Y-Ski program taught a lot of kids how to cross country ski this winter

A smiling Tina Hegg-Ragway is shown here with a group of six equally broad smiling kids who participated in the Y-Ski program this winter. Photo courtesy of the Y-Ski program

As the temperatures rise and snowpack falls, the Y-Ski program closed for the year.

“We had another great year with 58 kids signed up for lessons and about 70 pairs of skis rented from the equipment inventory,” said Tina Hegg Raway, lead organizer for the program that uses the Pincushion Mountain trail system to train.

“There were so many kids that we had to split into six groups instead of five this year and it took 16 volunteer coaches, assistants, and substitutes to cover all of the action throughout January and February,” Raway said.

Early on the season got off to a rocky start with freezing cold temps and harsh winds causing several cancellations in January. It was especially tough, Raway said, “since we couldn’t yet use the tiny chalet due to the pandemic.

“Still, most kids got a ton of skiing in at lessons and went on adventures with family or friends – those who were more hardy and didn’t mind the cold still met up to ski on those below-zero days, and a number of families have continued the Sunday afternoon meetups well into March since the snow is still fantastic! Kids get to keep their equipment well into April so they can still take advantage of the (hopefully) good conditions.” Coming off a great year, Raway shared some of her memories.

“Some of my personal highlights of the winter included all the plentiful snow, meeting all the families new to town and our little new beginner group, watching the advanced Blue Group get their skate skis under them, and especially Quinn Johnson and friends’ bake sale fundraiser for families in Afghanistan experiencing severe drought causing a dangerous famine situation. Everyone misses the post-ski chalet snacks, and the weather was nice that day… so Quinn was able to raise $227 for the International Rescue Committee, which helped feed 30+ children for the month! This was a welcome event and brought a sparkle to Y-Ski that day which I haven’t seen since back when we could have cool pre-pandemic events.

“We’re looking forward to transitioning the program to a leadership team next year instead of a single Director position. If you are interested in helping share the joy of this program, please let us know ASAP!”