What equipment do I need?

In addition to safety equipment such as a helmet and goggles, all athletes should have high-quality modern ski equipment. This is important to your development as a ski racer. Interclub and Development team racers can get by with a single pair of skis, but Tri-State racers will need multiple pairs for the different events.

We are aware that this is an expensive sport. There are numerous resources (through the Butternut Ski Club and the Butternut Ski Shop) to try to obtain deals on both new and used equipment. Talk to your coaches about your athlete’s specific needs. Keep in mind that almost all new skis are excellent and the specific brand is not really important. More important is that the skis are appropriately sized for your rapidly improving (and growing) child.

As a racer, the skis will generally be much longer than that normally recommended to you at your local ski shop. A U18 racer is required to use skis of a minimum length, and you need to maintain your child on a progression along that path. A common approach is to alternate with new GS skis one year and SL the next so that you do not have to buy two new pairs in a given year.

Do not forget poles as well. Given your child’s rate of growth, it is unusual for poles to last more than a year. Fortunately, they are one of the cheapest components of the gear. Tri-State racers will need multiple poles as well, with hand guards for slalom events.

NOTE: Chin guards are not required for slalom events and are prohibited from giant slalom races.