The season’s off to a great start with a solid base just waiting for that first big dump. We go into the Christmas break with virtually the entire mountain open, so come out and play a little. But as you do, be prepared to see lots of little rippers all over the hill. Both Independence Racing and SARS have Christmas camps planned, in addition to their normal training. And as you occasionally find a slope roped off with athletes charging through gates, remember that our great Olympians started this way, so these kids need their chance.

n World Cup update — With Lindsay Vonn injured and Bode Miller retired, the only big name left to watch is Mikaela Shiffrin. And wow, is she ever winning. She took her 7th straight Slalom win last week, added a 6th in Giant Slalom, then just for kicks tried some speed events. She finished 18th and 13th in the two Lake Louise downhills while “Just giving it a try.” Shiffrin now leads the Women’s Overall standings by 156 points.

But the other women haven’t been idle. Stacey Cook was 6th and 11th at Lake Louise, and Laurenne Ross finished 9th and 7th. Then Jackie Wiles posted her best finish ever with 10th in Super G, with Ross making it a Northwest package at 14th. The men haven’t met with the same success, with Travis Ganong’s 7th in Super G at Val d’Isere the team best for the past couple of weeks. Despite the lack of top finishers, the team has shown depth with a total of eight racers in the points through several events.

n Junior Race Series sign-up — Time to get in gear. Sign-up closes Jan. 1 for this popular event. Fliers/entry forms are at the local ski shops. The series features free coaching, lots of prizes, lots of kids and lots of fun. There’s been no change in the cost for 16 years, find another activity that can make that claim. Racers meet four Friday evenings in January from 5:30 until 7 p.m. No excuses, come join the fun. Applications are already coming in, so you better register now. Forms can also be downloaded at www.independenceracing.com.

n Potpourri — NASTAR racing opens for the season on Saturday. Come on by and enjoy the hard snow. Any comments, recommendations or contributions to this column may be sent to Shep Snow by email at [email protected]. Negative feedback should be sent to someone else.

The Inside Edge runs every Thursday during ski season in the Bee sports.