The Wintergreen Ski Race Team is a longstanding program at Wintergreen Resort. The team is very strong with a lot of dedicated racers pursuing top place finishes in our region. Ski racing in the south is an opportunity for dedicated youth athletes to participate in a very unique and challenging sport. Wintergreen plans to continue to promote ski racing by offering the best coaching and training conditions in the region. The program is designed to help young skiers set goals, learn to be self-disciplined in preparation for events and be competitive while supporting teammates and competitors. The social setting is very positive as families get to know each other by traveling to races and working together in volunteering to help with events and training.

Parents looking for more information about being a race parent should read the Parents Guide.

The Ski Race Team is open to ages 9-18 and new applicants must be approved by the director or a coach. Most of our racers have spent at least one year on our Developmental Race Team before moving up to the Race Team. If you are interested in the Race Team or if you have additional questions, please contact the director, Chris Shepard at 434-325-8282 or [email protected].

We will start training in December and go through the first weekend in March. The early weekends will be on snow if we have slopes open. If we do not have snow, we will be doing dry land activities that include hiking, instructional clinics, ski tuning clinics, video analysis and other. We will also be doing physical fitness testing on the first weekend. As soon as we have snow, we will be training on our basic ski drills focusing on fundamentals. We will also be doing equipment checks to make sure everyone is using proper equipment. Gate training will happen as soon as possible to make sure there is adequate practice before the first race.

The cost of the program is $825 before November 18, and $925 after November 18. This price does not include lift passes. Please contact Chris Shepard at 434-325-8282 or [email protected] for more information.

The D-Team is designed as an entry program for the Wintergreen Ski Race Team. It is a requirement for individuals with no prior race experience who wish to eventually be on the competitive Ski Race Team. With dedicated, certified coaches to help teach the skiing skills and training procedures, this season-long program is offered to ages 7-13.

• You must be at least seven years old by December 1st.
• You must be able to stop on any terrain at Wintergreen resort with your skis in a parallel position (no wedging to stop anywhere).
• You must be independent on the mountain. This means you can get to any place on our slopes by yourself without an escort.
• You must be able to ride the lifts without assistance.
• You must be mature enough to listen to coaches during training times and disciplined enough to give good effort in attempting drills from coaches.
• You must have after a reasonable time an ability to set goals related to competitive ski racing.
• Starts the week after Christmas with the weeklong race camp and continues every Saturday and Sunday from 8 – 11 am.
• You should be able to attend the week-long camp just after Christmas, December 27th – 31st (mandatory if it is your first year) and at least half of the practices for the rest of the season.
• You must successfully complete a tryout to be accepted onto the Developmental Ski Race Team.

D-Team Tryouts will be held on December 16^th and 17^th at 1pm (you only need to come to one of these days). These tryouts are formatted as group tryouts with 3-5 kids per coach. There is an option to do your tryout as a private lesson with a coach on days other than the scheduled days. Please send an email to the program director to schedule an alternate date. The tryout is mandatory for first year candidates. To be placed on a list for tryouts, send an email to [email protected] with your child’s name and date of birth.

The first D-Team practices will be held on December 27-31 from 8-11 am each morning. This is the Holiday Race Camp and it is mandatory for first year D-Teamers. These first five days of training set the stage for the whole year with five days of training and a timed race on the last day.

The rest of the season the D-Team will practice from 8-11 am every Saturday and Sunday except for weekends we host races here at Wintergreen. These race dates will be posted on the training schedule each year. We will also offer practice on the two holiday Mondays.

Any questions not answered here should be directed to Chris Shepard at 434-325-8282 or [email protected].

The cost of the program is $825 before November 18, $925 after November 18. This does not include lift passes. Please contact Chris Shepard at 434-325-8282 or [email protected] for more information.

The Wintergreen Freeride program is a competition based team that focuses on individual accomplishment and team togetherness. We focus on fun, proven techniques to help each athlete meet their goals as well as our team goals. As a competition based team, we highly encourage athletes to participate in competitions both locally and regionally. Our program is highly involved in the USASA Appalachian series and Wintergreen Resort Series events. We work closely with Wintergreen and its terrain park staff to be able to provide a unique and customized coaching experience. Disciplines that are offered include boarder/ski-cross, freestyle park and pipe, slalom and giant slalom (snowboard only). There is a minimum skill level required to join our program.

• Membership is open to both skiers and snowboarders.
• You must be at least seven years old by December 1st.
• You must be independent on the mountain. This means you can get to any place on our slopes by yourself without an escort.
• You must be able to ride the lifts without assistance.
• You must be mature enough to listen to coaches during training times and disciplined enough to give good effort in attempting drills from coaches.
• You must have after a reasonable time an ability to set goals related to competition.
• Snowboarders need to be able to link heel and toe side turns to control speed down steeper intermediate terrain and skiers need to be able to ski and stop on any terrain at Wintergreen Resort with your skis in a parallel position (no wedging to ski or stop anywhere).
• Demonstrate varying turn types and shape on all terrain
  Know the Responsibility Code and Smart Style and abide by it
• You should be able to attend the weeklong camp just after Christmas, December 27th – 31st (mandatory if it is your first year) and at least half of the practices for the rest of the season.
• You must successfully complete a tryout to be accepted onto the Freeride Team.

Registration and team tryouts will be held in December. Time and date will be determined as soon as we know the slopes that will be open. In order to be placed on a list for tryouts, and to receive information on tryout dates as soon as they are announced, send an email to [email protected] with your child’s name and date of birth.

Members of the team will be encouraged to participate in local events and competitions. A list of competitions will be provided before the season starts and coaches will help team members decide which events they should focus on.

The cost of the program is $825 before November 18, $925 after November 18. Please contact Chris Shepard at 434-325-8282 or [email protected] for more information.

Each year in early December the Ski Race and Freeride Team members are encouraged to participate in the “Camp at Copper”. The camp is three or six days (your choice) of skiing or snowboarding with Wintergreen coaches at Copper Mountain in Colorado. Copper offers great early season terrain and our team members can get a great start to the season.

Race coaches focus on fundamental drills as well as courses set in private training lanes.

Freeride coaches focus on fundamental drills and the camp includes on snow terrain park sessions as well as indoor sessions at Woodward at Copper. Woodward in an indoor facility with trampolines and foam pits that athletes can jump into with their equipment on. Athletes learn to focus on tircks without the concern of landing perfectly each time.

The following is provided; lodging, meals, lift passes, coaching/instruction, private training area, transportation to and from airport, after ski activities and supervision if needed. Parents and families are welcome and are offered the group rates. It has become a popular family trip with programs for kids and parents both training to ski and race.

The camp is always held the first full week in December starting on Sunday. There are three options to choose from.

• Team members can travel on Saturday the and ski/ride Sunday through Tuesday and travel back on Wednesday
• or they can travel out on Wednesday ski/ride Thursday through Saturday and travel back on Sunday
• or they can travel out on Saturday and ski/ride the Sunday through Saturday and travel back on Sunday (seven days on snow).

This camp is very popular and we start accepting registrations before the end of August. For more information and pricing email; [email protected].

For more information on the Summer Camp at Mount Hood email; [email protected].

• TBD

The camp is open to ages 8 and above; D-Team, Race Team. (D-Team members who have not attended camp will need to be approved by Chris Shepard)

Registration fee for the trip includes transportation to and from airport, lodging, meals, lift tickets, training lane, coaching, supervision. Windsurfing and rafting will require a nominal extra fee. This will be announced prior to the trip.

Air fare is a separate cost. We will recommend flights with arrival times that allow for transport vans to be used*. Anyone who wishes to arrive at a different time will be responsible for their own transport to Mount Hood.

Parents are encouraged to participate and will pay the same group rate as racers unless they choose not to ski. If they do not ski, the price of lift tickets can be prorated out. Parents will train with coaches on the same terrain and courses as the kids. Any special lodging requests will be accommodated with an appropriate charge.

Wintergreen is proud to be the home venue for the UVA Ski + Snowboard Race Team. The team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 pm, and competes against a wide range of Colleges and Universities at numerous mountain resorts throughout the region. The team travels as a group and provides an opportunity for student athletes to reach the highest levels of racing and compete at the regional and national levels. You can also support the team through their fundraiser.

Visit the UVA Ski + Snowboard Race Team’s website here.

Wintergreen’s national award-winning Ski Patrol offers first aid training – Ski Patrol style – for youths ages 11 to 15 on Sundays during January and February (for a total of eight classes, each lasting 1.5 to 3 hours.) Patrollers teach students about slope safety, introduce students to the concepts of outdoor emergency care (OEC), and a patroller’s duties. Students learn about the A,B,Cs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation), take an introduction to CPR class (no tests), and learn how Wintergreen patrollers assess patients. Attendance is not mandatory. Under no circumstances will a youth patroller administer treatment to a patient at Wintergreen Resort.

The seasonal charge is $110 per child. There is a $25 discount if a sibling also signs up for the program. Please email the Youth Ski Patrol Leader, Shari Adams, at [email protected] to learn more about this exciting program and to sign your child up to participate.