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Smithers Ski Snowboard Club adds new programs

More options for kids and adults wanting to hit the slopes this winter.
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The Smithers Ski and Snowboard Club is looking forward to another great season of learning and competition. Contributed photo

As much as I love summer, there’s no denying the ripple of excitement felt upon awakening to the first snows of the season.

When you live where we do, it’s inevitable that snow is going to come, and it may even show up earlier than expected. Our September snow-capped peaks remind us that snowy fun is only a couple of months away. Each winter, many of us are lucky enough to get up high above the clouds at Hudson Bay Mountain Resort to embrace the season as skiers and snowboarders, taking in all that mountain life has to offer.

The Smithers Ski & Snowboard Club (SSSC) was where it all began for many of us and we want you and your family to have the same experience! SSSC’s trained coaches and tireless volunteers work hard to develop skiers and snowboarders for life, while promoting team spirit and teaching both life and athletic skills. We would love to have you and your child(ren) be a part of our team!

Our coaches are all Canadian Ski Coach Federation and Canada Snowboard Coaching Program certified. Many are former racers themselves. All possess a passion for skiing or snowboarding and sharing the love of their sport to our athletes. The SSSC head ski coach is former Whitehorse coach Dick Eastmure, a resident in the HBM cabin colony and keen Masters racer, returning for his second season with the Club. Clay Collingwood has been with the SSSC for many years and returns as our U12 ski coach, bringing a mix of humour and strong technical skiing skills to his group. Our head snowboard coach is former SSSC athlete Warren Pali, who brings a wealth of knowledge of snowboard racing to lead our snowboard coaches and athletes. He also runs our U12-U18 dryland program in the Fall.

We have added a couple of new programs this year. Due to popular demand, we’ve added a U12 one-day option for skiers or snowboarders who want to keep learning but aren’t ready to commit to the two-day U12 option. Also, we are looking for keen adults to join our new Masters Ski program. No race experience is necessary to be a part of this fun group of skiers who are looking to improve their free-skiing technique and test their skill in a few giant slalom and slalom courses.

Dryland training will begin in October. Our youngest athletes (U10 – eight and nine-year-olds) will train at Luna’s Fitness and our U12-U18 athletes (ages 10 to 17) will train at Walnut Park School. Dryland is not mandatory but does provide a strong fitness base for athletes and is excellent supplemental training for any other sport and is highly encouraged.

We look forward to sharing our love of the mountains with you!

Registration is open for the 2018/19 season!

Go to smithersskiclub.com and look for the REGISTER NOW link. Look under PROGRAMS for program details and rates.

All athletes receive a reduced season pass rate — thank-you Hudson Bay Mountain Resort!

SKI PROGRAMS

–U8 (5-7 year olds) Saturdays 10-1 January through March

–U10 (8 & 9 year olds) Saturdays 10-1 January through March

–U12 1-Day (10 & 11 year olds) Saturday 10-4 *NEW PROGRAM! January through March

–U12 2-Day (10 & 11 year olds) Saturday & Sunday 9-4 November to April end of season

–U14-U18 (12 – 17 year olds) Saturday & Sunday 9-4 November to April end of season

–18+ Adult Masters Sunday 1-4 January to end of season *NEW PROGRAM

SNOWBOARD PROGRAMS

–SNOWBOARD U10 (7, 8, & 9 year olds) Saturdays 10-1 January through March

–U12 1-Day (10 & 11 year olds) Saturday 10-4 *NEW PROGRAM! January through March

–SNOWBOARD U12-U18 (10-17 year olds) Saturday & Sunday 9-4 November to April end of season

Registration & program questions: sssclubreggie@gmail.com

General info: smitherssscinfo@gmail.com

To be eligible for our skier and snowboard programs, children must be able to ride the T-bar on their own or together with another child, stand up on their equipment, control their speed on a green slope and be able to stop on command. We recommend that you contact the HBM snowschool if your child need help getting to this level of skiing or snowboarding. hudsonbaymountain.com/snow_school/lessons

–Submitted article

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Smithers Ski and Snowboard Club coaches are ready to get the season started. They have great experience as both competitors and coaches. Contributed photo