Since 1972
The Minnesota Cup
The region's season-long award for scored junior racers, and a strong commitment to Region 1 racing.
From the Coca Cola Cup to the Minnesota Cup
- 1972
The Minnesota Coca Cola Cup
The Northwest Alpine Race Patrons board (George Carisch, Judd Ringer, Gunnar Gidlow and Bob Tengdin) obtained sponsorship from the Coca Cola Company. The season-long series recognized J123 and older racers in Region 1, and was later known simply as the Minnesota Cup.
- 1999
The Region One Cup
The Board of Directors voted to rename the series the Region One Cup.
- 2002
A pause
The Region One Cup was discontinued.
- 2007-08
The Minnesota Cup returns
Reinstated as a season-long series, known again as the Minnesota Cup.
How it is scored today
Four weekends, nine race days, one cup.
Four weekends of scored races within Region 1, for Region 1 registered juniors (U21, U19 and U16) only. FIS races are excluded.
Scoring uses old World Cup points: 25 for first place down to 1 point for 15th, on each of the nine race days. Overall trophies go to the three juniors with the highest combined scores; ties are broken by comparing results.
The top junior male and female have their names engraved on a permanent cup displayed at Buck Hill.
Minnesota Cup winners
2014-15 First: Louis Nguyen and Nellie Ide. Second: Luke Doolittle and Lauren Geary. Third: Jack Lindsay and Chloe Townsend.
2013-14 First: Tommy Anderson and Kaitlyn Vesterstein. Second: Louis Nguyen and Juliana Damberg. Third: Teagan Olin and Emily Nash.
2012-13 First: Rosie Hust and Erik Johnson. Second: Madison Danelski and Louis Nguyen. Third: Juliana Damberg and Peter Baker.
Since 2003
The Planet Cup
The premier award for ski racing in Minnesota at the U14 and under level: a season-long series in slalom, giant slalom and overall.
Introduced in 2003, the Planet Cup recognizes excellence in U14, U12, U10 and U8 racers. Standings are kept for slalom, giant slalom and the overall by place points.
Scoring
- Athletes are grouped by gender and age class (U8, U10, U12 and U14) and earn points for each finish. Each run at a Planet Cup race counts, even when it is not a separate sanctioned race.
- Competitors must be members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Region 1 to receive points. The races that count are posted at the start of the season and may change with the weather.
- The standings count one more than half of the races held in each discipline (4 of 7, 5 of 9, 6 of 11). That lets an athlete miss a race for scheduling, cost or illness.
- Athletes from outside the division may race; their results are removed before points are tabulated, and everyone moves up a place.
- Ties break on best finishes, then head to head in common races, then the finale. The jury does not consider Planet Cup standings when it cancels or adds a run.
- Place points: 100 for first, 90 for second, 80 for third, 70 for fourth and 60 for fifth. Sixth to tenth score 55, 50, 45, 40 and 35. From 11th, points fall from 33 by one or two a place to 1 for 40th. Places 41 to 50 score one point each.
Awards
Season awards go to the top 10 in each age group, in each discipline and overall. They are presented at the Planet Cup Finale, March 6 and 7 at Afton Alps.
Planet Cup overall winners
2021 Girls: Taylor Voigt (SL, GS and overall). Boys: Caden Burns (SL and overall), Auden Pankonin (GS).
2020 Girls: Gracie Gujer (SL and overall), Emily Gustafson (GS). Boys: Caden Burns (SL and overall), Kyan Hopke (GS).
2019 Girls: Sophia Palmquist (SL), Emily Gustafson (GS and overall). Boys: Anthony Petkov (SL, GS and overall).
2018 Girls: Virginia Higgins (SL, GS and overall). Boys: Will Utendorfer (SL, GS and overall).
2017 Girls: Ashley George (SL and overall), Penelope Robinson (GS). Boys: Parker Dean (SL), Adam Berghult (GS and overall).
2016 Girls: Madison Dean (SL, GS and overall). Boys: Josh Doolittle (SL, GS and overall).
2015 Girls: Katherine Nelson (SL), Becca Divine (GS), Kendra Winberg (overall). Boys: Isaiah Nelson (SL, GS and overall).