Well, 2019 didn't get off to the chilliest start. Spring-like temperatures took a toll on all the snow that fell in December.
But no matter, we soldiered on! We had a good amount of students ready for some fun on Saturday and Sunday, and a whole host of energetic instructors ready to make the best of it.
That's the greatest thing about Wintergreen Adaptive Sports: We can take any student, with any challenge, and knock out a super day. And we can take just about any terrain and any temperature and adapt just as well.
Here's how WAS Board President Chris Ziegler, who was also giving lessons Saturday, described the weekend weather:
Ziegler's Zingers:
"This past Saturday started out looking miserable. The white slopes were scarred with muddy spots from the previous two week’s warm temperatures and the forecast was for rain and wind. As I headed out with my 9-year-old student, it was actually snowing a little bit but this quickly turned to a rotation of sleet, rain, and stinging small hail.
"Yet my student persevered through it all. He didn’t even say a word when a 30+ mph wind gust knocked him down (and took out Haley Bates as well.)
Then after about two hours the sun came out on the west side of the mountain, while the rain continued to fall on the east side and this created a double rainbow directly over the slopes. In 50 years of skiing I had never seen a rainbow on the snow, it was beautiful.
"The rainbow dissipated as the sun came out fully. Then, on his last run, my practically never-ever student linked a few turns on his own on a slack boot-tether. This is the power of what we do at WAS, although the day looked bleak and our student had every reason to pack it in, he inspired us all by sticking it out and giving us an unforgettable morning." -- Chris Ziegler, Board President.
Chris is so right! The weather was less than ideal, but spending time with these amazing students turned a lame ski day into great memories for students and instructors alike.
As you can see, about 90 percent of WAS runs on the time, talents and heart of the amazing volunteer instructors and the small winter staff. The other 10 percent? It's money. We need money to purchase new equipment, repair used equipment, and generally keep things humming along. What can you do to help us out? How about, drink a beer!
You can "hop" on over to Starr Hill Brewery (see what we did there?) and down a delicious pint of beer. Or two. And for every pint Starr Hill sells from their Crozet tap room in the month of January, $1 goes to WAS. We're the fortunate recipients of Starr Hill's "Cheers for Charity" this month, and we are super stoked for that. So, if you're a local, slide on in every day and help support WAS. If you're visiting from out of town, Starr Hill's Crozet location is really close to the interstate, at 5391 Three Notch'd Road. Stop by on your way home. And of course, drink responsibly!
Lame Joke Transition of the Week
So a man walks into a bar and sees slabs of meat hanging from the ceiling about 11 feet above the floor. He asks the bartender, "Why is that meat hanging from the ceiling?" The bartender replies, "If you can leap up and touch any one of the slabs, you drink for free the rest of the night. But if you fail, you buy everyone else's drinks the rest of the night."
The man thought about it for a while, and then politely declined. The steaks were too high.
Get it? The steaks were too high? Thank you, I'll be at the Ramada all week. Tip your bartenders and wait staff.
OK, what does that lame joke have to do with this newsletter? Well, at the Sedona Taphouse in Charlottesville, the steaks are never too high. And if you stop by on Mondays this month, there's a "Steak Out for Charity" special benefitting WAS. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every January Monday, a portion of the $8 Angus Steak Special is donated to WAS. I've been many times, and the steaks are delish! So fill your belly and help fill our bank account!
was instructor q&A:
Last weekend, we spent a little time with Kathryn Bates, from Durham, NC. She is one of the several adult instructors who first served as junior instructors. She volunteered at WAS all four of her high-school years. Now, as a student at Longwood University, she's on the WAS staff, serving as the Sunday Supervisor. It's a position that has her jumping for joy!
She's the younger sister of Saturday Supervisor Haley Bates, who followed the same path from junior instructor to adult instructor to staff member. Both Kathryn and Haley bear a strong family resemblance, most notably from their long, red hair. Which leads to occasional confusion.
Q: How often do people mix you two up?
A: Every time they see us.
Q: What is it like working with an older sister in the program?
A: I love it. I love when I get to go on lessons with Haley, because we both have very different teaching styles. And we really work well together.
Q: What is the biggest difference between being a volunteer and being a staff member?
A: As staff, basically you have to make sure everything gets done.
Q: What's your favorite thing about WAS?
A: Getting to work with all the different students and seeing how skiing has impacted them through the years. I have had some students where my first year was their first year, and I have gotten to work with them continuously every year after. And when I get to see them on the slopes, skiing on their own, that's my heart.
Q: Who gets more out of WAS, the students or you?
A: I think I get more out of it than the students do. I love it. But what really helps is we have all these instructors who love it, and that makes it so the students get so much more out of it.