KSEF FAQ: youth and Masters ski racing at Kirkwood

Kirkwood Ski Education Foundation (KSEF), also called the Kirkwood Ski Team, is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit alpine ski racing club at Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Kirkwood, California. We coach athletes from age 6 through adult Masters. Our mission is to build skiing skill, confidence, resilience, and character in a community where families feel known and supported.

Respect. Compassion. Grit. Fun.

All over. Our athletes and families drive up from the Bay Area and Northern California, over from South Lake Tahoe, and down from Reno, Carson City, Minden, and Gardnerville. Kirkwood sits on State Route 88 at Carson Pass, and weekend training is built around families who make that drive.

Kylese Markt is our Athletic Director and leads athlete and program development. Dana Keith is our Program Administrator and handles registration, payments, passes, and scholarships. Each age group has its own head coach. Meet the crew on the Leadership Team page.

Programs follow U.S. Ski & Snowboard age classes. Here is the 2026/27 lineup with current tuition from our registration page as of October 11, 2026.

Not sure where your athlete fits? Ask Kylese. New athletes complete an on-snow skills assessment before group placement.

No. Even our youngest group, U8 / Jr. Devo, asks athletes to load and unload chairlifts on their own (athletes under 51 inches may ride with an adult or coach), link turns on blue terrain, stop on their own, ski off Chairs 5, 7, and 11 without help, and ski without edgie-wedgies or leashes. If your skier is still building those skills, we can point you to a path through Kirkwood's Ski and Ride School first.

Yes. The Masters Alpine Race Program is for advanced adult skiers, returning racers, and skiers ready to try gates. Train Giant Slalom, Slalom, and Super G with Masters Head Coach Tomasz, and race in local, regional, and national Masters events if you want to. The season runs December through early April, with dryland conditioning September through November.

Our age-class programs run a maximum of seven athletes per coach. Groups are set by age and ability.

Team training on snow at Kirkwood starts Saturday, December 5, 2026, conditions permitting. The last day of team training is Sunday, April 11, 2027. U14, U16, and Full-Time Elite athletes keep racing into late April as the Far West spring championships wrap up.

Before the snow: BlueZone Team Day and Athlete Assessment on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and the optional Mammoth Mountain Fall Camp on November 21 to 24, 2026.

• U8 through U16: Saturdays and Sundays, 0900 to 1500 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). School-break weekdays run the same hours.
• Full-Time Elite: Monday through Friday on snow, plus one day of cross-country skiing and one afternoon of off-snow training each week.
• Masters: days and times set by Coach Tomasz and shared with the group.
• Night Training: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1630 to 1830 (4:30 to 6:30 p.m.), snow permitting.

Registered families get the full day-by-day training schedule, meeting points, and any changes through TeamSnap and email. Races and family events are posted on the public 26/27 Calendar.

Yes. School-break weekdays follow the weekend schedule. The Holiday Training Camp runs December 20, 2026 to January 4, 2027, with days off on December 24 and 25 and December 31 and January 1. It is open to strong skiers ages 6 to 15, including athletes who want to try race-team training. Campers need an Epic Pass, Tahoe Local Pass, or Kirkwood Pass, or a multi-day Kirkwood lift ticket covering the camp days. Ask Dana for daily meeting times.

Consistency builds racers. Attendance targets by program:

If school, health, or family plans get in the way, talk with your coach early.

Athletes arrive dressed and ready to ski at the meeting point. Coaches run a briefing, split groups, and supervise athletes all day, including breaks. There is a mid-morning snack break (pack a healthy pocket snack and water) and a lunch break.

Coaches post changes through TeamSnap and email as soon as the call is made. Mountain operations and snow conditions set the schedule, so keep notifications on.

No. KSEF participants are required to hold one of three 2026/27 passes, bought from Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Epic, separate from tuition:

• Epic Pass: Kirkwood plus every Vail Resorts mountain, no blackout dates.
• Tahoe Local Pass: Kirkwood, Heavenly, and Northstar, blackout dates apply.
• Kirkwood Pass: Kirkwood only, no blackout dates.

For the Holiday Training Camp, a multi-day Kirkwood lift ticket covering the camp days also works. Check blackout dates before you buy. The Tahoe Local Pass has blackout dates on Nov 27 to 28 and Dec 26 to 31, 2026, and Jan 16 and Feb 13 to 14, 2027, and several of those are KSEF training days, including Holiday Training Camp and MLK weekend. Before buying, returning and new members are encouraged to check with our Program Administrator, Dana Keith, to match their program dates to the right pass. Email Dana or see Epic's blackout date list.

Night Training needs a pass too. Night Training is a separate add-on, and every Night Training athlete needs an Epic Pass, Tahoe Local Pass, or Kirkwood Pass. Lift tickets do not cover Night Training. Tahoe Local Pass holders lose Night Training on Tuesday, Dec 29 and Wednesday, Dec 30, 2026, both blackout dates.

Yes, for every racing program. Athletes need a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership in the right age category to start sanctioned races.

Yes. Payment plans are available, and so is need-based financial assistance, because every family belongs on this mountain. The KSEF scholarship application is due November 1, 2026. Find it on Scholarships & Giving, or email Dana.

Yes. Refer a new family and receive a $250 account credit or cash back for each eligible new athlete who registers, up to four athletes and $1,000 per family for 2026/27. The referred family must be new to KSEF on snow. Details on the Family Referral Program page.

• U8 / Jr. Devo: may take part in Tahoe Race Series events.
• U10 and U12: Tahoe Race Series and Far West races.
• U14, U16, and Full-Time Elite: Far West Race Series, with paths to Western Region and national events for qualifying athletes.
• Masters: local, regional, and national Masters races.

See every published race by age group on the 26/27 Calendar. Your head coach confirms which races fit your athlete.

Coaches coordinate race travel and race plans. Families handle transportation to race venues. For Tahoe Race Series events, pre-register at least seven days ahead, then confirm plans with your head coach in TeamSnap.

It depends on the program. Every athlete needs a MIPS helmet with a chin or face guard, worn at all times, plus goggles, waterproof gloves, and layers for Kirkwood weather. U10 and up add race skis and boots, and shin guards for slalom. Coaches approve all equipment before training, so check with them before you buy. Each program's full list is on its registration page.

Start with the KSEF Gear Exchange. Ski swaps and used markets work well for growing athletes. Team uniforms come from our 2026/27 partner, Helly Hansen; ask Dana or Kylese for kit details.

Saturday, October 24, 2026, for families registered for 2026/27. Athlete assessment with South Tahoe CrossFit runs 0800 to 0930 (8 to 9:30 a.m.), the BlueZone Sports sale and gear advice runs 0930 to 1200, and the after party at Lake Tahoe AleWorX runs 1200 to 1700. Preregister by October 15, and send in your athlete assessment before the day.

Yes. Mammoth Mountain Fall Camp runs November 21 to 24, 2026: four days on snow with KSEF head coaches, $850 per athlete, 25 spots. Registration closes November 1, 2026. Families arrange their own lodging, meals, and lift tickets.

Yes. Pre-season dryland runs September through November for U12, U14, U16, Full-Time Elite, and Masters. U10 families hear about dryland options from coaches before the season.

• December 12, 2026: KSEF Welcome Back Potluck
• December 31, 2026: Kirkwood New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade
• January 16 to 17, 2027: MLK Weekend raffle in the Plaza, our biggest fundraiser
• February 27, 2027: Head-to-Head family race and Gala (no regular team training that day)
• March 12 to 14, 2027: Legendary Kirkwood Banked Slalom

Times, places, and sign-ups live on the 26/27 Calendar.

Families and volunteers make race days happen. Volunteers build the course and stay to take it down. Sell MLK raffle tickets, volunteer at Head-to-Head or the Banked Slalom, or tell Dana where you want to plug in.

• Program fit and training: Kylese Markt, Athletic Director, Kylese@kirkwoodskiteam.com
• Registration, payments, passes, and scholarships: Dana Keith, Program Administrator, Dana@kirkwoodskiteam.com
• Board: Board@kirkwoodskiteam.com

TeamSnap and email. Coaches post schedules, meeting points, race plans, and weather calls there, so turn on notifications once you register.