NASTAR: BEST TESTING GROUND
Whether or not you are going to the NASTAR Nationals, whether or not you consider yourself a NASTAR racer, don't miss out on using the best proving ground in the entire sport of ski and snowboard racing.
A NASTAR course allows you to test everything. Not only do you get instant feedback from the time immediately posted at the end of your run, but testing different ways of turning around a gate on each successive run will help you improve your technique.
Start by running the course twice to get your average time for that day. Then begin your testing.
Here's just one example: By this time of the season, many ski boots have packed out, so that the foot has to move with more energy to get the ski to respond. Would buckling the boot tighter allow more subtle foot motions and a better race result?
Test that on a NASTAR course; especially if you are a Masters, Junior or college racer. See if your time improves if you fasten your top buckle tighter.
Another example: There are all kinds of claims for different overlays, those rub-on or spray-on waxes or pastes that makes skis and snowboards run faster. Most are expensive. Swix's Cera F runs about $150 an ounce. But is it faster than, say, Molecule F? Since most overlays only last one run, NASTAR is perfect for testing the ones you have; and serious racers usually have an assortment. If you're ultra serious, check the snow with a snow thermometer; otherwise, just make a snowball to check the moisture content. Write down how wet the snow is and how old it is (overlays react differently between new or old snow). Put on an overlay and write down your time. Try another and write down that time. The testing will show you which one is the fastest for those particular snow conditions.
Once the conditions change, warmer or colder, perform the test again. You will know which overlay to use in specific conditions to make your skis or snowboard run faster. If it makes you a half second faster on a short NASTAR course, imagine what it will do for you on a FIS course!
Use NASTAR to drill technique improvements into your muscle memory. If you are working on not leaning into the gate, or keeping your hands up and forward, practice on non-threatening NASTAR courses. Since you are running the same gates time after time, it's easier to concentrate on changing your technique there than when free skiing, where different terrain can interrupt your focus.
Test different positions as well. If you go down the course in more of a crouch, is your time better? How about if you pressure your big toe, or lift your hip to the gate when passing it? If a change in your normal position makes you a quarter second faster, you've learned something valuable.
Keep doing the testing until the season ends. As a racer, testing with NASTAR will always result in an A+.