If you liked the affordability of the now-disbanded Hailey Ski Team, you'll probably like the new Wood River Ski Team that is designed as a low-cost way of learning to ski Baldy for boys and girls ages 7-12.
Wood River Valley parents have certainly jumped on the bandwagon of the Wood River Ski Team since it was formed this past fall.
"It has been incredibly well received," said program director Kaz Thea.
The team has 48 kids and is pretty well filled up for the 2010-11 season, said Thea.
Held on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. from December through March except for Christmas, the program is for competent Baldy skiers.
Experienced coaches lead small groups to improve skills and techniques and learn all aspects of skiing Baldy in an affordable and fun setting, the team's mission statement says.
The cost of $285 per person for the entire season does not include lift tickets or the Blaine County Ski Pass priced at $369.
But the Wood River Ski Team compares very favorably in price with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's Development Team, which has a tuition of $945 plus $369 pass.
Including lift pass, the Wood River Ski Team price is $654 compared to the SVSEF Devo cost of $1,314.
Those aren't the only programs designed to prepare young skiers for Baldy's fun and challenges. Sun Valley Resort and its Snow Sports School offers supervised programs and camps throughout the winter.
In addition, the Snow Sports School has for 34 years given January lessons to local children. It has been known as the Blaine County Kids Program and Locals Camp K-6. This year, the program is called Spud Sessions (Jan. 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23) and costs $150 including lessons and lift tickets.
"The Sun Valley program is fabulous but it isn't enough because it doesn't last the whole winter," said Thea about the Blaine County Kids Program.
She added, "We're not looking to compete with other programs, but obviously there was a niche to fill. We basically created what we heard the parents wanted for their kids.
"It's a development program, not a racing team. We are trying to give the kids the confidence to ski all of Baldy's terrain, and also teach skiing etiquette and mountain safety."
A jack of all trades, Thea is the kind of person who makes things happen. She runs both farmers markets in the valley and is a consultant and substitute teacher. She is also a professional wildlife ecologist.
The mother of an elementary school student and skier, Thea said she was approached this past fall by members of the former Hailey Ski Team board of directors and encouraged to take a stab at forming a comparable team. The Hailey Ski Team, a low-cost alternative to the SVSEF, existed from 1980 until a couple of years ago.
"In September or October I invited five people to join me on the board and I suggested the name of Wood River Ski Team," said Thea. "We came up with a mission statement and borrowed some of the old Hailey Ski Team forms."
Critical to the business model formed by Thea and the board was the cooperation of Sun Valley Resort, which operates skiing on Baldy.
Thea said, "Sun Valley permitted me to buy eight season passes for our coaches at discounts. We are not paying our coaches—we are buying passes for them. They must have had training and have been coaches and instructors to qualify."
In fact, none of the volunteers running Wood River Ski Team are paid. The board consists of Thea, Anne Marie Gardner, Brenda Lyon, Elizabeth Zellers, Sue Heaphy and Maria Goepfert-Maguire.
Startup items like website design and logo design have been contributed to the program. Thea said Scott USA "gave us an amazing deal" on ski jackets for the coaches.
First official day of skiing was Saturday, Dec. 4. Most of the team was there on the first Saturday. Five more kids started Dec. 11. As of mid-December, there was room for only one more skier—in the intermediate/advanced group.
"I can't tell you the incredible feedback we've gotten from parents," she said.
The program won't meet over the Christmas holidays, but will resume Saturday sessions in January and continue through school spring break.
The coaching staff of seven is headed by Mountain Rides Director Jason Miller from Steamboat Springs, Colo. A lifelong skier, Miller raced for the University of Colorado and coached at Monarch Ski Area in Colorado. He served on the Rotarun board of directors.
Assistant coaches are Jill Parker and Mike Craig.
Parker, a Wood River Valley native who learned to ski on Dollar Mountain at age 2, has taught skiing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and Sun Valley. She was a Hailey Ski Team coach before the team disbanded.
Craig, from Lake Tahoe, is a boot fitter at Formula Sports in Ketchum and has lived with his wife in the valley for four years. He attended Sierra Nevada College and has been a halfpipe and slopestyle competitor.
Other coaches are Jim Slanetz, Chris Gardner, Brenda Zuck and Heidi Mickelson. From New Hampshire, Slanetz is owner/operator of the Board Bin in Ketchum. He was a founding member and eight-year coach of the Sun Valley Snowboard Team.
Coaching assignments include Gardner and Mickelson with the beginner girls, Slanetz and Miller with the advanced beginner and intermediate boys, Zuck with the upper intermediate skiers, Parker with the intermediate/advanced group and Craig advanced.
As much as possible, kids of the same ages are kept together, said Thea. In the future, plans call for T-shirts, sweats and baseball caps with Wood River Ski Team logo to create more team spirit and encourage others to join the fun.
For more information visit www.woodriverskiteam.org, call 720-7805 or e-mail info@woodriverskiteam.com.
Wood River Ski Team youngsters, coaches and volunteers gather at the bottom of River Run Saturday, Dec. 18 and prepare to sample some of Baldy’s powdery snow. Photo by Willy Cook
