**Intro to Ski Level Development and Ski Level Development
Thank you to all our amazing skiers and ski families that came to our Meet & Greet last week! The energy in the lodge was A-MAZ-ING!!!  Attached is the information shared at the Meet & Greet – please be sure to review and be ready. We can not wait to get started!
First Day of Programming Reminders:
 – All programming dates and times are found in your TeamSnap Schedule. Please download the TeamSnap app (it’s free!), confirm you are in the correct GTSC team (or teams) and understand how to navigate the Schedule tab.
 – Both programs have multiple session times, so PLEASE make sure you know which your skier is registered for.
START DATES:
 – Intro to Ski Level Development Start Date: Saturday, January 18th
 – Ski Level Development Start Date: Monday, January 13th
Please mark your calendars and see you there!
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**Race Clinics

Thank you to all who were able to join our Meet & Greet last week at Hickory! Resharing the information covered in the attached document for the Race Clinics.
First Day of Programming Reminders:
 – All programming dates and times are found in your TeamSnap Schedule. Please download the TeamSnap app (it’s free!), login to your existing TeamSnap account (you all have one from registering for GTSC), confirm you are in the correct GTSC team (or teams) and understand how to navigate the Schedule tab.
START DATES:
 – Monday Night Race Clinics (USSS focus): Monday, January 6th
 – Tue/Thurs Race Clinics: Tuesday, January 7th
 – Wednesday Night Race Clinics: Wednesday, January 8th
Please mark your calendars, get your gear ready and see you there!

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**Sunday Races
Please be sure to check out the Sunday Race team and make sure you have access in TeamSnap! Our first Sunday Race is quickly approaching!

 
START DATE:
 – 1st Sunday Race: Sunday, January 12th – GS
 
Notes:
 – Check out the Assignments now in your TeamSnap Schedule event on that date and please signup to help make sure our race is amazing!
 – This race is FREE for any interested GTSC skier to try out! Please tell your pals and spread the word! They simply show up at the Lodge at 11am and talk to the volunteers to get set up!
 – Our 1st Sunday Race WILL COUNT towards Welborn scoring this year (this is due to the loss of the Sunday Race over President’s Day weekend as Hickory does not want us to hold a race to allow room for the public.)
 – If you still have your racers bib from last year, PLEASE bring to the bib pickup this year. We charge $50 for any bib not turned back in (or you can see that as a bonus momento if you choose to keep it! But they are pricey to replace =)
 – We will set the bib pickup ASAP – please watch for the date/time so we can get this done prior to the first race.
 
Reach out anytime with questions, thank you!

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**Middle School Race Team (MSRT): 

We are getting close to our season start up! Please make sure your skier is ready with all the items in the Meet & Greet information (found under ‘Files’ in your 24/25 MSRT TeamSnap). We also ask parents to start signing up under Assignments for bus chaperone days on Wednesday for our Crystal Mtn routes. These busses can not transport our skiers out of Traverse City without chaperones.
 
START DATE:
 – MSRT: Monday, January 6th – at Hickory Hills, SL 
 
SKI PASSES – Reminder to please start purchasing your ski passes.:
Hickory Hills Passes: Now available online through the City of Traverse City website! Most families opt for the season pass over a daily pass, but this is your choice.
https://www.traversecitymi.gov/government/city-departments/hickory-hills/season-passes.html

Crystal Mountain Passes: Our GTSC athletes get a discount racer passes. Racer passes are purchased by calling Megan Farfsing at Crystal Mountain, 231.378.2255. These need to be purchased ASAP, so please make it happen =)

The MSRT practices at Crystal on Wednesday only. As such, this group receives a discounted 1-day/week Wed Only pass for about $100. Please do NOT wait until the first night to purchase for your skier!

We are excited for a great season, GTSC!
………………..

**USSS Race Teams – Middle School USSS Race Team, Intro to USSS Race Team and High School USSS Teams: 
What a great weekend for our USSS Teams! We had some great success with “high stoke factor” at Crystal Mtn drills, and crusher results at the SkillsQuest hosted by CR3 at Nubs Nob. Congrats to all our athletes who participated and those who took home some hardware!

Holiday Training Schedule:
In recognition of the holiday week for many, we will not have practice this week. Our next event has been updated in all the Schedules and we are super pumped for our GTSC USSS/FIS Christmas Camp December 27-29 at Boyne Mountain!!
 
Please see all details in the GTSC Christmas Camp emails from earlier today.
 
Watch for updates on training following these dates, but we are hopeful to move into our Hickory/Crystal rotation ASAP!

Upcoming USSS Race Dates:
January 4 & 5, 2025
U14 & Older Scored and Non-Scored GS Races @ The Highlands
Our first race of the USSS season and a great way to kick off 2025! A few important notes about this race:
  • U14 & Older – reminder if your racer is a U12 (11 or under) they are NOT able to participate in this race.
  • Registration is open – signup through your skireg account – reminder late fees hit the Wednesday prior to the race (New Years Day!).
  • The CR3 schedule shows this as an all GS race weekend – please plan accordingly.
    • Saturday: 2 races: 1 – Scored GS race, and 1 – Non-Scored GS race.
    • Sunday: 1 – Scored GS race only.
  • If you are wondering what the difference between a scored and non-scored race is, see below explanation to help explain!
  • Please signup to help volunteer through the DIBS (somehow an acronym for ‘volunteer signup’ – riddle me that?) link on the CR3 website: https://www.region3cussa.org/
    • USSS races do not happen without many, many volunteers helping out folks. Thank you for helping ensure our skiers race and our GTSC is well represented helping out! We are typically the one of the largest Clubs attending these races and it’s important we lead by example =)
  • Reminder to purchase your lift tickets as far in advance as you are comfortable – the Boyne Resorts family lift ticket prices increase as the date gets closer. Also a reminder that any IKON pass holders get days at the Boyne Resorts, so check your pass!

Scored vs. Non-Scored – For our new racers, we wanted to help better explain what a Scored versus a Non-Scored race is. The USSS system is based on a points system. In general, it’s like golf – the lower your points, the better. All USSS racers start with 999.99 points until they race in, and finish, a Scored race. As a USSS racer continues to race in Scored races, and if they perform well against racers with low points (meaning against better racers), they will also then continue to lower their points.

Why do points matter, you ask? Good question!
Currently, in Central Region, racer start orders are dictated by:
– Run 1- their points 
– Run 2- their finish in Run 1
As most of us know, there is typically an advantage to racing a course when it’s “clean” as opposed to after 70-90 racers have went before you – so this is the benefit. =) At a high level, there are additional benefits such as Championship race entries, etc.

AVAILABILITY – We will continue to remind all athletes to MARK THEIR AVAILABILITY in TeamSnap for each weekend event (race or practice!).
This helps us ensure we send the appropriate # of coaches to service all attending athletes!

THANK YOU for getting in this habit!!


SKI PASSES – Reminder to please start purchasing your ski passes.:
Hickory Hills Passes: Now available online through the City of Traverse City website! Most families opt for the season pass over a daily pass, but this is your choice.
https://www.traversecitymi.gov/government/city-departments/hickory-hills/season-passes.html


Crystal Mountain Passes: Our GTSC athletes get a discount racer passes. Racer passes are purchased by calling Megan Farfsing at Crystal Mountain, 231.378.2255. These need to be purchased ASAP if you have not already, so please make it happen =)

MS USSS – This group practices at Crystal on Wednesday and Thursday this season (note – a change from prior seasons!). As such, this group purchases a discounted full season pass, $199

……..

**FIS Race Team 

What a great 4 days at Searchmont for the NMU FIS MidAm Race! So proud of all our GTSC racers – and jeez are they a fun crew to support =) 
 
Holiday Training Schedule:
In recognition of the holiday week for many, we will not have practice this week. Our next event has been updated in all the Schedules and we are super pumped for our GTSC USSS/FIS Christmas Camp December 27-29 at Boyne Mountain!!
 
Please see all details in the GTSC Christmas Camp emails from earlier today.
 
Watch for updates on training following these dates, but we are hopeful to move into our Hickory/Crystal rotation ASAP!

Upcoming Race Dates:
January 9-12, 2025
Atmore FIS Race @ Spirit Mountain (near Duluth, MN)
All athletes are Confirmed – please remember to reference the Confirm/Pull sheet: HERE  Please let us know if your racer is not planning to join us ASAP – we hope to keep the band together, but get it either way knowing this is around finals.
Departure Day/Time – Duluth is 9.5 hours away, without stops. We will leave Wednesday (Jan 8) after school and stay near Ironwood or Marquette (depending).
 
Training – We will train Thursday afternoon at Spirit Mtn – more details TBD as the event gets closer.
Race Registration – Reminder to get your FIS racer registered for the race – it should be on skireg.com.
Lift Tickets – We think we had to buy these once we got to the Mtn, but digging in to see if any improvements on this system from years prior. Stay tuned!

Reach out with questions or anything I may have forgotten!

Posted in Club Updates

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