Judy Alm, who handed the torch to Sara in 2016.  This win was such a proud and special moment for Sara!  Hella celebration ensued…(it went on monthly from house to house).

In 2022 only the team knew that her cancer recurred–and we lost her on April 11, 2022.

We were heartbroken to lose our “Fearless Leader” (aka Sara’s signature).

This year, down extra skiers due injuries (Mark), illicit moves to Cali (Scott), family illness (Isabella) and other logistics (Heidi) we regrouped (thanks, Heather and Natalie/Ringer) and raced, starting every race run with a very jubilant: “SKI FOR SARA!”

We made these for the team to wear on our helmets at State, 2023, and the sun came out right before the first run–certain Sara was right there with us.

We “did this thing” for you, Girl.  You will be in our hearts forever.

Barb and Dave–thank you for all you do with the Ski Challenge.  This program and her teams were a very special part of her life.

 

Sara Bauer 1963-2022

Guys and Dolls 2021 Division 2 Champs with Captain Sara

 

 

Guys and Dolls 2023 Division 2 Champs–and a Burgie photo bomb (Sara laughing for sure)

2023 End of Year Wrap Up

Our 38th season of the Ski Challenge has wrapped up! It was a great year!

Despite the crazy weather year, we pulled off another fun-filled season!  Our 2023 season started off with cancellations due to too much snow, had some cold temps and then rain thrown in during mid-season, and then had to deal with more heavy snow on the tail end.  Thanks to the ski areas and Midwest Masters for helping us to get our final year-end races in.

REGULAR SEASON / NASTAR Open Races. 
We had more than 5,200 regular-season race results throughout the season—close to 1,500 for Wild Mountain and 3,300 for Buck Hill.  We had 255 Saturday night NASTAR racers at Buck Hill this season.

CHAMPIONSHIPS
223 individuals participated in our Championships at Giants Ridge. We had close to 1,000 individual race starts in the two days of competition.

A BIG thank you to our participating ski areas and their staff at Buck Hill, Wild Mountain, and Giants Ridge. Also, thank you to all our participating Sponsors. We couldn’t do it without our great Ski Challenge staff and most of all, we thank all the Ski Challenge racers for all your support and continued participation.

Take our Survey!

Please take our 2023 survey. You will have a chance to win a $50 credit toward your fees for next season! The survey should take no more than 10 minutes.  This survey closes on Monday, April 3.

2023 SURVEY

Championship Results and Photos

Check out all the results for the Championships by following this link:
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

PHOTOS
Photos from our Championships weekend at Giants Ridge are available for download and viewing!
SMUGMUG

All photos are posted to our SmugMug site and also on Facebook. On the SmugMug site, you can download high-resolution photos at no charge. You can also share them on your social media sites.
FACEBOOK

If you want to tag yourself or friends, then you will need to grab the photos directly from our albums on Facebook.

A big thanks to Randal Zoeller and Derek Hennekens for taking all the great photos at Giants Ridge! Also, a great big Thank You to all the staff who helped make this year’s event a success!  And thanks to the Giants Ridge crew and Rock Ridge Alpine Team for helping us out all weekend.  It takes A LOT of hands-on to bring it all together.

Help us plan for next year! If you attended Championships at Giants Ridge this year, follow this link to fill out our Championships Survey.

CHAMPIONSHIPS SURVEY