Tom Henihan
Spotlight
Big River View Snow Club began its first season at Little Smoky Ski Area on Saturday November 18 and will take place every Saturday from 9am to 3pm until the end of the ski season.
The Club provides an excellent opportunity for the entire family to improve their skills while participating in fun activities.
Over the course of the season, snow club members receive 12 hours instruction in a group setting with a level 1 Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA) instructor and receive one hour’s equivalence of private lessons.
Big River View Snow Club guarantees members will acquire the basic skills needed to ski or snowboard downhill safely and to use the T-Bar confidently.
Any skill level can join and whether a member is young but relatively experienced or older with little experience the club groups participants according to ability.
“We are grouping people according to their skill level because some five year olds have the same skills as ten year olds and everyone will be having fun at their level,” says club secretary Rhonda Bourgeois.
Children who participate must be independent enough to use the bathroom and feed themselves and all members must have appropriate equipment in good working order and proper winter attire as they will be spending most of the day outside.
Until Little Smoky Ski Area has made enough snow to open a few runs the snow club will engage in dry land training.
Dry land training involves getting to know the other members of the group through team-building activities, developing skills that will be useful later on the hill, and also instruction on routine care and maintenance of equipment and pre-season exercises to get members in shape for the slopes.
It is important to note that Little Smoky Ski Area is only open to snow club members until the ski season actually begins and that the club registration is full for the season.
“Registration is already full for the Snow Club this season as we did have to keep the registration small because of a lack of coaches,” says Bourgeois.
“Of course, if anyone is interested in volunteering as a coach at the hill on Saturdays, email: bigriverview@gmail.com
Ideally, volunteer coaches should have ski or snowboard experience, but it is not essential.
However, coaches must get a Vulnerable Sector Criminal Reference Check.
Forms are available upon request, email BigRiverView.com.The club needs five additional coaches to make up a workable roster so volunteers do not have to commit to showing up every Saturday.
“This is the first year of the club so it is a big learning curve. We have a website BigRiver View.com where people can find information about who is on the board, when our season starts and we will eventually be posting pictures so people can see what kinds of activities we are doing. Next year, when we are a little more established we will be able to welcome more people.”
Little Smoky Ski Area Season’s Passes can be purchased at BigRIverView.com, as well as all local MD offices and Recreation Boards.
A percentage of all Season’s Passes sold this season will come back to the club, as a generous donation from MD Smoky River No. 130.
This season, the club is also planning to buy gates to do slalom and is looking for sponsorship to achieve this goal.
Big River View Ski Club derives its name from an amalgam of the three MDs that support Little Smoky Ski Area: MD of Smoky River No 130, Big Lakes County and MD of Greenview.
Little Smoky Ski Area is accessible on Township Road 744 off Highway 49 just south of Little Smoky River Bridge.
The ski area is open from 10am to 4pm Wednesday through Sunday and accepts group bookings.
Typically, the season goes until the first weekend in April.
