KSEF Masters Alpine Race Program - 4002 | FY26/27 Season

Program Overview

The Masters Alpine Race Program is for advanced skiers who want more than recreational laps: you want gates, you want coaching, you want to race, and you want to do it on the best mountain in the Sierra with people who share your obsession. Whether you are a lifelong racer returning to competition, a strong skier stepping into gates for the first time, or a former athlete who never stopped wanting to go fast, this program is built for you.

Under the expert guidance of Master’s Head Coach Tomasz, participants train in Giant Slalom (GS), Slalom (SL), and Super G (SG) with the same structured coaching and race team culture that drives every KSEF program. Training is tailored to adult athletes: personalized development plans, flexible scheduling, and a coaching approach that respects where you are and pushes you toward where you want to be.

At KSEF, every family belongs. And the Masters are family.

Why Kirkwood: The Best Mountain in the Sierra to Race

If you end up at Kirkwood, it is because you made a deliberate decision. You chose the mountain that sits at 7,800 feet in a horseshoe canyon deep in the Sierra Nevada, higher than any other ski area in Tahoe, with terrain that tilts toward challenge and snow that other resorts can only talk about. You chose the mountain where legitimately good skiing is the main event, where the terrain builds skiers instead of flattering them, and where a race team has been training athletes for over four decades.

Storms funnel into the horseshoe canyon from the Pacific and get stuck, swirling for days. The locals call it the K-Factor: the geographic reality that when the rest of Tahoe is waiting for snow, Kirkwood is buried in it. With 2,300 acres of skiable terrain, 2,000 feet of vertical drop, an average annual snowfall that regularly exceeds 350 inches, and a terrain mix that tilts heavily toward challenge (38% advanced, 20% expert), this is not a mountain that coddles you. It makes you better. Every run, every condition, every day on this mountain sharpens your skiing and sharpens your racing.

For Master’s racers, Kirkwood is the ideal training ground. The variable terrain and demanding conditions build the technical adaptability and tactical instincts that show up on race day, on any course, at any venue.

The KSEF Community: Your Tribe

Deep roots. Strong community. Bright futures. That is not a slogan. It is what four decades of race team families have built at Kirkwood.

The Master’s program is a core part of that community. You train on the same mountain, out of the same race facility, and alongside the same coaching staff that develops KSEF's youth athletes from Jr. Devo through U16. You are not an afterthought or an add-on. You are part of the team. The camaraderie built in the start gate, on the chairlift, and at the end of a long training day is real. The people you meet in this program become your people.

One Team. One Dream. That applies to the Masters as much as it applies to every athlete in the KSEF pipeline. We show up for each other. That is how it works at Kirkwood.

Training and Development

Masters training is structured, coached, and purposeful. Every session is designed to improve your racing and your skiing, with a balance of gate work, tactical freeskiing, and conditioning adapted for adult athletes.

Gate Training. Focused sessions in GS, SL, and SG. Training emphasizes technical precision, tactical execution, line optimization, and the discipline-specific skills that translate directly to race-day performance. Coach Tomasz provides real-time feedback and individualized coaching within each session.

Strategic Freeskiing. Coached, directed skiing across Kirkwood's terrain, targeting the technical fundamentals that underpin fast, efficient racing: edge control, pressure management, balance, and the ability to ski with confidence in any condition Kirkwood delivers.

Pre-Season Conditioning. Structured dryland training from September through November, emphasizing strength, agility, endurance, and flexibility, specifically adapted for adult athletes. Arrive on opening day ready to train, not catching up.

Personalized Development. Every participant receives an individualized development plan, regularly assessed and tailored to your goals and progress. Whether you are chasing podiums or chasing personal bests, the coaching meets you where you are.

Racing Opportunities

Masters athletes compete in local, regional, and national Masters races, supported by strategic coaching to maximize race-day performance. Race schedules are coordinated by Coach Tomasz and published on the KSEF calendar. Whether you are racing for the first time or targeting national Masters events, KSEF provides the training, the preparation, and the team behind you.

Race travel is coordinated by coaches. Participants are responsible for transportation to race venues.

New for FY26/27: On-Mountain Race Facility

This season marks a milestone. After years of planning and investment, KSEF will be operating out of our new on-mountain race facility at Kirkwood: a permanent home on the hill that upgrades every aspect of our program. For Master’s athletes, it means access to purpose-built race infrastructure, shared with the full KSEF team. This is what a serious race program looks like.

FY26/27 Schedule

The Masters season runs December through early April, subject to snow conditions. Training days and times are coordinated by Coach Tomasz and published on the KSEF calendar. Pre-season dryland conditioning runs September through November. Coaches communicate with participants through KSEF's TeamSnap and direct email. Any training changes due to weather or conditions are communicated promptly.

FY26/27 Registration and Pricing - Earlybird Registration ends on May 31st.

Prices increase with each registration window and will continue to climb through November 2026. The best pricing is available now. Once a window closes, it does not reopen.

Season Pass: All Masters athletes must hold a valid season pass for Kirkwood for all training days: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Tahoe Local Pass, Tahoe Value Pass, or Kirkwood Only Pass. Lift tickets and day passes are not accepted. A season pass is a separate purchase, not included in program tuition.

Payment plans are available. Contact the Program Administrator for pricing details and registration options.

Equipment Guidance

Masters racing requires discipline-specific equipment for GS, SL, and SG. Coach Tomasz provides expert guidance on racing equipment selection, setup, and tuning to ensure optimal performance and adherence to safety standards. Athletes are expected to arrive with race-ready equipment or consult with coaching staff before the season to ensure proper setup.

Essential equipment includes race skis appropriate for your disciplines, properly fitted race boots, race-specific poles with pole guards, a MIPS ski helmet with chin guard and face guard meeting current safety standards, shin guards for SL, goggles with multiple lens options, waterproof gloves, and appropriate layers for Kirkwood conditions. A speed suit is recommended for racing. A back protector is recommended for speed events. Dress for the mountain, not the start gate.

New for FY26/27: Helly Hansen Official Team Uniform Program

For the FY26/27 season, KSEF is proud to announce an official uniform partnership with Helly Hansen. Our leadership team spent countless hours working alongside both the local and main Helly Hansen teams to design and build the best kits for our athletes and coaches: purpose-built, race-ready, and unmistakably KSEF.

When you show up at the start gate in the new KSEF x Helly Hansen kit, you look like you belong to something serious. Because you do. This partnership ensures that our look, our feel, and our brand will be consistent for the foreseeable future, across every program from Jr. Devo to Masters. One Team. One Dream. And now, one kit to match.

Early Order Incentive: 10% Off Before May 31st. Purchase your full kit or individual items (jacket, pant, or mid-layer) before the May 31st deadline and receive 10% off the item or the kit. Prices will increase after the deadline, as will program pricing.

Visit the KSEF Uniform Pages at kirkwoodskiteam.com for current pricing and kit details, or contact Kylese or Dana directly for the latest pricing information.

Contact and Registration

Since 1984, this foundation has been built by people who love this mountain. Ready to race?

• Kylese Markt, Athletic Director: Kylese@kirkwoodskiteam.com

• Dana Keith, Program Administrator: Dana@kirkwoodskiteam.com

• Tomasz, Master’s Head Coach (contact through Kylese or Dana)

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Kirkwood Ski Education Foundation

A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit  |  Training Racers Since 1984

Deep Roots. Strong Community. Bright Futures.

One Team. One Dream.