The Bates alpine ski team opens its carnival season January 16 at Sugarloaf Mountain in northwest Maine, competing in the Colby Carnival. The two-day event features a slalom race on Friday and a giant slalom race on Saturday.

The Bobcats will compete in six EISA (Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association) carnivals this season, with the goal of qualifying for the NCAA Championships in early March. Carnival racing brings a unique mix of excitement and pressure, as Bates goes head-to-head against the top collegiate skiers on the east coast.

Unlike standard FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) races, college carnivals feature all 13 NCAA skiing programs, each fielding their seven best skiers. The top 30 finishers score carnival points, which improve their start position at the next carnival. While athletes race individually, carnivals are ultimately team competitions. Each team's top three finishers score points toward the overall team total, and the team with the most points wins the carnival. In an interesting twist, the alpine skiing scores combine with the Nordic skiing scores for the final point total. Teams may start up to seven alpine skiers, with one designated non-scoring athlete.

Carnival season runs from mid-January through the end of February, followed by the NCAA Championships in early March. Prior to carnival season, collegiate skiers spend much of the winter racing in FIS events to build form and improve start positions. The Bates skiers have competed in at least 10 FIS races leading into the first carnival.

FIS races are international competitions in which athletes earn FIS points, a ranking system that determines start order. Lower points mean better seeding, making early-season FIS racing an important part of carnival preparation.

The Bobcats have prepared extensively both on and off the snow. Since their Colorado training camp over Thanksgiving break, the team has trained consistently at Sunday River and also held GS training sessions at Sugarloaf during finals week. In the gym, the team has focused on maintaining strength during the heavy racing season, while emphasizing recovery through proper nutrition and sleep.

Team captain Helena Jankovic '28 (Pittsfield, Mass.) is eager to see the team's preparation pay off.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how the team stacks up against other college teams," Jankovic said. "I'm excited to see how our preseason work comes through and how all that hard work pays off."

Jankovic pointed to the Colorado training camp as a major highlight of the team's preparation.

"It was our biggest point in our prep period," she said. "It was the most consistent training we've had, and everyone made really good use of our time out there."

She also highlighted two first-years who have stood out early in the season: Caleb Stefanakos '29 (Freeport, Maine ) and Regan Clute '29 (Tahoe City, Calif.).

"On the men's side, Caleb has been making some big moves in early season races and has been performing really well," Jankovic said. "On the women's side, Regan is racing Nor-Ams right now, which is a huge stage. Having Bobcat representation there is really important."

Nor-Am races sit just below the World Cup level and feature some of the top skiers in North America, giving Clute the opportunity to compete against elite international competition.

Head coach Kurt Simard is also excited to see the team in carnival action.

"I'm looking forward to the excitement of all the teams coming together to compete," Simard said. "Our team has been working hard for the past month and a half on snow to prepare."

Simard emphasized the importance of building a strong foundation during the preseason.

"The amount we've been skiing is going to provide a really good base for the year," he said.

With only seven men and seven women racing at each carnival, lineup decisions are a weekly process for Simard and assistant coach Jake Johnston.

"It's a combination of results, performance, and how athletes are training," Simard said. "We also look at building a balanced team between slalom and GS."

During carnival season, the team adjusts its training schedule to accommodate the heavy race load. Carnivals are held Friday and Saturday, followed by rest on Sunday and focused training sessions early in the week at Sunday River and Lost Valley.

All signs point to a well-prepared Bobcat squad heading into the opening weekend at Sugarloaf. The team is eager to put its training to the test and begin the chase toward the NCAA Championships.