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Interested in a little...friendly competition?

Competition 101

GMA is part of USSA, USASA and IFSA.

USSA is the governing body for US Olympic teams, and membership to USSA is required for all GMA athletes, coaches & volunteers, regardless of competition goals.

 

GMA athletes who do want to compete will also need memberships in USASA and/or IFSA. See below for more details.

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USASA

If your skier or snowboarder is interested in Slopestyle, Half-Pipe, Cross, or Snowboard racing, the USASA competition pipeline is a good fit! 

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USASA’s nationwide Regional Events Series (500+ regional events) give athletes of all ages and levels an opportunity to hone their skills, build confidence, find community, and flourish in the safety of an environment that nurtures creativity, progression, and inclusion. 
 

USASA regional competitions culminate in a Nationals competition at Copper Mountain, Colorado in early April. Invitations to Nationals is dependent on points accrued at regional competitions. If your athlete is interested in competing at Nationals, talk to their GMA coach to pull together a regional competition plan for your athlete. 

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USASA events include...

  • Slopestyle (skiers & snowboarders)

  • Half-Pipe (skiers & snowboarders)

  • Rail Jam (skiers & snowboarders)

  • Cross (skiers & snowboarders)

  • GS & slalom racing (snowboard only)​

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GMA PSA Quick Start Guide to USASA

  1. Reach out to your GMA Coach. A list of regional competitions that GMA is currently planning to attend can be found here.

  2. Make sure your athlete has a USASA Membership

  3. Sign up - in advance!! - for regional competitions on the USASA website, here. In order to find a competition, you must search by region, month, and discipline (Slopestyle, Half-Pipe, etc).  Most of our competitions are in the Northern Vermont region. 

  4. Watch the USASA National rankings list to see if your athlete will get an invite to Nationals. (Typically, the top 60 kids in each discipline/age get invites.)

IFSA

If your skier or snowboarder is interested in all-mountain freeride competitions (riding moguls, "big mountain"), then the IFSA pipeline may be a good fit!

 

Born to provide freeriders a competitive home, the IFSA is committed to providing athletes a future in the mountains. They hold both adult and junior (under 19) competitions across the US and Canada, and operate in partnership with the Freeride World Tour and mountain resorts that host IFSA-sanctioned Freeride events.

 

The IFSA has built and unified a network of events that allow athletes to earn points and compete in regional, national, and world tour events. They provide a continuous progression from early development of junior athletes through adulthood.

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Quick Start Guide
  1. Reach out to your GMA Coach and let them know your athlete is interested in IFSA events. 
  2. Make sure your athlete has an active IFSA membership.
  3. Make sure your athlete has a back protector (required for most IFSA events). Race Stock Sports in Waterbury sells them.
  4. GMA hosts an IFSA Freeride Challenge at Stowe (currently scheduled for 2/2/24) - this is a great way to get introduced to IFSA comps. Talk to your GMA coach to get signed up.
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GMA Competition Philosophy

Competition is about spirit, challenge, camaraderie, and participation. The goal is to have fun showing off your skills and all of your hard work!  Take pride in representing your team, family, and yourself in competition. It is not about winning and losing, but more about the experiences gained from putting yourself out there. The learning gained through managing the ups & downs of competition will stick with you for years to come. We encourage you to compete in several disciplines to broaden your horizons within your sport.

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Competition Day Tips & FAQs

Whether USASA or IFSA, here's a few comp day best practices and other helpful items....

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  • Upon arrival at any comp, check-in at the lodge and then with the GMA coach.

  • The GMA competition coach may not be your child's usual coach. 

  • Lift tickets are sometimes included in Comp fees - ask your child's coach.

  • Parents may need to buy their own lift tickets to spectate (depending on venue) - ask your child's coach.

  • If this is their first USASA Comp, your child will be given a bib.

  • If your child already has a USASA bib, bring it to all competitions - even the following year. (USASA only)

  • Be sure to have a back protector (IFSA only)

  • Have your child drop a backpack at the top of the course with hand warmers, an extra jacket and snack. They spend time waiting for their runs.

  • Bring a cowbell and hot drink as a spectator

  • Parents provide transportation to off-mountain events. Team vehicle may be available for regional competitions. Check with your child's coach.

  • Sign up for the USASA comp's region in TeamApp. All updates, start lists and results are posted here.

  • Coaching at all NVT USASA series and all Stowe IFSA events is free if the event falls on a regular training day.

  • Drop-ins on competition days (that are not regular training days) cost $60/day.

  • For USASA, if there is no event discipline in Northern VT region, then events from other regions count towards Nationals qualifying for NVT (no Half-Pipe or SX/BX in NVT, for example, so any out of region competition will suffice as qualifying events).

 

Have fun!!

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