MAST Update Week Nine (Sunday, January 7 2024)

Dear MAST Athletes, Parents and Coaches:
The race season is upon us. The next four weeks will go by very quickly. Please read all emails and updates and reminders carefully. Doing so will keep you informed about the what, when, who, where, and how of all that is happening each day. 
I. Race Worker Sign Up
Parents: we need race workers. Many race workers. Please sign up to help. Links are also posted on the homepage of our website. We are waiting to learn what positions we need to fill on Jan 26th at the Wild Mt Invitational. As soon as I know, I will let you know how to sign up. For now, we have plenty of race volunteer roles to fill.
Jan 8 24 Hyland Race Volunteer Sign UP
Jan 10 24 MEC Race #1 at Afton Volunteer Sign UP
Jan 15 24 MEC Race #2 at Wild Mt Volunteer Sign UP
Jan 22 24 Hyland Race Volunteer Sign UP
Jan 30 24 MEC Race #3 at Welch Village Volunteer Sign Up
II. Race Day Lift Tickets and Season Passes To Welch, Afton, Wild
Just a reminder that the MAST team fee does not include the cost of lift tickets to AWAY races. After each race, families will receive an invoice from MAST through Team Snap asking you to pay for the lift ticket we purchased for your athlete to participate in that race. Many of you will be getting an invoice for the $31 lift ticket to Welch on January 4th. There will be invoices for those racing at Afton on Wednesday ($39 lift ticket), Giants Ridge on January 13th, Wild Mt on January 15th, Wild Mt on January 26th, and Welch on January 30th.
If you have a season pass to Afton, Welch, or Wild Mt: PLEASE LET ME KNOW VIA TEXT OR EMAIL: [email protected] or 612-275-8392. I won’t buy you a lift ticket if you have a pass. Plan to use your pass to secure your ticket.
III. Week Nine Calendar
Monday, Jan 8
Race at Hyland
3:45PM Inspection Opens
4:30PM First Run

Tuesday, Jan 9
Hyland Training: Race Prep for Athletes Racing 1/10 at Afton
3:45-6:00PM Lanes 4, 5

Hyland Training: For Athletes From All Pods Not Racing at Afton
6:30-8:45PM  Lane 5
Meet On Top Of Lane 5 at 6:30
Wear Rope Tow Gloves.

Wednesday, Jan 10
Race at Afton Alps
Load Bus? or Cars? at 2PM
4:00PM Course Inspection
4:30PM First Run
Hyland Training: All Pods
5:00-7:15PM.  Lane 7, 8
Wear Rope Tow Gloves.

Thursday, Jan 11
Hyland Training
3:45-6:00PM.  Pods 9, 11, 12. Lanes 1, 2, 3.
5:00-7:15PM Pods 7, 8, 10. Lane 2, 3.
Wear Rope Tow Gloves.

Friday, Jan 12
Hyland Training
3:45-6:00PM Pods 10, 11, 12. Lanes 5, 6, 7.
5:00-7:15PM Pods 7, 8, 9. Lane 5, 6.

Saturday, Jan 13
MLK Invitational at Giants Ridge
Hyland Training
7:45-10:15AM All Pods. Lanes 1,2,3.
IV. Additional Information on the Hyland and Afton Races
Attached is a roster of the athletes who will be racing at Afton on Wednesday, January 10th. We could not enter everyone who wanted to race at Afton. I am very sorry about that but we are given a limit to the number of racers we can enter by the meet organizers.
If your name is on this list, you are invited to practice on Tuesday from 3:45-6PM regardless of your grade level. We will actually shut down training around 5:30PM so you can get home earlier to tune, finish your homework and get to bed. If you would rather skip practice to give yourself more time to tune your ski, get your homework done, and rest then please do just that. All athletes who are NOTracing at Afton on Wednesday should attend practice at 6:30PM on Tuesday and 5:00PM on Wednesday. There is no practice from 5-7:15PM on Tuesday.
Transportation to Afton: As of Sunday afternoon, we do not have confirmation that we have buses chartered for Wednesday. I will try to get a confirmation first thing tomorrow morning (Monday), but there is a strong possibility that we will not have bus transportation to the Afton race. Parents: please be prepared to drive your athlete to Afton on Wednesday. And if you can drive other racers, please reach out to your skier’s teammates with an offer of a ride.
Early Releases This Week: I will ask the ADs for a 1:45PM Early Release on Wednesday (Jan 10) and a 2:45PM Early Release for Monday (Jan 8).
Parents and Athletes: Please be sure that you have signed the Afton Waiver. When you click on the link, it appears that you are buying a lift ticket. Just keep moving through the process and you will soon be working your way through their release of liability. Here is a link:
Afton Waiver Link
V. Giants Ridge Invitational
Some of our athletes are racing in the Giants Ridge Invitational on Saturday, January 13th. The Invitational actually consists of two races: a Sunrise (morning) Race and a Sunset (afternoon) Race. Attached is a roster athletes entered in these races. Alternates are listed, but alternates do not need to attend unless one of their teammates becomes unavailable. Parents are responsible for transportation, lodging and meals for their athlete. No athlete is ever allowed to transport him or herself to a high school race. A parent needs to drive.
The coaches attending this event are: Joel, Matthew, Paige and Eleanor. For those not racing at Giants Ridge, we will have training at Hyland Friday evening and Saturday morning.
If you are racing at Giants Ridge and if you attended the Giants Ridge Camp, find your RFID Card that served as your lift ticket at camp. GR will reactivate your card and you can re-use it at the Invitational. This might save you some time on Saturday morning.
Please pay attention to the training schedule this week. It has been updated in Team Snap and on the homepage of our website: www.mplsalpineski.org.
Note that on Thursday, Pod 9 is training with Pods 11 and 12 at 3:45 and Pod 10 is training with Pods 7 and 8 at 5:00.
See you Monday afternoon.
Mark
​612-275-8392