Ski & Snowboard Season Wrap-Up

By Justin Rackley, Program Director, MAC Ski & Snowboard

During the last weekend of April, MAC Ski & Snowboard’s final competition of the 2022/2023 season concluded at Mt. Hood, Timberline, for the 87th annual Golden Rose. This event dates back to 1936 and is the oldest known alpine ski race in North America. The format has changed over the years but has, in recent memory, been four slalom races over the course of two days. That makes for some early mornings and a lot of racing action packed into each day of competition, as two complete races are held per day.

This event is part of the PNW Evergreen Cup Series, which means that it is open to U.S. Ski & Snowboard age class U14 and older athletes. This means that so many athletes will get the chance to compete at this event for the entirety of their U.S. Ski & Snowboard racing careers, as U14 is the first age class in which athletes can compete in sanctioned events and earn national points. One such athlete who came up in our program since she was a U12 is Lincoln High School’s class of 2023 and MAC Ski & Snowboard’s own Hailey Cordry, affectionately known to her friends and coaches as “H.” The Golden Rose 2023 marked H’s last ski race for MAC Ski & Snowboard, and perhaps the last of her Pacific Northwest racing career, but I doubt very much that it is her last start ever. H has decided on Montana State University, where she’ll be a freshman this fall. Bozeman is an amazing ski town, and she’ll have great opportunities to race on the club team at MSU.

Graduating senior Hailey Cordry and Kris Dausz

Starting alongside H in her final Golden Rose were a few of MAC’s U14 athletes making their Golden Rose debuts. My hope is that they’ll enjoy a long racing career just like H and ride off into the sunset after their sixth Golden Rose in 2029.

The Golden Rose on the last weekend in April is just one event postmarking a very long and full snow season. As I look back on the 22/23 season, I reflect on the incredible growth we have accomplished since the global pandemic in 2020. In the past three seasons since, MAC Ski & Snowboard’s participation numbers have more than doubled, going from 58 athletes to 125 athletes. We’ve seen huge growth in our Youth Ski League, Freeride, and Snowboard programs, with those participation numbers nearly quadrupling and doubling, respectively. We’ve hired 15 new coaches to join our incredible ski and ride education staff and have beefed up our in-house coach’s education opportunities through free, in-house training clinics, free access to educational materials from The Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors, and financial assistance through professional advancement funding for Coach Certification clinics.

We've seen our share of athlete success this past season in competitions, with three athletes qualifying for Western Region Junior Championships and five athletes qualifying for USASA Freeride National Championships. But by far, the most important measure of success is all of the new skiers and riders gaining a love for the mountains and snow sport as they improve their skiing and riding skills over the course of the season.

As we close the chapter on MAC Ski & Snowboard 22/23, our annual awards banquet was held on Tuesday, May 23 in the Ballroom, where we continued the tradition of honoring our outstanding athletes, coaches, and parent volunteers. A full dinner of Mediterranean mezze was served.

Looking forward to 2023/2024 starts this summer on the Palmer Glacier at Mt. Hood Timberline. Ski racing camps are planned for June 23-27 and July 25-30. Registration and details are at themac.com (quick registration numbers SKC101 and SKC 110).

MAC Ski & Snowboard is growing, and programs for the 23/24 season will fill up with returning and new members quickly. A twoweek early registration period opens for returning team members in mid-August, with open registration to all MAC members starting after Labor Day. Watch for communications in The Winged M and MACtivities emails, and check the Ski & Snowboard page on themac.com to ensure your spot for 23/24.