Some people enjoy a day on the mountain by skiing miles and miles of corduroy. Others love deep, endless powder days, and many just like being in the mountains with family and friends. For myself, skiing is crushing levels of g-forces, suits tighter than a second skin, ice, and obscenely skinny skis. I compete for the Mt. Spokane Ski Race Team as an alpine racer, and my path down the mountain, if all goes well, is one of rhythm and flow, arc-to-arc turns, and clean, powerful skiing from top to bottom.  

The Olympic sport of alpine racing showcases the athlete’s diverse skill set across four distinct events: slalom, giant slalom, super giant slalom, and downhill. There is (unfortunately, for my finances) a unique pair of skis required for each of these events that differ in length, stiffness, and size of turn radius. 

Slalom gives us the shortest, slowest, yet most rapid-paced event. You will see racers launch out of the start to arc around the hinged poles, called gates, often knocking them down in order to ski the tightest line. The short skis used for slalom (165 cm) are wide in the tip and extremely narrow underfoot, giving the skier the ability to arc a short-radius turn. Slalom is a technical event, making it a two-run race, in which each racer’s combined times are added up to determine a winner. 

In the next fastest event, giant slalom (GS for short), the skis get longer (193 cm), the speeds nearly double, and the skiing changes from quick, sudden turns to longer, fluid, powerful turns. GS is also a technical event, following the same two-run format as slalom. GS is the fundamental basis of ski racing, as the skills from it are prevalent in all events.  

The true speed events, including the super giant slalom (super G) and downhill, are often popular with viewers due to the highway speeds and massive, soaring jumps that racers conquer as they throw their bodies down the hill. The primary differences between the speed events and GS are the higher speeds, bigger turns, and dramatic terrain. To be stable in these conditions, super G and downhill skis are incredibly long and straight, 212 and 218 cm, respectively. 

The athletes aren’t the only ones who experience the thrill of ski racing. So do the spectators who witness each racer charge down the hill with differing styles and ways of approaching the sport. Crashes, beautiful skiing, and epic recoveries are commonplace in racing, as well as the thrill of raw speed. Races are fun, competitive environments that showcase some of the best skiing in the area. // 

William “Woody” Dexter is a full-time ski racer who also works at the Spokane Alpine Haus. When not skiing, he can be found hanging with friends or playing his ukulele. 

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“It’s a great way to learn how to ski well. Most parents put their kids in this program, not to become great ski racers, but to become great all-mountain skiers. And by the time the kids are done, the parents are having a hard time keeping up,” says Dan Henry, executive director and head coach of Mt. Spokane Ski Racing Team (MSSRT), previously known as SSRA, or Spokane Ski Racing Association. 

A misconception about racing is that a kid must already be a strong skier in order to join. “That’s our job—to develop them into strong skiers,” says Henry. In fact, kids as young as 5 can join.

“As long as the kid can get on their own gear, load the chair by themselves, and get down the hill by themselves, they can join,” says Henry. “The primary goal with Youth Ski League is to become great all-mountain skiers, whether it’s moguls or powder. It’s not about fast—though they’ll naturally go faster when they’re proficient. Fast is a byproduct of skiing well.”

Within two hours of the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene metro area, there are five club members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard (formerly known as USSA), each affiliated with a home mountain that take turns hosting competitions for the Emerald Empire Youth Ski League (EEYSL)—the Eastern Zone of the Pacific Northwest Ski Association (PNSA). Race series participation is optional. 

“We have multiple programs that are designed around the commitment level of the parents, not the ability level of the kid,” he says. All the local teams offer one-day programs. Traveling for competitions is not required. Some local teams also offer Holiday Camp sessions, which provides an introduction to the sport.

“There’s not a lot of difference between what a ski school does and what we do as far as ski skills taught,” says Henry. “But we spend a lot more time on the mountain—on skis with a coach and peers—and kids progress rapidly.”

Check out these Inland NW Ski Racing Teams:

• 49° North Alpine Ski Team: Intro program (ages 5-11); youth ski league (ages 5-8); U14 (ages 12-13, elite team option); U16 (ages 14-15); Holiday Camps in December, January, & February.

• Lookout Pass Ski Race Team: League (ages 6-11, 1- or 2-day program); junior program (ages 12-16, 2-day program); and Holiday Camp in December. 

• Mt. Spokane Ski Race Team: Intro (ages 5-11); youth league, YSL Team U8-U12 (ages 6-11); U14 (ages 12-13); U16-U19 (ages 14-18); IFS Team (ages 16+); Inland NW Mid-Week Training (ages 6-18, gate training offered to all regional racers); masters (age 21+, including parents who want to try ski racing); Holiday Camp (ages 6-11).

• Silver Mountain Alpine Race Team: Silver Sliders (ages 4-8), race team (ages 5-17).

• Schweitzer Alpine Racing School: Youth league includes STARS (ages 5-6); 1-day development program or 2- or 3-day competition program (ages 7-11); junior ski racing program (ages 12-19, includes U14 Team, U16 Northwest Cup Teams, and FIS Team); junior Freeride program (ages 12+; big mountain competitions); masters (ages 21+); Holiday Camp. 

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