Frequently Asked Questions

Practices will begin as soon as there is enough snow at Four Lakes, https://fourlakessnowsports.com in Lisle, IL – typically early January. Please note that race practice requires more snow than basic skiing. In order to have practice, at least 4 of the runs at Four Lakes need to be open with enough snow to set gates.

On non-race weeks, the team practices three times per week including Tuesday/Thursday nights and Saturday mornings.  Race week practices are limited to Tuesday/Thursday nights. 

Four Lakes is a member of WIJARA.  Their races consist of giant slalom racing on Saturday and slalom racing on Sunday.  The 2024/2025 race schedule is as follows:

• January 11-12 at Chestnut Mountain, Galena, IL
• January 25-26 at Sundown Mountain, Dubuque, IA
• February 22-23 at Tyrol Basin, Mt. Horeb, WI
• March 1-2 at Cascade Mountain, Portage, WI

The team also has an intersquad meet at Four Lakes called the Candy Bar Race.  Racers wear their best costumes and compete for candy bars.  

Team fees for the 2024/2025 are still being determined.  Please contact racing@fourlakessnowsports.com for more information.  

Race team members must also register with and pay WIJARA fees.

WIJARA stands for Wisconsin Illinois Iowa Junior Alpine Racing Association. It consists of 9 teams including Blackhawk, Cascade Mountain, Chestnut Mountain, Four Lakes, Hidden Valley, Snowstar, Sundown Mountain, Tyrol Basin, and Wilmont Mountain. WIJARA holds four races per year with giant slalom racing on Saturday and slalom racing on Sunday.  For more information, visit https://wijara.org

Required Ski Equipment (must own- no daily rentals allowed in this program)

• Skis / Boots / Poles
• Goggles – required for racing WIJARA
• Helmet  - Race team participants are required to wear a hard sided FIS approved helmets (Soft sided helmets WILL NOT be allowed for racing)
• Jacket / Snow Pants 
• Gloves/mittens for tow ropes. The tow ropes at Four Lakes can rip up gloves. Gloves with leather/reinforcement on the palms help (Head gloves from Costco work pretty well and are inexpensive).

Optional Ski Equipment 

• Ski boot bag/backpack –helpful to carry gear to and from practices/races
• Warm ski socks
• Hand and toe warmers
• Race specific skis – giant slalom and slalom
• Guards – Shin, chin and pole guards for slalom racing
• Race suit
• Zip off ski pants – if wearing a race suit, this make taking them on and off much easier

The Four Lakes Race Team is partnered with Chestnut and co-hosts our first WIJARA race of the season. As a team, we need to fill a variety of volunteer roles for this race and ask all parents to step up and assist with various jobs. This will be our major responsibility for the race season. 

Additionally, each race team is required to provide volunteer gatekeepers for the remaining three races. Each family is asked to commit to at least one other job during the race season. As soon as WIJARA confirms the sign-up process we will communicate and encourage you to sign up early to ensure a smooth race day. 

The success of our race season rests on the support of our parents, and we appreciate your help at each race.