Alyeska Ski Club's U19s are the "eldest" junior racers in the club's program, and most of them have been racing for at least 10 years.  These are a few sample close-ups of six of these racers.  I have been photographing them for years, and so many of the images I post, and that people buy, depict the entire racer, usually in an aggressive stance at a critical race moment.  Such photos typically show both skis and feet; they graphically illustrate what the racer is doing in an athletic, ski-racing sense.  But it is often more interesting to zero in on their faces and eyes (if visible through goggle lenses) to catch their expressions; usually these close-ups show how focussed they are on the course and on taking the most direct line consistent with generating speed.  And although it may appear they are looking at the gate they are then passing or striking, racers at this level are all looking down the course, down the interior corridor where their upper bodies will be, while their skis and feet arc around the outside of the gates.  This is a complex sport, with many variables.  Every day is different, every course is different, every gate is different.  Turn radius, slope, snow-ice surface, mini-terrain (ruts, grooves, bumps), all differ gate-to-gate, run-to-run, racer-to-racer.  So focussing and concentrating are critical.  

My thanks to these six.  They include some favorite photo subjects who love contact, and some who have struggled and persevered and shown great improvement, and some who love the sport despite never fully achieving what they probably hoped for.

http://www.zenfolio.com/bobeastaughimagery/p1060018502  is a page link to more U19 face shots taken during the 2016-17 race season. They depict these and the rest of the ASC U19s.