I, for one, am anxious to get started skiing. The Son, who has just started the new school year, has a lot else on his mind. So while he is looking forward to ski season, it isn’t all encompassing like with his dad. With that in mind I’ve been making sure to take care of stuff for the upcoming season. Namely:

• Renew USSA membership at the My USSA site. Remember to do so before October 15 to avoid the late fee.
• Sign up for a season pass at your local mountain. Prices often go up closer to ski season so look for a Sept 30 or Oct 15 deadline
• Sign up for the race program / club at your mountain. Early bird specials also apply.
• Think about ski equipment for your kid. The Son will be stepping up to a new age group and a new league this year. He’s going to have 2 pairs of skis this season, one for SL and one for GS. I may wind up reusing the skis from last year and have them used as the SL pair. Many multi-event skis have the same lengths and radius as the brand’s junior SL skis with different graphics, so that may be an alternative you can consider. You can ask your child’s coach for guidance on what length and what type of skis should be used. You should also bear in mind that older kids (U14s and up) may be subject to new ski rules. You can see the rules here for the 2016-2017 season.
• In The Son’s case, since he’ll be racing SL, I’ll need to to get him protective gear for this season – shin guards, forearm guards, chin guard and pole guards. Try and find used equipment.
• While at it, think about the equipment you don’t need any more – stuff that has been outgrown. Your club may have a way of selling it to other interested families or you can sell online via eBay or SidelineSwap (a new used sporting goods site).

Of course there is the other stuff like putting on the car winter tires and the roof box. Getting stuff out of storage and the assorted other tasks with ski racing. But all of it is a welcome requirement for getting back to snow.

More to come…