Winter Sports Program in Full Swing

The third quarter Active Program at CRMS is typified by the snow-sport offerings. At the start of the second semester, ski racks in the new Alpenglow Base Camp are piled high with boards of all shapes and sizes and buses depart to the Aspen Snowmass mountains as well as occasional backcountry trips to remote ski huts – some of the most popular weekend activities.

While there are alternative activities for students to choose from during the winter Active Program, the variety of snow-sport options, combined with the Colorado ski culture, helps make skiing and boarding such popular options. Students can participate in beginner, intermediate and advanced groups for alpine skiing, telemark skiing, and snowboarding, which are then further broken down into racing, freestyle, free riding, off-piste and other disciplines. The Nordic Ski Team also takes advantage of a large network of trails right here in Carbondale. Nearly all of these programs are coached by CRMS faculty members, although a few Aspen Valley Ski Club (AVSC) coaches are sometimes contracted for a specialized group of students.

For three-quarters of the year, our sports program meets after school and in the early afternoons. However, motivated by sports science and safety protocol research, CRMS has adopted a Tuesday and Thursday morning Active Period for the winter quarter. Students have an early breakfast, head to the trails with their group and return at lunch time for afternoon classes. While the number of hours spent on the slopes is the same as afternoon practices, our skiers benefit from better light, visibility, and snow conditions and studies have also shown that morning exercise increases energy and focus in the classroom. Monday and Wednesday afternoons are reserved for work crew, play rehearsal, rock climbing practice and other student commitments.

The result of having this deep and comprehensive program is that CRMS is able to nurture brand new skiers towards a lifelong passion or hobby, while simultaneously providing maximum support for skiers and riders at the highest level of the sport.

You can learn more about the snow-sport program on the CRMS website. Also, follow our FaceBook page and Instagram to see pictures and updates from our recreational and competitive ski groups.