Mark Keiser had a joy for life and the outdoors that was unbounded. When it came to skiing, he wasn’t about “the stuff,” but about the freedom and the rush, the out of body zone right up next to flying that we occasionally get when we are skiing as if in a dream.

Mark and his brother Eric, under the wing of their Dad, Dave, pioneered ski racing in Southern Oregon, traveling every weekend to Mt. Bachelor before Mt. Ashland even existed. The both had very fruitful racing careers. We owe everything to their original vision.

In the late 90′s, Mark’s life was tragically cut short in a work related accident. This weekend we race in his memory.

Don’t worry about your wax, or if you have the latest skis, or the coolest suit, do what Mark did and see if you can fly.

February 25th & 26th, 2012

Giant Slalom on Saturday and Slalom on Sunday

Mt. Ashland Ski Area, Winter Run

Race Data:

GS, SL (two runs each race)

Boys and girls (non scored event)

Start times 10:00 am

Course will be open for inspection at 9:30 am

Seeding by age classification. Youngest to oldest by class.

***All schedules are tentative and subject to snow and/or weather conditions.***

Eligibility:

Open to all club and sanctioned racers U8-Masters (ages 6 and up).

*** Helmets required ***

Entry Deadline:

Wednesday, February 22th, 2012. Entries must be completed online or postmarked by the entry deadline. If mailed, all fees must be included with race application.

Entry Fees:

$20.00 per event, cash, check or credit card. Sign up and pay online or download the PDF Race Application and mail it with a check to:

MARA Race Committee Chair Kirk Austbo

Mt. Ashland Racing Association

P.O. Box 3105

Ashland, OR 97520

Phone: (541) 482-1808

Email: mararaces@gmail.com

Late Entries:

Entries submitted after the posted deadline will be subject to a $10.00 late fee per race. Late fees must be paid at registration in order to participate.

Cancellations:

24 hours before race by phone to MARA Race Committee Chair Kirk Austbo.

Race Headquarters:

Mt. Ashland Lodge on the fourth floor.

Registration:

Opens at 8:00 am each morning on the fourth floor of the Lodge. Follow the stairs to the top. Liability releases and late fees must be turned in before a bib is issued.

Lift Passes:

6 years and under free, 7 to 12 for $24.00, 13 to 69 for $34, 70 and over are free. Coaches of visiting teams shall receive one complimentary ticket for each 8 paid athletes. Registered racers can purchase discounted racer tickets at the ticket counter on the first floor from 8 am to 9 am from Mt. Ashland. (Cash, Check or Credit Cards). ***Prices may change … these prices are a guide.***

Volunteers:

Visiting parents are invited to help with the race. A Mt. Ashland ski pass will be provided for race day. If you anticipate being able to help, please contact MARA Race Committee Chair Kirk Austbo.

Awards:

ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE AN AWARD. Medals for the top 3 of each U8 through Masters classes and ribbons for all other skiers following the completion of the race. Awards ceremony will be held on the fourth floor of the lodge.

Welcome to the MARA web page. The previous web page served us well for many years, but this will be much more dynamic. You’ll notice important static page links at the top. On the right hand side you’ll find our recent posts, some external links, various forms and an archive.

The  heart of the page though will be the feature board in the middle and the blog accessible in the navigation bar at the top or in the box at the bottom. The blog will feature race announcements, parent education, race results and athlete inspiration. The possibilities are endless. We’ll also be linking to Facebook and Twitter, social media that many people rely more heavily on these days.

• I. Thou shall not impose thy ambitions on thy child.
• II. Thou shall be supportive no matter what.
• III. Thou shall not coach thy child.
• IV. Thou shall only have positive things to say at a competition.
• V. Thou shall acknowledge thy child’s fears.
• VI. Thou shall not criticize the officials.
• VII. Thou shall honor thy child’s coach.
• VIII. Thou shall be loyal and supportive of thy team.
• IX. Thy child shall have goals besides winning.
• X. Thou shall not expect thy child to become an Olympian.

Skis- K2 Seth Pistols- 179cm. Make offer. Contact me direct at dd@tcchevy.com or cell 541-944-4202

Boots- Nordica Superchargers- 2 seasons on them. Size 26.5 (Fits a Mens 9-10). Make an offer.  Contact me direct at dd@tcchevy.com or cell 541-944-4202.

The Shakespeare Cup will run Saturday and Sunday, February 12 and 13. Giant Slalom will run on Saturday and Slalom on Sunday. A link to registration can be found below. See you there!

http://www.mtashlandracing.com/mara-race-application/

Assuming that the snow continues to cooperate and Mt. Ashland re-opens Thursday, the MARA season will start this weekend.

Masters athletes start Friday. Sunday EVO athletes start Sunday at 9:30. All other athletes start Saturday.

All Juniors (U18/U16/U14) meet at 9:00 at the base of Windsor. All other race athletes (U12/U10) meet outside the locker room at 9:00. All EVO athletes meet outside the lodge at 9:30.

Keep your fingers crossed that it continues to snow!

Due to the late season start, the Shakespeare Cup has been postponed. All other races, so far, remain as scheduled. Keep an eye out for the new date. The Phil Holocek GS/SL is scheduled on February 4/5.

Mt. Ashland recently decided to temporarily close due to insufficient snow levels. They have allowed us to push back the start of the season one week, but still offer a full season. We’ll just finish a week later. Even though the weather is out of our control, a few wishes for snow can’t hurt.