General Information
For the 2025-2026 season, the dues are $975 per racer and $487.50 per local racer (students attending school in Tucker County, WV). This rate is set for the full season. Payment is required before the season starts to secure your spot on the team.
Lift Tickets: A discounted Timberline Mountain Resort Season Pass is available to team members.
Race registration typically opens 1-2 weeks prior to each event. More information will be provided when registration begins. Most races can be registered for through AdminSkiRacing: AdminSkiRacing | America’s largest ski race and event platform Please be sure to complete registration well in advance to avoid missing deadlines.
When traveling to other mountains, racers must purchase lift tickets, though discounted rates are often provided. Other Membership Fees
US Ski & Snowboard (USSS): Skiers must maintain active registration for insurance purposes. Visit US Ski & Snowboard https://usskiandsnowboard.org/ for more information.
Southern Alpine Racing Association (SARA): Required for racers competing in USSS races. More details can be found at SARA Ski https://saraski.org/.
Registration for the upcoming season takes place each fall. The process begins with returning athletes, who must register by a set deadline. After returning athletes have secured their spots, new athletes are invited to register based on recommendations from the Development.
More information will be provided closer to the registration period, and all registration steps must be completed prior to the start of the season to ensure eligibility for participation.
To join the team, athletes must be between the ages of 6 and 18 (as of December 31). Regardless of age, prospective team members must meet the following criteria:
- Passed the TRT Assessment with the Timberline Mountain Ski School
Independently use the chair lift (lower/raise safety bar, off-load).
Ski from the lift to the practice area without supervision.
Follow instructions from coaches and be mature enough to handle training independently.
Manage their own needs (e.g., warming up or using the bathroom).
Team members under 8 must have a parent with them at all times.
The start of the season depends on slope conditions, typically beginning in early to mid-December and running through early March. The season includes Holiday Camp, MLK Monday, and Presidents’ Weekend Monday, with communication via TeamSnap.
The Hut is an important feature, with volunteer opportunities for parents to serve as Hut Parents during Saturday or Sunday practices. These opportunities will be communicated before each season.
The board works closely with Timberline Mountain management to ensure smooth coordination. Feel free to contact the board with any questions: timberlineracers@gmail.com
Practice Schedule
All racers practice at the same time but are divided into groups based on the specific skills they need to work on. Breaks are determined by the coaches based on weather and need. After Winter Break, practices continue on Saturday and Sunday mornings, with possible afternoon sessions to accommodate gate practice. There will also be practice sessions on MLK Monday and Presidents’ Weekend Monday. While attendance is flexible, we strongly encourage racers to make the most of every practice. There is no penalty for missing a session. Practices generally run through the end of February, with the possibility of extending into the first week of March.
The season concludes with the Governor’s Cup, a fun local West Virginia race where both racers and their parents can participate.
Race Schedule and Registration
To register for SARA races, first ensure that your US Ski & Snowboard (USSS) and SARA memberships are current. Once both memberships are active, you can register for individual races through AdminSkiRacing: https://adminskiracing.com
Race registration typically opens two weeks prior to each event and closes shortly before race day. Be sure to check both the SARA website and AdminSkiRacing for specific deadlines and race details.
For the most up-to-date race schedules, visit the official SARA website: On our quick link page
Monitor TeamSnap for Updates:
TeamSnap is our primary communication tool for updates regarding race-day logistics, schedule changes, and other important team information. Make sure you’re monitoring TeamSnap closely for timely details on race days.
Volunteering
Active family involvement is vital to keeping the team running smoothly. Volunteer opportunities arise throughout the year, including race days, team workdays in the fall and spring, and other events as necessary. Every race depends on the support of numerous volunteers, whose contributions are essential to the success of our events.
Like most youth sports ski racing is a volunteer extensive sport sometimes in extreme weather conditions. Parent volunteering is required for participation.
To help ensure everything runs seamlessly, we ask each family to commit to volunteering at races hosted at Timberline, as well as at other venues when assistance is needed. Families are also asked to sign up for Hut Parent duty at least twice each season. Hut Parents assist with making hot chocolate for racers during breaks, unloading the dishwasher in the morning, loading used cups at the end of the day, and cleaning the hut when practices conclude. Volunteer registration is managed through Sign-Up Genius.
Practice Schedule
Practices are held on Saturdays from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM and Sundays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. All racers train together but are divided into groups to focus on specific skills. Additional practice sessions are scheduled on MLK Monday and Presidents’ Weekend Monday.
While attendance is flexible, we strongly encourage racers to maximize their participation to make the most of the training opportunities. Practices typically run through the end of February, with the possibility of extending into the first week of March.
The season concludes with the Governor’s Cup, a fun local West Virginia race where racers and their parents can compete together.
Volunteering
Family volunteering is an integral part of making the team operational. Each race requires 20-30+ volunteers. Volunteers are critical to the success of the races. In addition, the team is provided many benefits at no charge from Sugar Mountain Resort, and volunteering is our way of giving back. Benefits include use of the resort for team activities on the weekend and during Christmas Camp, space for gate training, space and resources for competitions, special access for weekday practices between 4:30 and 5:30, discounted season passes, and discounted NASTAR fees.
We require that each family commit to 6 volunteer slots throughout the year, which include race days, fall and spring team clean-up days, and other events at Sugar, such as Summit Crawl and Oktoberfest. Sign-ups are available through Sign-Up Genius (see Team Communications below).
Race Schedule and Registration
HCJRS has six Sunday races, including a championship event. These races are all held at the area ski resorts of Sugar, Beech or Appalachian. For more information, visit the High Country Junior Race Series website at hcjrs.org.
The USSS races begin shortly after Christmas, and there is usually a race somewhere in the region every weekend until SARA Regional Championships, which are generally held in late February or early March. For more information, visit the SARA website at saraski.org.
Competition Series
The disciplines the Sugar team typically participates in are slalom and giant slalom. Within our team, we compete in two series. One is a local series, the High Country Junior Race Series (HCJRS), which has races at Sugar, Beech and Appalachian. The other is United States Ski and Snowboard (USSS), of which Sugar participates in the Southern Alpine Racing Association (SARA), which has races in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Racers can compete in one or both series. Nearly all team members participate in HCJRS, and a smaller number of members participate in USSS. Coaches can help guide racers to the series that is the best match for them.
Commitment
By signing up for the Sugar Mountain Ski and Snowboard Team, you are making the commitment to participate in practices and races as much as possible. Activities and staffing are planned based on the number of members. If you are unable to come, please notify your coach or indicate your availability in TeamSnap.
Sugar Mountain Resort provides the team with exceptional facilities as well as opportunities to train outside of normal operating hours. All Sugar Mountain Resort regulations must be adhered to and all staff must be treated with the utmost respect.
Drop-Off/Pick-Up
Parents are responsible for getting their skier/snowboarder to the appropriate practice start area (usually the fence at the bottom of Big Birch/Summit Express lift) on time and ready to participate. They are also expected to have pickup coordinated with their athlete – coaches will be on the hill and will not be monitoring the lodge or parking lot.
Storage
A small ski storage room is available for racers to use in the basement of the Sugar lodge. It includes space for tuning skis. Also in the basement is the team room, which has cubbies for storage and seating for gathering. Keep in mind, these spaces are cleaned by the team, and as such, it is the expectation that all team members using these spaces do their part to keep the spaces well-maintained. Please note, these spaces may not be available at all times, such as during a pandemic.
The Resort offers secure lockers for rent for the season. If interested, contact the Administration Office.
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