It’s almost Thanksgiving, do you know where your skis are? It’s time to sharpen edges, pick a wax and head out to the ski races.
Skiing is already underway across northern New England. Killington, as usual, went all out to open earlier than anyone else but was still beat by the smallest mountain, Ski Ward, which opened on October 18.
Whenever I see my friends sending their kids to ski camp – and I haven’t even tried my boots on – I really start getting antsy. I’m hitting the slopes for my first day this week. I feel like I’m off to a slow start.
It’s also a very off year with no Killington Cup. Ever since the AUDI FIS race returned to Vermont in 2016, that has been my official start of ski season. Having it moved to Colorado and Copper Mountain really felt like a slap in the face. New England should always have a World Cup race. We are the real skiers, not Colorado. Speed is born on Ice.
Come what may, November has proven to be a banner ski month. It started with Mikaela dominating once more. AND our local favorite, Paula Molson, making her stab at the top spot for the upcoming Olympics. Paula’s second run slalom performance at Levi, Finland, moved her 15-places up the standings, finishing fourth. Just a week earlier in Soelden, Austria, she captured her second career podium, finishing second in giant slalom.
This is the age of Shiffrin, and she is coming full throttle for Olympic Gold. She leads ALL skiers in points for the season while notching her new record of 103 career World Cup victories, until next week at Copper Mountain, when I’m sure that number will change once more. With back-to-back wins in Levi and Soelden, Mikaela seems to be on top of the world, and skiing for the US audience live on Peacock Premium from Copper. I will be watching and wishing I was there.
As far as New England skiing goes, I’m expecting a stellar year. I have an Indy Pass this year, and my goal is to go to as many as I can and tell you about them. I am by no means an expert skier. I’m a 66-year-old who loves to ski, but knows my own limitations. I also ski with a 26-year-old who has no limitations that I can see.
Liza Phillips has been on skis since she was three. She raced every winter for Blandford Ski Club, led her high school team to two prep school championships, and continues to race on the Masters circuit when the stars align.
We are New England skiers. Did you know that we are down to nine independent ski areas in Massachusetts? I’ve skied at all but one that are left, and without them, where will the next generation come from? This is becoming as bad as the digital divide.
Today, I stopped by Ski Ward in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, just 15-minutes from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, to see the hill that opened before Killington. What I found was a family friendly, rustic location, that I can see myself driving to for two hours of sprint skiing. With only 220 feet of vertical drop, it’s a slalom trail with plenty of room for learning. That’s what’s needed for young families who don’t want to drive and pay the big resort charges.
I have known about Ski Ward for years through Masters Ski Racing. Each season, Ski Ward is known in the area for slalom gate training. This year’s schedule will be released in December. Watch for it here.
New England and Mid-Atlantic Masters have a robust season schedule with old favorites, and some that are intriguing. New England Masters Ski Racing opens the season with the annual COMETS Camp in Stowe, VT, from December 16th to 19th, followed by 2x GS and 2x Slalom on the 20th and 21st. Ragged Mountain Resort hosts a 2x Slalom on January 11th. For those who have never been, Ragged was just purchased by a local group of owners, some of whom grew up skiing there, , and I’m looking forward to the old school feel of the mountain. The times I have visited, the snow and terrain were excellent and a family friendliness that can be missing at the large resorts.
Berkshire East Mountain Resort hosts a 2x GS on January 23rd, always an exciting race, followed by the Hochgebirge Cup 2x GS at Mittersill Alpine Resort on the 24th. A new addition for this year is Sunday River Resort, Maine, for GS and Slalom on Feb 7 and 8. The Speed Series returns Super G to Okemo, VT, along with GS on Feb 22 and 23. The local New England Masters season ends on March 14 at Killington, VT, with a 2x GS.
Mid-Atlantic Masters Skiing opens with camp at Hunter Mountain, NY, from January 5 to 8. The first GS and Slalom will be held at Belleayre Mountain, NY, on Jan. 9 and 10. The next weekend, Jan 17 and 18, takes racers to Willard Mountain, NY, for two days of slalom at another of those old school locations that are dear to my heart. With a proud heritage, the small area is known for its youth ski racing team and freestyle team programs.
The Eastern Regionals and the Janeway Cup return to Stratton, VT, with Super G, GS and Slalom over three days, Jan 29 to Feb 1, presented by both Mid-Atlantic and NE.
Valentines Weekend (Feb. 13 to 15) at West Mountain, NY, is full of thrills as Super G kicks off three days of racing on the Cure, one of the great race trails that not everyone one knows. Want to go south for a race? Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania, hosts a GS and Slalom on Feb. 22, and they have a water park to soothe your aching muscles after a day on the race trail.
The season culminates for Mid-Atlantic with Gore Mountain, home of last year’s National Championship, with all three disciplines over three days from Feb. 27 to March 1, 2026.
It looks like a fun season is in store. Can’t wait to capture memories on the snow.
