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Racing with Snow Drifters
"Racing" is designed to be recreational and fun. There are many
classes to divide up people into ability groups, from beginners to
Masters level and there's even a special class for snowboarders! Four
different courses are set on different slopes (I think that they are
counting both SL and GS here) with varying degrees of difficulty. The
race course is just blue and red poles placed in the snow to show you
where to turn. You generally have to ski back and forth around them.
One of the courses is designed for beginners and you can snowplow
down. You can go as fast or slow as you wish! Each race is designed
to last for only about a minute. At the end of the day, trophies are
awarded to the top 3 people who finish their race. The trophies are
just a large for a beginner and expert alike. You earn points for
yourself and your club for placing in the top ten finishers in your
class. Many classes have less than ten people so that you are
guaranteed to earn points if you finish! First place in the beginners
class earns the same numbers of points as the first place finisher in
the top class. As you improve your skiing, you are automatically
moved into a higher class to keep the competition even and fair.
Initially, you are timed and placed in a "class" with people of
similar ability level. The great thing about this is that you
immediately meet people who ski about the same speed as yourself.
When your race is over you have a bunch of new friends of the same
ability to ski with. Since you usually spend a little time in line at
the starting gate, you also have a great opportunity to make new
friends. Since the racing is designed to be FUN, most people don't
take it too seriously and the competition is generally good natured
and low key.
All of this adds up to a fun on-mountain experience! At the end of
the season there is a gala event to reward everyone for a great
season. Its a great way to socialize with others from your own ski
club and others around the Bay Area.
See photos from last year's racing events here.
If you're interested in racing with us, please contact our race director Ian Puleston.
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