I’ve been heavily involved in Nordic skiing since my freshman year in high school in 1997. My older brother had just taken the job as head coach of the BFA high school ski team, so I joined it, not having any clue how much that decision would impact my life. Since that moment, I have invested an enormous amount of time, money, and physical, mental, and emotional effort into this sport. Some would say an absurdly foolish amount, but I don’t regret any of it. This sport has kept me healthy, it has brought many great people into my life, and it’s just a lot of fun.
Most of that time, I have invested in making skiing enjoyable for myself, but over the last couple of years, I have discovered that making it more enjoyable for others is even more gratifying, and I’m in love with the sport more now than ever. I discovered something else in my efforts to help out. I learned that when you only have a handful of people with virtually no money, and few resources, it is impossible to build something great.
As long as I have been involved in nordic skiing, the St. Albans ski community has almost entirely revolved around the high school program. Coach Scott Magnan has done an amazing job building up that program since he took over 20+ years ago, but the students in that program are the only people in the community who get any real support. Most of the students who arrive in that program have never skied before, and a lot of them rarely, if ever, ski again after they graduate. We see the same thing with their parents, where they get involved by volunteering or participating, but then they disappear when their children leave because there’s nothing to be involved with outside the high school team. This is not a recipe for sustainable growth.
We are here to change all of that. Our central mission is to broaden that community, so people have a place to go and enjoy the sport from the day they are born to the day they die. We want a community where everyone can enjoy skiing at their own level, whether they want to be an elite competitor, or slowly plot around the fields with their family, or anything in between.
Please support us in our efforts. Subscribe to our newsletter to get trail updates, learn about new programs, and hear how we are making this community stronger. Click the big green Donate button to help us. Every little bit helps, even if it’s just $5.
Thank You,
Tyler Magnan
President of St. Albans Nordic