Background
Arrive early
Check with the coaches for arrival times. For a 10 a.m. start, racers are usually asked to arrive at 7:30 – 8 a.m. for registration and are out on inspection by 8:30 with their coaches.
Racers must have their USSA/NYSSRA cards with them to register. Many parents make multiple copies of the cards and keep the originals in a safe place. Put copies in the racer’s bag, your bag, your car, your house. Some races require originals of the cards or they will require a bib deposit.
If your child travels to races without you, make extra sure that they have their cards as only a parent can sign a “release of liability waiver” which is needed because the USSA membership covers liability. (In some cases, areas will not allow a racer on the course without the cards - period.)
Bring snacks or even lunch to be eaten on the hill. Many racers will not have time to buy any food during a race. Even when it looks like there will be adequate time, a malfunction on a lift can cause unexpected delays. Missing the start of a run will put the racer last ( if they permit the start at all) In general, the larger the race field, the more strict the organizers are on starts.
Bring cash.
You never know when you might need something. Not all mountains take credit cards. (Even our training center doesn’t take credit cards.)
Bring warm clothes (and possibly rain-wear) for your racers.
Weather is changeable, and it takes little effort to make sure you are prepared. On cold days, warm racers dressed in parkas may well outperform cold racers in speed suits. Consult with the coaches on race attire.
Be sure that if your child wears a speed suit, that they have full-zip removable pants.
Be supportive and enthusiastic.
No matter how your child finishes, be supportive. Praise achievements no matter how small and withhold criticism. There will always be time to review the race and make suggestions.
Lastly – don’t get too serious too quickly! Few, if any, of our kids will be Olympic stars or make the U.S. Ski Team. They should have fun and learn a lot while racing. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. Keep your sense of perspective and sense of humor.
Learn the Rules.
While the coaches will explain the rules of racing to the kids, often they don’t pay attention and in general don’t pass along the knowledge to their parents.
In simple terms, the following rules apply:
- If a racer feels they have been interfered with, they are NOT to finish the course but to pull out immediately and contact an official (such as a gatekeeper).
- If a racer falls in GS or SL, and provided their equipment does not come off, they may hike any gates they have missed and finish their run.
- For obvious safety reasons, gatekeepers may prevent racers from hiking a gate if another racer is bearing down on them.
- In ALL cases, if their equipment comes off, they are to get out of the course as quickly as possible and are NOT to finish their run.
- With the exception of SL where a skier may complete their run if they lose one ski not more than one gate before the finish. Racers who know they have missed gates should ski out and not finish the run.
- All speed event participants (SG, DH) must be represented by a coach or they will not be allowed to race.
Vouchers
Everyone suggests registering and sending in all vouchers early in the season. Veterans recommend doing this as soon as the schedule is published. This alleviates the worry about late registrations which cause the racer to race last for both runs. Some open races ( such as the Hovey and the Kandahar ) can be “overbooked” and later registrants can be denied entry. NYSEF has a Race Secretary who can verify all race registrations in advance.
Vouchers need to be complete. Even information such as sex should be carefully included. (We had a race this past season where the sex was unclear and the wrong results were published as a result) We have seen some creative vouchers come across the Race Secretary’s desk – the best being a voucher with a copy of the NYSSRA and USSA membership cards copied on the back of the card. This parent was taking no chances on the cards not being present on race day!
The Brown Bag room at Gore is our unofficial headquarters and coaches can often be found there. Information about training, ski club events and races are also posted on the bulletin board in the Brown Bag room.
Multi-Day races usually need one voucher separately for each day. The reason is that each race is taxed and recorded separately.
J I-II s need to make sure that they put their name on the voucher exactly as is appears on the USSA points list. Otherwise, points may not be properly credited.
Registration
Above all be patient. Keep in mind that all the people working the registration are volunteers. Some may not have ever done this before . It is a stressful time for all. If you know you will be late, try to call ahead and let the race secretary know. They can instruct you where to go and how to pick up your bib if registration is over.
Behavior
As in any organized sport, there is a great amount of discipline involved. Arriving on time, good manners & respect for all others (particularly the general public and mountain employees) are a must. A non-disruptive group of young ski racers will have a much more effective training experience. Bad behavior towards lift attendants, etc. reflects badly not just on the individual racer, but on the club as well and may contribute towards less support from mountain management for future races. Please explain to your child the importance of good behavior.
Communication
The best way to have a positive experience in racing is for parents to communicate often with the coaching staff. Coaches are available to answer your questions, needs and concerns. Often, information is given to the racer and doesn’t always make it home when it should. The Brown Bag room at Gore is our unofficial headquarters and coaches can often be found there. Also, you can check with the training center to contact a coach, or call them (see the Coaches list for contact information) during the week. Coaches do schedule brief meetings for parents during the season to go over important information – try to attend. If you have any questions or problems regarding coaching, you should contact Bone.
Race Schedules
A special note regarding race schedules. Each season several races are canceled and/or re-scheduled. Despite best intentions – not everyone finds out. If you have missed any training days ( and especially parent meetings ), make an extra effort to check with coaches or the training center to verify dates and venues. If you do not check the bulletin board frequently – you may easily miss important notices.
The NYSSRA, NYSEF, and USSA web sites are also useful locations for up-to-date race information.
Volunteering or Helping Out
Running a race is a lot of work. Each race needs people to help with registration, bib collection, as well as on-slope needs such as gatekeeping. In addition to organized tasks, freezing racers need help shuttling jackets down from the start. Even if one member of a family can make one run with a bunch of jackets at each race, it is a big help to all. PLEASE coordinate with coaches when shuttling jackets – we do have trouble with lost jackets which some coaches are trying to control with bagging groups together.
Helpers at races typically earn a ticket for the day of the race and a voucher for another day. (Be reasonable – 15 minutes at registration isn’t the same as working the whole race.) A typical race needs 6 people at registration, 7-12 gatekeepers, 1-2 bib collectors, scoring helpers, and office help before, after, and during the race. None of these require any officials license or special training. Gatekeepers can be shown all they need to know in a short meeting with the Head Gatekeeper.
Becoming a Race Official, Head Gatekeeper, Timer, etc can be very rewarding to any parent at the same time benefiting the youngsters. Volunteering at any race is a good way to see the race and participate at the same time. See the director of NYSEF for details regarding these functions.
