Local schools involved in ski program

Bank of Maine partners with Bigrock
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    For a student interested in learning to ski or snowboard, Bigrock Ski Area in Mars Hill is the place to be this winter.
    Bigrock Ski Area has partnered with Bank of Maine to offer a more affordable way to hit the slopes.
    The Bank of Maine Ski 4 Life Program isn’t a new offering, but an older one with a new twist. Ski 4 Life sounds new, but a new partner has enabled the Bigrock Ski Area staff to reach out to more schools. But, Ski 4 Life has been a program at Bigrock for a number of years.
     “Our sponsor, the Bank of Maine, has enabled us to lower the price point to $6 per student, per visit,” said Mark Shea, Bigrock SnowSchool manager. “Last year, it costs $13 and before that it was little bit higher. What we found over the last couple of years, especially, is that cost of transportation was what was keeping schools from signing onto the program.”
    Now that Bank of Maine has joined the program lowering the overall price, schools may be able to tack on a transportation fee to help offset expenses, keeping the fee less than $10 per student.
    “The fee price is still affordable,” said Shea. “The program is designed to make skiing more affordable to families.”
    The Ski 4 Life Program is open to all County schools for students K-12.
    “The ideal age is middle school or junior high,” explained Shea. “We do have some elementary [students] depending on the setup of the local school as fourth- and fifth-graders do come and we certainly do grades 8-12.”
    The Ski 4 Life Program has gotten a strong following from southern Aroostook schools, including Houlton Southside and Katahdin Elementary School.
    “Over the last two years, they have been our more loyal schools,” Shea added.
    After schools sign on, a Bigrock Ski Area staff member comes to the school for a measuring day where a student’s height, weight and shoe size are calculated.
    “Each time the students come, they get equipment we have assigned to them,” Shea said. “They can’t take it with them, but each time they come, the equipment will be ready for them.”
    Schools must commit to signing onto the program for at least four weeks.
    “If kids come four times and get four lessons, they are much better suited for coming back on their own or going somewhere else to ski versus having to have a lesson or not feeling comfortable skiing on their own,” Shea explained.
    Ideally, the school signs on for the four weeks, allowing students four skiing lessons. A Bigrock staff member stays with the students throughout the lessons and the school sends chaperones, as well. Students may stay and practice on the trails after the lesson, depending on time constraints.
    “After the lesson, students may stay as late as 7 or 8 o’clock,” said Shea. “They have the opportunity to learn new skills and then put them directly into practice.”
    A year ago, Shea and staff handled 200 students.
    “We would like more,” he said. “We are capable of handling up to a 100 kids per day. That includes Saturday.”
    Although the Ski 4 Life program is an after-school program, it is designed to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, which are days Bigrock is open. A similar program is held each Saturday for Blaine, Bridgewater and Mars Hill kids, who are also part of Ski 4 Life program.
    “We are hopeful that so many schools sign on, we have to open an additional day during the week,” added Shea.
    Though the Ski 4 Life Program is also designated for snowboarding, Shea doesn’t find many students drawn to the sport.
    “Most kids will choose skiing,” said Shea. “It is interesting that way. You would think it would be the other way around since young people seem to be drawn to snowboarding versus older people in terms of trying out a new sport. But, it’s been kids choosing to ski. I’m not sure why that it is, maybe, skiing is a little bit easier to learn.”
    The number-one priority throughout the program is safety.
    “Safety is first and then learning to ski,” said Shea. “The two go hand-in-hand. As kids continue to work on their ski skills, they become more proficient at it.”
    Shea expressed his delight and excitement of Bank of Maine partnering with Bigrock Ski Area.
    “We already have new schools signing on,” he said.
    Southern Aroostook is a school which sat out last year, but is back this season.
    “The lower cost I believe enabled them to get back on board,” Shea said. “As long as kids dress properly, they will have a great time when they get here.”
    The Bank of Maine Ski 4 Life Program is a multi-week structured lesson program for all skiing and snowboarding abilities. There are also opportunities for more educational elements such as environmental education, outdoor leadership and team building.
    The Bank of Maine and Bigrock Ski Area are actively looking for schools and youth groups that are interested in wintertime programming. The Ski 4 Life Program includes lift ticket, rental equipment and a lesson, a package normally costing more than $40.
    For more information or to sign in, call Bigrock Ski Area at 425-6711.