Administrative Rules for Alaska Division
AK Divisional Head Tax / Entry Fees for 2024-2025 Season
2024-2025 Competition Season | |||||
Adopted by the ACC Voting Members by email vote on 11/13/2023 | |||||
ENTRY FEES | Entry Fee | ROC | AK Div HT | WR HT | National HT |
Technical – USSA Scored | $ 45.00 | $ 17.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 6.00 | $ 12.00 |
Speed – USSA Scored | $ 45.00 | $ 17.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 6.00 | $ 12.00 |
Speed Training – USSA Scored | $ 45.00 | $ 17.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 6.00 | $ 12.00 |
Technical – USSA Non-Scored | $ 33.00 | $ 20.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 3.00 | $ – |
Speed – USSA Non-Scored | $ 33.00 | $ 20.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 3.00 | $ – |
Speed Training – USSA Non-Scored | $ 33.00 | $ 20.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 3.00 | $ – |
FIS Technical | $ 60.00 | $ 24.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 14.00 | $ 12.00 |
FIS Speed | $ 62.00 | $ 26.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 14.00 | $ 12.00 |
FIS Training | $ 60.00 | $ 24.00 | $ 10.00 | $ 14.00 | $ 12.00 |
U16 or U14 WR Champs | |||||
Tech | $ 50.00 | Split between ROC & Division | $ 6.00 | $ 12.00 | |
Speed – SG | $ 54.00 | Split between ROC & Division | $ 6.00 | $ 12.00 |
Age Groups
Alaska Division alpine competition follows the USSS grouping system. Classification ages are based upon the age of the racer as of December 31 of the current season. Some restrictions apply to specific age groups.
2024-2025 Alpine Season Age Classes
Entry Deadlines
The host club must receive race entries, accompanied by entry fees, via Admin Ski Racing (adminskiracing.com) by the entry deadline as listed on the Race Announcement. Late entries may be accepted depending on the sponsoring club’s published policy.
FIS Points List
Here is the FIS Points List Deadlines for the 2025 Season
Finances
An athlete’s divisional and national financial obligations must be paid prior to the athlete’s departure for any out-of-division or championship competition.
Membership
All competitors are required to hold a current US Ski and Snowboard Alpine competitor license with an “Active” status in order to compete in US Ski and Snowboard sanctioned events.
Out-of-Division Travel
No one (competitor, coach, parent, legal guardian) may enter an athlete in a race in another division/region without prior approval from the Alaska Division office. The philosophy of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard is to discourage unnecessary out-of-division travel. The following policy will apply:
- All requests must be made by the athlete’s coach
- All requests must be submitted to the Alaska Division Administrator, by email (akdivisionmanager@gmail.com), at least three weeks (21 days) prior to the race
- Racers must meet all qualifications of the host division/region
- If a request is granted, entries and fees must be submitted to the race organizer before the established deadline
Out-of-Division Athletes Competing in the Alaska Division
Out-of-division athletes are welcome and invited to participate in all AK Division races at all age levels. For all State Championship events (Alyeska Cup and U12/14 State Champs), only Alaska Division registered athletes are eligible for State Championship awards.
Parent Code of Conduct
The purpose of a code of conduct for parents/guardians is to establish consistent expectations for behavior by parents/guardians when their child is participating in any U.S. Ski & Snowboard activity. We expect parents/guardians to conduct themselves according to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s core values of Grit, Excellence, Team, Fun, and Integrity, and abide by the spirit and dictates of this Parent Code of Conduct.
All parents/guardians must comport themselves in a sportsmanlike manner and are responsible and accountable for their actions while attending or participating in all U.S. Ski & Snowboard activities. Sportsmanlike conduct is defined as but is not limited to: respect for competition officials, resort employees, U.S. Ski & Snowboard members, and the skiing and snowboarding public, respect for facilities, privileges, and operating procedures, the use of courtesy and good manners, acting responsibly and maturely, and refraining from the use of profane or abusive language. Additionally, it is essential that parents/guardians provide coaching staff with respect and the authority to coach the team. We should all seek to support a sport experience that is transformational for each child in developing as an athlete and as a person. During any activity associated with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, parents/guardians agree that their conduct will follow:
Setting the right example for children by demonstrating sportsmanship and showing respect and common courtesy at all times to all athletes, team members, coaches, competitors, officials, parents, and all facilities.
- Honoring the health and well-being of their child as well as their competitors.
- Getting involved by volunteering, observing practices and cheering on all athletes.
- Refraining from coaching their child and any other athlete from the stands or sidelines during training and competitions.
- Understanding that criticizing, name-calling, use of abusive language or gestures directed toward coaches, officials, administrative staff, any athlete, volunteers, and/or any participant will not be tolerated.
- Respecting the integrity of staff, coaches officials, and administrative staff, including when at competitions; allowing them to focus on their athletes.
- Treating staff, coaches, officials, and all athletes with respect and dignity.
Not harassing or making inappropriate requests of staff or coaches, including but not limited to asking for special support or treatment for their child outside of medical or mental health needs. All parents/guardians must follow the SafeSport Code, the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP), and U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Athlete Safety Policies when participating in any activity associated with U.S. Ski & Snowboard or a member club (see https://www.usskiandsnowboard.org/safesportathletesafety ). U.S. Ski & Snowboard reserves the right to restrict access to the “field of play” at a competition by anyone that has disruptive behavior during the competition.
Download the Parent Code of Conduct [PDF] here.
SafeSport Code
Race Announcements
All host clubs will be responsible for sending out pertinent race information such as the schedule, field size limits, lift fees and area releases to all USSS Alpine clubs within Alaska, no less than 30 days prior to the scheduled event. Each race organizer is required to email a Race Announcement to the AK Division office – akdivisionmanager@gmail.com. Announcements should be sent out 30 days prior to the entry deadline. Sample Race Announcements can be found in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Master Packet of Forms.
Racing Bibs
The host club will issue racing bibs. The host club may charge a bib deposit at race registration or a fee for a lost bib or a bib returned late.
Race Results
Host clubs of divisional qualifiers will generate overall results that include the age group and second run times for each racer. Overall results will be posted to the Alaska Division web site within 72 hours of the completion of that event or series.
U12 Slalom Setting Rules
The first two U12 SL race of the season will be set with stubbies, with the reasoning that the first year U12s may have never been in a tall gate yet. All other USSS U12 competition within the AK Division will utilize 60″ 27mm gates, with the height being in accordance to ACR Guidelines; “For U14s and younger SL events, poles must be FIS type B and be 60” in height off the snow surface. This applies to events that are exclusive to U14 and younger; it is not applicable to mixed age races which include athletes U14 and older. Stubby poles are allowed for U14 and younger non-scored events” – page 156 of the ACR.
Sanctioned Races
Starting in the 2025 Competition Season, races that are part of a Western Region qualifier, Divisional Series or Championships, must be sanctioned with US Ski and Snowboard, unless there are extenuating circumstances which must be discussed and agreed upon by the ACC. Adopted the ACC on January 30, 2023.
Selection Procedures for Western Region Quotas
FIS / Elite FIS Series
Racers will be selected to attend these events according to the policy for out-of-division travel. Selection is based on the National Team Selection Board (NTSB) using U.S. Ski and Snowboard seed points from the most current list on the selection date. The NTSB method is described in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Alpine competition guide. Western Region automatics will not appear on the board. For Speed Series a modified NTSB board will be used, in that GS will always be the last pick on any line. Athletes must meet Alaska eligibility rules. Selection Boards will include only the events to be held at the Series, with the exception that Speed Events Series boards will also include GS.
2025 Western Region Junior Championships (U18, U21)
Approved by the AK Division ACC on October 18, 2023. Published on October 20, 2023.
The 2025 AK Divisional Quota for U18 WRJC is 4 women and 4 men.
For the 2025 season, for the head-to-head, we will use the best 2 out of 4 finishes in SL and GS from the following races:
- Devo 2 GS / 2 SL
- Alyeska Cup – 2 GS / 2 SL (February 18-19, 2024)
- Alaska Airlines Speed Events – 2 SG (February 2, 2023)
For the 2024 WRJC U18 selections, naming the team shall be accomplished by utilizing a five-column selection board. Each column shall be comprised of eligible athlete names ranked first to last. The first ranked athlete shall be placed at the top of the column; the last ranked athlete shall be placed at the bottom of the column. LEFT COLUMNS will be comprised of athlete names ranked by each individual athlete’s current FIS points for SL, GS and SG. RIGHT COLUMNS will be comprised of athlete names ranked by each individual athlete’s best two (out of four) SL and best two (out of four) GS race, and best one out of two SG finishes at the qualifying race series. Finishes shall be scored using new World Cup points. Ties shall be broken using the next best result.
SELECTION is accomplished by taking the top name in the FIS SL Points. column, then the FIS GS Points column, followed by the top name in the FIS SL Race column, then the FIS GS Race column. Selection continues by going to the second name in the left columns, and then the second name in the right columns, etc and by following the procedure described in the previous sentence until the team is filled. If a name comes up a second time it is skipped. Always skip across from left to right, not down for repeats.
In the event that we are unable to hold less than two (2) Slalom or (2) Giant Slalom races in the qualifying series, only the single best finish in each discipline will be used for selections. We will be using FIS List #17, and final selections will be announced after List #17 has been published in February 2025.
Any Alaska Division athlete who has been invited, accepted and participated in a Regional or National quota competition conflicting with Alaska Divisional qualifying races will be an automatic on Divisional quotas for their respective regional championship event for the current season.
Example Boards
SL FIS Points | GS FIS Points | SG FIS Points | SL Results | GS Results |
Joe Smith | Joe Smith | Adam Jones | Joe Smith | John Anderson |
Fred Easter | John Anderson | Fred Easter | Adam Jones | Joe Smith |
Tommy Goal | Fred Easter | John Anderson | John Anderson | Tommy Goal |
John Anderson | Adam Jones | Tommy Goal | Fred Easter | Adam Jones |
Adam Jones | Tommy Goal | Joe Smith | Tommy Goal | Fred Easter |
Selection Ranking
- Joe Smith
- Adam Jones
- John Anderson
- Fred Easter
- Tommy Goal
2025 U16 Western Region Junior Championships Selection Rules
Approved by the AK Division ACC on December 9, 2024.
Alaska Division U16 Championships Qualification Criteria for the 2025 Season
The Alaska Division quota for the 2025 Western Region U16 Championships is 8 women and 4 men, based on the Corrock Method which considers divisional population and previous regional results.
Qualifying Events and Format:
For the 2025 season, U16 athletes will qualify through multiple races. Athletes will be ranked based on their best five finishes using World Cup points across eight designated events (3 GS, 3 SL, and best 1 of 2 SG).
The events are:
● Coca Cola Classic – 2 SL / 1 st GS
January 19-20, 2025
● Alaska Airlines Speed – 2 SG (*best of the two will count)
January 29, 2025
● Alyeska Cup – 1 st SL / 2 GS
February 16-17, 2025
*Focus is first race being of highest quality possible.
Ranking System:
Athletes will be ranked based on the total number of World Cup points from their best five results. The selection board will rank athletes based on the best four technical (GS/SL) results and their best Super G result.
Contingency Plan:
If fewer than four Tech (SL/GS) and one Speed (SG) are unable to be completed, an alternate race may be chosen to fulfill the qualifications. If fewer than the required numbers of qualifying races are held, the scoring board will be adjusted to reflect the actual number of races held. If insufficient races remain, qualification will shift to individual runs. For example, if fewer than three Slalom or Giant Slalom races are held, each completed run may count separately toward qualification.
Athletes who Did Not Finish (DNF) or are Disqualified (DQ’d) in the first run of any event will be allowed to rerun in the second run at the end of the field, provided butterfly seeding is not in use.
Tiebreaker Procedure:
In the event of a tie, the next best run result will be used, with no more than four results from any single discipline.
Selection and Notification:
Selections will be made by the ACC, and notifications will be sent within 48 hours of selection. Athletes must confirm their participation and submit a deposit within 48 hours of the announcement.
Automatic Qualification:
Alaska Division athletes invited to and participating in regional or national quota competitions conflicting with divisional qualifiers will automatically qualify for their respective regional championship.
Any Alaska Division athlete who has been invited, accepted and participated in a Regional or National quota competition conflicting with Alaska Divisional qualifying races will be an automatic on a WR quotas.
Selections will be made by the ACC. Programs or independent athletes will be notified of team selections no more than 48 hours after they are determined. Athletes must notify their club of their intent to participate and submit a trip deposit payment, within 48 hours after selections are announced. Selections will be made as described above until each quota, including alternates, is filled.
2025 U14 Regional Championships Selection Rules
Approved by the AK Division ACC on September 26, 2024.
Alaska Division U14 Championships Qualification Criteria for the 2025 Season
The Alaska Division quota for the Western Region U14 Championships is determined annually based on the Division’s U14 USSS license holders current on the November points list. The Alaska Division is guaranteed a quota of 4 women and 4 men for the 2025 U14 Western Region Championships.
Qualifying Events and Format:
For the 2025 season, U14 athletes will qualify using multiple venues and races. Athletes will be ranked based on the highest number of World Cup points earned from their best five finishes across eight designated events (3 GS, 3 SL, and 1 of 2 SG). The events are:
- Giant Slalom (GS) Events:
- Coca Cola Classic GS – January 17, 2025
- Alyeska Cup GS – February 16, 2025
- Juneau Tech GS – March 1, 2025
- Slalom (SL) Events:
- Ram Cup SL – January 10, 2025
- Alyeska Cup SL – February 17, 2025
- Juneau Tech SL –March 2, 2025
- Super G (SG) Event:
- Alaska Airline Speed SG – January 27-28, 2025
Note: The Arctic Valley Cup will only be used as a qualifier if any of the above races are canceled. Additionally, Arctic Valley will host the Alaska State Championships on April 5-6, 2025.
Athletes who DNF or are disqualified (DQ) in the first run of any qualifying event will be allowed to rerun in the second run at the end of the field, provided butterfly seeding is not in use.
Ranking System:
Athletes will be ranked based on their total World Cup points from their best five finishes across the designated events. These finishes will include three Giant Slalom events, three Slalom events, and one Super G event. For the Selection Boards, the racers with the highest number of world cup points based on their best 4 technical (GS / SL) and best Super G Result, will be ranked first.
Contingency Plan:
If fewer than the required number of races are completed, Arctic Valley Cup can be considered for an alternate GS and SL start, as well as Coca-Cola SL. If there are still fewer completed races, qualification will be determined using individual runs from completed events. For example, if fewer than three Slalom or Giant Slalom races are held, each run from the completed races may count separately for qualification purposes. “Leave it open if an event cannot be held that another venue can pick up a race, snow and venue dependent.”
Tiebreaker Procedure:
In the event of a tie in the rankings, the next best run result will be used to break the tie, with no more than four results counted from any single discipline.
Selection and Notification:
Selections will be made by the Alaska Competition Committee (ACC) based on the rankings described above until the full quota, including alternates, is filled. Programs or independent athletes will be notified of team selections within 48 hours of the decision. Athletes must confirm their participation and submit a trip deposit within 48 hours of the announcement.
Automatic Qualification:
Any Alaska Division athlete invited to and participating in a Regional or National quota competition that conflicts with Alaska Division qualifying races will automatically qualify for the divisional quota for their respective regional championship event during the current season.
2025 U16/U14 Tri Divisional Selection Process
March 18-21, 2025
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
1 SG / 1 GS / 1 SL
Intermountain, Northern and Alaska Division share a championship for athletes who are not selected for the WR U16 or WR U14 Championship quotas for their division. Quotas are determined by population of participating divisions.
2025 Quota:
U16 Quota: 5 women / 7 men
U14 Quota: 9 women / 7 men
The regional selection boards for each age group, U16 and U14 described above, will be used to determine quotas. Athletes may participate in their respective Regional Championship OR Tri Divisional’s. Athletes may NOT attend both.
Alaska will seed their athletes by national points, within their given seeding draw. If an athlete does not have any national points, they will be seeded by their World Cup points from the qualification events, within their age group.
Alaska State Championships
The winner of the first event in each discipline at the Alaska Airlines Speed Race and Alyeska Cup tech events for the U16 and U19 age classifications, will be designated the Alaska state champion in that discipline, as well as the overall champion. World Cup points are awarded for each of three races (1SG, 1GS, 1SL), and only athletes that finish all three events will be eligible to win.
Discretionary Selections
Up to 20 percent or 1 quota spot (whichever is greater) of any Alaska divisional quota may be allocated to discretionary selections. The use of this discretionary quota shall be the decision of the ACC. Petitions for exceptions must be made in writing, including supporting documentation, to the Coaches Working Group by the protest period of the final selection race. Approval of exception and inclusion into the quota shall be made by a majority vote of the ACC.
U14 North Star Series
The Northstar Series was a series for U14 athletes in the Alaska Division during the COVID years, and was created with the intention of unifying the Alaska Division by having different clubs throughout the Division host a weekend event that counts towards the overall results for the series.
The U14 North Star Series was discontinued on December 13, 2023 by the ACC, and will not be contested in the 2024 competition season.
U12/U14 Alaska State Championships
Governing Rules: The competition is conducted in accordance with current U.S. Ski and Snowboard competition rules and as modified by the following rules and host club modifications not in conflict with these rules.
Dates:
This event is held in March or early April. Dates shall be determined at an ACC scheduled meeting in the fall prior to the event.
Rotation: The event will rotate throughout the Alaska Division. This rotation is voted on by the ACC. Exceptions and changes can be made to the rotational schedule due to weather or other circumstances and any changes will be voted on by the ACC.
-
- 2023 –Fairbanks Ski Team
- 2024 – Hilltop Alpine Race Team
- 2025 – Arctic Valley Ski Team
- 2026 – Juneau Ski Club
- 2027 – Alyeska Ski Club
- 2028 – Fairbanks Ski Team
- 2029 – Hilltop Alpine Race Team
- 2030 – Arctic Valley Ski Team
- 2031 – Juneau Ski Club
- 2032 – Alyeska Ski Club
Events:
The Championship will consist of two runs of Giant Slalom and two runs of Slalom, (1 GS, 1 SL) and shall be U.S. Ski and Snowboard sanctioned non-scored events conducted on Saturday and Sunday.
Seeding:
Competitors shall be seeded separately by gender and class. In GS, U14 competitors will start before U12 competitors. Random draw will determine the first run start order. Second run is in reverse order. All competitors are allowed to start the second run, in their appropriate start order per run.
Course Specifications:
Course sets shall be in accordance with the current USSA competition rules.
Field Size & Quotas: If competitor field size surpasses 150 total athletes in a given year than the ACC will set field size maximums and allocate regional club quotas in the following year.
Eligibility: The events are open to competitors in the U14 and U12 race classes. Each competitor must have a USSA license. Request for participation by an out-of-Division competitor shall be submitted to the ACC Divisional Administrator at least two weeks prior to the competition for eligibility determination. Out-of-Division competitors are not eligible for any awards.
Entry Procedure: Each regional club will send entries to the organizer no less than 7 days prior to the start of competition. Entry information will include: name, sex, year of birth, USSA registration number, and club affiliation. Entry form should indicate which competitors need housing (if offered by the club). Names of coaches should be included on the entry form.
Awards:
- A minimum of first through fifth place awards shall be given for each gender and class for each race.
- First through fifth place overall awards shall be given for each gender and class and will be based on the total points accumulated for each run of both events.
- Scoring will be based on the New World Cup Points method, with each finisher awarded at least 1 point. In the case of a tie for the overall scores, the lowest combined finish placing will break the tie. If there is still a tie, the lowest combined race time will be used.
Rules Interpretation: The current U.S. Ski and Snowboard Alpine Competition Guide (ACR) shall govern resolution of rules and conflicts.