Winter registration is quietly opening while fall sports are underway

Central Vermont's youth sports calendar is still all soccer fields and cross country meets, but the state's ski racing community is already building its 2026-27 roster. The Vermont Alpine Racing Association opened membership back in June, and Burke Mountain Academy's junior alpine program, from U8 all the way through its athletic-only U14 track, has been accepting registrations since early summer. Smugglers' Notch Ski & Snowboard Club followed on September 1, opening alpine, snowboard, and development programs for nearly every age group. Meanwhile nordic clubs are just getting started: Woodstock Ski Runners opens its Nordic Program on September 15, with more cross-country and biathlon clubs to follow through the fall. None of this means winter is close, it means the paperwork is. Families who wait until the first snowfall to think about ski club often find the popular age groups already full. This week's roundup below breaks down exactly which programs are open, which open soon, and what each one costs to get into.

• Statewide
• Open(as published, may no longer be current)

Woodstock Ski Runners will open registration for its Nordic Program on September 15, the first real signal that Central Vermont's cross-country ski clubs are gearing up for winter. The program serves youth skiers on the Woodstock area's groomed trail network, building technique through the fall before snow arrives. It's not the only nordic option warming up: the New England Nordic Ski Association has already locked in Prospect Mountain as the host for the 2027 Bill Koch Youth Ski League Festival, with festival registration opening December 15, and clubs like West River Nordic Ski Club in Londonderry and Mansfield Nordic Club in Jericho keep rolling membership open year-round for families who want to get a jump on ski season. If your kid spent last winter on classic skis or is angling to try biathlon for the first time, mid-September is exactly when to start paying attention, nordic programs tend to fill more quietly than alpine racing, but they do fill.

• Woodstock Ski Runners
• Woodstock
• UpcomingOpens September 15, 2026(as published, may no longer be current)
• Woodstock Ski Runners

Ski Vermont's Fifth Grade Passport opened its 2026-27 application window today, September 9, at noon. For $40, any currently enrolled fifth grader, Vermont residency is not required, can apply for up to 90 days of skiing and riding: three vouchers apiece at each of 20 participating alpine resorts, plus up to 30 cross-country day trail passes at participating Nordic centers. Passport holders redeem vouchers online through Ski Vermont's Pass Portal and must ski or ride alongside an adult who holds a valid lift ticket or season pass. Each ski area sets its own blackout dates and redemption rules, so it's worth checking the participating-area list before counting on a specific weekend. Applications are reviewed by Ski Vermont staff, with approval typically taking two to three business days. This program isn't yet in the Sign Up Vermont directory as a searchable listing, it's a statewide voucher product spanning dozens of ski areas rather than a single organization's program, so for now the fastest path is applying directly through Ski Vermont.

• Ski Vermont
• Statewide
• OpenOpens September 9, 2026(as published, may no longer be current)
• Vouchers redeemable across the 2026-27 season; each ski area sets its own blackout dates
• Ski Vermont

Ski Vermont's Fifth Grade Passport isn't in the Sign Up Vermont directory yet, it's a statewide multi-area voucher product rather than a single organization's program. We're flagging it for a future listing and sending families straight to Ski Vermont's own application in the meantime.

Cochran's Ski Club in Richmond, Vermont's community-founded home hill and the training ground behind several Olympic skiers, hasn't posted 2026-27 season registration yet. Its website still reflects the recently completed 2025-26 season, and the club has said membership typically opens in fall, with enrollment by October 15 recommended to lock in early-season communications and avoid a late fee for returning families. Cochran's isn't yet listed in the Sign Up Vermont directory, so we can't send you straight to a program page for it. We're watching cochransskiclub.org directly and will add it here as soon as 2026-27 registration is confirmed live. For now, families interested should check with the club or watch this space.

• Cochran's Ski Club
• Richmond
• Not published(as published, may no longer be current)
• Cochran's Ski Club

Cochran's Ski Club isn't in the Sign Up Vermont directory yet. Its 2026-27 registration wasn't live as of this week, we're watching for it and will add the program once it opens.