Once again, all eyes are on Summit at the start of ski season.
After sweeping the team titles in 2005-06, the Tigers are looking at the largest ski team in Colorado in years.
“In the five years I’ve been here, we’ve gone from 16 kids to 50,” said Tory Hauser, The Denver Post’s alpine coach of the year in 2006.
The most recent school to win a team title that wasn’t Summit or its perennial rival, Aspen, was Battle Mountain, which has 10 team titles, but none since taking home the boys’ honors in 2001.
“What we have are some girls that didn’t ski last year as freshmen, but will add depth, as well as juniors and seniors returning for another season,” Hauser said.
The returning upperclassmen will be the biggest difference. In the past, older students have chosen to pursue a spot on the Junior Olympic ski teams, or focus on academics.
But a tradition of winning and a steadfast approach to academics has ushered in a new era.
“It’s not easy, but it’s a life lesson,” Hauser said when asked how the students cope with scholastic pressures. “Teaching them how to organize their time will carry over to college and beyond. We have a school that supports them in their endeavors.”
The Colorado High School Activities Association has accommodated the wishes of many ski resorts this season by moving two regular-season events, as well as the state meet, from the traditional Friday and Saturday dates to Thursdays and Fridays. This frees up more runs for paying customers on the weekends, but also puts an onus on students to cope with missing more class time.
“We hope not to face eligibility issues due to missing so much school,” said Clear Creek coach Conradt Fredell, who in his 24th year with the Golddiggers is the longest-tenured ski coach in the state after the retirement of well-respected Don Quinn of Lake County last season.
