By now, many Maine skiers know that the U.S. Alpine Championships will come to Sugarloaf on March 24-29 and the best ski racers on the U.S. Ski Team will be in the competition.

We also know there will be some Canadian skiers in the races and some up-and-coming young Maine skiers will also get to see how they fare against the nation’s best.

At the World Cup Downhill at the Loaf in 1971, Gail Blackburn got a start and the local Sugarloafer from Brunswick skied to a 19th place finish. A year later she was on the U.S. Ski Team.

That’s the short version of the story.

Young ski racers develop to higher levels through an organization known as MARA. The Maine Alpine Racing Association is the governing body of Alpine ski racing in the state. The organization connects ski racers with the United States Ski Association (USSA) and other governing bodies in the sport.

Young ski racers, their parents, coaches and all the volunteers count on MARA to control ski racers memberships, provide a schedule of races, publish results and other information needed by ski racers to compete and qualify for championships that will allow them to move up the ladder, with the U.S. Ski Team and the World Cup at the top.

An example of a race listed on the MARA website (www.skimara.org) is the J. P. Parisien Memorial Race at Lost Valley on Jan. 16. While the race is run by the Lost Valley Race Club, all of the information is on the MARA website with a link to the ski club for sign up. Like many races, there are divisions for different ages, broken down as Senior, 21 plus, U21, 19-20, U19, 16-18, U16, 14-15, U14, 12-13, U12, 10-11, U10, 8-9 and U 8, 7 and under. While there are many races listed on the website, they are not all the same.

I talked with Ron Bonnevie, head of the U14 (12-13 year old racers) program at CVA and a member of the MARA board overseeing officials. The veteran ski coach pointed out that three Maine ski areas have USSA sanctioned programs: Shawnee Peak, Sugarloaf and Sunday River. MARA also supports alpine racing programs at Lost Valley, Mount Abram, Camden, Black and Titcomb.

Bonnevie noted that there are three layers of Alpine racing competition in Maine: school, non-USSA and USSA-sanctioned, and that the state’s middle and high schools have vibrant programs. He said, “Maine ski racing is tiny compared to Vermont and New Hampshire, but not in quality. The best of Maine kids are as good as any when they compete against those in other states.”

Ron also cited the various adult leagues as being important to the race scene in the state. Shawnee Peak, Lost Valley and Sugarloaf all have regular adult racing, to name three. A check will probably find more. He described this racing as a way for advanced skiers to sharpen their skills, as most such skiers avoid ski school. This shows that skiers from age 7 and up have alpine racing available.

I have made it a point to ski at areas with these leagues here in Maine and over at Cranmore where there are as many as 800 skiers in the Mountain Meisters league racing one day a week. Trying out this adult racing helps recreational skiers understand what the kids go through to race, and it’s a way for former junior, high school or college racers to keep up their skills.

The various racing programs at Maine’s ski areas have 415 skiers involved. Most of the racing is slalom or giant slalom, as speed events are limited due to the cost and personnel needed. Under MARA there are Super G races, but the competitors are almost all in full-time programs such as CVA. Such races are like taking a car onto a race track. The course has to be protected by netting and carefully set to insure the safety of the racers. Training sessions are also required as the racers need to be familiar with the course before going all out in a race.

Through the season, racers in the Alpine racing programs enhance their point standings (don’t ask me to explain the point system) and those points are used to determine which qualify for championship races at the state and regional levels.

As these skiers advance up the ladder, they get opportunities to race at ever higher levels, and this year, some of Maine’s top ski racers will have a shot at going up against some of the very best skiers in the country. That chance will come when the National Alpine championships come to Sugarloaf in March. Some will be forerunners in the four events — Slalom, GS, SG and Downhill — and few will actually be in the starting field. This is the goal of all those junior racers entering the MARA/USSA races this season.

It’s important to note that MARA is a volunteer organization with only a single paid employee. While there are some paid coaches, most of the races are put on by volunteers, without which there would be no ski racing. We also need to note that ski racing requires a full commitment, not only from the racer but the family. A ski racer’s equipment is furnished by the racer, and to be really successful a skier needs skis for both slalom and giant slalom. And those in full-time programs also need Super G skis, which are not good for any recreational skiing. One goal this season is to check out some races and other programs under MARA. Check their website.

See you on the slopes