Are You Old Enough to Race?

-->

Race season is getting underway again—at least in Connecticut—with the first Connecticut Ski Council (CSC) race scheduled for December 13. During the season the CSC sponsors NASTAR sanctioned races and race results throughout the season contribute to weekly rankings and end-of-season prizes. The NASTAR program allows skiers to race against others both locally and throughout the country within age categories. The NASTAR website describes the recreational ski racing program in this way:

Developed by SKI Magazine in 1968, NASTAR (NAtional STAndard Race) is the largest recreational ski and snowboard race program in the world. Since the program's inception, more than 6 million skier and snowboarder racer days have been recorded. Our mission is simple - to provide a fun, competitive and easily accessible racing program that, through the development of a handicap system, allows racers of all ages and abilities a means to compare their race results to other competitors across the country regardless of when and where they race.1

One thing that the NASTAR originators underestimated was the abundance of senior citizen competitors. Over the last few decades NASTAR has had to increase their upper age category ranges a number of times. In the 1980s the most senior age category was 70+ and when 80 year olds found themselves racing against people 10 years younger they were understandably miffed. Eventually an 80+ category was added, then 90+ and now 95+. One senior racer, Lou Batori of Michigan plans to race this season at the age of 100 years old! He tells the story of being on a chairlift last season with a teen ager who admired the 95+ patch on the sleeve of his ski jacket. According to a NASTAR reporter , “when [the boy] asked about it, it became clear that he thought Batori belonged to a very exclusive club: skiers who go faster than 95 m.p.h. ‘I didn’t say anything, because I knew he was going to tell his buddies about me,’ Batori says.”2

In the 2010/2011 season senior racers may fall into any of these categories: 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95+. In the most senior category there is at least one competitive 100-year-old just itching to compete on the slopes!

1 http://www.nastar.com/articles/how-does-nature-valley-nastar-work-0 accessed 12/10/2010

2 http://www.nastar.com/articles/100-year-old-skier-lou-batori-pushing-nastars-age-limits accessed 12/10/1010