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 and Diamond Peak races

    What a gorgeous weekend we had with warm, sunny spring weather and great racing conditions for our 3-day weekend at Northstar and Diamond Peak! Friday's SG races at Northstar featured two fun courses on the Loggers Loop-Surprise course and the day featured numerous big smiles as racers hit the finish line. Both races also count for the 2024 National Speed Series, so we were happy to have racers from Pacific Northwest, Intermountain, and Rocky joining our crew from Far West.

    Racing shifted to nearby Diamond Peak for a pair of SL races on the weekend. We haven't raced at Diamond Peak for a number years so it was a pleasure to bring this venue back onto our race calendar. The weather was fabulous, the views spectacular, and the Diamond Peak race crew ran an outstanding pair of races for us on the Showoff SL track.

    In addition to our out-of-division guest racers lured by the Speed Series, it was great to have a number of new Far West masters racers in the field. We can't promise the same lovely weather for all our events, but we hope it was a good introduction to masters racing that will bring them back for more.

    The Diamond Peak SL races were also the site for 2024 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 appreciated the fantastic conditions we had to celebrate his spirited attitude that ski racing is fun for all ages. The tentative Viva Italia winners were announced at the post-race awards, pending final age handicap computations when the completed race data was available, and the confirmed 2024 Viva Italia winners are Deb Lewis (W09) and Tim Hill (M08).

    Complete race results from the SL races at Diamond Peak are posted on the web site on the Race Results page. We don't yet have the results data we need to post the Northstar SG results, but as soon as we receive those race files we'll post updated Season Standings rankings for 2024.

    [18-Mar-2024]

  • Northstar, Diamond Peak race info

    Our next races are two SG's at Northstar on Friday Mar. 15, followed by weekend SL races at nearby Diamond Peak on Mar. 16-7.

    Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. The early registration deadline is Sun 3/10; registration closes at ** 8pm Wed 3/13 ** for both events.

    See the Diamond Peak event announcement for details on racer lift tickets and link for signing the required waiver form. We don't yet have those details for Northstar but will add to the event information as soon as we can confirm the logistics with the Northstar organizers.

    ** BREAKING NEWS: Thu SL training at Diamond Peak
    Diamond Peak will have a SL training day on Thursday Mar. 14, prior to the weekend races. Cost is $175 for the day, including lift ticket as well as training. This is a great chance to get in a day of SL training and check out the race hill, which may be a new venue for many of us. Sign up for Diamond Peak SL training on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com ASAP so we can get a head count estimate of those interested. Details to follow soon on whether we'll charge via ASR or go through a Diamond Peak site to handle payment.

    [09-Mar-2024]

  • Alpine SL races

    Well, it was a beautiful day for racing at Alpine Meadows, after the previous weekend's blizzard that shut down most of Tahoe and Mammoth for several days. Unfortunately there was a slight delay when the entire ski area lost power for 1-1/2 hours just as racers were starting to inspect the first run course.

    Thankfully, the power came back on and lifts started running again before we lost our race day! The efficient Alpine Meadows crew provided us with a good race day despite the late start. While there had been concerns about soft snow earlier in the week, racer reports were that the courses held up well throughout the field. Due to the late time and the long, tiring day for athletes and crew, the jury decided to shorten the second race to a 1-run SL.

    Complete race results are posted on the web site on the Race Results page along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2024.

    [09-Mar-2024]

  • Mt Rose GS races cancelled

    We are very disappointed to share the news that the Mt Rose organizers contacted us this afternoon and have cancelled the GS races scheduled for Saturday Mar. 9. Their assessment of the snow conditions today on the Slide Mountain side of Mt Rose after last weekend's major blizzard that shut down most of the Tahoe region for several days is that the snow is too deep and too soft to be able to prepare for racing GS on Saturday.

    We WILL be racing SL at Alpine Meadows on Friday as planned.

    [06-Mar-2024]

  • March Forerunner newsletter

    The March issue of the Forerunner newsletter is out! Stories and pictures from our February races and upcoming March events, tips for Far West coaches, and reports from athletes sponsored by our Far West Masters Scholarship Program.

    To catch up on recent issues or dive into past season archives, visit the Forerunner newsletter page:

    [04-Mar-2024]

  • Alpine and Mt Rose race reminders

    Reminders for our races this week on Friday Mar. 8 with two SL races at Palisades Tahoe/Alpine Meadows and Saturday Mar. 9 for rescheduled Mt Rose McKinney Cup GS races. Competitor release waivers are REQUIRED at both venues and should be submitted online in advance.

    Alpine Meadows is an Ikon pass resort. Racer lift ticket for both areas can be purchased online:

    Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. The early registration deadline is Sun 3/3; registration closes at ** 8pm Wed 3/6 ** for both events.

    [02-Mar-2024]

  • Alpine and Mt Rose races info

    Our next races will be a double-doubleheader weekend on Friday Mar. 8 with two SL races at Palisades Tahoe/Alpine Meadows, followed on Saturday Mar. 9 by the rescheduled Mt Rose McKinney Cup GS races.

    Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. The early registration deadline is Sun 3/3; registration closes at ** 8pm Wed 3/6 ** for both events.

    *** NOTE: we are NOT carrying over the original registrations for Mt Rose on Feb 10 to the Mar 9 reschedule date - we can't assume that everyone signed up originally will be able to compete in the rescheduled event. If you were entered on the original race date of Feb. 10, you must RE-REGISTER for the rescheduled Mar. 9 races!!

    [27-Feb-2024]

  • Mt Rose races rescheduled

    We regret to have to announce that the Mt Rose GS races planned for this Saturday Feb. 10 are being rescheduled. Mt Rose has determined that the snow conditions will be too soft for racing.

    Rose has agreed to reschedule the event to Sat. Mar. 9, which fits well with our scheduled SL races on Friday Mar. 8 at Alpine Meadows. More details will be provided soon.

    [07-Feb-2024]

  • Mt Rose race info

    Our next races are coming up in just over a week with a GS doubleheader at Mt. Rose on Sat Feb. 10, with the annual McKinney Cup trophy awarded to the fastest overall man and women. Mt. Rose is a favorite venue of many with a great GS hill that provides challenging racing.

    Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. The early registration deadline is Sun 2/2; registration closes at ** 6pm PT Thu 2/8 **. (Note the earlier than usual close of registration!!)

    Open class reminder: if you want to compete in Open class, contact scoring director Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org BEFORE close of registration on Thursday evening. (We can't accept any late requests for this event, sorry). The current list of Open class competitors is posted on the web site, so if this is your first race of the season and you want to compete in Open let Deb know ASAP.

  • January 30 Forerunner newsletter

    After a slow start to the ski season, things finally picked up in January and we had a first races of the season at Mammoth Mountain. The new January issue of the Forerunner newsletter is now out with January racing news along with the President's Message, racing information, and the new "Coach's Corner" articles from coaches of our masters training programs around the Far West.

    To catch up on recent issues or dive into past season archives, visit the Forerunner newsletter page:

    [30-Jan-2024]

  • Mammoth GS races

    And finally we have racing to kick off the 2024 season! This weekend we held our first races of the 2024 season with two GS races at Mammoth. And just to ensure we provide a complete spectrum of the racing experience, there were weather delays and schedule adjustments (on top of the originally scheduled SG/DH speed races having been changed to GS races).

    Saturday morning arrived gloomy and with fresh snow from a small storm on Friday night that "overdelivered" and lingered through the day. Mammoth Race Department crews were on the race hill early to prepare and set the course, but after an hour delay the jury met and determined to postpone the race to Sunday when better weather conditions were expected.

    So no racing Saturday, but we had the afternoon party at Main Street Pizza and heard reports that there was some good freesking found in the fresh snow! We were pleased to welcome a number of new racers (11 new racers for our opening weekend), along with visiting racer Joel Swanson from Central division.

    Sunday's weather cleared up, as anticipated, and the expert Mammoth race crew efficiently ran both GS races to kick off our racing season. Complete race results are posted on the web site on the Race Results page along with the first Season Standings rankings for 2024.

    [22-Jan-2024]

  • 2024 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.

    Note: due to limited racing in the 2023 "snowpocalypse" season, the 2023 season leader bibs are carried over for 2024 so that competitors have a chance to wear the season bibs they earned with their season results in 2022!

    The 2024 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!

    [17-Jan-2024]

  • Mammoth SG races changed to GS

    Unfortunately, the weather over the past week has not cooperated with our plan to run SG races this weekend - less snow and more wind than hoped for... The upper section of the SG course still has exposed areas without enough coverage for setting a SG course along with the necessary safety fencing.

    Given the current conditions and no significant storms forecast in the next few days, we are changing the weekend event program from 2 SG races each day to one GS race each day on Sat/Sun 1/20-21. There is good coverage from snowmaking on the primary front-side race hills (Fascination and ADG), so the GS venues are in good condition for racing.

    Registration updates: we will change all race signups on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com for the first races each day (SG #1 on Sat, SG #3 on Sun) from SG to GS, with entry fee adjusted to $45. Entries for the second race each day (SG #2 on Sat, SG #4 on Sun) will be dropped.

    Open Training Friday Mammoth will provide an open training session for all racers on Friday 11am-12:30pm.

    Early registration deadline is extended to Wednesday night 1/17 so that racers who wish to sign up for GS are not penalized by the program change. We want as many possible to be able to race this weekend!!

    IMPORTANT: if you only wanted to race SG and do not wish to compete in GS, please drop your entries before registration closes on Thursday evening (otherwise you will be charged as a no-show DNS, not what you would want!).

    If you have questions or need assistance, contact us at raceadmin@farwestmasters.org and we'll do our best to help.

    [Mon 1/15/24 XXam]

  • Online Q&A for Granite Peak National Championships

    The 2024 Masters National Championships are coming up quickly in just over 3 weeks from now! An online Q&A zoom session is being held tonight at 5:30pm PT Sun. Jan 14 where you can learn more about host area Granite Peak WI and get your questions answered about the venue and the event.

    The session will be hosted by:

    • Lauren Beckos - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Masters Manager
    • Ryan Fuller - Alpine Masters National Working Group Chair
    • Greg Fisher - General Manager of Granite Peak

    Join the zoom call: Jan 14, 2024 6:30pm MT, 5:30pm PT
    https://usskiandsnowboard-org.zoom.us/j/89615129549
    Meeting ID: 896 1512 9549
    One tap mobile +12532158782,,89615129549# US (Tacoma)
    On Facebook: @usalpinemasters (https://www.facebook.com/usalpinemasters)

    National Championships info on usskiandsnowboard.org/masters:

    Early registration deadline is Monday Jan. 22; registration deadline Friday Feb. 2. Cancellation deadline for full refund is Monday Jan. 29, so get your entries in now if you're considering competing.

    [14-Jan-2024]

  • Mammoth Speed Races Update - DH Cancelled

    With great regret, the National Championship and NSS downhill races scheduled for Mon-Tue Jan. 22-23 at Mammoth Mountain have been cancelled. As most of you know, it's been a slow, dry start this winter in the Sierra with very little natural snowfall. Mammoth has done an amazing job with snowmaking and grooming in order to open a considerable amount of terrain, but with only a few relatively small storms so far in January the snowpack is still well below normal.

    There is good manmade coverage on the primary race hills (Fascination and ADG), enabling racing and training. However, the upper sections of the speed track still have exposed rock areas and cannot yet support a suitable race surface with the necessary safety fencing. Following intensive discussions with Mammoth Race Department and Mountain Operations on current conditions and the weather outlook over the next two weeks, it was concluded that it would be nearly impossible to prepare the DH course for racing.

    We still hope to be able to hold the scheduled Sat-Sun SG races on Jan. 20-21, if we can get some assistance from the weather fairy over the coming week. We will definitely be racing that weekend, but we may need to switch to GS if the full SG course cannot be properly prepared. We'll see how conditions evolve this week, with a couple more storm possibilities in the forecast keeping our hopes alive, and reassess again next Monday Jan.15.

    Pending agreement of the Masters National Committee, we will count the two Sunday SG races for the National Speed Series in place of the cancelled DH races. Details will be confirmed as soon as possible, as we know racers have made travel plans based on the DH and NSS schedule and some are coming from other divisions.

    No promises, but we will also explore the possibility of adding a SG training day on Friday Jan. 19 before the weekend races.

    For everyone who made lodging reservations through the event lodging package ("USSA/FIS Far West DH/SG 2024"", Group ID: 34901), we are confirming the details but expect that you will be able to cancel and get a refund if you need to change your travel plans due to the changes in the event schedule.

    If you have questions or need assistance, contact us at raceadmin@farwestmasters.org and we'll do our best to help.

    [Mon 1/8/24 9pm]

  • Race Signups and 2024 Major Events

    Happy New Year to all, with a glad welcome to the late start of our winter season finally showing signs of bringing us some much-needed snowfall. Race signups are open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site for all of our 2024 Far West Masters events.

    Registration is also open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com for all of the 2024 regional and national championship events and the US FIS Masters races. The schedule is a little unusual this year, with the national championships in February to accomodate the FIS Masters World Criterium in early March at Kimberly British Columbia.

    National Championships
    The 2024 Masters National Championships will be held in Central Division (for the first time ever!) at Granite Peak WI on Feb. 5-10. The 2024 nationals are a 4-event championship with SG, GS, SL, and a parallel GS. There will also be a second SG race that is not part of the national championship scoring. Both SG races are part of the 2024 National Speed Series.

    FIS Masters Cup/Western Region Championships
    The 2024 Western Championships will be held Feb. 23-25, 2024 at Beaver Creek CO. The 2024 Western Region Championships are being held in conjunction with the FIS Masters Cup event and will consist of 2 SG races, 2 one-run GS races, and SL. Both SG races also count in the 2024 National Speed Series

    Eastern Region Championships
    The 2024 Eastern Championships will be held Mar. 8-10, 2024 at Gore Mountain NY. The Eastern championships are a 4-race SG-SG-GS-SL event. Both SG races also count in the 2024 National Speed Series standings.

    FIS Masters World Criterium
    Once every 5 years the FIS Masters World Criterium, a huge event on the international masters calendar, comes to North America. This year the honor falls to Canada and will be hosted at Kimberley, British Columbia CA on March 1-7, 2024. US competitors must contact national Masters Manager Lauren Beckos at lauren.beckos@usskiandsnowboard.org to submit their entries.

    [08-Jan-204]

  • January 2 Forerunner newsletter

    Ring in the New Year - the storm door is finally showing signs of opening a crack and newsletter editor Melissa House has put together the new January issue of the Forerunner newsletter. Along with some of our traditional content such as the President's Message and racing information, the new "Coach's Corner" articles have news from the head coaches of the masters training programs around the Far West.

    Happy New Year to everyone and let's all get together on the race hill soon!

    [02-Jan-2024]

  • Mammoth opening races cancelled

    With regret, the decision was made this morning to cancel our scheduled opening GS/SL races at Mammoth this coming weekend on Dec. 2-3. The planned race venue of Andy's Double Gold (ADG) is the Mammoth Race Department's top priority for snowmaking and slope preparation right now and good progress is clearly being made now that we (finally!!) have good snowmaking conditions, but the assessment today is that it's not certain that we can achieve a good racing surface along with enough coverage for the necessary safety fencing on the sides of the run in time for the races.

    So nature is feeding us feast or famine - last season we had bountiful early snow (too much even!), this season is starting off dry and warm everywhere in the Sierra. Mammoth has their snowmaking crews going full blast and is working to open more runs each day, so there is some decent early season freeskiing for any who had plans to come this week for camp or the races - definitely enough to get out and make some turns.

    Reminder from MRD: If you made lodging reservations for the race weekend at the Mammoth Mountain Inn or Juniper Springs, and/or pre-purchased discounted lift tickets, please call (800) 626-6684 for all lodging and ticket cancellation requests. Be sure to mention Group ID: 38497 (event ""USSA/FIS Early Season Races 2023") to your customer service representative to ease the process.

    [27-Nov-2023]

  • Mammoth Races Update

    Some encouraging news from Mammoth today: additional terrain has been opening through this holiday week and Mammoth Race Department reports that conditions are currently favorable for snowmaking. MRD will continue to assess the safety aspect throughout the next few days and send out another update on Monday, November 27th with the outlook for our masters season opening races. Safety is obviously a priority, we need snow levels deep enough to set gates and fencing on the race venue.

    We encourage everyone considering racing next weekend to get your entries in before the Sunday night early registration deadline. There is no penalty for registering now, you can still withdraw next week if your plans change, but it really helps the organizers and our event planning to have a good estimate of the field size the week prior to the event. So stop procrastinating, get your entries in now!

    Race signups are open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site. Early registration deadline is Sun 11/26; registration closes at 8pm PT Wed 11/29. You can sign up for the races and also purchase your 2024 Far West Masters membership if you haven't already done so.

    [24-Nov-2024]

  • Mammoth training camp cancelled

    With regret, Mammoth Race Department has just announced the decision that our masters training camp that was scheduled for next Tue-Fri Nov. 28-Dec. 1 is cancelled. The decision is made based on "safety precautions, snow depths, and current warm temperatures impeding on our ability to make snow". Disappointing news, though not entirely a surprise given the slow start to the winter season for all our Sierra ski areas.

    Reminder from MRD: If you made lodging reservations for the training camp at the Mammoth Mountain Inn or Juniper Springs, and/or pre-purchased discounted lift tickets, please call (800) 626-6684 for all lodging and ticket cancellation requests. Be sure to mention Group ID: 38497 to your customer service representative to ease the process.

    Mammoth is currently open for skiing, though with limited terrain availability, so there is a least an opportunity to get out and make some turns for any coming next week. MRD is planning to provide an update on the outlook for our races the following weekend of Dec. 2-3 on this coming Friday Nov. 24.

    [19-Nov-2023]

  • Membership and Race Signups are open

    Race signups for Far West Masters are opening this week on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site. Signups for the season opening GS/SL races at Mammoth on Dec. 2-3 are now open and signups for the rest of our scheduled races will be added this week.

    Membership Reminders: you join or renew your Far West Masters membership by paying dues for this season on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. Create or log into your account, just as you do for race signups, and purchase "2023-2024 Far West Masters membership" on the Event Signup page. (Don't forget to go to checkout to complete your dues payment!) Deadline for renewing members to avoid late fees is Nov. 15.

    [06-Nov-2023]

  • Mammoth Dec races and camp

    Our opening event of the 2023-2024 Far West Masters season is only a month away! We have Sat/Sun GS/SL races at Mammoth Mountain on Dec. 2-3, the weekend following the Thanksgiving holiday. Mammoth is also hosting a 4-day GS/SL training camp on Tue-Fri Nov. 29-Dec. 1 prior to the weekend races, which is 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.

    Race signups are now open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site. Early registration deadline is Sun 11/26; registration closes at 8pm PT Wed 11/29. You can sign up for the races and also purchase your 2024 Far West Masters membership if you haven't already done so.

    [06-Nov-2023]

  • Gate DeMattei memorial service

    It was with tremendous sadness that we received the news of the passing of Gate DeMattei on September 26. We can genuinely say that Gate was admired, loved, and respected. He will be deeply missed by the masters racing community in Far West and around the nation.

    Our October Forerunner included a story and photos of Gate, with memories from fellow Far West Masters and his obituary can be found online

    Funeral service and memorial gathering for Gate will be held on Thursday Oct. 12.

    • 10am - viewing
    • 11am - rosary and Mass - Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Tahoe City CA
    • 2pm-6pm - memorial reception - Bar One - Olympic House, 1990 Olympic Vly Rd. Olympic Valley CA

    [05-Oct-2023]

  • Fall Forerunner newsletter

    The fall issue of the Forerunner newsletter is out! New Communications director Melissa House has pulled together a wealth of information for the upcoming season, with the President's Message from our new division chair Rees Palermo and including details on the season race schedule, Far West Masters membership, and more.

    And we are deeply sad to include a late-breaking report with the news of the passing of Gate DeMattei in late September. Gate was a champion, a role model, an inspiration for living a full and balanced life. He will be very greatly missed.

    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.

    [02-Oct-2023]

  • 2024 Season Schedule

    The 2023-2024 season schedule is now posted and the web site Season Schedule page updated.

    Far West Masters membership will open in October on our Masters AdminSkiRacing registration site and race signups will be added soon after.

    [28-Sep-2023]

  • Preliminary 2024 Schedule

    The preliminary 2023-2024 race schedule is now available! Scheduling Director Mike Braun has tried to put together a calendar with a good mix of events at proven venues. The schedule has some unusual timing this season for some of our traditional events in consideration of the FIS Masters World Criterium in March, a major event that only comes to North America every 5 years. A highlight this season is the Masters National DH Championship in our home division at Mammoth Mountain.

    The US masters national championships are hosted this season in Central division at Granite Peak, WI on Feb. 5-10. The Western Region championship/FIS Masters Cup races will be held at Beaver Creek CO on Feb. 22-25. The international FIS Masters World Criterium follows on Mar. 1-7 at Kimberly BC in Canada.

    And last, but not least, for the first time since Covid interrupted everyone's plans in March 2020, we have a season finals event with a banquet gathering planned so we can once again gather with our racing friends at the end of our competition season.

    [04-Sep-2023]