U19 Alpine Racing Program
The U19 Program provides training and support for ski racers ages 16, 17, & 18 (born in years 2006-2008.)
Using guidelines and skill drills from US Ski & Snowboard, our coaches will build upon and refine what the athletes learned as U16s and teach them to ski more aggressively and faster than they have before. We will spend most of our time gate training, but we will also have fun translating these skills to the entire mountain with directed free skiing.
The U19 season begins on December 26 and will meet daily for Christmas week. After that, we train Wednesday - Friday from 2:00 - 4:00 PM as well as Saturday & Sunday mornings.
As members of the Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA), our U16 Athletes compete in Slalom and Giant Slalom in both the Vermont Cup Series and George Tormey Series. The full VARA schedule represents a large number of races, and many are scheduled on weekdays. As all Ski Runners participants attend school on weekdays, our U16 program will participate in races scheduled on weekends at ski areas relatively close to Saskadena 6. The coaching staff will work with our team to decide on a schedule of races nearby that meets our needs and provides the most fun for the kids.
The coaching staff will distribute a schedule with specific times, locations and instructions prior to each race.
The full calendar of events can be found at http://www.vara.org/calendar.php
The U16 & U19 groups will usually train and race on the same schedule.
Prerequisite: Successful U19 should have at least 4-5 seasons of ski racing experience.
U19 Coaching Staff: We are actively seeking coaches. If you are interested, you can sign up for more information on our registration website or contact Club Manager Terry Hartford and/or Alpine Director Justin Lillie.
U19 Ages:
16, 17 & 18 years old (DOB: January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2008)
Program Cost:
$1,500
Saskadena 6 Pass:
Saskadena 6 Pass: Participants are expected to have a Saskadena 6 season pass. Ski Runners participants are eligible for the $129 “Book-it” Season pass, which can be purchased at this link.
Dates & times:
Daily December 26 - December 31, 2023. Saturdays & Sundays through March 9, 2025. For each age group, Ski Runners is planning for one comprehensive training session each Saturday and Sunday morning lasting between three and four hours. The weekday training schedule will remain consistent with recent years.
U19s may also attend mid-week training on Wednesday - Friday from 2:00 - 4:00 PM. This schedule may vary week to week. Final schedule is always at coaches discretion.
Pre-Season Dry land training:
U19 Athletes are invited to join us for dry-land training after they are fully registered for Ski Runners. We’ll meet Wednesdays & Fridays 3:30 -4:30 PM at Vail Field beginning Wednesday November 13th. Our first dryland session will be on Saturday, November 9th from Noon to 2:00 pm at S6. Feel free to bring any gear you may be looking to swap.
Equipment:
FIS Certified helmet, with removable SL chin guard and goggles
Skis: At least 2 pairs; 1 pair each of properly sized SL and GS skis. The GS skis must have a minimum sidecut radius of 17 meters
Poles; ideally 2 pairs; 1 SL with hand guards and one pair for GS
Slalom shin guards
Ski racing suit
USSA & VARA Licenses:
All U19 athletes are required to be members of both US Ski & Snowboard and Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA), our state racing organization.
Step 1: Please visit usskiandsnowboard.org to register or renew your child’s US Ski & Snowboard membership.
Step 2: You can register or renew your child’s VARA membership on the Ski Runners registration page, or you can visit www.vara.org.
Parent Work Obligation
2 events during 2023/24 season: Supportive parents are a crucial element of any youth sport, and that is especially true of ski racing. We cannot host events without help from our membership. Meet your fellow Ski Runners members, enjoy a great catered lunch for the race workers. It’s fun!
U19 Alpine participants compete in the VT Cup SL and the Tormey Series SL. It is a club requirement to work your child’s events. If you are unable to work these events, please consult the complete race schedule and make alternate arrangements with Terry Hartford at office@skirunners.org