Update 13: Week 3, Thursday, November 22, 2019

The snow guns were blasting during training tonight.  It felt like Winter again.  I want to thank our coaches for getting the season off to such a good start.  Our athletes are making big improvements every day.  I also want to thank the athletes for your focus, effort and determination.  Great job.  Keep up the good work on the hill. 
 
Storing Valuables During Practice
Everyone has a phone.  Most of you probably have a wallet.  Some have car keys.  Do NOT store anything of value in your ski bag.  Unfortunately, the thieves who stole from racers last season are still in operation this season. They like to rummage through our bags while we are out on the hill and take what does not belong to them.  Bring your valuables on the hill with you or chip in with several other teammates and rent a locker each night.   But do not leave anything that someone might want to steal in your bag in the chalet.  

I would like to suggest that the team move to the South end of the chalet for booting up...  the end closer to the restrooms. It is worth a try.
 
Are You Leaving Practice With Your Equipment?
We have had a couple of incidents in which an athlete has walked off with the wrong set of poles or other gear.  Be sure that the skis and poles you grab during or at the end of practice are your own. If you haven’t put your name and phone number on all of your gear and clothing, do so today.   
 
MAST Supplemental Training
We will be offering six supplemental training sessions this year.  All sessions will be held at Wild Mt and the first one is the Saturday after Thanksgiving--Saturday, November 30.  We will have two more on Dec. 7 and Dec 14, and three more in January and February. We load the bus at 2:30 at Washburn High School (49th and Pleasant) and will return to Washburn by 10:30pm. Wild offers longer runs for training (32 seconds vs 16 seconds at Hyland for the better racers) and it is the site of our Section IV Championship every year.  These supplemental training sessions give you the opportunity to test and improve your skills on more challenging terrain and boost your confidence on our section championship race venue.   Plus, they are very fun nights for all involved.  The cost is $55 and includes training, coaching, lift ticket, and transportation.  You will want to bring a sack supper or money to purchase supper.     I will open registration for each supplemental training session on the Sunday immediately preceding the session.    These sessions are open to all MAST skiers.   For more information and to register for the first supplemental training session on Nov 30, click here: Supplemental Training
 
Announcing the 14th Annual Giants Ridge Camp
Registration for the MAST Giants Ridge Camp is now open.  All MAST athletes are invited to attend.  We work hard, improve exponentially, and have a ton of fun in the process.   The camp runs from 6am on Monday, December 30 through Thursday, January 2.  Four days of skiing on some of the best race runs in Minnesota. The very runs we will be skiing all four days are the same runs on which the Minnesota State High School Alpine Championships are held (Innsbrook and Helsinski).  For details about the camp and how to register, click here: Giants Ridge Camp 2020.

If you are unable to attend camp or if the camp fills before you can sign up, know that we will be offering training at Hyland over some if not all of the dates of the camp.  Registration is on a first come, first served basis.  No one is officially registered until the camp fee is paid.  If for some reason you cannot pay the camp fee in full at this time, please contact me at 612-275-8392.   

PLEASE pay for the Giants Ridge Camp by CHECK if you can. 
Here is why. I recognize how expensive skiing is for our families.  I want our athletes to have the chance to attend a camp if they wish, so I work hard to keep the price as low as possible.   As you can see, this year's camp is priced to the dollar.  There is no wriggle room on the budget.  The $491 fee we are charging covers meals, lift tickets, transportation, lane fees and lodging.  It covers these expenses to the dollar.  It does not cover the 3.39% fee that your credit card company charges MAST when you pay by credit card.  I could have included this charge in the camp fee, but I am sensitive to the families on the team for whom this is already a difficult camp to fund.   If all 70 camp spots are paid with a credit card, MAST has a $1,165 hit to our camp budget off the top.  That is a lot of money for us.  So, when you are checking out for camp, please check that you will pay by check.  I understand that some of you find it really convenient or even necessary to pay by credit card . So, if you really want to pay by credit card, please consider mailing a check in the amount of $16.94 (3.39% plus a 30 cent transaction fee charged by SportsSignUp) to Mpls Alpine/ 4800 Harriet Ave/Mpls/55419.    

For supplemental training, we did include the cost of paying by credit card in the $55 fee.   You are welcome to pay for Supplemental Training sessions by credit card or check.

Hoigaards Tent Sale Volunteers and Account Credits
MAST has not yet received payment from Hoigaards for the work our families performed at the Hoigaards Tent Sale, but have received a report from Hoigaards indicating how many hours each of our MAST volunteers supplied.  So rather than wait for the check to arrive, we have issued account credits to all MAST Hoigaard Tent Sale volunteers.  These credits can be used to help pay for part or all of a supplemental training session or Giants Ridge Camp or even the banquet in March.  When you register for a MAST event in SportsSignUp, you will be given the opportunity to pay for part or all of the event using your account credits. You received via email a spreadsheet listing all the Hoigaards tent sale volunteers and the number of hours volunteered and the amount of money credited to your SportSignUp account.  Please contact me if you detect any inaccuracies.

MAST Individual Fundraiser: Urban Ventures (UV) Coffee Sales
All MAST athletes are invited to participate in our Individual Fundraiser with Urban Ventures Coffee.  Download the Fundraiser Information Page and the Fundraiser Order Form.  Go door to door, reach out to family and friends and perfect strangers, hit up all those co-workers who always hit you up.  Be sure to collect payment when the order is placed. Checks should be made payable to Mpls Alpine Ski Team. All the money you earn will be put into your SportsSignUp account for use during the season or next year—GR camp, supplemental training sessions, the banquet.   Or save up credits to use next year to help cover your team fees.   
 
Collect orders and money from now until Wednesday, Dec. 4th.  We prefer checks made payable to MAST, no credit cards.   Turn in orders AND money at practice on Dec. 4th (or email to  [email protected]).  The orders will be ready for pick-up and delivery (by the athlete) on Dec. 14th.
 
Don't forget to check our website frequently. See you on the hill.
 
Mark Conway
612-275-8392