Our acclaimed Friday Program is open to all LOCAL children attending MOUNTAIN VIEWS supervisory union elementary schools in grades 1-6 who want to be outdoors, have fun, make new friends and learn to ski or improve their skiing!
We meet at Saskadena 6 Ski Area for eight weeks beginning Friday, January 5th, 2024. Starting at the beginner level, instruction is divided into skill groups. Each week children are progressively taught new skills and encouraged to develop personal goals. The Friday Program is staffed by adult volunteer instructors, trained in regular clinics, who will emphasize both safety and fun while teaching your child in a friendly, non-competitive environment.
We offer instruction in alpine skiing and snowboarding. However, due to limited volunteer snowboard instructors, the beginner level snowboard program is limited to the first 25 children (age 9 and up) who register. All snowboarders must be 9 and up as of December 31, 2023.
Program Overview and Equipment Requirements
Who: Eligible participants must attend one of the Mountain Views Supervisory Union Elementary Schools (Woodstock Elementary, Barnard Academy, Reading Elementary or Prosper Valley School). Participants must be in grades 1 through 6. Sorry, the program is not available to kindergartners.
Where: Saskadena Six Ski Area
When: 2:00 – 4:00 PM Fridays, January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16, and March 1
Fee: $85 until 12/01/23 OR $95 after 12/01/2023 (all payments to be made through our online registration program) - There is no program Feb. 23 due to school holiday week.
Important Note: The Friday Program is offered to children who have a genuine interest in skiing or snowboarding. It is NOT a babysitting service. If your child spends the majority of time inside the lodge, it is possible we ask you to keep them in school as opposed to relying on volunteers to look after your child.
Transportation
Ski Runners provides a bus for the Muontain Views Supervisory Union (WCSU) schools including Reading Elementary (RES), Woodstock Elementary (WES), Prosper Valley School (TPVS) and Barnard Academy (BA), to Saskadena 6 but does not provide return transportation after the end of the program to the respective schools. If your child will be riding the bus to for the Friday Program, the cost is $25 (payable when registering).
Woodstock Ski Runners is not responsible for any participating children after 4:00 PM.
Cancellations
Program cancellations because of snow and/or unsafe road conditions are based on the Woodstock Elementary School schedule. Please listen to the local radio stations for school cancellations. Occasionally, the Friday program will be cancelled due to lack of snow, the lift being unhavailable, heavy rain or extreme cold which creates unsafe ski conditions. In this case, schools and volunteers will be notified. You can call (978) 872-3664 or check our website www.skirunners.org for updated information. Please note that we generally do not cancel due to cold weather, so please dress your children appropriately. In the event of cancellations, we will work with our partner Saskadena Six to accomodate one additional date if conditions allow on March 8th.
Equipment
Ski helmets that fit properly are required. If you are unsure whether your child’s helmet fits properly please consult a local ski shop or the Ski Shop at Suicide Six.
Safe, properly sized equipment in good condition is essential to your child’s safety and success in the program. Alpine equipment safety requirements include:
Ski helmet
Snowboards must have a leash
Skis & bindings checked and tested by a certified ski shop for safety before program starts
Please label all equipment with your child’s name. Much of the rental equipment from the local ski shops looks similar. Without your child’s name she/he will not be able to pick out their skis from the others!!
WSR volunteers and staff are not permitted to work on any equipment.
Children without safe, properly sized equipment will not be allowed to participate due to safety regulations. Equipment can be purchased or rented for the season at a variety of different locations. Please take time to review the following options that may fit your family’s needs. Please don’t wait until the last minute to get your child’s equipment!
Area ski shops: Seasonal rentals and junior packages are available at the following shops: Henderson’s, Quechee, VT (802) 295-1973, Omer and Bob’s, Lebanon, NH (603) 448-3522.
Ski & Snowboard Rentals: A limited number of seasonal rentals are available at the Saskadena 6 Ski Shop (802) 457-6661, so make sure to call early! Arrangements for rentals must be completed by Monday, December 12, 2022.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Program and equipment scholarships are available. Check the tick box when registering and an application will be provided. Applications must be submitted by December 1st for consideration.
Skiers Code of Conduct
Please carefully review these important rules with your children:
Participants must ski with their designated group and remain with an instructor at all times. Freeskiing on your own is not permitted and may be cause for dismissal from the program.
Parents and relatives are not permitted to ski with their child’s group unless they have properly registered through Woodstock Ski Runners as an official instructor.
Dangerous skiing, use of profanities, disrespectful behavior toward other skiers, instructors or WSR and Saskadena Six staff and are all causes for dismissal from the program.
Volunteers are always needed
We are asking for volunteers to just register through our online provider to streamline this process. Questions can be put to Terry Hartford at office@skirunners.org or by phone on 978 872 3664.
Registration
Registration will open here.
We’re sorry, but we cannot accommodate kindergartners.
Refund Policy
We’re sorry, but there are no refunds except in cases of injury.
Nordic skiing instruction is not offered as part of the Friday program. If your child is interested in learning Nordic skiing, please see that section of our website. You can also contact Nick at woodstocknordic@gmail.com if you have any questions!
Killington World Cup Foundation
The Woodstock Ski Runners Friday Learn to Ski & Board Program is a grateful recipient of a grant from the Killington World Cup Foundation. This funding has allowed Ski Runners to maintain a program cost of $85 per child for several years without an increase. Additionally, the KWCF grant provides for program scholarships, including the KWCF Scholarship, an opportunity for a Friday Program participant to enroll in a Ski Runners alpine racing program the following season at no cost.
about the Killington World Cup foundation
The “Killington World Cup Foundation” (KWCF) was created to support the Women's World Cup at Killington and to benefit local and regional youth development programs. The KWCF will work through Killington Resort in various ways including providing support for athlete housing and VIP events. KWCF will provide grants to support the winter sports infrastructure and access to winter sports throughout the region.
The KWCF hopes to:
Enhance the permanent ski and snowboard racing and training infrastructure in the Northeast to improve the competitiveness of athletes in the region.
Enable athletes from the Northeast to access superior training facilities and training programs or competitions in the region and throughout the country.
Increase access to winter sports for youth and individuals with disabilities
in the Northeast thereby creating more life-long participants in winter sports throughout the region.