ACE Ski and Board Club

Recreational Racing Details - 2007/2008

Bill Ralph - Chairperson

Over the past 20 plus seasons, our racers have built quite an enviable record of accomplishments, while also acquiring an impressive collection of awards and trophies for the ACE Ski and Board Club. When at our peak Club size, over 200 racers competed in as many as nine separate programs or events. More recently, with less than 100 racers representing the Club, a considerably improved “return on assets” has enabled us to maintain the same level of achievement.

Over the years, our teams won significant season and championship awards for Corporate Team Racing at Nashoba Valley and Wachusett Mountain and numerous team and individual wins in EICSL’s White Mountain Racing as well as USSA participation. While we are proud of our many successes, the Club’s racing program is designed for skiers of all experience and ability levels. In addition to highly skilled competitors, each season we attract many entry-level and first-time racers. Our program is designed for FUN. We think that having a good time, in a friendly environment, will help you in improving your skiing.

Please join any and all the programs to ensure that 2007/2008 ski season is as successful as last year.

The Club offers these programs:

• EICSL's White Mountain Racing (dates and locations)
• Team Racing (Nashoba, Wachusett and Shawnee Peak)
• USSA Masters
• Nashoba Gate Training
• Race Program Coordinators

A summary of each program follows. More detailed information can be obtained from the appropriate program coordinator listed at the end of this article. Also included is a combined race application for EICSL’s White Mountain Racing program and free agent submittal form for the team racing programs. Applications for team racing can be obtained from the respective mountain coordinators. You must be an ACE and EICSL club member to participate in EICSL’s White Moutain Racing.

EICSL's White Mountain Racing
The Eastern Inter-Club Ski League, better known as EICSL, runs a competitive team and individual racing program in New Hampshire’s White Mountains that is designed for all ages, abilities and even snowboarders. Our club members have been racing in this league for almost 25 years. About 200 racers from over 15 ski clubs compete in the league.

Major improvements in the program this year should make racer participation even more enjoyable. We run single run races as well as races with a dual 2-run format. The races will continue to use separate courses for men and women, resulting in fewer ruts for the men and typically pristine snow conditions for the women. Eligibility for the championship race requires participation in at least two of the qualification races, with a finish in at least one.

Skiers/Boarders of all ability levels compete in six separate ability- level classes. The classes are defined by NASTAR handicap ranges – for men and women in junior (18 and under), senior, veteran (35–49 for women, 40–54 for men), and super-vet (50 and older for women, 55 and older for men) age groups. Those competing range from recent college racers to very first-time racers. The ability-level class structure provides entry-level racers the opportunity to race against their peers and to win individual awards.

Season awards are given for both individual and team competition – a team being comprised of three or more club racers in the same ability class. Awards are presented at the annual White Mountain Racing banquet. Last year, ACE racers took home 8 individual awards out of 20 adult racers. The top female racer for the entire league was ACE’s Downhill Diva Julia Horgan. Also from our club was one of the youngest winners, Amy Godfrey age 6; one of the rising stars, Claire Hamnett who was second for all the girls, but only 10 years old; and Alan Hodsdon who won SuperVet A. Historically, ACE racers have one of the highest success levels of racing of all the clubs, winning numerous individual and team awards.

Each of the League races is run by one or two of the participating clubs. This season we will be hosting a race most likely at Cranmore, and we have gate-keeping and course maintenance responsibilities at the other races. All ACE racers are expected to participate in these Club responsibilities at each race. Lodging in the North Conway area is available at very reasonable rates at some of the other EICSL clubs. The individual racer entry fee for all five days of racing is expected to be $20.00. In addition, racers will need to join EICSL (an $8.00 fee) when they submit their ACE Ski Club membership application, along with their signed EICSL Release Form. EICSL racing dates (all events are on Saturdays) and locations for this season are:

EICSL 2007/2008 Race Dates and Locations:

1st Qualifier – Saturday, January 5th at Wildcat Mountain
2nd Qualifier – Saturday, January 26th at Black Mountain
3rd Qualifier – Saturday, February 9th at Cranmore Mountain
Championship – Saturday, March 1st at Shawnee Peak
Race Banquet – Saturday, April 5th - Location TBD

Nashoba Valley Team Racing
Nashoba teams compete on Monday through Wednesday evenings over a seven- week period, with the top teams for each night advancing to a championship race. Teams are comprised of four racers (no gender stipulations), and the team race and lift ticket fee are about $800 ($200/racer). Although not a NASTAR Mountain, the pacesetters are NASTAR calibrated, and team scoring is based on NASTAR-like medal performances, plus additional considerations. The Nashoba program is unique in that the courses are much tighter than NASTAR courses (an additional gate is added to the course each week), and racer seeding is against a peer, based on performances from the previous week.

Wachusett Mountain Team NASTAR
Wachusett’s program has two separate divisions. Division I is intended for ski shops and other extremely proficient teams (usually 10 teams compete). Division II is a typical corporate industrial league (with 60+ teams). Racing is on Monday through Thursday nights over a nine- week period. The top teams in both divisions are invited to an additional championship race, known as the Great Race, a double-pole, two-run, combined time, Masters style G/S. A team is comprised of four to six racers, with at least one male and one female member. Team points are based on the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals won by team members. Team scoring is the sum of the best four racers’ points, defined as the best male score plus the best female score plus the next best two scores.

An awards banquet is held in the evening after the Great Race. The team entry fee for last year (through November 30) was approximately $225 per racer, which includes a NASTAR fee and the remainder lift tickets. Again, we currently do not believe that pricing increases will be significant. The lift ticket is valid for a specific weekday evening for the entire season.

Shawnee Peak - Racing with the Moon
If you are in Maine (or northern New Hampshire) and have in interest in racing at Shawnee Peak on Wednesday or Thursday nights, please contact Bill Ralph.

USSA Masters Program
The United States Ski Association Masters Program (a.k.a. Masters Circuit) is FIS-like seeded competition for racers 21 years of age and older. FIS is the international governing body for Olympic and World Cup ski competition. While Masters racing is not the World Cup, it is the closest we non-US Ski Team racers can get both in format and race course layout. The USSA Eastern Division program, known as the Sise Cup, is the largest, and by far the most competitive program run by USSA. This is your opportunity to compete and compare yourself against former US national and Olympic team members! For the past several seasons, over 20 Club members have competed in this, the most challenging racing program available to recreational racers in the East. Although everyone competes as an individual, the number of ACE racers at a given race creates a “Club team” environment. The circuit starts the first week in January and lasts through the month of March. The format is typically a Slalom on Saturday, followed by a Giant Slalom on Sunday. The Slalom and G/S are usually held at different but nearby mountains as the circuit travels through New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. A few Super G and Downhill races are also available on selected weekends. The race trail is FIS Homologated, which means we use the same race hill that the mountain uses for Eastern competition or NORAMs. The gates are break-away style, and a Slalom run lasts about 50–60 seconds, while a G/S run takes about 70+ seconds (fastest times). The race format for Slalom and G/S is one run in the morning and one run in the afternoon with combined time determining the winner. Trophies are awarded at each race for each age group (five-year intervals), and World Cup style points are earned which accumulate to determine the Sise Cup winners at season end. Competitors can enter all races or just some, but to race you must join USSA as an Adult Masters Competitor ($75) and New England Master’s ($25). Applications are available from Dana Billings). Membership includes a subscription to Ski Racing or Ski Trax magazine and a comprehensive competition handbook. Entry fees last year averaged about $35–$40 per race, which included a day’s lift ticket and the race. Once affiliated with the USSA Masters Program, racers will have access to other training and racing options.

Corporate/Club Challenges
The Club, from time to time, enters teams in both ski club and corporate challenge events. We have participated in the Eastern Corporate Ski Championships, the Jeep Ski Club Challenge, the Ski Classic, and the Ski Race for Wednesday’s Child. Team members are selected by the Club Race Committee based on performance in other Club racing programs. While all Club racers in all programs are considered for these teams, participants in the White Mountain Racing and Masters programs have an advantage in being selected. For only in these two programs do all ACE racers compete against each other on the same course on the same day, thus providing head-to-head comparisons.

Nashoba Gate Training
A very successful program over many seasons, gate training at Nashoba Valley offers ACE racers practice courses and (limited) instruction and guidance from some of the Club’s best racers. Although this will no longer be sponsored by the club, individuals may contact Dana Billings to potentially get additional practice to enhance their skiing/racing technique. Gate training took place on Wednesday evenings for eight consecutive weeks, beginning in January. If you participate, you are expected to assist in the setting-up and taking-down of the courses. A participation fee covers costs such as hill and gate rental.

Program Contacts