Psych – It’s back
It has been a minute since we have gathered to race under the lights on Deer Point. Following the announcement last week that the Community Race Series Giant Slalom events, formally known as Night League Racing, had been canceled for the 4th season running, Bogus Basin has reconsidered. Our decision comes in response to guest feedback and the discovery of a communications error regarding the registration deadline.
A False Deadline
While we wish it were possible, it turns out you can’t be perfect all the time. In the marketing efforts to promote and fill the team slots for the Giant Slalom races of the Community Race Series, we had a typo that went unnoticed. As the previous deadline of January 20th approached, we had less than 20 racers registered. Finally, two days after the registration deadline passed, and with not enough participants registered, we called to cancel the Night League Giant Slalom races of the Community Race Series.
Thankfully, the community’s passion for local racing led several team leaders to reach out and voice their confusion about the cancellation, stating that we canceled the race before the registration deadline. After realizing our mistake, we realized the only course of action was to skip the first race and let the show go on!
What Is The Community Race Series
As a brief aside – you may notice that we are referring to this series of Giant Slalom races as being part of the Community Race Series, something new this season. In reviving what was formally known as Night League, we have merged this series of GS races with our other winter race series. This is one of a few changes for the comeback of weekly alpine racing. In addition to a new identity, there are some changes to the maximum number of team members and the timing technology.
The Community Race Series (CRS) began in 2020 as a summer race series featuring downhill mountain biking, cross-country mountain biking, and trail running. During winter 2020/21, we expanded the CRS brand to encompass several Nordic racing events. Fast forward to the winter of 2023/24, and the CRS has grown to include three summer disciplines (downhill MTB, cross country MTB, Trail Running) and four winter disciplines (Nordic, Giant Slalom, Banked Slalom, Ski Mountaineering). This ever-expanding series is just one of the many ways Bogus Basin supports the Treasure Valley in outdoor recreation right in their backyard.
What Is Night League – Giant Slalom Racing
Night League Racing, a long-standing tradition at Bogus Basin, invites alpine, telemark, and snowboarders aged 21 and above to assemble teams to participate in the four-week series on Wednesday evenings. Teams are comprised of five or more individuals (max eight racers), with at least one female per team; the four fastest times, including the swiftest female time, contribute to the overall score.
The heart of the competitive spirit comes alive in night league programs across the country. Bogus Basin’s Community Race Series Giant Slalom events, formally known as Night League Racing, are designed to encourage fun, competition, and increased skill – all while enjoying friends and teammates on the mountain. These dueling team GS events require registration with NASTAR, a national alpine racing standard, which considers demographic information with placing racers in order. The use of NASTAR also allows racers to see their rankings within a national pool of racers, with a historic look back at previous races at Bogus Basin and other mountains.
Let’s Get Racing
In reversing its decision to cancel the series, Bogus Basin hopes to rekindle interest in its former Night League Racing series under the new Community Race Series identity. The series’ multi-year hiatus was complicated by staffing issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to resurrect the program was fueled by the outpouring of support from a community that cares deeply about the area, and it is important to Bogus Basin that the community knows that it is heard.
Given the depth of support for this historic community race series, we are excited to keep the tradition alive and look forward to the growth we know is on the horizon. Get your teams together, mark your calendars, and LET’S GET RACING!
Details – Registration OPen
The CRS Night League GS race series kicks off on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024 with the first race starting at 5 pm. This dueling giant slalom course is set on Sourdough Run, located off of Deer Point, and is open from 5 – 8 pm on race nights.
Interested teams are encouraged to register here no later than noon on February 6th; all team members must be entered before the series begins.
Races take place every Wednesday evening through February 28th (yes, that date has been triple checked for accuracy!) and the series wraps up on that final Wednesday with an awards ceremony in the J.R. Simplot Lodge T-Bar. Don’t miss out on being part of keeping this winter tradition alive and thriving!
For more information, visit our Competitive Education page.
About Bogus Basin
Opened in 1942, Bogus Basin winter operations offer 2,600 acres of daytime skiable terrain and 200+ acres for night skiing; eleven lifts – including four high-speed quads – and three people-mover surface lifts; an 800-foot tubing hill. The Nordic Center offers 37 kilometers of groomed trails. Environmental education and community outreach programs serve over 20,000 individuals annually, primarily youth. Bogus Basin is located 16.5 miles north of Boise, Idaho, and operates under a special use permit with the Boise National Forest.
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is one of the largest non-profit recreation areas in the country. It is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to engaging the community to provide accessible, affordable, and fun year-round mountain recreation and education. Bogus Basin summer activities include a challenge course, mountain coaster, summer tubing, climbing wall, bungee trampoline, gem panning station, The Basin Gravity Park, cross-country mountain biking and hiking, free community events and educational programs, chairlift service to access hiking and biking trails, and guided nature hikes.
