Costs

Ski Team Donation:

    We request a minimum donation of $150 per athlete to cover the costs of this sport.  This amount is based on many years experience with the long run expense of running the team.  The annual Team Expenses can be roughly broken down into fixed costs that we incur by just existing, and the variable costs that vary with the number of athletes we have.  New this year (2019-20) season is and additional $35 that each team is billed per athlete by the CNISSF as a Race Entry Fee which is used to reimburse the ski resorts that host races for some of their grooming costs.
    Our approach is to size our donation request so that it covers the incremental cost of each athlete.   We try and cover the fixed costs using  an annual generous donation by  Auburn Ski Club, Inc  (the Senior Club) and the profit from our Spring Fundraiser – the Zetterberg Triathlon.   It is thus extremely important for team members to help make the Triathlon successful.   Occasionally, we have received a much appreciated donation from the Nordic Skiers of Nevada County.

Direct Fixed Expenses

    • For the 2019-20 season our team has to pay about  $2150 in direct charges just to exist!
  • The CNISSF charges the team $350 per year to belong to the League.
  • The NU Athletic Department charges the team $250 per year to cover administration costs.
  • Assistant Coach Stipends total $1150
  • Other Coach direct expenses this year will be $400

Waxes and Supplies

      • Competitive athletes need more expensive waxes.   Averaged over the normal range of athlete abilities our consumable budget and expected tool replacement is normally about $25-$35 per athlete.
      • Base preparation and travel wax is needed to keep the bases of the skis in healthy condition.  All athletes require base prep wax which at present is costs about $5 per athlete per season.
      • Glide wax is needed to match the base of the ski to the prevailing snow conditions.  Low Fluoro wax for each athlete costs a bout $1 per application for each race or about $8 per athlete per season.  Paste wax is a little cheaper.
      • Grip Wax is required for about the top one third of our athletes during classic races and training.   This costs  around $3 per application per athlete or around $15 per season.
      • Other supplies such as paper towels, rubber bands, propane for waxing torches, wax remover (currently over $25 per half liter) all have to be supplied.
      • Tools like brushes, scrapers, rillers,  waxing irons, heat guns, propane torches get broken and must be replaced.
      • At present we need to replace/augment our waxing profiles and number of irons, as we have a bottleneck every Thursday before races and our last athletes are not able to finish before 6pm.
      • We may transition in the near future to using more liquid waxes which now finally perform well.  These are more expensive but dramatically simpler to apply.  The time savings will make it worthwhile.

Here are some representative costs that we face just for equipment:

      • Our race suits which cost about $250 to replace last around 10 years so we must build up a reserve of about $25 per athlete per year to cover this.
      • Every year some poles get broken and these must be replaced at around $35 a set.
      • After about 10 years, ski technology changes enough that we need some new skis so our athletes can remain competitive – skis and bindings cost around $150-250.  We should be replacing around 3 pair of skis a year.  At present we have a lot of athletes racing on skis that are considerably older than they are.
      • Boots have a shorter life than we had hoped and we need to replace 2-5 pairs per year at between $40-60 for a used pair. Roller skiing is particularly tough on boots.  At present we have a lot of athletes that are racing in boots that require duct tape to hold them together before each time on snow.
      • Roller ski maintenance.   We get regular tire/wheel wear and also the occasional  broken shaft.   We have a fleet of 30 roller skis and spend on average around $20 per athlete per year for maintenance/replacement.
      • Roller Ski poles cost about $5 per year per athlete to replace the worn carbide tips.

In some areas our equipment maintenance and replacement schedule has lagged behind what it should because we have had insufficient funds donated by athletes.

Membership in Auburn Ski Club:

  • The Club provides our on-snow training venue with about 15 km of groomed trails for us to practice on. The Club insists that all athletes we bring to practice must have a Trail Pass and, in support of High School sports gives them a special reduced rate season trail pass.   The special High School Athlete Trail Pass is $35 per season.     Coaches will receive a list of team members who have completed the registration.
  • There is an opportunity to train with the coaches from Auburn Ski Club available to Foothill School athletes.  Please talk to coaches about the additional cost of these sessions.

Additional Costs for Items NOT provided by Team

    • Nordic Ski Gloves: $15 – $40. For the very budget conscious, a good pair of woollen mittens can be adequate.
    • Water Bottle & Holster: $15+ (sports store or surplus store)
    • Hat, windproof pants, sunglasses etc: $30+.
    • Roller Skiing protective equipment: such as helmet, gloves, knee pads etc. $15-$50.
    • There will be additional costs for the optional overnight trip to Mammoth to cover transportation, food and accommodation.  We also expect that parents who do not volunteer to drive, should subsidize the expenses of the parents who do (we try and set up a parent volunteer to administer this).