Team Information

  • Registration Fees – includes coaching fees, $475 for first racer ($25 sibling discount); families who choose not to volunteer will be assessed an additional $250 fee per racer and will not be eligible for the discounted racer season pass
  • Late registration fee - $25 per racer after November 30 
  • Lift Tickets – a discounted Sugar Mountain Resort Season Pass is offered to team members for $440 if purchased November 30 or before and $740 if purchased after November 30
    • To be eligible for the discounted pass:
      • Racer must be registered online through TeamSnap, AND
      • Pay registration fee through TeamSnap, AND
      • Family must commit to 6 volunteer slots in Sign Up Genius
    • Families who choose not to volunteer will pay the posted full rate at that time.
    • Season passes may be purchased through the Administration Office of Sugar Mountain Resort, either via phone or in person on the second floor of the main lodge.  
  • Fraudulent Activity
    • If someone else uses your pass, or if you use someone else's pass, you will be removed from the team, assessed a $500 fine, and lose skiing privileges at Sugar.  Season pass holders who forget their pass can go the Admin Office and get a one-day replacement for a small fee.
  • Race Fees
    • Each race is paid separately prior to the race.  While rates may change this year, to give you a baseline, last year HCJRS races were $7-$12 and USSS races were $45.  
    • In addition, when traveling to other mountains, racers will need to purchase a lift ticket; however, the host mountain typically gives a discounted rate to racers.
  • Other Membership Fees
    • US Ski and Snowboard (USSS)
      • Only required if racer will be competing in USSS series
      • $105-$220 per racer depending on membership type 
      • For more information, go to the usskiandsnowboard.org website 
    • Southern Alpine Racing Association (SARA)
      • Only required if racer will be competing in USSS series
      • $50 per racer with a $100 max per family (late fees apply after December 18)
      • For more information, go to the saraski.org website

Registration to participate on the Sugar team for the season is completed online through TeamSnap, usually in the fall (see link on home page).

Registration for each race is completed about 1-2 weeks prior to each race.  More information will be sent at that time.  You will be able to register for most races at Sugar through AdminSkiRacing here.  Other mountains may use other registration sites.

If your racer will be competing in the USSS series, they will also need to register and pay for both SARA and USSS. For more information, go to the saraski.org and usskiandsnowboard.org websites.

Ages 5-19 (as of December 31) are eligible to join the team.  Regardless of age, prospective team members should be able to perform all of the following:

  • Get on the chair lift and lower the safety bar without assistance. 
  • Raise the safety bar and off-load the chair lift without assistance. 
  • Ski from the chair lift to the practice area without constant supervision. 
  • Be mature enough to be able to follow a coach's instructions.  
  • Be independent to be able to meet the group and parents on their own, and be able to go in the lodge if cold or go to the bathroom on their own. 

Team members who are unable to perform any of the above must have a parent with them at all times.

Slope conditions determine the start of the season for the team.  Typically, it is early-mid December.  Communication will be sent to the team as soon as practices are scheduled.  The season usually runs through early March.

Practice Schedule

When school is in session, practice is typically 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.  During Christmas break, there is “Christmas Camp,” and practice is daily (except Christmas day and New Year’s day) 8:00 am – 12:00 pm.  There is no additional fee for Christmas Camp.

All racers practice at the same time but in separate groups divided by ability.  They usually take a meal break around 9:30 or so in the cafeteria.  They will also take more breaks as needed depending on the weather.

After Christmas break, practices continue to be held Sat/Sun morning, with mid-week practices being added. These mid-week practices are held from 4:30pm until about 5:30pm when the mountain is closed to the general public and they often consist of gate training. Many of our team members are not "local" and therefore cannot make these mid-week practices. There is no penalty for not being able to attend any practice. Practice generally continues through the end of February and can even extend into the 2nd or 3rd week of March.

G-Way
Ski Dog

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

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.

Beech Race
Champs!

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.

SARA
Steamboat NASTAR Nationals

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.

Office View

Team Communication

In addition to this website, we use three online platforms for team activities: TeamSnap, Sign-Up Genius, and Admin Ski Racing.