On Wednesday afternoons, Berkshire East is beyond busy: it’s chaotic. There are NEPSAC races along with a handful of local schools that run afternoon programs for hundreds of skiers. There are parents and fans standing just to the side of the trails, cheering, shaking cowbells as their teammates and children come flying down the slalom course. And there are, of course, hundreds of people unaffiliated with any school, just there to ski, to enjoy a perk of East-Coast, mountain-town life.
You will not find Williston’s newest crop of skiers cruising down Upper Competition, the main racing slope. Or rather, you may, but they won’t be racing, they’ll be taking the trail at their own leisurely pace. And that’s exactly how they prefer it.
The members of this year’s Intramural Skiing winter afternoon program are carving up the mountain on their own terms, and without the pressure of a stopwatch keeping track of their every turn.
“It’s definitely a good opportunity to practice more than you normally would have the opportunity to, to hone your skills and get comfortable,” said Ronnie Bedard, a History and Global Studies Fellow in her second year at Williston. Bedard, who helped out with Varsity Skiing last year and grew up attending her high school’s ski club, which took place Friday nights at Berkshire East, coaches Intramural Skiing along with fellow history teacher Justin Brooks.
The approach, Bedard explained, is to keep things casual, to allow the skiers to work on skills and explore the sport at their own pace. And so far, it’s working.
“There’s not too much pressure,” said Zach Kirouac, an eighth grader on the 17-person team.
It’s a sentiment echoed by his ninth grade brother, Jake, who said: “Just being able to go and ski and enjoy the mountain—it’s a fun thing to do after school.”
Though some of the skiers are relatively new to the sport, Bedard, Brooks, and varsity Coach Chris Tanguay told participants the program is not a learn-to-ski course, and they should be comfortable with the foundations of the sport. Others are using intramural skiing to take the edge off an already busy mountain schedule.
August Roberts, an eighth grader in the program, snowboards most weekends at Stratton Mountain in Vermont. He said he chose intramural skiing because “I can just ride here,” and not worry about any pressure.
Roberts and both Kirouac brothers skied together on Jan. 14, mostly green circle and blue square runs because of icy conditions. Despite some sliding from the rough surface—what Bedard called a “harsh introduction to East Coast skiing”—they all admitted it was enjoyable.
“It’s fun to ride with my friends,” said Roberts.
The team travels to Berkshire East on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, but unlike varsity, they do not compete on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Maya Vulakh is a senior on the squad. She said she has noticed her comfort level improve with the weekly practice, but, as her middle school teammates attested, that’s not the main driver for her.
“I like the freedom Intramural ski offers me,” Vulakh said. “I get to have fun skiing without any added pressures.”
Maya added that Brooks and Beddard are “the best, very helpful and amazing coaches.”