Podium of Life Snow Sports Academy, which is a school on the mountain, opened recently with a ribbon-cutting ceremony amidst a snow blizzard.
The weather conditions were quite fitting for a school like this one for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The wind was howling and the snow was pelting down as students, parents, and staff of Podium of Life stood in front of the new schoolhouse to cut the ribbon.
Just like Mount Washington with one of the largest snow bases in North America, Podium of Life is off to a wonderful start.
In the first two weeks of the program there have been three guest speakers. Paul Laperriere, who runs Blue Toque in Courtenay, a store that sells new and used sports equipment, led the students in an avalanche awareness session. Students learned how to recognize avalanche danger and avoid it, and how to use probes and transceivers.
Andrea Lee, a member of the national development Nordic ski team, spoke to the students about training at a national level. She spoke of goal setting and creating a structured plan to help attain the goals. Her motivational talk inspired some of the students to think about future Olympic dreams.
Dale Logan, the risk manager at Mount Washington, covered various safety protocols on the mountain. He showed a film, which included many of the professional skiers and snowboarders that the students look up to, outlining how to be safe on the mountain.
With so much snow this early in the season the students of Podium of Life have had excellent conditions to hone their skills: through the gates, in the park, and in the powder. After a morning of classes, student put on their outdoor gear and hit the slopes. To learn more about this unique educational opportunity go to www.podiumoflife.com.
– Podium of Life