Challenge yourself vertically
In this season of finding our new normal on skis and snowboards, something classic, fun and almost soothing will be with us in New England.
The Vertical Challenge racing season is a go. True, they’ll function on a more limited schedule and some of the bells and whistles around the races may be scaled back, but the essence of what the Vertical Challenge is — a fun way to learn to compete and win along with a way to give an extra oomph to your ski day – is intact.
After having to cancel both their popular championship event last spring as well as their mega annual fundraiser at King Pine in New Hampshire, the crew at Vertical Challenge was, they say, determined to find a way to put racing fun into this season.
“We have come up with a plan with as many similarities (to other years) as we can create, and some adjustments to make it all work in a safe and fun way,” Vertical Challenge spokesman Rush Olson said.
That news means races of all abilities and just about all ages (from newbies to the sport to longtimers) can find an event and give the ski days some extra structure and fun.
While most years you can show up and race, they ask that this year you register in advance to make managing the races a smooth experience. You’ll also want to purchase your resort lift ticket in advance as well, since most ski areas are limiting ticket sales and you’d not want to arrive ready to race only to be blocked out.
The racing itself, Olson said, “Will be fairly normal,” as far as experience goes.
“It helps that we are outdoors, and that in racing spacing is pretty normal,” he said. There will be some adjustments at the top of the hill that regulars may notice, but overall, he said, the start, race and finish will feel the same. The cheering, competing and learning will all be there and be solidly in place.
There are also some bonuses this year. First: Because of the limited number of races, anyone who races this season will qualify for the finals.
“We’ve always wanted to do this but it was always a space issue,” Olson said. With the VC using NASTAR to keep and record results, he said, they can see that the northeast comes in second only to Aspen for total racers in normal seasons, much because of the wealth of spots they can travel to race at. This year, with only seven as of now, they’re happy to be able to invited all to the finals.
The finals, in April, will be detailed more as the season (and our fight against the pandemic) progresses, He said.
Next: there will be follow-up fun. While in other years the VC crew takes photos and posts them, this season, they’ll be sharing hashtags and fun contests for races to post on social media on their own, with a chance to be creative, extend the fun and more.
The best thing? It’s not just that their main s sponsors including Chevrolet, Pepsi, Xfinity and S Shred Dog are still with them in this unique year, Olson said. It’s more that they’ve found a way to still deliver the part of their program that’s perhaps shinier than even the medals: the vibe and learning.
“The essence of the VC, honestly, is giving people that family experience and having kids get out there and feel what it’s like to race. It’s more than just having raced,” he said. “It’s having the courage to try. It’s that sense of achievement when you cross the finish line. It’s the mentoring our crew does.”
“We truly felt, for those reasons, it was i important to do a season this year; even a small one,” he said. “It’s for our own sake, sure. But its also this: Man, people need to get out and do something fun and unusual this winter. And here we are.”
You can learn more about the Vertical Challenge at https://ski-vc.com.