 |
|
Check out what is new this month.... at Ignite
|
Thank you for keeping up with the news from Ignite Adaptive Sports!
The season is now in full swing. Our new and returning volunteers have provided excellent experiences to our students. The next two months will be great!
Sincerely,
Carol Nickell
|
A big Ignite welcome is due for our Client Services Coordinator Nick Goins. Nick has brought a new sense of unflappable calm to the crazy scene at the desk. Don't let that cap and low key demeanor fool you. Nick's got a dry sense of humor and a quick look from him speaks volumes. Thanks Nick for joining the Ignite team.
Nick went out and delivered flyers to the Eldora Ski School, Ski Patrol, and Lift Operations letting them know Ignite is open to all Eldora staff and students anytime to warm up and get hot drinks. One of our volunteers brought cinnamon rolls just for the lift ops folks. On the very frigid Saturday January 16th we had over 100 visitors.
Finn was on Corona later that day and the Liftie saw his jacket. As he was setting the chair he whispered to Finn: "Thanks for the cinnamon rolls, man." We're lucky to have such great staff at Eldora and we're all working together as a real team.
|
Interested in learning about the best snowshoe and hiking trails in Colorado? Be sure to check out these awesome books for sale, written by one of very own volunteers, Alan Apt. Books are for sale this season and can be purchased at WHQ!
100% of proceeds from book sales will go to Ignite, thanks Alan!
Snowshoe Routes. Colorado's Front Range $24.95, By Alan Apt, Second Edition (CMC Press) Includes 85 trails for snowshoeing or back-country skiing, and beautiful color photos and maps.
 Afoot and Afield in Denver, Boulder and Colorado's Front Range, 184 Spectacular Outings in the Colorado Rockies, Second Edition,
$
18.95, by Alan Apt, (Wilderness Press)
Includes 184 hiking trails, and is a nicely designed book and with great photos and maps.
|
Well, it's Showtime! Ignite began lessons on New Year's Eve with a small but enthusiastic crew of new students and instructors. It's wonderful to see so many returning volunteers and heartwarming to see 85 new volunteers. Our current volunteer count is 250.
Training is a hard slog for both staff and new instructors. It takes an incredible amount of time to volunteer for Ignite and I often wonder why we do it. That was answered for me last week when Eve Verderber, a new instructor, took me aside after her first lesson and said:
"Now I see why all the training was done. All the staff prepared me perfectly for my lesson and I had great student and a great time. Ignite is amazing."
Eve had tears in her eyes and so did I. Another new instructor came up to me right after that and simply said:
T
here we are folks and that's the answer. We get as much out of this as our students do. Maybe more.
We'll be continuing catch-up clinics throughout the season for those looking to increase their skills and for some latecomers.
Excelsior!
Finn Murphy
Program Director
Ignite Adaptive Sports
|
We just mounted a 163 and 170 Volkl Kendo which are specific for the HOC and KBG Mono ski's. These have a Marker DIN 30 and will only require a rear binding block. We also mounted a 163 and 170 Volkl Kendo specific for the Freedom Factory RPC SS pro comps. These 2 skis have a Marker DIN 20 and have a toe plate installed this requires a rear binding block. The same goes for our adult slider ski's, Marker DIN 20. They have a toe plate and require a heal block as well. The rear binding blocks work only on Marker bindings so please block any Marker bindings on our Mono skis.
Our new tethering belts are due in the first part of February. These will be issued by the Equipment Technicians and logged for usage and release. Each belt will have dedicated carabineers.
Think S*N*O*W*!*
Stacey
|
Congratulations!
Kudos out to
Orri Jonsson
,
Jason Kawaguchi,
Cookie McLaughlin
,
Jeannie Nelson
and
John Peterson
for attending PSIA classes and exams. We have two new Alpine Level I's in
Jeannie
and
Orri
,
Cookie
is a Snowboard Level I, and
John
and
Jason
are working toward their Level II. Our current count of instructors with PSIA certifications is now
77
.
Reminder: Ignite will reimburse you when you pass your AASI/PSIA exam!
Look for the big anniversary issue of Boulder Weekly coming up soon. They have a special section called "Unsung Heroes' and our very own Snowsport Director, John Humbrecht is their choice. John is always our choice for unsung hero but it's nice to know other people realize it too.
Big thanks to Larry and Vondra Abbott. Their kids kicked them out of their house last weekend so they booked a B&B in Boulder and worked all four days last week. Amazing!
|
 Thanks to Alex North for getting all Ignite Nordic Instructors 10% off at Boulder Nordic Sports, located at 3600 Arapahoe Avenue Suite 200 Boulder, CO 80303. You must show your Ignite Name Tag to get the 10% discount. |
|
A Word for Our Client Services Volunteers
|
"What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other?" George Eliot, Novelist
I want to send a huge THANK you to our client services staff (formerly admin). Much of their work goes undetected. Yes, we see them when we arrive in the morning, and are grateful for the coffee they keep going for us all day long, but do you know what they really do all day? They make sure all of the paperwork is in order, they make sure we have all the office and kitchen supplies we need, they take calls and answer questions about Ignite, they help caregivers and parents navigate the paperwork and other administrative stuff we need, they help lost EMR customers get to the right place, and did I say they keep the coffee hot?! Like the rest of you, the role they play is VERY important to the success of Ignite! Thank you, to all of our hard working and dedicated volunteers who Ignite the Spirit of us all!
Stop by the desk and say hello... to your client services staff!
Carol Nickell
Executive Director
|
|
Did You Fill Your Schedule with Lessons?
|
 From Jacque Carbone,
Scheduling your lessons, Fulfilling our Passion! Igniting Our Slopes!
Igniters, our lessons are filling fast for all of our snowsports, please check your availability we still need instructors both Saturday and Sunday. We are especially in need of Snowboarders.
Reminders:
- Now when you make changes in your schedule it is made in real time, no more 3 day advance notice. However, if you need to cancel the day of your lesson please still call WHQ so they know you will not be able to teach that day.
- If you volunteer on Thursday, you need to take the Visually Impaired (VI) clinics.
|
|
Eldora Mountain Resort ... Brent Tregaskis, General Manager
|
It's been a great start to the season a
nd we are thrilled to
be part of the Ignite Program here at Eldora Mountain Resort. I am new to Colorado, recently moving from Big Bear Lake, CA to assume the role as the General Manager. In my brief tenure, I have heard what a great job and how many lives your program has effected over the past forty years, introducing the sport of skiing & snowboarding to a significant population that may not consider winter sports as an option. I believe people are empowered and rewarded when they undertake and succeed at a sport or activity outside of their comfort zone. I am excited about our partnership with Ignite, and will continue to provide the resources to help you facilitate challenging and adventurous recreational programming.
You may have already noticed some exciting improvements we have made this season to the resort facilities including adding a Smoke House BBQ and the Indian Peaks Bar upstairs at the IP lodge to name a couple. We have also added new signage across the resort, replaced carpet and put a fresh coat of paint in Timbers restrooms and the West Wing. In addition to making improvements to facilities, getting to know staff, and familiarizing myself with our myriad programs- my focus this year has been to remind our employees to have FUN! and spread that energy to our guests. I encourage you to do the same while enabling achievement and continuing to provide superior instruction.
We are eager to move forward with the recently approved phase of the expansion hoping to start cutting new trails this summer, updating lifts and continued improvements to the on-hill facilities within our existing boundaries. We continue to work with the Forest Service and are reaching out to opponents of the expansion plan to educate and collaborate for approval to add 88 acres in order to increase our intermediate terrain and add more runs for all ability levels. I am confident we can all work together to expand and improve our resort and hope we will get at least the Jolly Jug lift approved shortly, as a high speed detachable lift. This lift in particular would be a great improvement for your students, volunteers and program as a whole and would better connect the beginner area to the main "Challenge" mountain.
See you on the mountain and have a great season! Brent ☺ |
- *S*N*O*W*!!
- Cups for hot drinks
- Coffee/Tea/Hot chocolate
- A 2 drawer file cabinet
- Healthy snacks for volunteer and students
- Copy paper
- Sticky notes
|
|
|
|
|
|
