People frequently ask where the money collected from Besh Cup races goes. 

 

The Besh Cup races are USSA-sanctioned National Ranking List events, as well as the qualifying races for Junior Nationals and Arctic Winter Games.  These distinctions  are what make the Besh Cup the most competitive race series in the state, but they also require additional work and expenses, which is why Besh Cup races often cost more than your local club races.  We have worked hard to keep the Besh Cup entry fees within reason.  The entry fee was set at its current level in 2003 and has not been raised since then.

 

Here is how a typical $27 entry fee is broken down (in 2007):

$11.00 to host club for putting on the race.  A large percentage of this $11 is used for preparing the venue for the race (such as grooming the trails).  The remainder The money raised from putting on a Besh Cup race is an important source of income for the local clubs and put directly back into the local ski community through club programs.  Without this income, the clubs would not be able to put on Besh Cup races.

 

$10.00 to Cross Country Alaska for expenses in putting on the Besh Cup series.  This includes race registration, creating start lists, calculating points lists, submitting results to USSA, maintaining the  website, buying awards, mailing reminder postcards, reimbursing the expenses of race officials, and other miscellaneous expenses.

$2.00 to USSA for the National Ranking List santioning fee.

$4.00 goes to Cross Country Alaska's development fund, which is used to send coaches to Junior Olympics, as well as put on athlete training camp and clinics for coaches and officials in the state of Alaska.