Hidden Valley and Old Man Winter are offering yet another weekend of skiing! With great coverage and temps around 50F, this should be some of the best spring skiing in years; in April no less. For many of us, Hidden Valley skiing in April will be a first ever opportunity!
Hidden Valley has announced that 2013-2014 season passes are on sale. Those racers planning to join the club next season should definitely get a season pass. Please be reminded that all racers attending HVRC practices must have a valid lift ticket or season pass. Club membership does not include lift tickets.
We will be moving into Summer mode, which means HVRC News will be published every 5-6 weeks. Thanks to all who have supported the club for this year. We look forward to continued support next year. For those that have aspiring young racers, we would welcome them to join the club next season. Those with questions can contact me at any time. In the meantime, we recommend spending some time going through your ski equipment.
1) Wax your skis with a warm weather wax, but do not scrape off the excess wax; especially on the metal edges. Edges will rust which will cause you to work hard or pay someone to restore the edges.
2) Write down the din settings for both front and rear bindings. Reduce the setting to the minimum. This should help to keep the bindings in good working order. In the fall, the binding settings should be re-evaluated for the skiers current weight and height.
3) Store the skis in a dry location. I’ve found under a bed to be ideal. Interior closets work well also. Note: The garage is NOT dry! Humidity in this region is enough to put a nice coating of rust on your edges.
4) Evaluate your equipment and clothing. Make a list of what you need and what you could sell. This is usually a good reference to use when relatives ask what one wants for birthday or Christmas. Ski Swaps occur in the fall and are a great way to get rid of excess ski stuff. Check the ski shops for end of year bargains; the HV Ski Shop is running some very nice discounts at this moment. Labor Day Sales have become a big opportunity to save some bucks. For U18/U21 racers, Willi’s has a pro sale in November and the HV Ski Shop is also willing to help. In both cases a valid USSA card for the racer is required. This is important because U18/U21 are required to race on equipment that meets USSA/FIS specifications. Most ski shops do not carry skis that meet USSA/FIS specs. For U10 thru U16, there are no specifications. It’s more important to fit U10 – U16 racers according to their weight and height.
5) Spray some silicon on your ski boots; especially the buckles. Do not store boots in the garage. I’ve found that a ski boot makes a very elegant home for mice! Unfortunately, their means of redecoration tends to cause problems with fit and comfort of your foot.
It will be some time before things start for next season. If you were a USSA member this season, in Late June/Early July you can expect renewal info from USSA. We’ll publish something as soon as it is available to help you decide the competitor level for your racer. 2013/2014 race schedules won’t be released until mid-October. Typically, there will be USSA races at 7 Springs on the Saturday between Christmas & New Years and each of the 1st two weekends in January. I usually try to avoid commitments during race season, but especially for these races. There are usually 5-6 regional races at 7 Springs and 1-2 at Wisp. State Derby invites for U12 – U16 are dependent on completing 50% of the available runs. These three weekends represent 4 races; 2 runs each, which usually fulfills the requirement.
