- Question: My child isn’t a super competent skier and I’m nervous everyone else will be miles ahead of them. Have we missed the boat on racing? I don’t want my child to not enjoy it or feel like they can’t keep up.
Answer: Our racing teams are broken up by age. Within each group there is always a range of ability and experience. Does your child enjoy skiing fast or with a group of peers their own age? If so, then they will get enjoyment out of the race program regardless of previous experience. By the age of 12 (U14 racing) it is possible they may find competitions intimidating at first without prior exposure.
- Question: It seems like a big commitment to join a race program, both weekend days fully occupied in programs. We’re on the fence about it. Why should we do this?
Answer: We find that the strongest (often lifelong) friendships are formed in the full weekend programs. Kids develop closer friendships when they are immersed in a group of peers with common interest. Parents and families also have a similar experience as they get to know one another through event attendance and volunteering.
- Question: We sometimes miss the odd weekend or the odd day. Is that a problem for the race/ freestyle program?
Answer: It is not a problem to miss a program day, but it is helpful for coaches to know of your absence in advance. - Question: When an athlete travels to an away race at another club what are the additional cost or charges that will be applied to my account, ie-coaches fees, and if so, what is the amount?
Answer: It depends on the type of event you are attending. If the event falls within a normally scheduled program day, the only additional costs would be the event entry itself and possibly a lift ticket at the other club. If the event is outside of normal programming, then there would also be a daily coaching fee ($85 per day). - Question: At what age does the athlete require full slalom equipment?
Answer: An introduction to cross blocking slalom gates begins at the end of U12. Full slalom equipment will be needed for U14 and up.
- Question: What race equipment is needed at different ages?
Answer:
https://www.mansfieldskiclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Equipment2021.pdf
- Question: What is the progression of ski racing?
Answer:
- Question: What equipment do my kids need for this coming weekend?
Answer: Each team uses both Team Snap and emails for weekly communication including race event and training preparation. You can also find designated training space allocation (and discipline) for the upcoming week posted on the website. https://www.mansfieldskiclub.com/racing-programs/training-space/ - Question: What is the difference between SOD & OCup and what criteria as a parent should someone use to make the proper decision for their child?
Answer: There are 2 different ski race streams in Ontario for the U14 and U16 race levels. Southern Ontario Division (SOD) is a weekend-only race league with divisional racing and travel. Ontario Cup (OCup) racing is the more competitive, province wide stream. OCup racing includes training and some race events during the week (typically Thursdays and Fridays) as well as on the weekend.