john44526 Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 I have been snowboarding for over 10 years but just started with hardboots last season, so im far from the greatest. but i would like to give racing a go because it seems like fun. basically im asking how do you get into it, do i just show up on a race day and pay a fee, do i have to pre-register, or maybe i cant do it at all etc... any advice would be appreciated currently i am 25 and i live closest to mountain creek, hunter etc... mainly looking to do slalom or GS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 The easiest way to get started is NASTAR. Sure, it's skier gates, but until you get pretty serious, they won't cramp your style. Montage, Shawnee and Windham all do NASTAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 I'd look at the event calendars or look up the racing on the websites of the resorts you typically visit. Most likely the information you're asking for is there or an email where you can find out the information will be present. If one of the hills runs NASTAR you can typically just show up, sign your forms, pay a small fee and race, if you don't mind ski gates and for starting out it really shouldn't matter that much. Most races will be skiers but I've yet to find a group that wouldn't at least let me run... after all I'm a slowboarder. Also calling and asking about racing. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrutton Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Check out USASA also. They may have events near your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Check out USASA also. They may have events near your area. It'll be a lot more expensive... I waited until I knew I liked racing before dropping $$ on USASA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Definitely NASTAR. Here's a link to the resorts that offer it. Also, look into the Mt. Dew Vertical Challenge series. Where in New York are you? If you can make it to Okemo in southern Vermont, come run our NASTAR course. On most weekends I'll set one course with stubbies for boarders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Most races will be skiers but I've yet to find a group that wouldn't at least let me run... after all I'm a slowboarder. Until you learn how to carve the gates properly, and you leave a few of them in your dust. At which point you start getting respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Funny. I was using the term ski racers use for snowboarders. I beat my fair share of the two-stickers, that said no way am I going to keep up with the better ski racers at my home NASTAR course. But I care not... I love racing, a slope all to myself with no speed limits. I love to take carving runs through the gates. Edited February 17, 2014 by lonbordin Only had 116 recorded runs throught the gates this season. I'll have to try harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 My bad. I wasn't meaning to refer to you lonbordin, more to the original poster, john. Hardbooters aren't quite as slow as some skiers would make out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Depends a lot on the slope for the first few gates, if it is flat rolling to steep, then snowboarding is horrendously slow to start - if the start is fairly steep, then it's not so bad. The rut line transition can be hard work also - when I used to train on the same courses as skiers and especially with less skilled skiers (and I am pretty useless also at hitting the right race line) the rut line after its really dug out can be quite hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR. JOHN DEERE ! Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 USASA Is the perfect fit for anyone that wants to get into snowboard racing !! Go to www.usasa.org, click on regions, and find the series that competes closest to you. The website is user friendly and the people that run each series are usually willing to answer all questions you have. There will be lots of other SNOWBOARD racers there, that you can get to know. At 1st it will be humbling, but once you make your 1st clean run and get a true time, the killer instinct from within will come out, then its all over for you !! Good Luck ! I dont know anything about Nastar, except that people think that they're only 3/100's off CK's fore-runner times at Nationals:eek: hilarious !!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 (edited) I dont know anything about Nastar, except that people think that they're only 3/100's off CK's fore-runner times at Nationals:eek: hilarious !!!!!!!! USASA is great, if there is racing near you! Go for it! What's funny is at NASTAR nationals one actually races against CK as he pacesets the very course, the very day of the competition so yes someone could actually be 3/100's off his time although I've never seen that or heard that claim. And yes people don't understand the handicapping system vs pure time so feel free to laugh at anyone discussing a NASTAR handicap vs. one of the celebrity pacsetters. Good luck John44526 and may all your gates be stubbies. Edited February 18, 2014 by lonbordin spelin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonPablo Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Depends a lot on the slope for the first few gates, if it is flat rolling to steep, then snowboarding is horrendously slow to start - if the start is fairly steep, then it's not so bad. Anyone start with ski poles? or is that against the rules? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrutton Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Depends on the rules. Where I race, as they have no-start gate at some venues, we can push off with poles, but have to drop them immediately so we don't get an advantage beyond the start (and we are compensated by a handicap difference cf skiing). Other venues have rigid start poles which we can pull from, so no poles are needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Anyone start with ski poles? or is that against the rules? Since they pretty much only set ski gates here the friendly Paoli mountain ops. feels my predicament and sets a second starting wand 4x4, so I have those to pull start. I have attempted poles and tossed them aside, more trouble than they're worth, IMHO. I'm sure there's a rule violation in there somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 FIS and USASA rules basically prohibit snowboarders from having anything on/in their hands that may decrease friction or improve balance. Hence you won't see any top level racers with wrist brace protection on the outside of their gloves, nor sliders, nor any kind of hand armour. The details can be found by going to the respective organisations rules pages. I suspect NASTAR is much more relaxed about the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboarderdude Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 I suspect NASTAR is much more relaxed about the issue. Especially with their "all snowboarders qualify for nationals" mentality they have adopted this year. not that I mind having more people to compete against though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonPablo Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Especially with their "all snowboarders qualify for nationals" mentality they have adopted this year. not that I mind having more people to compete against though I don't know if I'll ever do Nationals, I just want to be competitive against skiiers. Where I do NASTAR there is a start house, I can stiff arm one hand in to a tiny slit in the wood on one side. Other side I can get a hand holding the corner of the start house. It works but not ideal. I'm going to be headed to place in a couple weeks though that has nothing, its a little snow mound and there is little slope for the first three gates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR. JOHN DEERE ! Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 I get it, it's like golf. I guess I could beat tiger woods, using my 28 handicap one day !! That would be an amazing experience, being in the mix with one of the best in the world, using my handicap vs his. What's funny is at NASTAR nationals one actually races against CK as he pacesets the very course, the very day of the competition so yes someone could actually be 3/100's off his time although I've never seen that or heard that claim. And yes people don't understand the handicapping system vs pure time so feel free to laugh at anyone discussing a NASTAR handicap vs. one of the Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrutton Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 I'm going to be headed to place in a couple weeks though that has nothing, its a little snow mound and there is little slope for the first three gates. If the skiers won't loan you poles to start with, ask the starter to move closer and see if he'll crouch down and let you use his shoulder to push off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about NASTAR handicapping. Apologies in advance but this is going to be a lengthy post. Let me explain what it means when someone has a "24 handicap". It means that theoretically on that course, on that day, they would be 24% slower than Ted Ligety. Ted is undeniably the best GS racer in the world and he just reaffirmed that at Sochi. He is the National Pacesetter (0 Handicap) for NASTAR (NAtional STAnard Race). Four-time Olympian A J Kitt has raced directly against Ted and is 1.09% slower. Early each winter he travels to various pacesetting trials around the country and determines the par times (Ted's theoretical time) for those courses on those days. Local pacesetters like myself make runs in coats and speedsuits and earn different HCs for both forms of apparel. We then have our HCs entered into a national pacesetting database. Now how does this all go into practice? Let's take last Sunday as an example. I run the program at Okemo Mountain in Southern Vermont. First thing in the morning I set the courses - one with traditional skier gates and one with stubbies for boarders. I then race each course in my work clothes. My HC in coats is 15.53 and in a speedsuit 12.30. On that day my times were 23.23 on the ski course and 21.96 on the boarder course resulting in "par times" of 20.10 and 19.00. It has no bearing on this discussion but 54 racers logged over 200 runs on the two courses and no one beat my times. When someone does beat me I give them a certificate that reads, "I BEAT THE arthritic 67 year old PACESETTER! On that day a snowboarder in the 55-59 age group had a best time of 24.01 resulting in an HC of 26.37. Looking him up on the HC chart you see that he would earn a Silver Medal if he were a skier. Because boarders don't have the advantage of poling and skating, the system factors in 10 points to earn a medal so that this guy earned a Gold that day. The handicap doesn't change, just the medal does. For someone new to racing, consider all options: Beer Leagues, NASTAR, Mountain Dew, and USASA. Mountain Dew is very informal and doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It's run by a terrific guy named Frank Tansey and the chief benefactor is the Make A Wish Foundation. Pepsi is the big sponsor and many people register for events just to get the raffle prizes. They don't take the results all that seriously. You get one run and you have a choice of which course to take! At the finals at Mount Snow I was the oldest of 17 racers in my age group and managed to win. By consensus, all 17 of us agreed to run the same course to determine who really was fastest. About ten years ago I participated in USASA. I entered a few Slaloms and GS races at Sunapee, Bromley, and Okemo. I signed up for a slopestyle competition but cold weather canceled it. I did one halfpipe competition. My reflections? There was plenty of good competition but there didn't seem to be much emphasis on fun. I'm as competitive as anyone I know but I race on skis and boards because it's fun. In winters I work seven days a week and have to pick and choose when I can compete. I'll be heading for Snowmass at the end of March for my tenth trip to the NASTAR Nationals. And yes, I'll be racing against a genuinely nice guy named Chris Klug. I won't come close to his times but I guarantee you I'll have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) I'll follow up by saying the NASTAR folk around here are more interested in who's time was the lowest on the course that day and less interested in what the handicaps are or are not. Personally I use some of the best skiers as my litmus to know how I'm doing any given day. Also at my resort I can pay $40 and race unlimited for the season. This year that translates, so far, to 120 recorded trips throught the gates. No way any other series comes close to that many runs through the gates in a season so it's my "training" as well. Edited February 20, 2014 by lonbordin more trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 I mentioned that I race for fun. I certainly couldn't make a living at it. Going to the NASTAR Nationals is the high point of my year every year. If you've never gone, consider doing so at least once. Here are a few shots from years past. Never take yourself too seriously. Here's my alter ego Elwood Blues on the podium You get to meet some legends of the sport. Here's Billy Kidd Phil Mahre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 AJ Kitt Steven Nyman Ted Ligety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) And my all time favorite shot - my four year old grandson getting his medal from Picabo Steet! Each year I do pencil drawings of the pacesetters. I've started giving them the originals (as long as they agree to autograph copies!). Here's one I did of Julia Mancuso last year I just completed this one of Heidi Voelker and willl give it to her next month. Hope to see many of you at Snowmass!! Edited February 20, 2014 by patmoore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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