There is good skinning at Breckenridge ski area from town (Peak 9) to the Vista Haus.

A group will be heading up the hill Saturday Nov. 29th at 7:30 am from The Maggie at the base of Peak 9. If you're up this way, join us for a few laps. You can email pete@cosmicski.com to make sure you meet us.

As of Friday November 28th there is little backcountry skiing in Summit County. While we could do a clinic on the area (Breckenridge does allow skinning during the day), it isn't ideal for a group to skin up the edge of the run during the day. As soon as we have some backcountry skiing we'll fire up a proper COSMIC clinic.

Come up to Breckenridge on Saturday, November 8th to support the CAIC. Any time you're heading into the backcountry the CAIC avi report is essential reading - CAIC helps keep us on top of the snow when we're not skiing at COSMIC races. Tickets are available here:

https://www.choicesecure01.net/mainapp/eventschedule.aspx?clientID=riverwalk

We'll be skinning up the ski area that morning at 7:30 am (one, maybe two laps). I will post a meeting place the week prior, it depends on where the skinning/skiing is best. Also, if there's snow we'll head off to Peak 6 or similar for some early season powder turns.

Hope to see you early Saturday morning and at the CAIC Bash. It's guaranteed skiing - and three beers come along with your Bash ticket. - PS

The Goals of the National Points Rankings/ Skin to Win:

• Encourage people to attend more events and lower their points
• Competitors in different regions of the country can accurately compare points (results) in a season
• Better courses: events wishing for a B, C or H classification must have minimum vertical, number of transitions and contact the USSMA to include their event on the calendar
• Picking US National teams for World Cup and World Championship events will be based on these rankings. Note that for World Championship selection there will always be one or more "automatic qualifier" races.
• A "Skin to Win" Prize fund: On May 1st, we'll know who the top 5 men and women in the country are. The USSMA is seeking a prize $ sponsor for the Skin To Win Nation's Best Award

2008 Points have been configured as baseline handicap points for 2009. Races used in 2008 include: Sunlight, Snowmass, Whitefish, Mad River Valley, Crested Butte, Loveland, Alta, Jackson and A Basin.

Link to: 2008 Points

Points explained - For an outline of how points systems work, go to ussa.org and read on nordic points. (Alpine is also illustrative. Bode's FIS DH points are 00.06!) The rando system is based on the Nordic Points formula for F values and formulas. As 2009 is the first year for the rankings, the F values and race handicaps may be adjusted if points aren't accurately reflecting competitor's results/difficulty of course/competition. After a full year and using 08 points as a baseline we'll have a good indicator of the accuracy of the points system.

• Race Points formula: Points = ((racers time in seconds/time of winner) - 1) x F + Pn
• Pn - Penalty formula: Sum of top 5 points (200 are assigned for '08 results through Crested Butte), eliminating highest and lowest, then dividing by 3.75.
• F Values: A - (800) National Championship and US World Cup events, B - (1200) COSMIC, Powder Keg, Mad River Glen and other established events, C - (1400) new events with minimum of 2,500 vertical and four transitions, H - (1500) hillclimbs, team events and new events not meeting C certifications
• Competitors' two best results of the 2008 season (with a Feb. 25th update) counted in the 'baseline' rankings. Competitors with a top five result and no other are penalized 22%.

Updated Points List - 2009 Points will be re-calculated on February 15th, March 15th and May 1st. A racer's best three points finishes will detemine his or her ranking on May 1st.