Showdown Montana’s “Ski P.E.” Program
Text by Shane Klippenes • Photos provided by Showdown
Would you refer to a ski resort as “An innovator in the field of child health and physical conditioning”? Perhaps it would be appropriate if you were talking about Showdown Montana.
While fighting obesity and disease by encouraging children to put down the IPhone and “go do something” is all the rage these days, Showdown has been leading the charge since 1975, promoting skiing and winter sports to the youth of Central Montana through their Ski P.E. program.
Ski P.E. is a one day program (schools can opt to come multiple times) that includes equipment rental, lift ticket and a two hour class for a significantly reduced rate. This isn’t just an unsupervised day off from school either; students are placed into classes based on their ability level, instructed by long time Ski School folks throughout the morning, and turned loose to ski runs that are appropriate to their skill level after lunch.
By the Numbers
The Ski P.E. program encompasses 92 schools, some as far as 4 hours away, and over 5200 skier visits from kids on these days annually. Structure is provided for all these visits by Showdown instructors, staff from the schools and volunteer chaperones who ski for the day, at the same reduced rate. For current rates and detailed information on the Ski P.E. program, check out www.showdownmontana.com.
Just for the rich?
Bucking the stereotype that skiing is just for the well-heeled, and understanding that not all families can afford the Ski P.E. program, Showdown funds a scholarship program to allow all kids that want to participate, to do so. Based purely on referrals from teachers or school staff with knowledge of individual situations, full scholarships for Ski P.E. are funded by Showdown Montana, turning the mountain into a level playing field for skiers of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Lack of winter clothing or ski equipment is no excuse either! Showdown has boxes of “Lost and Found” ski clothing that gets “emptied and used on the mountain” on each P.E. day too. Kids should bring what they have and let their teachers know ahead of time of gear that they are missing, but Showdown will work with all students to keep them warm and safe during their time on the mountain.
Relevant?
While having a program rolling for 40 years is impressive, longevity isn’t necessarily an indicator of success or relevance. However, having participated in several Ski P.E. days as a chaperone, I can tell you first hand, that it is a highlight of the school year for many kids. They learn from the instructors, have fun with their friends, play hard in cold mountain air all day, and almost never stay awake for the bus ride home. I’d call that successful and relevant.
info@showdownmontana, www.showdownmontana.com or call Avery at 800-433-0022 for more information.
