Henniker, NH – New Hampshire’s Pats Peak ski area is hosting the second annual YouthFest this Friday through Sunday. YouthFest 2011 is a Boston Ski Party and Youth Enrichment Services sponsored effort to support the training of next generation Olympic champions.nThe event brings together more than 40 Boston area youth along with 20 youth from other East Coast affiliated National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) clubs, ages 6-18, for three days of competitive race training and skills building, conducted by experienced Pats Peak coaches. Youths will be traveling from the District of Columbia, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania to participate in this weekend.
As a special treat, participants are expected to receive coaching advice from local US Ski Team athletes through collaboration with the T2 Foundation, which provides support to potential world-class athletes.
The Boston Ski Party, a member organization of the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS), are in their fifth year of a partnership with Pats Peak to introduce young athletes of color to the sport of skiing and to develop future ski racers and Olympic hopefuls. That partnership continues to be strong and has introduced a new generation of more than 100 skiers and snowboarders to the slopes and dreams of Olympic Gold.
“Creating the first African American Olympic medalist will take a lot of effort,” says Richard Ward from the Boston Ski Party. “It is an expensive sport which makes it difficult for many children to break into. Through our club, other NBS national affiliates and the many partnerships we have formed we are beginning to inch closer to that dream.”
Nationally, NBS clubs are moving African American skiers of color forward in the sport. Paralympic skier, Ralph Green, at 28 became the first African-American to ski an alpine event at the 2006 Paralympics Winter Games in Turin, Italy. Lauren Samuels of the NBS club Thrillseekers was named to the 2009-2010 USSA Alpine Development Team.
The Boston Ski Party is doing its share to build on that success by building a pipeline of athletes and budding stars that range in age from three to seventeen years old. During the off season these young skiers and riders participate in “dry land training” activities that improve their conditioning and build their racing skills in preparation for next season.
“Supporting cultural diversity on the ski slopes is not a new thing for Pats Peak. We have been hard at work for the last ten years to reach into the inner city of Boston,” explains Jim Wall, Pats Peak’s Director of Services. “It is natural for us to do this. We are the southern most ski area in NH, with Boston in our backyard. Working closely with organizations, like the Boston Ski Party, provides us the opportunity to earn the respect of the emerging inner city market. We are delighted with the success of these many athletes and happy to play a role in achieving the organization’s mission.”