Castle Mountain Ski Resort and Livingstone School have created a unique ski academy in southern Alberta.
“To my knowledge, it’s one of a kind. There are other ski academies in North America, but this is a public school where we have really focused on an inclusive program that we want to be available for all our students,” said Chad Jensen, the principal at Livingstone School.
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Location is everything: the school is in Lundbreck, Alta., not far from the mountain.
“Look around and you see the area we live in and the opportunities–both on the ski hill and other outdoor activities–so we really wanted to capitalize on that,” Jensen added.
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There are 20 kids enrolled in the first year, which is offered to students from Grades 5 to 12.
For eighth grader Regan Kuzyk, the best part of the program is how much time she gets on the hill.
“Skiing is just so fun and it opens up so many opportunities later in life. I could still probably be skiing when I’m 40 years old because I ski so much and I have so much practice.”
The students enrolled in the academy have to balance skiing and school, spending three days a week on the hill.
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Head coach Peter Stewart said it’s exciting to see what direction each student will take.
“We’ve divided them into…free style, slope style, big mountain and race performance. Our objective is to bring together these athletes in a way that most athletes in other clubs won’t have ever trained.”
Depending on what grade the student is in, costs range from $1,000 to $2,500 a year.
“Our costs are covering transportation and coaching through Castle Mountain and at this point, we’ve been able to balance that budget,” Jensen said.
Stewart added he is confident the program will set kids up for success.
“We are probably going to see some of these kids on the world stage in the future, I would think.”