How about some ski racing?

"From the Chairlift" - By Vicki Abbott Bancroft

If you're looking for a challenge this ski season, I have an idea for you.

How about trying some recreational ski or snowboard competition with National Standard Race (NASTAR) program.

Created by SKI Magazine 33 years ago, the NASTAR program is the world's largest recreational ski program, with more than 4.5 million participants since its inception.

NASTAR races can be found at about 100 resorts nationwide, and the format is geared to the amateur skier and snowboarder.

Racers compete on a giant slalom course on lower intermediate terrain and their time is calculated based on their age and gender, as well as actual time to get through the gates. You need to know very little about ski racing to try a course.

Ten minutes of 'on snow' observation, and you should be comfortable with the start sequence and the pattern followed to round the gates. For a nominal fee, you get two runs and your score is tabulated while you're still catching your breath.

So, is it really that easy?

Of course not, but it will really help your technique, and for those of us who love competition, it is exhilarating.

When you race, be it on skis or a board, proper technique is imperative to stay on the course and complete it with the fastest time possible. Racing forces you to apply proper technique to every turn. This is why it is so beneficial to the recreational skier.

One of the many reasons I have always been a big supporter of NASTAR is that it offers a very manageable opportunity for skiers and riders to put their skills to the test while getting a sense of the race experience. I put my kids through NASTAR gates at a very young age, about 5 or 6 years old, to get a good look at their skills and to teach them to be comfortable pushing themselves in the sport. To this day, we continue to compete because, simply put, they are good for your skiing and your soul. It boosts your confidence to complete a race course.

The 2002 NASTAR National Championship will be held March 28-31 in Park City, Utah, and will be hosted by a group of skiing Olympians: Chad Fleischer, Tommy Moe, A .J. Kitt and 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist and national spokesperson Picabo Street.

In February, there will be six regional championships -- up from four last year -- to provide an opportunity for skiers to qualify for the national championship.

The top three finishers in each age and gender category will win a gold, silver or bronze medallion and earn an automatic qualification for the nationals in Park City.

The New England venue chosen is Waterville Valley on Feb. 2.

Racers should get as much practice in as possible in both freeskiing and running gates. It may sound like a long shot, but we have had local skiers do very well in NASTAR competitions.

For more detailed information on the program, visit their website at http://www.nastar.com/

Give it a try this winter, and let me know how you're doing. It really is a great opportunity.

With this season's slow start for skiing and riding, there is no excuse for not being totally prepared to hit the slopes when we are finally graced with cold weather and snow-snow-snow.

Get your equipment tuned, check your clothing, goggles and accessories and pack your bag for that first trip north.

Skiing and snowboarding tend to be somewhat "equipment intensive" sports with the variable weather conditions of New England. Pack your day bag with all the items you'll need for the conditions that can range from sunshine to blizzard, warm weather to frostbite warnings. And don't forget the needs of your vehicle, either. Load up on washer fluid, de-icer and snowscapers.

Continue to do the snow dances and think snow, think snow , think snow. See you on the slopes.

Vicki Abbott Bancroft is a columnist for the Standard-Times. She welcomes your thoughts and winter experiences via email at chairlift218@aol.com or through the Sports Department, Standard-Times, 25 Elm Street, New Bedford, MA 02740

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