The world is coming to McCall this March. Make your plans to join in on the fun!

With only two weeks left until close of registration for the 2008 Masters World Cup presented by Blackhawk local organizers and national directors worldwide are staying busy with a continuous stream of final registrations.

2008 Masters World Cup McCall, Idaho

New USA registrations are coming daily. It's been a steady stream the past week and I expect things will get even busier as the final two weeks count down. The important thing for all USA skiers to remember is that after the first of February, it'll be important to switch exclusively to the special on-line system we set up for USA skiers to enter the Masters World Cup. We don't want to have a registration hung up in the postal mail past the final deadline!

USA registrations are now past the 400 mark with projections as high as 500 "home nation" skiers once the final deadline passes. Current registrations already have earned the MWC2008 [Masters World Cup 2008] the distinction of fielding the largest USA contingent ever to take part in a Masters World Cup.

USA registration already spans over 22 states with skiers ranging in age from the minimum 30 years to the first-ever USA skier in the M13 category - 90 years young! In addition to the strong USA turnout, a dozen international nations have confirmed registrations thus far with up to an additional dozen nations to enter skiers by early February.

As an added attraction, the Masters World Cup individual races are serving double-duty as the 2008 USA National Masters Championships. All USA skiers entered in the Worlds will automatically be scored for National Masters rankings giving skiers essentially two Championship races for the effort and price of one!

MWC2008 [Masters World Cup 2008] registration will continue to remain open until midnight on Feb. 4. Registration is possible via a printand-mail form found on www.MWC2008.com as well as via a newl on-line secure payment system set up just for USA skiers.

Gregg Lawley, chief of competition for the MWC2008 [Masters World Cup 2008] Organizing Committee, reports that the early snow conditions continue to be outstanding throughout the McCall area. Over 52 inches of snow cover the Ponderosa State Park trails just outside downtown McCall with "perfect" January skiing mentioned by dozens of masters that have made early trips to the area.

For skiers interested in logging more kilometers than on race day, numerous nearby trail systems surround the McCall city center offering up to 100 kilometers of additional cross-country options within a five to 30 minute drive.

The MWC2008 [Masters World Cup 2008] Organizing Committee will offer daily shuttles (separate fees may apply) to other ski locations for skiers without access to a vehicle while in McCall.

The MWC2008 [Masters World Cup 2008] event will mark the first ever visit by the Masters World Cup to the western United States, and the first time the MWC has been held in the United States in a decade (1998 in Lake Placid, NY was the last time). With such a long layoff, the McCall MWC2008 event has attracted unprecedented interest from master skiers of all abilities from literally every corner of the North American snow country.

Although a number of the early USA entries include likely medal contenders, the vast majority of MWC2008 [Masters World Cup 2008] participants from North America will be average skiers simply taking advantage of a unique chance to ski in an international event on "home" snow.

There are always a few former Olympians and "elite" master skiers in the various age groups, but the overwhelming majority of folks at the Masters World Cup are people that have no interest in medals. They take part because the event is an incredibly fun opportunity to ski just with your 5-year age group peers in a serious of wave starts on courses perfectly designed for master skiers.

There's a week-long series of ceremonies, social gatherings, plus loads of non-racing kilometers of trails in the McCall area to enjoy on the "off' days. The MWC2008 [Masters World Cup 2008] really is going to be the perfect ski vacation.

The world is coming to McCall this March. Make your plans to join in on the fun!
(J.D. Downing is USA National Director to the World Masters Association)