2022 Sun Valley Nordic Invitational

January 15, 2022 - January 16, 2022,

Lake Creek Ski Center, Ketchum, Idaho

The Sun Valley Invitational is a joint competition of Intermountain Cross Country, the Rocky Mountain Intermountain Ski Association and the USSS Super Tour.

  • The event is a FIS and USSS sanctioned event.
  • All participants must possess either a current USSS or FIS competitor’s license.
  • All coaches must possess a current USSS coach license and complete coach registration (see link)

The Sun Valley Nordic Invitational is hosted by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.
Co-Chief of Competition, Rick Kapala – rick@svsef.org – 208.720.7981
Co-Chief of Competition, Kelley Yeates – kelley@svsef.org
Race Secretary, Susie Quesnel – xcrace@svsef.org
Volunteer Coordinator, Kathryn Grohusky – xcvolunteers@svsef.org
Technical Delegate, Tomas Gedeon – tgedeon@gmail.com
Assistant Technical Delegate, Andy Weenig – andyweenig@yahoo.com
Competition Timing Services, James ‘Mac’ Read, Sportstats – mac@sportstats.us

GOOGLE MAP LINK TO LAKE CREEK TRAILHEAD

*There will be a concession stand on site selling soup and coffee. CASH ONLY.

RESULTS

EVENT SCHEDULE
Tuesday, 1/11/22
6:00pm  Entries Due

Thursday, 1/13/22
9am – 4pm  Courses open for inspection
6:00pm  Late Entries Due

Friday, 1/14/22
9:00am – 4pm  Courses open for inspection
10:00am – 2pm  Lake Creek Ski Center Race Office open for entry confirmation and payment
5:00pm  Team Leader meeting (Zoom link to be provided via email)

Saturday, 1/15/22—Freestyle Distance Interval Start
7:00am  Team Gear Shuttle begins
8:00am  Competitor Bib Pick-Up
9:30am  Womens 5km – SR, U20, U18, U16
Mens 10km – SR, U20, U18
Boys 5km – U16
Boys and Girls 3km – U14
Boys and Girls 2km – U12
Awards in stadium upon completion of each class

** 6pm Virtual Team Leaders Mtg (same zoom link) **

Sunday, 1/16/22—Classic Distance Mass Start
6:30am  Team Gear Shuttle begins
8:00am  Competitor Bib Pick-Up
9:30am  Men’s 15km – SR, U20, U18
Womens 10km – SR, U20, U18
Girls 5km – U16
Boys 5km – U16
Boys 3km – U14
Girls 3km – U14
Boys 2km – U12
Girls 2km – U12
Awards in stadium upon completion of each class

Prize Money Schedule
The Sun Valley Nordic Invitational is a Super Tour event with prize money for the top six places for each gender per day in the FIS race. Competitors must possess a current FIS license to be eligible to collect prize money.

  • 1st Place – $750
  • 2nd Place – $500
  • 3rd Place – $250
  • 4th Place – $200
  • 5th Place – $150
  • 6th Place – $100

Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet
All volunteers please register using Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet and complete the Event Waiver below.

Team Entry 
Teams please download and use the provided Excel spreadsheet below for entry. Please see instructions on Tab 1 of the spreadsheet. ENTRIES DUE TUESDAY, 1/11 6:00PM TO AVOID LATE ENTRY FEE.
TEAM ENTRY SPREADSHEET

Individual Competitor Entry
For use by non-associated individual skiers. ENTRIES DUE TUESDAY, 1/11 6:00PM TO AVOID LATE ENTRY FEE.
Note: Please DO NOT USE this entry form if you are being entered as part of a team entry.
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITOR ENTRY FORM

ATHLETE CHANGE FORM

Entry Fees
FIS Race Entry Fee – $45 per day
USSS/Intermountain JNQ Entry Fee (no FIS license) U16 and older – $35 per day
USSS Novice, U14, and U12 classes – $24 per day
Late Entry Fee (after 1/11 6:00PM) – $10 per person per day

Event Trail Fees
Training at Lake Creek is included in the competitor entry fee. Note that skiing elsewhere in the Wood River Valley requires purchase of a North Valley Trails Pass, available at Galena Lodge or BCRD.org.

Coaches Registration Form
All coaches must have a current US Ski & Snowboard Coach License.
Coaches must wear an official USSS Coach’s Bib in order to access field of play areas, including the stadium and all courses.
If you have not received your official USSS Coach’s Bib, a temporary official coach’s bib will be available through Bryan Fish, USSA Nordic Sport Director at the race venue.
All coaches must complete this coach registration form prior to the event. MUST COMPLETE BY TUESDAY, 1/11 6:00PM.
COACH REGISTRATION FORM

ALL COACHES and COMPETITORS  and VOLUNTEERS MUST COMPLETE THE ONLINE EVENT WAIVER.
EVENT WAIVER

SATURDAY, 1/15 COURSE MAPS
Mens FIS 10km (2x 5km loop)
Womens FIS 5km
Boys U16 5km
Boys and Girls U14 and Novice Class 3km
Boys and Girls U12 2km
Saturday Stadium Map

SUNDAY, 1/16 COURSE MAPS
Mens FIS 15km (4x 3.75km loop)
Womens FIS 10km (4x 2.5km loop)
Boys and Girls U16 5km (2x 2.5km loop)
Boys and Girls U14 and Novice Class 3km
Boys and Girls U12 2km
Sunday Stadium Map

OFFICIAL WAXING POLICY
The following races are subject to the USSS Waxing Policy in effect through January 16, 2022.

No wax restriction in place for:

  • Saturday Womens FIS 5km, U16 through Senior
  • Saturday Mens FIS 10km, U18 through Senior
  • Sunday Womens FIS 10km, U18 through Senior
  • Sunday Mens FIS 15km, U18 through Senior

Intermountain Wax Policy in effect for the following races. No flouros are allowed. The Organizing Committee will announce on Wednesday, January 12 at 5:00 p.m. the designated glide wax for use in the following races. (See IntermountainXC.com for details on Intermountain Wax Policy)

  • Saturday USSS U16 Boys 5km
  • Saturday USSS U14 and U12 Boys and Girls races
  • Sunday USSS U16 Boys and Girls 5km
  • Sunday USSS U14 and U12 Boys and Girls races

The GLIDE WAX CALL for the weekend is  SWIX HS6 for non FIS Race U16 competitors. This includes the following classes:

  • U16 Boys Both Saturday and Sunday
  • U16 Girls ONLY for Sunday
  • U14 and U12 Boys and Girls can use any Non Fluorinated wax, they are not restricted to HS6

COVID 19 REGULATIONS
In accordance with CDC guidelines and USSS Protocols, the following policies are in place for the Sun valley Invitational. These guidelines are meant to help participants and spectators minimize risk of COVID infection and we ask for the cooperation of all competitors, coaches and spectators.

  • Attending athletes, staff and spectators are asked to follow existing CDC guidelines in response to the emergence possible COVID symptoms including immediate isolation protocols for both known and suspected positive cases and exposures. We request that all participant exercise the utmost in caution and refrain from being present at the competition venue if there is any indication of likely COVID infection or close exposure to a person known to have a COVID infection.
  • No Saturday evening banquet and awards ceremony will be held.
  • No athletes are allowed in the Lake Creek Team Center building.
  • Only MASKED USSS Licensed Coaches wearing their Coaches Bib are allowed access to the Lake Creek Team Center and we ask any visits be limited in time to less than 5 minutes.
  • All awards ceremonies are conducted outdoors upon the conclusion of each race. No Indoor awards.
  • Bib pick up will be via the sliding window on thew south side of the Lake Creek Team Center and at the Stadium. No indoor bib pick up.
  • ONLY vaccinated and masked RACE Officials are allowed in the Lake Creek Team Center
  • MASKS are REQUIRED in the event shuttle. Buffs are not considered an appropriate mask substitute. The length of the shuttle ride is approximately 3 minutes and masks will be available for anyone who does not have their own mask.
  • MASKS will be worn at all times by race officials in the Start and Finish areas , the Bib and Chip distribution locations and at ALL Race Jury Meetings.

We request that masks be worn OUTDOORS in all of the following locations:

  • At the Lake Creek Team Center event window.
  • In all areas of high concentration including; The perimeter of the Race Stadium, The Information KIOSK, The Awards Ceremonies, The Concession Line and its immediate area, Porta Potty Lines and the Competitor Aid station and in any location along the race course where spectators are not able to maintain effective social distancing.
  • We recommend all Coaches and Athletes wear a mask while in the immediate area of their respective team “base camps” adjacent to the stadium. It is nearly impossible to maintain appropriate social distancing in this setting and best practices to reduce chance of transmission dictates mask use in all team base camps. Skiers may ski unmasked for all warm ups , warm down and actual racing.
  • Spectators and Parents are asked to NOT ENTER the Team BASE CAMP AREA in order to minimize exposure risk.
  • NO ONE other than Competitors , Race Officials and Licensed USSS Coaches wearing a USSS Coaches are permitted access to the interior of the Race Stadium and all must be MASKED.
  • There is ample area at the Lake Creek Ski Venue for participants to disperse and maintain social distancing and we ask all to be vigilant in this effort to maintain a safe event.

RECOMMENDATION FROM MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY: Host of the RIMSA Component of the Sun Valley Invitational

Montana State University is recommending each non NCAA affiliated teams/racers to follow the NCAA COVID-19 surveillance testing guidelines. These guidelines state that any non-vaccinated student athlete obtain 3 negative antigen tests on non-consecutive days the 7 days leading up to the first date of competition, OR, 1 negative PCR 72 hours before the first date of competition. We will not require an attestation form, or will be requiring the submission of test results to race officials. This is a recommendation, not a requirement, from the MSU Sport Medicine Team, due to the NCAA affiliation with the race.