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Racing Scene

Vertical Challenge adds NASTAR scoring system to its 2020 schedule

By Eric WiburJanuary 2, 2020

Cranmore Mountain Resort will be the first New Hampshire stop for the Vertical Challenge tour. (Cranmore Mountain Resort)

The Vertical Challenge tour announced its 2020 season schedule of family ski and snowboard races this week along with a new scoring system that will enable entrants to earn points toward NASTAR rankings. 

“We’ve thought for a while that we’d like to show our top competitors a path to expand their racing options,” Vertical Challenge founder Frank Tansey said in a statement. “We’ll always provide a fun environment for everyone from first-time racers to accomplished veterans, and we appreciate Bill Madsen and his crew at NASTAR for letting us work with them to provide additional opportunities to top finishers.” 

NASTAR (NAtional STAndard Race) is a a division of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Federation and is the largest public grassroots ski racing program in the world. The Vertical Challenge began more than 30 years ago in conjunction with the New England Skier Council. It was designed to go to the mountains that poured Pepsi Cola products and reward them with an event and drive traffic into their mountains. 

Entrants will need a lift ticket and have to complete a registration form, which can be done in advance at ski-vc.com. The top three finishers in each category qualify for the finals, which Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort will host on March 28.

The tour begins this weekend at Windham Mountain in New York. 

“We’re excited to return to New York this year, and also visit our friends in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine this season,” Tansey said. “We’ve added some of the Northeast’s top resorts as we continue to grow the tour.”

After Windham, the tour makes the first of six visits to New Hampshire on Jan. 11 at Cranmore. New additions to the schedule include Smuggler’s Notch, Catamount, Lost Valley, Suicide Six, and Berkshire East.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule: 

Windham Mountain, NY Saturday, January 4, 2020
Cranmore, NH Saturday, January 11, 2020
Mt. Abram, ME Sunday, January 12, 2020
Whiteface Mountain, NY Saturday-Sunday, January 18-19, 2020
Smuggler’s Notch, VT Sunday, January 26, 2020
Cannon Mountain, NH Friday, January 31, 2020
Gunstock, NH Saturday, February 1, 2020
Pats Peak, NH Sunday, February 2, 2020
Jiminy Peak, MA Saturday, February 8, 2020
Catamount, MA Sunday, February 9, 2020
Bolton Valley, VT Saturday, February 15, 2020
Nashoba Valley, MA Sunday, February 16, 2020
Black Mountain, NH Friday, February 21, 2020
Lost Valley, ME Sunday, February 22, 2020
Ski Butternut, MA Saturday, February 29, 2020
Berkshire East, MA Sunday, March 1, 2020
Suicide Six, VT Saturday, March 7, 2020
Bromley Mountain, VT Sunday, March 8, 2020
King Pine, NH Saturday, March 14, 2020
Jay Peak, VT – Finals Saturday, March 28, 2020

Tags: events, NASTAR, Vertical Challenge

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