The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation (FVSEF), a nonprofit alpine skiing and ski racing program, is still accepting youth skiers for its All Mountain Rangers and Development programs for ages 7 to 13 at Whitefish Mountain Resort for the 2021-2022 season.
Sunday sessions are available for registration in the Rangers program, which is designed for skiers ages 7 to 12, who have previous skiing experience, to develop all-mountain skiing and skill development. Kids will ski in groups with coaches and skiers should be capable of loading and riding the chairlift with little or no help from coaches or others.
The Development Team is for kids ages 8-13 and caters to skiers with one or more years of participation from the Rangers program or an equivalent team. All-mountain skiing remains the focus and 35% of on-snow time is spent in gate training or competing in the Tommy Moe race series or the Northern Division Youth Ski League races.
“The Tommy Moe series is intended to be an introductory race series where most kids don’t have any racing experience,” FVSEF Director Hilary Lindh said. “It’s an intro to racing and it’s intended to be fun with no stress or pressure.”
The Northern Division Youth Ski League includes Montana, parts of Wyoming and South Dakota and is part of the United States Ski Association’s (USSA) Western Division. Skiers usually start racing at this stage when they are 12 and 13 years old.
For participants interested in a competitive team, FVSEF offers weekday training after school for an additional fee.
The Rangers team runs from Dec. 19 through March 30 with a holiday camp from Dec. 26-29 and the Development Team runs from Dec. 12 through March 27 with a holiday camp from Dec. 26-30.
While the programs offer quality ski training, they also focus on sportsmanship and other valuable skills.
“It’s a lifelong sport and we want to get the whole family involved,” Lindh said.
To register, visit www.FVSEF.org.
Additionally, FVSEF will present Warren Miller’s 72nd film, “Winter Starts Now,” at the O’Shaughnessy Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. as part of a fundraiser. Beverages, snacks and raffle tickets will be available.
For more information, contact Lindh at (907) 500-2040.