While summer is just beginning, the Hoodoo Hoppers are looking towards next season and are hoping more skiers will join them.
Hoodoo Hoppers ski club would like to see more Drumheller kids involved with the ski club for the upcoming 2015-2016 season.
The club started out at the ski hill in Drumheller and primarily focused on slalom racing. Once the ski hill closed in Drumheller, the club adopted Nakiska as its home hill. This put the “Hoppers” into a dilemma. Qualified coaching put a limit on the number of kids it could manage, yet they were too small to economically rent lanes and set up gates.
Over the past two seasons the club has transitioned from slalom racing to freeskiing competitions. Freeskiing is a judged sport which involves competitors skiing down difficult terrain smoothly and confidently. The Hoodoo Hoppers had representation in 3 IFSA competitions last season.
Freeski requires more difficult terrain than Nakiska could offer so the decision was made to move their home hill to Lake Louise for the 2015-2016 season.
Over the past couple of years, the club has certified more instructors and have become more familiar with freeski competitions. This has put the club in the position where it feels ready to expand its ranks.
The club has heard of local interest, but many were unable to commit to being on the hill up to three, two day weekends a month. The biggest conflict seemed to be hockey.
The Hoodoo Hoppers would like to try to accommodate some of these families. Starting this winter, Hoodoo Hoppers will have “Intro to Freeski” days.
“We are still working out the details, but we hope to run these “intro” days either Saturday or Sunday, when the club is at the hill. This is a chance for kids to come out to the hill and see what “freeski” and the club is about,” said parent and instructor Cam Berstch. “We would meet in the morning and a Hoodoo Hopper instructor will ski with the kids for the day, working on improving their skills while building their confidence through guided miles.
Although it is called “freeski” it is not free. The skiers will require Alpine Canada insurance as well as cover their lift tickets.
He explains the gauging interest in the off-season is because Lake Louise has their early bird season pass on sale until June 15. A pass for a child is $249 for the season and will pay for itself in seven visits.
A season pass is not mandatory, a family may only want to come once or twice through the year and choose to buy their lift ticket for the day.
Another option a family would have if their child is entering grade 4 or 5 next fall, is Ski Canada’s Grade 4 &5 ski pass. This pass costs $29.95 and allows for three days of skiing at participating hills. Details can be found at www.skicanada.org.
Berstch says the club will have more details in the fall, but if people have questions, they can contact him at 403-821-0408 or by email at bertsch.cam@gmail.com.
