NASTAR - Volklgirl made me do it!

[SnowHot]

I have always been a passionate recreational skier, but have never really considered signing up for NASTAR.
Today, Volklgirl and my sidekick(AKA my girlfriends 14 year old son) bugged me until I signed up.
They said I did well for a first timer, but I have nothing to base it on so I'll take their word for it.
It was a blast. I really had fun! Thanks!

Course Time Handicap Medal

Green 33.46 57.98 Bronze
Green 32.74 54.58 Bronze
Green 33.23 56.89 Bronze

 

[volklgirl]

Wow! I'm so impressed!!!

She's soooo modest. ;)

A Bronze medal on her very first race! Wow!!

I highly recommend that every Diva give it a try. Racing is one of the best things you can do to boost your skiing to the next level. And Nastar is so low-key....there's no 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. You're only racing against yourself, the clock, and the US Ski Team (and your friends and team mates sometimes ). The cool thing, too, is you can race all around the US and see how all your friends are doing on the Nastar website.

Check it out sometime! www.Nastar.com
If you're interested, I'm sut46

 

[ski diva]

A bronze medal! I can't say I'm surprised -- I've seen you ski, SnowHot!

Have a blast and the best of luck!

 

[smpayne]

You guys are making me want to give it a try.

Congrats Snowhot!!!

 

[BatGirl]

Very cool, SnowHot! Congratulations. What does it take to get to Nationals? I can't remember if it's getting any kind of medal, or if you have to win at least one race.

 

[volklgirl]

To be invited to Nationals, you have to be in the top 3 in your bracket at any resort.

Here's the link to the rules, qualification info, and Handicap Chart:
https://www.nastar.com/index.jsp?pagename=rules

Hope you all try it and Good Luck!!

 

[liquidfeet]

Me too. I've done the $5 bucks a pop Nastar races at one of the local hills, and now my Wednesday night race league is all Nastar. My Wednesday scores get automatically sent in. So I'm definitely going to watch my times and rankings on the Nastar site, and hopefully they will go up.

VolklGirl sure knows how these numbers are computed. She can explain anything if you find it confusing!

I started racing because I read in two how-to-ski books that it was the best way to increase your skiing skills. Right! Skidding in a race course is a sure way to discover that when you think you're carving, you're not (Of course I'm talking about me.) When I race, my goal is not to go fast but to avoid skidding my turns on the nice "firm" surface beneath my skis. When I get a nice fast time, it will be the by-product of pure carving that proves I'm doing what is so difficult for me.

If you're interested, I'm Tre491.

 

[skiwright]

Volklgirl is like that, as I know from first-hand experience. She's been doing the, "Come on, mom, you can do this." for eons! And it worked! I've made the cut for Nationals for the last several years... not based on skill, but only because there aren't very many other 60+ WOMEN skiers! I don't care what age you are. As long as you can make it down the bunny slope, Nastar WILL improve your skiing. Congrats to all you first timers and it is NEVER too late to try. And to any 50+ women out there, please come join the fun. I'll be at the top urging you on, and at the bottom giving you hi-5's as you pick up your medals! WRI145

 

[num]

liquidfeet and skiwright, you guys make it sound so doable!
I'd been thinking to give it a try way later, when I can actually ski :o
I guess I'm an intermediate, but feel like such a beginner since I've only started skiing recently.

So is it worth trying for someone who can carve most of their turns on green and easy blue terrain?

I don't think my handicaps will get me much of anywhere though, since i'm 22

 

[SnowHot]

Num, Do it!
I don't know the price is fixed everywhere, but at Crystal, its $6 for two runs through the course. Cheap and easy way to find out!

Heck you spend more than that for lunch at the slopeside cafeteria!

Just Do IT!:D

 

[volklgirl]

Volklgirl is like that, as I know from first-hand experience. She's been doing the, "Come on, mom, you can do this." for eons!

Hi Mom! Glad you finally found your way here

So is it worth trying for someone who can carve most of their turns on green and easy blue terrain?

Absolutely!!! Nastar is usally run on an easy blue slope and is set so even 4 year olds can wedge their way down. :D

 

[ski diva]

Volklgirl is like that, as I know from first-hand experience. She's been doing the, "Come on, mom, you can do this." for eons! And it worked! I've made the cut for Nationals for the last several years... not based on skill, but only because there aren't very many other 60+ WOMEN skiers! I don't care what age you are. As long as you can make it down the bunny slope, Nastar WILL improve your skiing. Congrats to all you first timers and it is NEVER too late to try. And to any 50+ women out there, please come join the fun. I'll be at the top urging you on, and at the bottom giving you hi-5's as you pick up your medals! WRI145

Yay! Our second team of mother-daughter Divas! (FYI, Lilgeorg and Lola are our first.) So glad to have you here, Skiwright!

And way to go on the racing, too! I give you a tremendous amount of credit for doing NASTAR. My helmet's off to you!

 

[num]

Didn't take long to get me thinking about it! The closest course is a little over 3 hours away :( I'm hoping to give it a try though.

Question- when they say a color for the course, what's that referring to? Is it about the way the gates are set up? This example was shown on the site for a hill that has it's course on a blue run.

example:

Course Pacesetter Handicap Time Par Time

Yellow Gavril Hristov 8.45 27.27 25.14
Green Clothed

And about that example, what do they mean by clothed? Some people racing naked? i wonder how that'd effect your handicap ;)

 

[volklgirl]

The color of the course only matters if they ran dual (2 courses side-by-side). If they did, the top of the race record will have 2 course colors listed with times, handicaps, and par times listed for both, like this:

RACE INFORMATION
Resort: Crystal Mountain Resort, Michigan
Date: Jan 4th, 2007
Description: Daily Nastar
Weather: not provided
Pacesetters: Course Pacesetter Handicap Time Par Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Green Joe Dasin 18.25 23.43 19.81
Yellow Joe Dasin 18.25 23.66 20.00

Otherwise, it's just an arbitrary designation for their course. By clothed, they mean the pacesetter ran with their work uniform on. This can mean coat, fleece, whatever. If they use their "suit" handicap, that means the pacesetter was wearing a speedsuit for that pace run. Typically, their "coat" handicap is 1-5 points higher than their "suit" handicap. The lower the handicap the pacesetter uses, the better it is for the racers. You can check all of the pacesetters' handicaps by looking at the results labeled "Regional Pacesetter Trials" - this year's for the midwest is here at the bottom of the page:

https://www.nastar.com/index.jsp?year=2007&pagename=resort&resortnumber=66

 

[liquidfeet]

I'm a 56 year old woman who started skiing at 53. If I can do it, so can anyone else.

Volklgirl is like that, as I know from first-hand experience. She's been doing the, "Come on, mom, you can do this." for eons! And it worked! I've made the cut for Nationals for the last several years... not based on skill, but only because there aren't very many other 60+ WOMEN skiers! I don't care what age you are. As long as you can make it down the bunny slope, Nastar WILL improve your skiing. Congrats to all you first timers and it is NEVER too late to try. And to any 50+ women out there, please come join the fun. I'll be at the top urging you on, and at the bottom giving you hi-5's as you pick up your medals! WRI145

 

[skiwright]

Good going, liquidfeet. And you are not alone. When my friend became a widow at 55, she decided that if she ever wanted to see me on a weekend, she needed to start skiing and biking. At 61, she ran her first Nastar last March - and she's ready to take on the hill this season!We women really do need to "fill the gates" on Nastar slopes. Just knowing you can turn when and where you want to is such a confidence booster. The speed comes with practice and confidence. So...just get out there. Run gates any time you can and the fun quotient of skiing will really increase. I haven't been brave enough to hop into a speed suit yet, but even that is looking less scary (after all, I don't have to look at me...)!

 

[liquidfeet]

I bought a used 80's speed suit this summer at a yard sale for $3.00. I won't wear it until I'm fast, but boy will I wear it then. It's a tall man's size, so I have to sew it up. It's stupid looking too, and I really look forward to appearing in it. Yellow and tan and many purples.

 

[liquidfeet]

When my friend became a widow at 55, she decided that if she ever wanted to see me on a weekend, she needed to start skiing and biking. At 61, she ran her first Nastar last March - and she's ready to take on the hill this season!

I'm so glad to hear about your friend. Get her on this site. We late bloomers need to know we're not alone.

(I thought I was.)

 

[ski diva]

You're going to HAVE to post a picture when you wear it, you know.

In fact, I think everyone who races and wears a speed suit should post a picture. Don't you, ladies? At least in the Divas Only section.

 

[liquidfeet]

It will be late in the season or even next year before I learn to carve that ice and thus speed up, I suspect. But I promise, I'll post a picture.