LAKE PLACID — The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association will host its five-day long annual U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard National Championships in Lake Placid this week. This year, more than 600 competitors will roll into this village to compete for National collegiate titles in Alpine, Nordic, snowboard and freeski events.

USCSA is the only ski and snowboard league where colleges and universities compete and qualify for postseason competition as a team. This emphasis on team performance is a departure from the typical individual or world cup scoring format often found in skiing. Allowing entire teams to qualify for the national championships also allows for a greater number of competitors to attend the event, with over 250 Alpine athletes, 225 freeski and snowboard athletes, and 125 Nordic athletes competing next week in Lake Placid.

Teams began their quest to qualify for the national championships in their local conference competitions, held across 11 conferences spanning the nation, this January. Top teams from each conference attend one of six regional championships, which decide who ultimately qualifies to participate in events at the Collegiate National Championship.

Teams representing over 70 colleges and universities are competing at the national championships. This includes Alpine, snowboard, freeski and Nordic teams which qualified through their regional championships, including schools such as Babson College, Clarkson University, Colorado Mesa University, the University of Wyoming, Lees-McRae College, Paul Smith’s College, Rocky Mountain College, St. Olaf College, Westminster University and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The championships continues until March 9.