Ski and Snowboard News, Deals, and Events

Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton is hosting three premier races the next two weekends.

The Ralph Crowley Classic, premier open alpine race in Eastern Massachusetts, takes place March 6. It is the successor to the old Wachusett Mountain Downhill, which once was run on the mountain's Pine Hill Trail, cut by the CCC in the 1930s.

It was later moved to the Pine Hill Trail, also cut by the CCC. The race was moved again when the modern ski area expanded its lift-served trail system to the mountain's 2,006-foot summit.

The Ralph Crowley Classic is run top-to-bottom on Smith-Walton, steepest trail on the mountain, and is open to everyone 18 and older. Entry fee is $39 ahead of time or $49 on race day. The race begins at 10 a.m.

The race honors the memory of Ralph Crowley Sr., whose vision transformed Wachusett Mountain Ski Area from a mom-and-pop operation that saw 60,000 skiers on a good year to a modern area with high-speed quads and state-of-the-art snowmaking.

Wachusett's Great Race will be held March 14 among the top 30 teams in the area's Night Race League, to determine the season's overall winner.

The Good Race will be held March 15 as a consolation round among the next 30 teams.