Top News Items

• Summer Meeting

  The summer board meeting will be held Saturday Jul. 11 at Marietta Frinell's home in Mammoth Lakes. The meeting will be at 3pm, with food and drink, and anyone interested is invited to attend. There's a lot of summer activities to participate in and Mike Braun is organizing golf. Please RSVP to Sandy Hogan so we can plan for refreshments.

  Click for meeting agenda. Agenda items include awards parties, increasing membership and race participation, scheduling, newsletter and communication, next year's schedule, and ideas for improving our program.

  [03-Jul-2009]

• 2009 Season Wrapup

  With the completion of the 2009 competition season, everyone is moving on to spring skiing and other activities. News will be posted here on the web site occasionally through the summer, when there are summer activities to mention and in the fall when we have next season's schedule and membership information available.

  The spring issue of the Forerunner newsletter is here! This season's newsletters are all available online on the Newsletters page. (Printed copies are mailed to all current members of the Far West Masters.) Click here for the April newsletter:  April Forerunner (note: be patient if slow to appear... this issue has a lot of great pictures)

  Take a few minutes to visit to the the  Pictures page for more race photo links that have been added recently. Lisa Lill and Sasha Glushenko have posted photos from the Mt. Rose weekend, to go with the great GS shots from Tom Compton. Note that races where photos are available are decorated on the Race Results page with a  photos icon when we have photos available.

  The annual summer board meeting will be held on Saturday July 11 in Mammmoth Lakes. The board meeting is tentatively scheduled for 4pm to allow folks to spend the day and evening in the many summer activities available (golf, biking, hiking, Jazz Festival). Details will be posted before the meeting on location, lodging options for visitors, and activity recommendations.

  [29-Apr-2009]

• Season Finale (04/06)

  The 2009 race season came to a close with the final weekend of competition at the Mt. Rose McKinney Cup. In a change from the traditional SL/SL format, this year's event featured a Friday/Saturday GS/SL combo. Following Saturday's racing,, the annual season finale banquet was held with raffles, auction items whose proceeds support the junior athlete Scholarship Fund, and the presentation of season awards and the 2010 men's and women's leader bibs. On Sunday a "fun race" dual was held with masters, family and friends, and some of our junior athletes all mingling and competing.

  See the Race Results page for complete results and the final Season Standings.

  We also have photo contributions from the Mammoth SG races and the Mt. Rose GS, thanks to racer Sasha Glushenko and Reno photographer Tommy Compton. Sasha's been sharing his photo albums from a number of our races this season, as well as from the Western Regionals at Park City - be sure to visit the  Pictures page to find links to his race pictures. Tommy Compton of Reno came up to shoot the GS at our season finale weekend at Mt. Rose and came away with some great race photos posted on his AlpenGlow Images web site at www.thomascompton.com. Check'em out to enjoy the racing action and get in touch with him through his web site if you'd like copies.

  [07-Apr-2009]

• Weekly News (04/01)

  The weekly news returns after a brief hiatus while the webmaster was back east at Sunday River competing in the 2009 national championships... The second half of March featured a busy race schedule in the Far West, with the classic Bernard Cup GS races at Squaw on Mar. 21-22 followed by a makeup weekend of SG racing at Mammoth on Mar. 27-29.

  In the face of an incoming storm coming through the Sierras on Saturday night into Sunday, the Bernard Cup organizers responded with some creative schedule adjustments and successfully held both races on Saturday, leaving Sunday open for some great powder skiing. The 2009 Bernard Cup winners, awarded to the fastest man and woman overall based on an age-handicapped total time, are first-time winner Liesl Panke (W40) and defending men's champ Kurt Beldon (M50).

  With only a small team of Far West competitors travelling to Sunday River ME the last week of March for the national championships, Far West Masters organizers and the Mammoth Race Department agreed to reschedule the weather-cancelled SG races from January for the weekend of Mar. 27-29 to provide a competition opportunity for those racers unable to travel east. Friday offered a morning training run followed by a SG race, with two SG races on Saturday. After two days of great weather and racing conditions, a fast-moving Saturday night cold front rolled in and the ensuing high winds made it impossible to hold the final SG and super-combi races on Sunday.

  See the Race Results page for complete results and the updated Season Standings going into the final race weekend at Mt. Rose. The national championships at Sunday River featured an excellent week of racing, with good weather, great race conditions for most of the week (albeit with some fog and soft snow on the final two days), and outstanding operations by the Sunday River race crews. Complete results are available at ussamasters.org/2009/nationals.

  This coming weekend of Apr. 3-5 is the final weekend of racing in the 2009 Far West Masters season. The McKinney Cup trophy races at Mt. Rose consist of the GS on Friday and SL on Saturday, with a "fun race" dual GS on Sunday open to racers, family, and friends as well as a number of our junior scholarship athletes. Saturday night will feature the season finale banquet, with season awards presentations, raffles, and a silent auction whose proceeds support the scholarship program. The Scholarship Program organizers have assembled some great items for the silent auction - click here for details. If you are unable to attend the banquet but would like to place a bid, contact Eddie Mozen by phone or email (see flyer).

  [02-Apr-2009]

• Weekly News (03/16)

  With spring arriving officially on Friday and a good snowpack in the Sierras after a snowy February, our final three weekends of racing this season are coming up with the Squaw Bernard Cup GS races followed by the rescheduled SG's at Mammoth, and finishing off the first weekend of April with the finale weekend and season banquet at Mt. Rose. Spring racing is often a real treat, with warm sunny weather and plenty of snow, so come on out if you can and enjoy some racing competition.

  Please be sure to RSVP to Linda Crowell for the season finale banquet on Saturday April 4. click here for season banquet details....

  The March issue of the Forerunner newsletter has been mailed to all current members, along with with a copy of the membership roster included. The membership roster with contact info for other racers is only available to current members of the Far West Masters. This season's newsletters are also available online on the Newsletters page. Click here for the March newsletter:  March Forerunner

  The winter board meeting and general membership meeting was held on Saturday Mar. 7 following the Alpine Meadows race. The primary topic was to consider changing from 10-year age classes to the 5-year national age class system now used by most other masters divisions as well as for all regional and national USSA masters competitions. This is an important decision that has been under consideration for several years, with considerable discussion within the board and a number of factors considered included input from members as well as operational considerations and perhaps most importantly the effect on competition. The decision was made that Far West Masters will change to 5-year national age classes for the 2009-2010 season. We will continue to have the Open class, but all races and season scoring will change next season to compete within 5-year age classes.

  All board meeting minutes are published online for availability to the membership on the Board page. Click here for the Alpine winter meeting minutes:  March 2009 board meeting minutes.

  Ballots for our annual election for 2010 board positions were available at the March board meeting and a voice vote was taken. If you couldn't make it, print a copy and mail by the end of March:  2009 FWM Ballot.

  [16-Mar-2009]

• Weekly News (03/09)

  After a stormy early week which brought snowfall amounts of multiple feet of snow to the Sierras, the weather cleared mid-week. There was considerable concern about whether we would be able to hold the scheduled GS races at Alpine, but on Friday afternoon TD Don Smith met with the Alpine race crew and the decision was made to proceed. Saturday's weather was spectacular - warm, sunny, great skiing all over the mountain. The course was soft, so several breaks in the running order were made to allow for course maintenance and slipping, with many competitors coming around after their runs to assist. The morning run was a technical set challenging both brain and skiing skills, while the afternoon run was a high-speed flowing fun-fest. Very different, but both good courses. Sunday's weather was cloudier with a cold wind blowing straight up the top pitch, just the thing to chill down competitors waiting at the start! The course again was soft and got quite bumpy, as the regrettably high DNF count testifies, but everyone did their best with the conditions and went home happy that we were able to have a race weekend with two long GS's.

  See the Race Results page for complete weekend results and the updated Season Standings.

  This coming weekend is an off weekend on our race schedule, but our FW season then winds up with 3 great events coming up. On Mar. 20-21 is the annual Bernard Cup GS races at Squaw. The following weekend is a 3-day SG event at Mammoth, rescheduled after the original January event had to be cancelled due to stormy weather. There will be SG training on Friday, with 4 SG races over the 3 days and Sunday winding up with a SL run added onto the morning SG race for a SC. And last but certainly not least is the season finale 3-day weekend at Mt. Rose on Apr. 3-5. The final scoring races of the season are a GS on Friday and SL on Saturday, with a fun-race dual on Sunday that many of our scholarship athletes will participate in. Saturday evening following the SL will be our season banquet, with season awards, along with food, conversation, and raffles and auctions of some great items with the proceeds going to the junior athlete scholarship fund.

  Please be sure to RSVP to Linda Crowell for the season finale banquet on Saturday April 4. click here for season banquet details.... Competitors entering the Mammoth SG should send entries as usual; the original entries from the cancelled January event have been torn up, so you must re-send your entry for the rescheduled March event.

  If you're interested in getting in some GS training prior to the Squaw races, check into the 2-day GS clinic being put on at Sugar Bowl on Mar. 19-20 by Evan Weiss, head coach of the UNR ski team. Details and contact info to reach Evan are in the info flyer - click here for details. Several masters who participated in the January SL clinic gave it great reviews, so this should be a good training opportunity for those who can make it.

  [10-Mar-2009]

• Weekly News (03/02)

  After a week of scrambling by the Northstar organizers along with representatives of FW masters and Sierra League to work out arrangements to accommodate rescheduling our masters SG races alongside the previously scheduled SG clinic and race event of Sierra League, the races this weekend came off and were acclaimed a success by all. In a break from the snowy weather of "Fab Feb", masters racers who joined the Saturday morning training clinic were treated to several good training runs before the afternoon race. In anticipation of possible weather difficulties on Sunday as another storm approached, a second race was held on Saturday to take advantage of the good weather and the hard work of the Northstar race crew to prepare and maintain the hill.

  Although Sunday's field was diminished as apparently some competitors were discouraged by the forecast, the weather held off through the morning and a third SG race was successfully held. Many thanks to the Northstar crew and the cooperation of the Sierra League for making this event happen. We hope the Sierra racers who joined us enjoyed the competition and come back to race again!

  See the Race Results page for complete weekend results and the updated Season Standings. (Note: the second race added Saturday was announced as a provisional race run in case Sunday's race could not be completed as scheduled. Since the Sunday race was successfully held, the Sat SG #2 is not included in the overall season standings scoring.)

  This coming weekend brings the Preb Motley GS races at Alpine Meadows. On Saturday afternoon following the race an open membership and board meeting will be held. Please come and take the opportunity to exchange ideas and suggestions on how to improve our racing program and bring more participants into this sport that we all enjoy. Ballots for our annual election for 2009 board positions will be available at the meeting. If you can't make it, print a copy and mail:  2009 FWM Ballot.

  [02-Mar-2009; updated 3/4 for season standings]

• Weekly News (02/23)

  February "speed week" in the Far West features the annual Mammoth DH's on Mon-Thu, with the Masters race running as a separate field after the scheduled FW juniors competitions with whom we'll be sharing the hill space and course crews, and the rescheduled Northstar SG's next weekend on 2/28-3/1, with a training and race run each day. The first 2 of the 3 downhills at Mammoth, scheduled for Wednesday following 2 training days, will be scored as part of the National Speed Series.

  Northstar Details All entries that were sent in for last week's race have been kept and will be used for the rescheduled event. New entries should be sent as soon as possible. If you were entered for the original 2/21-22 weekend but can't make it this coming weekend, your check will be torn up. However, please call Northstar and cancel if you cannot compete. Scheduling director Mark Mirviss will review the hill conditions and weekend schedule with the Northstar Race Department as well as Sierra League officials on Wednesday and any further news will be posted following their decisions.

  Northstar race details [Wed 9pm]

  Remember that we are sharing the Northstar race hill with the Sierra League racers, who already had a Saturday SG clinic and Sunday SG race scheduled. Far West Masters appreciates the willingness of both the Northstar organizers and Sierra League to allow our races to be rescheduled "on top of" their existing event. We would love to have any Sierra League competitors who are interested double their racing fun and participate in our masters race! A $25 weekend USSA temporary license is required of all racers who do not already hold a USSA competitors license. (insurance, it's important!!) Masters competitors have also been welcomed by Sierra - visit their web site at www.sierraleague.com for information on entering their race.

  Rescheduling details for the cancelled January SG weekend at Mammoth have also been confirmed. We will again have a 3-day race weekend, rescheduled for the last weekend in March on Mar. 27-29. Friday will have a training run in the morning followed by the afternoon SG race run, with 2 SG races following on Saturday. The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with a morning SG race, followed by an additional SL run that will be combined with the morning SG as a scored SC race. Competitors on Sunday who enter the morning SG have the option of adding on the SL run to participate in the SC.

  While we still have quite of bit of great racing still ahead of us, it's not too late to start thinking about the season finale McKinney Cup at Mt. Rose on April 3-5 and the season awards banquet that we hold annually to celebrate the completion of the racing season. Please RSVP to Linda Crowell if you will be able to attend the season banquet on Saturday April 4. click here for season banquet details...

  [23-Feb-2009; updated Tue 2/24, Wed 2/25]

• Northstar SG Updates

  It was determined on Wednesday afternoon that this weekend's Northstar SG races are cancelled. Far West Masters scheduling director Mark Mirviss met with the Northstar Race Department out on the hill and despite the recent snowfall accumulations in the Sierras there are areas on the Challenger race hill that did not receive adequate coverage needed to safely conduct a SG race at this time.

  We are exploring the possibility of rescheduling the races for the following weekend and will update this posting as soon as new information is available.

  The Northstar SG races have been RESCHEDULED for the following weekend of Feb. 28-Mar. 1. There will be a training run and a race run both days. There may also be some joint arrangement with Sierra League, who also have a SG scheduled on Sunday that weekend along with a training clinic on Saturday; details to follow when available. The Race entry form printing service will be updated on Sunday 2/2 with provide an entry form for the rescheduled Northstar SG races, along with addition of entry form for the rescheduled SG races at Mammoth at the end of March.

  Masters competitors who will be in the Tahoe area this weekend and would like an alternative racing opportunity are invited by Pavel Bosin, Sierra League Race Director as well as a FW master, to come to this weekend's Sierra League slalom races on Feb. 21-22 at Sugar Bowl. Pavel says "" All Masters racers are welcome to participate. Registration is 7:30 - 8:30 am in Judah Lodge (3rd floor). To speed up your registration please pre-register online at www.sierraleague.com."

  [2pm Thu 19-Feb-2009; updated 5pm Sat 2/21]

• Weekly News (02/16)

  President's Day weekend in the Sierras brought several feet of new snow to most areas, breaking a long spell of dry, warm conditions and adding a healthy layer to the snowpack everywhere. The storm was beginning to clear out on Tuesday with sunny conditions returning for the second half of the week.

  Far West racing resumes this weekend with SG races at Northstar, followed next week by DH races at Mammoth with the masters field competing following the USSA juniors races. If you are competing at Northstar this weekend, please take note of the registration location in the Northstar base village featured on the Northstar Race Services Village Map.

  Reminder to Open class competitors: you must elect to race in OP class for speed events. If you forgot to mark OP on your entry form, please contact the race department asap to request the change from your usual age group (saves extra work and confusion on race morning of last-minute changes).

  [16-Feb-2009]

• Weekly News (02/11)

  The Western Regionals at Park City featured four days of challenging racing. with 20+ Far West racers in the field of over 160 competitors from all over the west. The opening day's super-combi (SC) had great weather and was enjoyed by most competitors, with the morning SG run on Payday followed by a SL run on the lower pitch. Friday's SG was challenged by overnight snowfall and fog throughout the morning, but after course slipping and several postponements the race was held on a good track. The weekend GS and SL events on the challenging CB's and Picaboo's race hills were held with intermittent snow and fog, but the Park City race crews did an outstanding job preparing and maintaining the courses. Check out the complete event results on ussamasters.org Western Regionals page.

  There's still time to submit entries for the National Championships in March at Sunday River, ME. Entries should now be submitted directly to the Race Secretary - see instructions on the printable entry form on our our Print Race Entries page.

  Here in the Far West, February is bringing some welcome storms to the Sierra. This coming weekend (President's Day weekend) is shaping up to be a good time to get out for some fresh snow and powder skiing. Our next races are a weekend of SG racing at Northstar on Feb. 21-22, followed immediately by 3 DH's at Mammoth on Feb. 23-26 (2 training days and 2 race days). The first two downhills, scheduled for Wed. Feb. 25, will be included as part of the masters National Speed Series. (Open class competitors: remember to elect OP class on your entries for these races)

  [12-Feb-2009]

• Weekly News (02/01)

  The Nationals entry deadline has been extended until Feb. 10 to encourage participation. Submit your entries to FW chair Marietta Frinell for submission of our division team.

  [31-Jan-2009]

• Weekly News (01/28)

  The Far West racing schedule takes a short break on our division calendar in February for competitors travelling to Park City next week for the Western Region championships, hosted by Park City and Intermountain division on Feb. 5-8. Expanding from the traditional SG/GS/SL trio, the championships opens on Thursday with a super-combined (SC) that will be included in the overall combined scoring.

  If you're in the Tahoe area the first weekend of February, check out the Far West Hoedoewn fundraiser being held by Far West Skiing at Squaw Valley on Sat. Feb. 7. The event features a BBQ and silent auction, with all proceeds going to scholarships and travel funds for FW USSA athletes.

  Racers following the National Speed Series will be disappointed to hear the news that the Soldier Mountain DH's scheduled immediately following the regionals cannot be held this year. Organizer Ken Corrock says "I am sorry to say that we will not be able to hold the Soldier Mountain Downhill this year. We do not have enough snow on Monument to hold the event."

  FW organizers and the Mammoth Race department have tentatively agreed to reschedule last weekend's cancelled races on the last weekend in March (Mar. 27-29). Details will be posted here as soon as confirmed (notably whether the weekend will conclude on Sunday with a GS or a SC race). We are also talking with the Speed Series organizers about possible addition of one of our February speed events (Northstar SG's or Mammoth DH's) on the NSS schedule to replace the lost January race at Mammoth.

  [28-Jan-2009]

• Mammoth SG Updates

  Saturday update: the predicted weekend showers settled in as a solid snowstorm on Saturday as the Friday system slowed on arrival and faced with over a foot of new snow by Saturday morning the race jury and organizers cancelled the weekend races. Mammoth has offered the possibility of rescheduling the SG races the last weekend of March (Mar. 27-29), so we are working out the logistics of that proposal and will post details this coming week.

  Friday update: Friday's GS has been cancelled due to the large amount of soft, wet new snow overnight. Saturday and Sunday races are both changed to GS; Sat start time 10AM. The race jury will meet in the morning to assess the conditions. SG is not possible, as the upper section of the course has been under avalanche closure since Thursday.

  The predicted weekend weather of unsettled with snow showers has... settled in on Mammoth Mountain. On Thursday morning we are currently receiving wet snow and access to the upper portions of the SG course is currently under avalanche closure until the Patrol deems conditions safe to reopen.

  Given the current weather and mountain conditions, the scheduled Friday SG is being changed to a GS. We will have a late start at 11AM to allow competitors time to change equipment.

  The scheduled Saturday SG races will depend on evolving conditions over the next day. Be prepared for a possible change to GS. The jury will meet at 7:30 Friday morning and we expect to be able to make a decision at that time on the Saturday event schedule. We'll have the social party at Giovanni's 3:30 Saturday afternoon no matter what - come for the food and camaraderie!

  Sunday's GS is still as originally scheduled, but check for updates. News updates will be posted here and on the Mammoth Race Department page of mammothmountain.com - we'll post any additional information about the weekend race schedule and conditions as it becomes available.

  [noon Thu 22-Jan-2009; updated 2:30pm Fri 1/23; Sun 9pm]

• Weekly News (01/20)

  This coming weekend features 3 days of racing at Mammoth, with 3 SG races on Friday/Saturday followed by a GS on Sunday. Friday will offer competitors a morning training run, so everyone has a chance to get on the race hill and up to speed, followed by the first of 3 SG races. Saturday will be a double-header, with the morning race counted as part of the 2009 National Speed Series.

  Entry reminders: the Friday SG training run is $5, in addition to the usual race entry fee. Apologies, but we forgot to include this on the printable entry form (though it was noted on the schedule page entry), so please have an extra $5 at registration on Friday if you didn't include that with your race entry. Open class competitors: remember that you must elect OP class on your entry for the SG races - if you forgot, contact the race department by phone or email so they can put you in the correct class on the start list. (And for that you get the privilege of starting following all other competitors of your gender)

  See the Mammoth SG weekend entry on the Season Schedule page for links to the race announcement and detailed weekend schedule. Our weekend social get-together will be at 3:30pm Saturday afternoon at Giovanni's.

  Race photos from the Heavenly and Sierra at Tahoe races have been posted by Sasha Glushenko. Visit the Photos page or follow the camera links from the results page to reach his picture gallery.

  The Western Regionals and deadline for National Championship entries are almost here. National chairman Keith McCauley reports from Intermountain: "The snow and conditions at Park City are excellent", so the regionals should have great conditions. If you plan to compete, get your WR entries sent to Park City and your nationals entries to FW president Marietta Frinell. Entry forms are available on our Print Race Entries page. The event schedules are in your USSA Masters Comp Guide and posted on ussa.org in the Masters Events section. Additional news and the race results will be posted on ussamasters.org.

  [20-Jan-2009]

• Weekly News (01/12)

  January racing kicked off with great weather for the classic Viva Italia SL at Heavenly on Friday Jan. 9. Firm conditions on the World Cup race run provided a challenge to both the skiing skills and edge tuning of competitors. The 2009 Viva Italia trophies, awarded to the fastest man and woman in the race based on an age handicapped overall time, went to defending 2008 champ Julie Rolfe (W50) and Kurt Belden (M50), back on the race hill and still fast after being knocked out last spring by a serious motocross crash.

  The weekend SL and GS races at Sierra at Tahoe were a new venue for the Far West masters and competitors came away with rave reviews about the event. The weather was great, the race hills provided excellent conditions, and Sierra at Tahoe did a fantastic job putting on a great event. Racers are already looking forward to returning next year, so spread the word that this is one to watch for on next year's calendar.

  See the Race Results page for complete weekend results and the new Season Standings.

  Next event will be a 3-day race weekend at Mammoth Mountain, with 3 SG's and a GS. Friday will offer a training run before the SG race, so all competitors will have a chance to experience the race hill and get "up to speed". We have 2 SG races on Saturday, with the morning race scored as part of the 2009 National Speed Series, and wrap up on Sunday with a GS. Another race preparation opportunity is the rescheduled UNR GS clinic, which will be at Sugar Bowl on Wed. Jan. 21st.

  [12-Jan-2009; updated 15-Jan-2009]

• Weekly News (01/06)

  Happy new year!! Far West Masters racing resumes this weekend with the classic Viva Italia SL at Heavenly on Friday, followed by a SL/GS weekend (note order) at Sierra at Tahoe. Please contact the organizers and submit your entries asap if you haven't already done so!

  We now have race photos from the Dec. 20-21 Alpine SL races, thanks to Sasha Glushenko. Watch for the  photos link on the Race Results page when you check for race results this season. We'll post links whenever we have photo contributions.

  January is also time to start planning for the Western Region Championships, hosted on Feb. 5-9 by Intermountain Division and Park City this season, and the National Championships at Sunday River Maine the week of March 23-28. The Western Regional entry form is now available on the Print Race Entries page; Nationals Entry form will be available by next week. As with our Far West division races, FW members can enter their bib number or USSA number to have entry information automatically filled in; log in to your web account to have your complete contact information also provided on the printable form.

  In other schedule news, the UNR race clinic at Sugar Bowl original planned for Dec. 18-19 has been rescheduled for Wed. Jan. 21st. UNR Head Coach Evan Weiss says: We'll train GS in the morning from 9-12 and we can free ski/and talk racing in the afternoon.". As before, participants are responsible for purchasing a lift ticket; donations will be accepted for the clinic to support the UNR team.

  The 2009 National Speed Series also kicks off this month, with the opening SG race this coming weekend hosted by Northern at Big Sky. The next two races on the NSS calendar is our own Mammoth SG on Sat. Jan 24, followed by Intermountain stops at the Western Region SG at Park City and the Soldier Mountain DH's in February. Visit ussamasters.org/2009/nss for details and series results.

  [06-Jan-2009; updated 08-Jan-2009]

• Weekly News (12/30)

  Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year to all! Skiing is wonderful throughout the Sierras thanks to the Christmas blizzard. Get out and play if you have a chance!

  Racing resumes the second weekend of January with a 3-day Tahoe schedule: the classic Viva Italia SL at Heavenly on Friday, followed by a SL/GS weekend at Sierra at Tahoe. Please send your entries in to the organizers if you'll be competing so they can plan properly to host a good event for us. Remember that you can always cancel with no penalty up to 24 hours before the event (our "torn check" policy), so sign up even if you're a "maybe" - it's better to have to cancel than to put in a late entry at the last minute, as late entries create more work for the organizers and make it harder for them to prepare.

  Schedule update: the Friday Feb. 20 DH originally scheduled at Northstar has unfortunately been dropped from our race calendar due to a scheduling conflict at the area. Northstar is also hosting the Winter Dew tour that weekend, which is a major action sports event, and have decided that they simply cannot put on a quality DH event for us at the same time. We regret any inconvenience, but remind everyone that the weekend SG's are still on (as well as the DH races at Mammoth the following week), so there's still plenty of action.

  [30-Dec-2008]

• Weekly News (12/21)

  Winter finally arrived in the Sierras with a mid-month pattern change bringing a string of storms and snowfall to the high country just in time for the upcoming holidays. The Far West masters were granted a perfectly-timed break between storm systems, allowing us to celebrate a pre-holiday SL weekend at Alpine Meadows. The Alpine race crew did a great job putting on the race as the area re-opened for only its second week of operation this season; we appreciate their efforts and the support of Alpine management for pulling of this event so early in their own operating season.

  See the Race Results page for complete weekend results and the new Season Standings.

  With more snow forecast for the coming week, best wishes for a joyous holiday season to all! Our masters competition resumes the second weekend of January with a 3-day race weekend. The new year kicks off with the classic Viva Italia SL at Heavenly on Friday Jan. 9, followed by a GS/SL weekend at Sierra at Tahoe. Get your entries in early to help the organizers prepare, see y'all next year!

  [21-Dec-2008]

• Weekly News (12/15)

  It's mid-December and winter is rolling through the Sierras!! After a relatively dry and warm early season, the jet stream has dropped down on top of us and a big arctic cold system with wind, cold, and snow has broken through the high pressure to bring winter conditions for the upcoming holiday period.

  Our next race is a pre-Christmas holiday SL weekend at Alpine Meadows this coming weekend Dec. 20-21. Alpine opened this past weekend, but is closing again for a few days this week to prepare their slopes during this stormy period so they can reopen on Friday Dec. 19. Get your race entries if you haven't already - details are available on the Season Schedule page and then use Print Race Entries to print your entry form.

  Training opportunities this week include Alpine's daily clinic sessions, offered at a discount to registered race competitors - details are available in the Alpine SL's entry on the Season Schedule page.

  Regrettably, the two-day SL clinic led by Evan Weiss and the UNR coaching staff planned for Sugar Bowl on Thu-Fri Dec. 18-19 has had to be cancelled. Evan's note on Monday morning said "Unfortunately, even with the nice storm we will be forced to cancel the Masters Clinic January 18th and 19th. The race hill will not be ready." Registered clinic participants have been contacted and Evan is exploring a possible reschedule date in January for the SL clinic. For news on the Wolf Pack skiers and western college skiing, check out Nevadawolfpack.com and [15-Dec-2008]

• Weekly News (12/07)

  The 2009 Far West Masters season opened with a great weekend of racing at Mammoth. Despite the dry and relatively warm conditions throughout the region, Mammoth has a significant portion of the mountain open with good coverage. We were treated to two days of good weather and excellent SL racing conditions on Fascination.

  While some of the competitors had the opportunity to participate in the preceding week's training camp to tune up their turning skills, others arrived for the weekend races to get in their first days on snow of the new season. Regardless, everyone was happy to be back on the hill and to have an opportunity to race. Saturday's post-race party was well-attended by both competitors and junior athletes participating in the scholarship fund program, as Mammoth's hard-working race crews ran a USSA open race with 200 junior competitors alongside the 80-strong masters field on adjacent hills.

  See the Race Results page for complete weekend results and the new Season Standings.

  The good news announced at the Saturday party is that Alpine Meadows will be opening next weekend, so the outlook is good for our next scheduled race weekend, featuring 2 SL races at Alpine on Dec. 20-21. Be sure to get your race entries in this week so the organizers can properly prepare to host our races. Discounted training will be available at Alpine the week before the race, so this is a great chance to get on snow and train at our next race venue. Check the Season Schedule page for training details.

  In addition to Alpine's daily race training clinics, a special 2-day SL clinic is being put on by Evan Weiss, head coach of the UNR ski team, and his coaching staff on Dec. 18-19 at Sugar Bowl. Donations will go to support the UNR team, so this is an opportunity to train with experienced coaches and also support ski racing in the Far West.

  [07-Dec-2008]

• Weekly News (11/17)

  The opening races of the 2009 Far West season are only a few weeks away! Please remember to get your USSA masters competition license and send in your Far West membership application if you haven't already, it makes it much easier for our volunteers at race registration when our racers are current and we don't have to deal with day-of-race membership processing.

  Mammoth got a early start thanks to a Halloween weekend snowstorm, opening 10 days ahead of their scheduled date on Nov. 3. Once again they'll be hosting a week-long masters training camp the week following Thanksgiving (click here for details) , and the season-opening races the weekend of Dec. 6-7 (details) . With good snowmaking, Mammoth has an outstanding record of succesfully hosting early-season races even when the natural snowfall conditions don't cooperate.

  For those planning on the Dec. 20-21 SL races at Alpine, a special training clinic will be held on the preceding Thursday and Friday at Sugar Bowl. This is an exciting new opportunity this year that's being offered by the UNR ski team. Head Coach Evan Weiss, a former US Ski Team member, along with assistant coaches (who bring Olympic and All-American experience to the hill) will be putting on two days of race training (with a second clinic planned for March prior to the GS race weekend at Alpine). Get in touch with Evan for details and to reserve a spot - click here for details and contact info. This is a great opportunity for the Masters and UNR to help each other out - they're offering experienced coaches and training, our donations for this clinic will support the UNR ski team. Sounds like a win-win deal, so check it out!

  [17-Nov-2008; updated 11/18]

• 2009 Preseason News

  A new ski racing season is coming soon!! The 2009 race schedule is available -  click here for printable schedule The Season Schedule page contains the complete race calendar schedule for the season, with details on where to send your entries and how contact the organizers. Whenever possible, a race announcement with detailed information on race location, registration, entries, and awards parties will be posted with the event description a few weeks before the race - look for the details info link: details

  Race entry form printing is available on the Print Race Entries page - if you are a FW member, type your FW bib number or USSA license number into the form before clicking Print Race Entry for an event and your registration information will be filled in automatically from our membership records. (Be sure to log in if you have a web account and your personal address info will be filled in as well!)

  The Fall issue of the Forerunner newsletter with membership application and season news was mailed in early September to all competitors who have been members within recent seasons. If you've forgotten to renew, be sure to get your USSA masters competition license (online membership now available online this year for the first time at ussa.org) and visit our How to Join page for 2009 Far West membership info and application.

  Our Far West membership records as of 25-Oct-2009 have been posted on our online Member Lookup page. Check your entry there to confirm if your application has been received and processed. Updated records will be posted by Thanksgiving.

  [16-Nov-2009]

• 2009 Race Schedule

  The draft 2009 race schedule is now available -  DRAFT 2009 schedule. Once again scheduling chief Rees Palermo has worked hard to try to put together the best possible race calendar for the coming season. It's a tough job trying to balance the competing pressures of an "ideal" schedule with the needs and availability of facilities at the areas which host our events.

  The season kicks off with 2 race weekends in December, the "traditional" season opener at Mammoth following their annual masters training camp week after Thanksgiving, followed by Alpine Meadows prior to the holiday break. Recognizing the uncertainty of early season snow conditions, which make it difficult to plan for adequate terrain for a quality GS competition, the December races this season are all SL events. So kick off your season with some quick turns while getting your legs in shape for longer events later in the season!

  Following the holidays, January returns with a 3-day race weekend featuring the classic Viva Italia SL at Heavenly (note the Friday date) followed by a SL/GS combo on the weekend at Sierra at Tahoe, a new venue for the Far West Masters. Prepare for the Western Regionals at Park City in the beginning of February with a challenging tuneup weekend of Mammmoth speed on Jan. 23-25, featuring three days of SG racing with a final Sunday GS race.

  February opens with the Western Regional Championships, hosted by Intermountain Division and Park City this season. This is likely to be a well-attended event, providing a quality championship event for those competitors who may be unable to travel back to Eastern Division for the national championships in March. The month ends with a concentration of speed events. Northstar will host a DH for the first time on the same Challenger run that will host the SG races on the weekend. This is a good venue for those new to speed events, providing plenty of challenge but not overwhelmingly intimidating for the first-timer. (Speed events are a blast, but they are different than the technical events and the kind of everyday skiing most of us can do!)

  March is GS month, balancing the December SL schedule with GS races in the peak of the season when we can expect to have access to adequate terrain for great competition. Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley both have exciting GS venues, so both should be great events. This is a special but sad year for our Bernard Cup classic at Squaw, as sponsor and masters inspiration Bob Bernard passed away last spring. He is very much missed, but his legacy is with us in many ways.

  The 2009 national champships will be hosted by Eastern Division Sunday River ME the week of Mar. 23-28. Although travelling back east with race gear is always challenging, perhaps more so than ever this season, those who have the opportunity should be in for a great week of racing. Sunday River has outstanding race hills and did a fantastic job hosting the 2007 nationals, so we know they have the venues and staff to put together a great championship.

  The Far West season will wrap up with a 3-day weekend on Apr. 3-5 with the McKinney Cup at Mt. Rose. In a change from the traditional SL/SL format, this season will be a GS on Friday and a SL on Saturday for the final scoring race. The season awards banquet will be Saturday evening, with a dual GS fun race on Sunday to celebrate spring and the completion of another race season in the Far West.

  [01-Oct-2008]

• Bob Bernard

  Ski racing and the masters community has lost a great friend this week. Bob Bernard is gone and his passing is a great sadness.

  Bob was an enormously influential member of our racing community. The masters racing programs we enjoy today are in large part due to the passion and organizational skills he brought to our sport. Coming to ski racing later in his life, Bob found challenge and joy in the sport and became a worthy champion. In his own quest for excellence, his standards were high and he set his goals to pursue the best - while he might not have beaten Alberto Tomba, he saw no reason not to try to reach that level!

  Beyond the enjoyment he found in his own racing, Bob supported the sport of ski racing with his involvement with USSA, the US ski team, and in the Far West. He was one of the founders along with Joe Lausmann of the Far West Masters scholarship fundraising program, which has grown into a very successful and appreciated program that helps support junior ski racers in the Far West.

  For many years, no masters championship event or race in the Far West was complete without Bob setting the standard for all us younger folk both on the race hill and off. In recent years he raced less often after health problems knocked him off the hill for a period, but he continued to have an active and satisfying life with family and travel as well as continuing to ski.

  He will be deeply missed, yet his legacy lives on with all of us and he will not be forgotten. Bob was a fierce competitor, a good friend, and a true gentleman.

  For more on Bob's life and contributions, visit Bob's page on the farwestmasters Google group. The farwestmasters group on Google is open to racers, members, and friends interested in USSA masters racing in the Far West. Feel free to join the group and share memories and stories about Bob Bernard.

  [23-May-2008]

• Summer Events

  The Far West Masters summer board meeting and social get-together will be Saturday, July 12 at Teddy Cantanho's in Gardnerville (Carson Valley) - see the summer meeting news item for details and directions.

  Mt. Hood ski/golf with US Ski Team athletes - as some of you may know, over the past year some of our US Ski Team athletes have been asked to fund some or all of their training and competition expenses. Affected athletes include well-known veterans as well as "up and coming" competitors, with some of our Far West competitors and scholarship athletes among them. Travis Ganong has gotten in touch to let us know about a Ski/Golf tournament that some of the US men's team athletes are organizing for July 19-20 at Mt. Hood to help raise funds. They will be running clinics with drills, gate training, video, and timing with a fun race at the end, along with a golf tournament the following day. Travis notes "I think that a lot of Masters might be interested in skiing and training with the best ski racers in the country". Details are available at mensalpine.com.

  [22-May-2008]

• Scholarship Application

  Far West junior athletes interested in applying to the scholarship program can click here for the 2009 application form.

  Please read the instructions and be sure to submit your application before the deadline of Sept. 15, 2008. (That's a hard deadline, we really mean it! In fairness to the other athletes and our volunteer review committee who work hard to consider everyone carefully, applications submitted after the deadline cannot be considered.) Contact Eddie Mozen at mozen@concentric.net if you have any questions.

  [15-May-2009]

• Summer Meeting

  The annual summer board meeting will be held on Saturday July 12 at Teddy Cantanho's home in Gardnerville, Nevada. The board meeting will start at 2PM, with food and socializing to follow at 5PM. Directions to Teddy's and additional info about related activities in the area (golf, Walley's Hot Springs) are provided here in the summer meeting announcement.

  Meeting minutes of board discussions from past meetings are available on the Board Records page

  [17-Apr-2008; updated 22-May-2008]

• 2008 Season Wrapup

  The 2008 race season wrapped up with a pair of GS races on the always-fun McTavish at Sugar Bowl. Good weather and spring racing made it a nice finale to the season, with a dual fun race on Sunday featuring many of our junior athlete scholarship winners along with masters and families. The season awards banquet on Saturday night had a good turnout, with many raffle prizes and auction items along with the season awards presentation.

  See the Race Results page for complete results and the final Season Standings.

  Take a few minutes to visit the  Pictures section to check out race photos from this season posted by some of our photo talents, Sasha Glushenko and Gerard Lill. Sasha has posted photo albums from a number of our races this season, along with some Sierra League races for those of you from the Tahoe and Bay areas who also do those events, and Gerard has photos from the March Alpine Meadows GS race. Thanks to Sasha and Gerard for sharing these, everyone loves race pictures!!

  [17-Apr-2008]