Paging EC Maggots: Magic Mountain Freeride Team - step up your kids' game!

[njfreeskier]

Hello EC maggots! Winter 2012-13 is upon us. The temps are starting to get colder, ski movies are premiering, and skiing is on our minds more and more. Many of you have taken the opportunity to spend a day or two skiing at Magic to check out what all the maggot hype is all about. Some of you have done the same thing that I've done...checked out the place, and never left. Yes it is that amazing of a place.

Magic is a very friendly, family resort in southern Vermont. Someone once said that if Magic were to have a theme song, it would be the song from Cheers, because it's a place, "where everybody knows your name." It is about half an hour away from Bromley and Stratton. What sets Magic aside from every other ski area in southern Vermont is the terrain. Magic has very unique terrain. It has a plethora of tree-skiing, some very steep trails, and lots of natural terrain features that allow you to spend plenty of time hucking to your heart's desire.

Being such a family focused place, Magic has always offered programs for children. We have a tubing park, a ski school, and a racing program. One thing Magic didn't have though, was a program that helped teach children how to really ski the whole mountain and do it well. They didn't have a program that taught kids how to ski aggressively, charge difficult terrain, wiggle through tight trees, and ski the mountain like the natural terrain park that it really is. There was a need for this type of program, and last year, one was finally started.

With big mountain skiing, freestyle skiing, and freeskiing in general becoming part of main stream culture, Magic Mountain started their own Freeride Team. Despite last year being a low snow year, our inaugural year brought us a great group of kids, and we took advantage of everything our wonderful mountain has to offer. We competed at the Sugarbush and Magic stops on the Ski the East Freeride Tour, and really focused on all the elements of freeskiing including line choice, airs, spins, rails/boxes, tree skiing, control, and safety.

Now in our second year, our program is expanding. We will have a new terrain park, more tree runs, we've added a new coach, and our goal is to compete in all 4 stops on the Ski the East Freeride Tour. We are all very excited about the upcoming season, and you should be too. If you have children ages 10 to 15 who are interested in becoming better skiers, are inspired by the athletes they see in movies and the X-games, and you want them to be able to ski any trail/terrain on any mountain you go to, then the Magic Mountain Freeride Team is your way to accomplish that.

If you have any questions or are interested in having your kids join, please pm me, and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks!

[wolfelot]

This is really cool. Good luck!

[MarcusBrody]

I rode along with the team a few days last year. Those kids were having an absolute blast and the variety of things that they were getting after was awesome. I can't imagine a much more fun way to up ski skills.

Heck, I might have some kids just so I can sign them up.

[DoWork]

Count me in as a total believer. Those kids developed such a love for the adventure of the skiing there, it was really great to watch their confidence and abilities grow. Two thumbs way up for you and Jake- and who's the new coach?

[2nd mate]

cool, good luck. I cant wait to get my son on skis this winter.

[scarlet begonias]

Great work Matt! I knew leaving you in charge upon my departure would be ideal. Glad to hand the torch over and keep the program going and growing. Stoked for you guys and will follow the team all year. Hoping the team grows a bunch this year and that So VT gets DUMPED ON!! Would love to see those kids get to take full advantage of the terrain Magic has to offer them.

Ski the babies!! Rather, teens in this case . As long as we keep 'em rippin'.

Go MM Freeride Team!