Our skate team’s trip to Southern California was an incredible blend of challenges, growth, and unforgettable experiences. Over the course of a week, the team explored iconic skate parks, met inspiring mentors, and pushed their limits, making memories that will last a lifetime.

Highlights from San Diego and Beyond

The journey began in San Diego, where the team skated with Pro and Olympian Heimana Reynolds, whose energy set the tone for the trip. One athlete shared, “Skating with Heimana was so sick. I learned so much just watching him skate!”

Saturday featured a tour of Cal State San Marcos with alumni Tag Goodell and Joshua Rowe from the College Skate Education Fund. Students learned about campus life, scholarships, and the importance of building community while skating. Later, the team watched pros tackle wild features at the Tick Ditch event, an awe-inspiring highlight.

In Los Angeles, the team explored parks with local legends Robert Blazek and Jimmy R., tackling new challenges and perfecting tricks. “Skating new LA parks was amazing—I learned new tricks like back tail and back smith!”

Challenges and Lessons

Every skater faced personal challenges, from mental blocks to injuries. “I got hurt the first day but iced my ankle, wore a brace, and kept skating,” said one athlete. Despite setbacks, the group showed resilience, pushing through to land tricks they never thought possible.

The trip also provided insights into the broader skateboarding community and industry. Visits to Jokers Skate Shop and Seager Clothing offered behind-the-scenes perspectives, with one skater saying, “Hearing about Seager’s growth was inspiring—I learned so much about how the skate industry works.”

Looking Forward

From skating legendary spots to forging stronger bonds, this trip exemplified what’s possible with determination and a love for skateboarding. “I learned I can skate bigger stuff than I thought. Now I’m ready to keep pushing myself on the next trip!”

With new skills and lifelong memories, the team looks forward to their next adventure, ready to continue progressing and supporting one another along the way.

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Ry and Watou biking at Coast Gravity Park.

November is a special time in the Northwest. It brings the excitement of the approaching winter and the transition into the shorter, colder days, creating an ambiance that’s hard to define. Unlike in previous years, this November blessed us with meters of snow on Mount Hood. Both Timberline and Mount Hood Meadows opened for the season with near-record-breaking snowfall.

This year, Parents’ Weekend was combined with our annual fundraiser, Good in the Woods, to kick off the season. Both events were the most successful to date, raising over $80,000 toward building our new Learning Lab. These events also offered invaluable quality time together on campus and at Nemo Design in Portland.

When students weren’t on the mountain making the most of the fresh powder, they were on the road skating, biking, and touring universities across Southern California, Washington, and Canada. Meanwhile, college applications are being sent out worldwide as seniors begin to map out their next steps in life.

Every student has been putting in the hard work to prepare for an exciting season ahead. We can’t wait to see their goals turn into reality!

 - Mike Hanley

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ACADEMICS

Students enjoying Good in the Woods, our annual fundraiser.

Preparing for holidays and sport-specific trips is exciting but comes with significant academic challenges. One of our primary responsibilities as teachers is to ensure each student is set up for success in their classes, even when they are off campus.

As we approach the final month of the semester, many students are spending Thanksgiving with their families. While it’s a well-deserved break, it’s easy for students to lose focus on schoolwork. Falling behind even a week can quickly snowball, especially with ski and snowboard team trips scheduled shortly after their return to campus. By the time students come back from these trips, there’s less than a week left in the semester—leaving little room to catch up.

To address this, our academic team has been emphasizing the importance of staying caught up or even working ahead. We want students to finish the semester with minimal stress, and staying on track academically is key to achieving that goal.

This semester, students have truly embraced this philosophy. Most are in an excellent position with their pacing and performance. They’ve recognized that staying current with their work makes their lives significantly easier and avoids the stress of scrambling to catch up.

- Adam and Heidi

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STUDENT LIFE

Students posing in front of the Portland Spirit over Thanksgiving break.

What a big November it was at Wy’East! The month kicked off with Parent's Weekend, where we welcomed families to experience how the program operates. Highlights included athletic demos, goal presentations, delicious meals, and activities like our annual Paintball competition—adults versus kids.

In the following weekends, our students had the special opportunity to give back to local communities by volunteering with the Oregon Special Olympics and Portland Parks and Recreation. November brought plenty of snow and relentless rain, but indoor activities like Top Golf and bowling remained student favorites—a perfect way to stay active despite the weather.

We ended November in true holiday spirit. Ten students stayed on campus for Thanksgiving, and our residential team organized a big overnight outing. The group enjoyed a festive Thanksgiving meal on the Portland Spirit before heading to Seattle for three nights. In Seattle, students went Black Friday shopping and whale watching with Puget Sound Express.

Check out this amazing shot taken by freshman ski student Zach Gagne from the boat!

 - Barbara and team

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CULINARY

Delicious food served at Good in the Woods.

November has been a great month for us! The students have been enjoying delicious meals in the café, with dishes ranging from Traeger-smoked ribs and nachos to Loco Moco, enchiladas, and all their favorite comfort foods.

This past month, the culinary department welcomed a special guest in the kitchen. Quinn Murray had a class assignment to prepare a German dish, and after discussing ideas, we decided on Spaetzle. Quinn joined us in the kitchen and prepared the dish for the entire student body—it was a hit!

On a bittersweet note, we’re saying goodbye to Sarah E., a key member of our team. Sarah was instrumental in launching the bakery side of the café, crafting all the baked goods from scratch with care and dedication. She will be deeply missed by her teammates and everyone on campus.

We wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving and look forward to seeing the students back after their break!

 - The Culinary Team

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FREESKI TEAM

Ski team enjoying the sun in Mammoth, CA.

Greetings, Freeski Families,

To say November treated us well would be an understatement! We began the month by giving our team a behind-the-scenes look at the ski industry with a tour of the ON3P factory in Portland. The team had the chance to see the entire ski production process, from start to finish, and interact with employees along the way. The tour concluded with a group photo and a Q&A session with Scott, the founder, and Sean, the Global Brand Manager. They shared the story of the company’s founding, what they look for in team riders, and their vision for the future.

With early and frequent snow, the lifts were spinning in no time. Opening week was unforgettable, with several feet of snow falling over five days. We were skiing powder, getting face shots, hitting features, and fully embracing storm riding! We took advantage of a few double athletic days, spending hours on the mountain building jumps, getting everyone airborne, and enjoying soft, pillowy landings. Once the storm cleared, park features began to appear, giving us a training venue.

We also dedicated a few mornings to edging drills, both forward and switch. Regardless of an athlete's skill level, these fundamentals are always worth practicing and refining!

As the semester winds down, we’re looking forward to the December On-Snow Camps and reuniting for the final week of the term!

 - Breeze, Topher, and Leo

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SNOWBOARD TEAM

Snowboard team visiting the Mervin factory.

What an incredible month we’ve had here in Oregon, especially for the snowboard team! Training kicked off in full swing at the start of the month. We spent our days in BOB focusing on air awareness on the trampolines, building core strength with team workouts, and honing skills on the dry slope rails and airbag.

Mother Nature treated us to the season’s first major snowstorm, allowing us to create our own DIY terrain park in a secret spot among the trees on Hoot. It was an exciting and productive experience as the team bonded while setting up and building features for everyone to enjoy.

Mid-month, we loaded up the vans for a quick overnight trip to Washington, where we toured the Mervin Manufacturing factory, home to LibTech, GNU, and Roxy snowboards. The team had the chance to meet key figures in the industry, including a brand videographer, the Team Manager, the Head of Board Building, and even the founder, Mike Olsen. The visit was packed with valuable insights and inspiration.

Back at Hood, the next storm cycle brought even more snow, leading to Timberline’s earliest full-time lift opening in about a decade. We took full advantage, enjoying a week of deep powder days. The team built jumps, practiced landing in soft snow, and got a firsthand look at just how much snow Hood can deliver—especially exciting for those new to the area. Shortly after Timberline’s opening, Mt. Hood Meadows followed with an impressive early-season park featuring multiple rails, diverse features, and small and medium jumps. Compared to last year, we’re off to a fantastic start!

Currently, the team is in the progression phase of our coaching process, preparing for the execution phase during our trip to Mammoth in early December. Mammoth already boasts a top-tier park and is getting hammered with fresh snow. The focus of the trip will be on jumps, rails, switch riding, content creation, and developing slopestyle run ideas for our January competitions.

We’re looking forward to an epic winter here on Hood!

Cheers,
Brandon and Stewart

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MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM

Mountain Bike team visiting BC, Canada.

The momentum from the previous month carried seamlessly into November. As we transitioned to spending more time in BOB focusing on building strength and learning new tricks, the energy has remained high. It’s great to see the students embrace this shift and recognize the value of spending less time on the bike to rebuild strength after the previous riding season. This preparation will help them enter the upcoming season feeling strong and ready.

Our trip to Coast Gravity Park was the highlight of the semester. It was a major success, with significant progression among the students. Whether it was landing new tricks on dirt or tackling challenging lines that once intimidated them, everyone pushed their limits. Each student created an Instagram post from the trip, and I managed to capture at least one photo of every participant. Another positive aspect of the trip was the students’ ability to welcome and include others, fostering a sense of team unity. I’m proud of how cohesive and supportive the team has become.

With the nice weather this week, we’ll be making the most of it while keeping up with workouts. I’m excited to see the progress the students have made so far continue into December!

 - Kevin Simpers

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SKATE TEAM

Skate team enjoying a beautiful sunset in San Diego, California. 

Our Southern California trip was epic! Despite some injuries and long days, the students brought incredible energy to every activity. Each day started around 8-8:30 am and ended between 8-10 pm.

Highlights included skating in San Diego with Pro/Olympian Heimana Reynolds, who extended his time with us and will also guide our Hawaii trip in January. On Saturday, we toured Cal State San Marcos with academy alum Tag and Joshua Rowe from the College Skate Education Fund. They shared insights on campus life, making connections, and scholarship applications. Joshua stressed the importance of taking time to fill out our application, being thoughtful, and thorough. Later, we attended the Tick Ditch event, watching top pros skate extreme features.

Sunday and Monday were spent exploring LA with Robert Blazek, a skate industry leader, and Jimmy R., our summer camp director. Tuesday took us to Orange County for fun, simple skateparks and a sunset beach visit. Thank you to Nicole and Tim for hosting us for dinner that evening!

Wednesday, we visited Capps, a skater-run embroidery shop, and on the final day, we had a last skate at Prince Park and toured Seager Clothing’s flagship store. We learned from Justin Hughs about growing a small garage brand into an international success.

The students made this trip unforgettable!

 - Brian Johnson

Ski Team visits ON3P

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Somehow, it is already November, and the snow has started to come down again on Mount Hood. Recently, someone told me, "Oregon only gets one storm per year, but it lasts for seven months." Transition periods can be challenging, whether athletic, academic, or meteorological, but these are times of growth when we shift gears to overcome new challenges in life. October is always a roll of the dice in the Pacific Northwest; it might be snowing, or it might be sunny and 70 degrees, so you have to make the most of each day.

It's inspiring to see so many of our students embrace this time, training on the dry slopes in the rain to progress their bag of tricks before trying them on snow. Many of these same students have been applying the same dedication in the classroom, working ahead, knowing they will have a busy travel schedule in the months ahead. Nearly our entire student body challenged themselves with either the PSAT or SAT, practicing resilience in the face of standardized testing.

Embracing challenges and overcoming obstacles can be pivotal in shaping the future, and these kids are getting a head start on the competition just around the corner.

Mike Hanley

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ACADEMICS

One of the most important aspects of being a teacher at Wy'East Academy is ensuring that each student is on pace to finish all of their classes by the end of the semester. When you factor in that each sport has a different travel schedule for training and competitions, combined with students occasionally taking trips back home, it can get confusing for each student to know exactly where they should be.

One tool we've established to help is a pacing goal calendar (pictured above). Each student has access to this calendar, which shows them exactly where they should be to stay on track. The calendar is broken down by sport and provides a day-by-day percentage of where they should be in their classes. We also use these pacing goal numbers to assign students to study hall or double academic days: study hall is assigned when a student is slightly behind, while double academic days are assigned when a student has fallen a bit further behind. Each of these options is designed to give every student the best opportunity to complete all of their classes by the semester’s end, despite time spent off-campus.

Attending a school like Wy'East has many perks. Traveling around the country and world to participate in your favorite sport is an experience that few people get to have. Providing each student with specific pacing goals is our way of ensuring they can fully enjoy those opportunities while excelling academically.

Adam and Heidi

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STUDENT LIFE

Students right before bungee jumping (most are trying to be brave but are very nervous)

October was action-packed with weekend activities. Although our students are very invested in their extreme sports, many of the Wy'East kids also enjoy following local high school athletics. At the beginning of the month, Wy'East attended a Nelson High School football game. Melt Away Boutique, a local massage therapy program, also joined us for weekend sessions on campus. Students were selected for appointments based on their athletic and academic effort. These offerings will continue through this semester and into the next.

In other notable events, the students demonstrated bravery at Central Oregon Bungee Adventures and Bungee Masters, two of the tallest bungee jumps in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, Central Oregon is home to the tallest bungee jump in North America.

Of course, the October spirit wouldn't be complete without a Halloween celebration. The Student Government organized a pumpkin carving event on a sunny Thursday afternoon, where cabins competed to carve the most creative pumpkin. The winning pumpkin had buck teeth and a mohawk made from its pulp. The festivities continued with a trip to Portland's haunted house, The Scaregrounds, and some local trick-or-treating in the Sandy neighborhoods.

To round out the month, the skiers took to the high dive to showcase their trampoline skills in a different setting. This activity is always a favorite.

Barbara Edwards and Team

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CULINARY

We’ve been enjoying making great food for the student body! Sarah has been focusing on house-made breakfast items, cookies, and desserts, and she’s starting to ensure that our gluten-free and vegan students are well taken care of. Stephannie, our morning cook, has been doing an amazing job with breakfast and lunch; her presence in the kitchen has made a real impact on the students' morning meals and complements Kellen’s skills beautifully. Kellen continues to impress everyone with his dinners each night, which are always a hit with the students. As for me, I get to watch my team thrive in the kitchen, making sure we’re moving in the right direction.

Travis and Culinary Team

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FREESKI TEAM

Hello Freeski Families,

October was a well-rounded month for the freeski team, as everyone has settled into our daily training schedule. It’s been fantastic to see the camaraderie and bonding among the team, with everyone supporting each other’s progression. We’ve packed our days with dynamic warmups and a variety of gym routines, including core workouts, weighted exercises, and stationary bike sprints. We balance our training between indoor sessions on the trampolines and workouts, and outdoor practice, focusing on rail tricks and reps on the airbag jump.

A highlight this month was our trip to Park City for early-season training on their larger dry-slope airbag. During our stay, we enjoyed a tour of Westminster University in Salt Lake City from a former Wy’East Academy student. We also visited the Center of Excellence, where Team USA athletes train, see physiotherapists, and work out on trampolines.

Recently, we had the unique opportunity to tour the Line and K2 Advanced Resource Collective, where we observed how prototypes are conceptualized and brought to life before mass production. Witnessing the process from start to finish gave us a new appreciation for the craftsmanship behind the equipment we use.

We’re excited for the season to begin—this team is ready to reach new heights!

LET IT SNOW!

Brian, Topher, Leo

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SNOWBOARD TEAM

Greetings, Snowboard Families,

October was an action-packed month filled with memorable experiences for our team. We dove fully into our three-phase training cycle of progression, execution, and reflection, a philosophy that has been essential to achieving success in athletic goals. The progression and execution phases were especially intense during our team trip to Europe. Some athletes focused on perfecting their competition runs and then executed them during events, while others pushed their progression, learning new tricks in Terneuzen, and capturing these on film to build their social media portfolios. The drive to improve continued back home at Banger Park, where the team trained on landing bags and ramped up their skills. We’re incredibly proud of everyone’s hard work and dedication on this trip.

Back in Oregon, the team had time to reflect, catch up on schoolwork, and recharge at the Mount Hood Athletic Club. Once everyone was ready, we returned to our campus training schedule, putting in hours on the dry slopes, trampolines, and in the gym.

In the snowboarding world, there's an ongoing debate: is snowboarding a sport, an art form, or a lifestyle? For us, it's a lifestyle. While it has elements of both sport and art, snowboarding represents more than just competition. To switch things up, we also took a surf day at the coast, where we lucked out with sunshine and clean waves.

We hope you enjoyed the trip recap and videos shared on Google Drive. Please keep an eye out for upcoming communications, as we will soon begin the competition registration process, finalize season passes, and tie up a few details for our winter semester. Until then, we hope you're enjoying the fall season, and here’s to a snowy November!

Cheers,
Brandon & Stew

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MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM

Hello Mountain Bike Families,

October was an incredible month! It’s been so encouraging to see students carry their energy from September, continually pushing their riding to new levels. The positive team environment, where students support each other in learning tricks, capturing clips, and encouraging one another, has been inspiring to witness. While time on the bike is important, the camaraderie and teamwork off the bike have been equally rewarding.

Our trip to Port Gamble was a semester highlight, especially with Arlan joining us to work on the Varsity Team video. The students collected a ton of footage for the video and their own social media, and we took some time to explore the historic town and its old sawmill—a nice break and a chance to engage in some team bonding.

October also gifted us with plenty of sunny days, which allowed us to maximize our time riding on campus and building up trick repertoires on the airbag. With fewer sunny days ahead, we’ll start shifting our focus toward gym work to build strength for the upcoming season. I’m excited to see the progress made so far carry into November!

Kevin Simpers

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SKATE TEAM

Skate team enjoying a beautiful sunset in San Francisco

Hi Skate Families,

October was a great transition month for the skate program. We started off with warm, sunny days that let us make the most of Portland parks and the Jungle. We also worked on a skate photo project inspired by a video from Matt Price, where students paired up to try capturing skate photos and then chose their best shots for peer review.

Mid-month, we took our first trip of the year to San Francisco, visiting SF State and UC Santa Cruz. Two big highlights were DLX Distribution and Alcatraz Island. At DLX, Andy Pitts (Art Director) and Frank Gerwer (TM/Pro) gave the students an inside look at how simple sketches transform into board graphics. The Alcatraz tour was a hit—students were so engaged they even prepared questions for a former inmate.

We skated the new UN Plaza park and spent a lot of time at two iconic spots, Fort Miley and Battery Banks, both overlooking the Pacific. Thursday, we did a full-day city skate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., covering 10 miles, hitting favorite skate spots, and seeing tourist sites. We even fit in a surf session at Cowell’s in Santa Cruz!

Looking forward to November, we’ll start with a digital lines contest where students will film each other’s one-minute runs, with industry friends providing feedback. Mid-month, we’ll head to Southern California for more skating, industry visits, college tours, and sunshine.

Looking forward to another great month ahead!
Brian Johnson

Park City Airbag Camp Recap: Progress, Challenges, and Plenty of Fun

Our ski team just wrapped up an unforgettable week at the Park City Airbag Camp. Between training, meeting up with local legends, and getting in some off-the-slope fun, it was a fantastic time with a ton of progress all around.

Chasing Goals and Making Gains

Each athlete came with goals—from dialing in corks to tackling new spins—and it was awesome to see everyone make strides. One athlete shared, “I got the dub 10 and un nat cork 7 and improved my sets,” while another noted, “I got super comfortable with tricks I wasn’t comfortable doing on snow.” Even if some goals were a little out of reach, everyone walked away with something accomplished. “I didn’t achieve my goal of a dub 10, but I was happy with my efforts and learned a lot,” one athlete said.

Our focus was on building strong foundations, and that really showed in everyone’s progress by the end.

Facing Challenges Head-On

There were some tough moments—injuries, nerves, you name it—but the team pushed through. “I was nervous about some tricks, but I believed in myself and just went for it,” one athlete reflected. Another got a concussion but stayed upbeat, helping out with filming and supporting their teammates from the sidelines.

We also tackled hard spins. One athlete said, “It was hard to fix my cork 7 set, but I listened to the coaches and grinded.” Their determination was inspiring to watch.

Beyond the Airbag: Connecting and Learning

The camp wasn’t all training! A highlight was visiting Pit Viper HQ, where the athletes got a glimpse of the action sports industry. They toured the office, got to see unreleased gear, and met the founder, who had some awesome stories about starting the brand. “The Pit Viper tour was super fun, and I learned a lot about marketing,” shared one athlete.

We also hosted a pizza night where current athletes and alumni came together, including pro skiers and US Ski Team members. “Meeting the alumni and hanging out with them was really special,” said one camper. Seeing multiple generations of our Academy athletes connecting made it a night to remember.

Looking Ahead

This trip was a big success. The athletes came home with new skills, more confidence, and a taste of life on the road. We’re also thrilled to be nearing the opening of our very own airbag setup, so training can continue all year round.

As one athlete wisely said, “Being confident about my skiing will help me continue my progression.” We can’t wait to see where this confidence takes them in the season ahead. Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible—here’s to many more adventures!

Wy'East Mountain Academy proudly presents "VARSITY 2024"—an action-packed film that chronicles the incredible journeys of our talented students as they explore the globe, pursuing their passion for the sports they love most. From snow-covered peaks to crusty skateparks, and every adventure in between, this video showcases the commitment, skill, and camaraderie of our young athletes as they push their limits and embrace new challenges. Watch as they progress in their chosen sports, build lifelong friendships, and create unforgettable memories along the way.

Filmed and Edited by Arlan George

Wyatt Beers competing at Legacy Bike Park.

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Wy'East Mountain Academy made significant progress with the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Arrival Day saw more parents on campus than we have had in the past 15 years. It was an incredible opportunity to connect face-to-face with nearly every parent and student, as they arrived from eight different countries, bringing great momentum to kick off the year. The day concluded with an in-person orientation for staff, students, and parents in B.O.B., setting the tone for how we can continue to raise the bar on what is possible at Wy'East. This quickly transitioned into the Week of Welcome, where students had the chance to collaborate with every staff member and student, regardless of grade or sport. The cultural value of improving lives through shared passions was contagious, leading directly to our first podium results of the year for the mountain bike team. Meanwhile, the snow programs are heading to Europe and Utah, and the skaters are off to California to expand their horizons.

Sincerely, 
Mike Hanley

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ACADEMICS

Prestyn Redd, Thomas Xu, and Tino Wang working hard on schoolwork.

Academically, we are off to a fantastic start this semester. It was very exciting to meet so many parents on arrival day as well as all of the new and returning students. Having a face to put to each of the emails that we send and receive will offer a help to both teachers and parents alike. It was also really nice to be able to sit down with each student/parent set and go over the coursework plan that the teachers have planned out for them. That was a great chance to discuss the overall plan for each student as they strive to earn a diploma from Wy’East Academy. 

The students have begun the semester as they typically do…we have some students who have raced out of the gate and are already way ahead in their classes. We also have a large portion of students who are just staying right near the established pacing goal for their sport. And then we have a few students who are adjusting to the online learning platform and beginning the semester a little bit behind. Many of the kids who fall into the last grouping are new students who just need to learn how class works here at Wy’East. We are already noticing a positive change in those students and we anticipate each student catching up to their specific pacing goal. 

The general attitude in class has been one of hard-working, goal-oriented students. They all know that in order to be able to maximize their training, they need to stay caught up with their classes. We have begun assigning double academic days for students who have shown that they may need some extra time to stay caught up and we also utilize study hall for those who need a little less extra time. These extra class hours are exactly what some of the students need from time to time and it’s nice to have the resources available to be able to offer that. 

Best,
Adam and Heidi

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STUDENT LIFE

The entire Wy'East student body on arrival day.

Our September kicked off with an exhilarating white water rafting expedition on the Deschutes River. Guided by experienced instructors, students navigated through exciting rapids, building teamwork and camaraderie as they paddled through the swift waters, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Students laced up their hiking boots and set out to explore two of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Mt. Hood Area: Little Hawaii and Tamanawas Falls. The scenic trails provided ample opportunities to appreciate the stunning autumn foliage and the vibrant nature surrounding us. Students were captivated by the mesmerizing sights and sounds of cascading water, with many stopping to take pictures and enjoy the serene beauty of the landscape.

The month culminated in a rejuvenating trip to the Ka-Nee-Tah hot springs. Located on the Warm Springs Reservation, these natural hot springs offered the perfect way to unwind after the first full month of action-packed training and travel. Students soaked in the warm waters, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the chance to relax and chat with friends. It was a wonderful way to reflect on the experiences so far while soaking up the natural beauty of the area.

Best,
Barbara and the residential team

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CULINARY

What a great month September was for the culinary team! Before all the students moved into their cabins, we hosted our annual Adult Skate Camp. The whole campus was sold out and our adult campers enjoyed great food and skating. The highlight of the weekend was our plated dinner on the second evening.

We loved welcoming new and returning students to campus. It was great to see a full campus of new students. The culinary team has been hard at work to create different meals to start off the year for the students and staff. We have a new addition in the morning, Stephannie, and she gives us a great start each morning with nutritious and delicious food. Lunches have been good with choices of chicken tenders, burritos, gyros and other student favorites. Kellen has done an amazing job at taking care of dinners, with a focus on a great home cooked meal. Overall, the students have been happy with the food we are providing them.

Best,
Travis and the culinary team

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FREESKI TEAM

Greeting Freeski Families,

What a fantastic start to the school year! The energy has been just as high as when we kicked things off with our Week of Welcome. It was wonderful to see our athletes come together, not only within their own sports but also alongside other disciplines. The camaraderie is growing, and we couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead. 
 
Throughout the month, athletes collaborated closely with one another and got to know all of the coaches, setting a strong foundation for the season. Along with team bonding, students completed their standardized testing, giving us valuable insights into where they are and how we can support their growth. Each athlete has also received a performance booklet, which will be crucial in setting goals and creating personalized plans to develop their skills. From here, the focus is on progression—both academically and athletically. 

The fall weather has been perfect. We’ve had plenty of sunny days, and with the leaves starting to change, that only means one thing: snow is on the way! We can’t wait to see the progress these athletes will make in the months ahead!

Best,
Brian, Topher, and Leo

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SNOWBOARD TEAM

Snowboard team spending a day surfing on the Oregon coast.

Dear Snowboard families,

We are excited to wrap up the first month of school here at Wy'East! It was great to meet the parents that dropped their kids off on arrival day, and we look forward to meeting those that didn’t in the near future during Parents Weekend. We had an awesome start to the school year with the Week of Welcome and during the start of our sport specific training. 

During the "Week of Welcome", our students participated in a variety of activities designed to foster camaraderie and fun. Through spirited games of knockout and dodgeball, engaging team-building exercises, everyone had a chance to interact and build new friendships. It was also a great opportunity for everyone to see eachother thrive in their specific sports, as well as maybe pick up a new one. It was a joy to see our campus alive with laughter and teamwork!

Our snowboarders have been particularly active, taking full advantage of the dryslope zones on the airbag jump and rails. They’re making great strides in honing their skills as they prepare for upcoming competitions and the season ahead. Additionally, our students have been utilizing trampolines, the gym, and stationary bikes to stay fit and ready for our exciting trip to Europe.

The snowboard team will be ending the month of September and welcoming October from the Netherlands where we have two groups of riders dividing and conquering another European country. One group will be competing at Snowworld Landgraff, and another will be focused on training and content creation at Snowworld Terneuzen. We will then join forces and train all together in Austria for one day at Banger Park’s world class airbag training facility (who designed our new coming campus landing bag), and two days at Hintertux, a glacier in the Austrian Alps that sets up and awesome park and a great place to start the early snowboard season. 

We look forward to updating everyone when we return home. Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this amazing journey together!

Cheers,
Stewart and Brandon

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SKATE TEAM

Skate team visiting Tactics in Portland, OR.

Hi Skate Families,

The first month of the 2024/25 school year has been action packed. The skate crew is getting along well and they have a great dynamic during athletics. Everyone has been pushing themselves hard to progress and check off their goals. We have been spending a lot of time in the Concrete Jungle taking advantage of the warm sunny weather and taking shelter in Bob on the couple rainy days we have had. We joined up with the snowboard program for a day of surfing at the coast and will try to get a couple more surf days in before the coast gets too unruly.

A big highlight from the month was the NorthWest Open September 21st-22nd. This event was put on in collaboration with Tactics Boardshop, Cons Shoes, and Ourselves. The Skate students made their way to downtown Portland to watch the Pro/Invite contest on Saturday. For this event features were built at Directors Park and the pros skated in 3 jams for cash. The students were able to skate on the features after each jam if they wanted to. There was a vendor village as well for the public to win prizes from the sponsors. The Sunday portion of the event was held on our campus. The focus for this day was an open youth contest and two public jams for cash. The youth contest was capped at 50 competitors skating in 3 person 2 min jams in the Jungle. From the jams the top 10 moved on to finals where they had three 45 sec runs, best run counts. It was a full weekend of skating for the students between jumping into the public jams (pros included in public) and the youth contest. I am very proud of how all of the students skated and pushed themselves. Lila took 1st in women's and Dj took 3rd with Cam getting 4th in the open youth.

Our first big trip of the semester is coming up quickly. We will be in San Francisco Oct.11th-18th meeting industry connections, skating the city, and visiting colleges. SF is a major hub for the skate industry and is viewed as the proving grounds for the best skaters in the world. Nothing about skating in SF is easy, the ground is rough, the hills are steep, and at every spot you skate there will likely be someone filming for a video or shooting a photo for an ad. This trip is usually most students' favorite trip given the amount of people we see and the industry we get to visit. 

Best,
Brian Johnson

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MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM

Hello Mountain Bike Families,

The mountain bike team had a great start to the semester and month of September. Our training was brief before the trip to Legacy Bike Park but proved to be beneficial with the success of our team during this trip. Congratulations to LJ for coming in 1st in Pro Men and Kayla for coming in 3rd in Pro Women. Although Ry, Watou, and Wyatt didn’t podium during the event they were able to get some sick photos and videos from the trip. It was long days at the park and all the kids were up and ready to go from sun up to sun down. I cannot be happier with the group of students that we have on the team and am excited to see what the month of October holds for the progression of the team.

Best,
Kevin Simpers

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2024!

Wy'East Mountain Academy is pleased to congratulate the graduating class of 2024!

On April 26, students, families, friends, and staff gathered inside the indoor skatepark (B.O.B.) to celebrate the 2024 graduating class of Wy’East Academy. The space was transformed from a daily skatepark into a unique blend of fine dining elegance and gritty concrete transitions.

Leading the graduation ceremony were Head of School Mike Hanley and Academy President Kevin English. Memorable moments included empowering speeches from Valedictorian Olivia Espenschied and Keynote Speaker Danielle Audino. Among the attendees were Wy’East Academy's staff members, including Facilities Manager Michael Archer, Dean of Students Barbara Edwards, and Athletic Directors from various programs.

All graduates were accepted into a 4-year university and continues our 4-year streak of 100% college acceptance rate!

The evening's festivities included a dinner paired with the premiere of "Varsity," a film showcasing the athletic prowess of Wy'East students, set to make a splash on Youtube and across the internet soon.

Additional photos of the event, as well as a recording of the ceremony can be found on Facebook.

The commencement speaker was Danielle Audino, alumna of Wy'East Mountain Academy, formally known as Windells Academy. Her remarks have been published and can be viewed here. 

Dani Audino is known for pushing boundaries for herself and those around her from the ski slopes, to the soccer fields, in the corporate world, and beyond.  Dani began her journey at Windells Academy as the sole female skier from 2011 - 2012. Rising through the ranks, she was a consistent competitor on the national scene. In college, Dani competed on both her collegiate soccer and ski teams, ultimately becoming captain of the soccer team her senior year. 

Combining her passion for athletics and business, Dani earned a Masters of Science in Sports Product Management from the University of Oregon, specializing in technical footwear creation. Upon graduation, she landed a job at her dream company,  Specialized Bicycle Components, and dove head-first into the world of cycling. In 2021, Danielle answered the call to serve, commissioning into the Marine Corps as a Combat Engineer Officer - a role that only recently opened to females in 2017. Today, she continues to serve in the reserves as an engineer platoon commander and the first female lieutenant in her unit. Simultaneously, she returned to the world of cycling as the Product Manager for Footwear at Specialized. As a barrier-breaking professional in cycling and a dedicated Marine Corps officer, Dani inspires others to pursue their dreams relentlessly. 

WY’EAST MOUNTAIN ACADEMY CLASS OF 2024

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APRIL 2024 EDITION

Juniors touring University of Oregon

Spring in Oregon is the season of change. Whether it is the end of the school year, snowing one day or 70 degrees the next, there is excitement in the air. For the first time ever we have reached our capacity for the graduation ceremony in BOB with friends, family & staff coming in to celebrate our 23 graduating seniors. Students are still traveling the globe to compete in their athletic disciplines to get in their final podium performances before it is time to head home and get ready for what life has in store. After over five years of planning, we have finally broken ground on the construction of the landing bag on campus. We were all in shock at how fast the machinery took down the trees to reveal the mountainside that will be the home of the best angled landing bag training facility in the world. While change can be scary at times, we know that it also comes with limitless potential for growth. As we all brace ourselves for the new face of Wy'East Academy's 28 acres, we are reminded that the only constant in life is change. As all of our departing seniors and Gap Year students transition into life as college students and beyond we join them in the adventure of embracing this next step for all of us! 

Mike Hanley

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ACADEMICS

Students taking advantage of a sunny day and doing school work outside

One of the many great things that comes along with the arrival of Spring is the higher frequency of days with sunshine. Academically, this gives us the opportunity to take our learning outside where we can all enjoy the warm, dryer days while also getting some work done. Wy’East has many options available for outside learning. There are many picnic tables in the grassy areas as well as a table on the cafe patio and multiple options for places to sit on the many skateboard/mountain bike structures around campus. In addition to being great places to learn, being outside also fuels students with valuable Vitamin D and the many health benefits that come along with that.  

We all look forward to the days that are dry enough and warm enough to work outside. The students have done a great job of showing that they are still able to get their work done when we work outside and that has given them the opportunity to do that more often. Not every group of students will be able to navigate all of the potential hazards of working outside but this group has shown that they can handle the responsibility and thus, are able to reap the benefits. We look forward to many more outside learning days as we finish up the semester later this month.  

 Hannah and Adam

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STUDENT LIFE

Student showing off the fish they caught

We were so lucky to have some amazing sunny weekends in March! We started the month off watching the epic Monster Jam which comes to town once a year. Who doesn't love a good monster truck drift? The next weekend, Wy'East juniors traveled to Oregon State University and the University of Oregon for a two day adventure to explore what a college campus has to offer. We ended this trip at a U of O Ducks basketball game, and it was a nail biter. The Ducks brought home a win at the last second, and the arena was packed with excited fans. Back on home base, the remainder of the student body went to see the Trail Blazers game, and also celebrated a huge win in overtime. It was a great weekend for Oregon basketball. A small group of our dedicated students attended the Portland Parks and Recreation Terwilliger Parkway volunteer opportunity in mid march, where they really made an impact in planting over 150 plants and removing 1000 sq ft of non-native blackberry and ivy. It is a special moment when our students are able to give back and contribute to local trail systems, and we believe it helps them better understand the value of our Mt Hood National Forest. This weekend, we are soaking in more sunshine by visiting the opening weekend of Oaks Amusement Park and also traveling just down the road to fish at the local Rainbow Trout Farm. The students have taken to blow-up pool parties and DJ'ing on the cafeteria deck during their weekend down time. April will be packed with more of this sunshine and fun, and we are looking forward to a few more weekends of adventure and activity. 

Barbara and Team

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CULINARY

Fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast and the newly planted vegetable garden

The month of March was another great time for the Culinary Department. With teams traveling all over the World, we were able to get some things done around the Café, notably, our garden. Kellen took to a sunny morning one weekend to come in and till the garden beds. He planted asparagus, onions, added pineberries to the strawberry bed, and string beans to grow on a trellis. We are waiting for another week or so to start planting lettuce. I am looking forward to seeing the garden grow this season.

Besides the garden, we are still feeding all the students a well-balanced meal and we are trying to mix it up. Kellen has done a great job in creating a robust dinner for the students every night. As well as, I have been doing a good job in the morning with breakfast and lunch. I have been getting help in the morning with Preston Archer. He is starting to get a great handle on everything. Also, we have a baker in the mix now! I have rehired Sarah E. who stepped away for a year and a half. She is doing a great job in making tasty treats for the students.

The Culinary Team

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FREESKI

e've got a lot to catch up on. Here's a quick rundown of what went down this month.

First off, B team departed to Mammoth from Tahoe. The course at Mammoth proved to be tough but Topher and the crew were able to get some solid training and media. After the competition the team had an amazing day at Boreal. Everyone took advantage of the conditions and leveled up with some awesome new tricks. In the meantime, sunny days at Timberline for the crew at home meant it was time to focus on those unnatural and switch tricks. The crew embraced the challenge and progressed some of their fundamental skills. 

Shortly after the A team left for Aspen Rev Tour.  From Rev tour the squad went straight to Italy for Junior World Championship. Representing our crew on the world stage!

Meanwhile, the C team headed to White Pass and came back with a whole bag of new rail tricks. While we were there a few were able to compete in the last IFSA big mountain competition of the season. It's amazing to see everyone expanding their arsenal of tricks and pushing their limits.

Back on campus, our students have been gearing up for nationals. The excitement is palpable as we get ready to hit the road to Colorado.

 Brian, Shannon and Topher

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SNOWBOARD

Willie riding at Mission Ridge

Hello Families!
March has been a great time for the snowboard team! With nationals on the horizon, everyone has been buckling down and getting as much training in as they possibly can on both jump and rail lines. Coaches and students have been hard at work, and the results have been showing in everyone’s riding. We also took a trip up to mission ridge to get some time on a rope tow set up, which allowed for a lot of rail training as well as an increase in clips and social media postings. On March 28th Stew and Alec will leave with the team for USASA nationals in Copper mountain. We wish everyone the best of luck!

Best regards and hope for fair weather,

 Brandon, Stew, and Alec

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MOUNTAIN BIKE

Mountain Bike Team touring the University of Tennessee

Hello Families!

March was an action packed month for the Mountain bike team, with the first couple of days finishing off our Utah trip, a week in Oregon, then off to the south for some of the best riding of the year in Georgia and Tennessee. The weather couldn't have been better for us down south. We were able to put in 9 full days of lift riding in two locations, Jarrods place in Northern Georgia and Windrock Bike park in Tennessee. Jarrods place was fast and flowy with jumps, big berms and some whoops. Windrock was technical, off camber, steep, and rooty, which made way for some great training. In Windrock, all of the students competed at the national downhill race during the last weekend. Of course, the night before the race it rained to make the track interesting and we had some struggles, but all the kids made it down safely and we had some good results as well. The kids are stoked to be home for the month of april and hopefully we get some days of sun, it's now outdoor airbag season!

 Asa and Bolio

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SKATE

Skate Team hanging out at PHXAM

Hi Families,

I hope everyone is doing well! It is wild that we are getting to the end of the spring semester. Looking back on the month of March we really had every kind of weather on campus, from freezing cold with snow to warm sunny 70 degrees. The sunny days were a great intro into what campus is like through spring and summer. The start of the month was focused on the Seek contest in BOB. This was the 3rd event in the series and was a Jam format contest. This meant there were 3-5 competitors at a time skating for 3 min. It’s tough to skate for 3 minutes straight by yourself but when there are other people skating with you and you are cutting each other off it can be a bit chaotic.Everyone did an amazing job at their first time in an event like this. It was also a perfect way to prepare for our trip to Phoenix AZ to watch the Phoenix AM. The PHXAM has been going on for 25 years with the top 200 amateur skaters from all over the world. None of the students were able to compete this year but it was a fantastic event to watch. We were lucky enough to have Elijah, Arlan, Bobby, and Gregg join us on most of the trip and throughout the contest. The students had the opportunities to meet the Team Managers behind the biggest brands and see what the world of top sponsored skaters is like. Aside from the contest we enjoyed the sun and spent time at ASU skating around parts of the campus and checking out the local parks. On an off day we hiked South Mountain trail through the desert to a place called Hidden Valley, where we had to squeeze and slide between rock to enter the valley. We were able to spend time with one of my favorite skateboarding non-profits, Skate After School. Here the students met Tim (Co-Founder) and Zamara (Community Organizer) to learn about the history of the program and how a grassroots organization turned into a foundation in the skate world. Tim and Zamara were nice enough to invite us to one of the elementary schools they provide after school programming at. Here we helped with the programming and got to see how it all works. 

April is a busy month on campus! We will have a trip to NYC to experience skating on the east coast and check out some of the Universities there. Please keep an eye out for emails regarding the end of the semester. Things like graduation, check out procedures, cabin cleaning, and summer semester.

 Brian Johnson

THE MAMMOTH EXPERIENCE

COACHING | MEALS | LODGING | FUN

Join the ski or snowboard team at Wy’East Academy as we venture south to experience one of the most prestigious terrain parks in the world, Mammoth Unbound. During this spring trip, students will have the opportunity to ski or snowboard in Mammoth's renowned parks while receiving guidance from our expert coaches to improve their technique, skills, and tricks.

For more info on this trip, click on your sport of interest. .

SKI

SNOWBOARD

MARCH 2024 EDITION

Will Baker, Vivian Frederick, and Ethan Vuong riding a lift together

February has come & gone with the snow continuing to pile up here in Oregon. Our students have been piling up podiums & acceptance letters to college. We brought back the Industry Insighters program with Line Team Manager Jacob Dube & marketing guru turned Olympic/X Games Judge Jason Arens. The two action sports industry icons spent the weekend with our students sharing their insights into how to build a successful career. There is nothing that can replace time spent face-to-face with people who have already blazed a trail to where you want to go so we cannot thank them enough! Our snow students continued their dominance on the road with podium finishes at Europa Cups, NorAms, Future Tours & local USASA events. This all culminated with the nomination of four of our students representing their countries at the Junior World Championships to be held in Italy later this year! Our mountain bike students have continued to push their limits in Virgin, Utah while the skateboard crew stacked up more podiums at the local Seek Skate Series before heading down to Arizona. 

Mike Hanley   

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UPCOMING EVENTS

March 30, 2024 - Order 2023-2024 Yearbook here: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016450563251701
April 1, 2024 - Deadline to re-enroll for the 2024-2025 school year
April 26, 2024 - Graduation

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ACADEMICS

Senior Ole Hubbard launches a snowball after class

Let it snow! As I sit here in the classroom and type up this newsletter, it is snowing outside and surely snowing heavily up on the mountain as the snowboard and ski teams are up enjoying their training. It has been great to hear of the many successes that the athletic teams are having and there have also been many successes academically as well. We currently have college acceptance letters for every senior but one and we anticipate that acceptance coming in the very near future. The students continue to do very well in regards to meeting their pacing goals. We use study hall and double academic days as tools for the students to stay caught up but it is with great pleasure that I report that study hall has been light and double academic days have been few and far between. The good use of class time has been enough for the students to stay caught up for the most part.

The list of colleges that students have been accepted to this year is long. Some of those colleges include University of Utah, University of Iowa, University of Oregon, Utah State, Utah Tech, Westminster University, University of Arizona, University of Hawaii, Northern Michigan University, University of San Francisco, Oregon State University, San Diego State, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Long Beach and many more. It is so nice to see the students understand that there is a world of possibilities available to them when they get accepted to a college. Ultimately, each student chooses their path, but one of the most rewarding things as a teacher here at Wy'East is being able to help open up those doors that many thought might not be available to them.  

Hannah and Adam

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STUDENT LIFE

Students posing at the Oregon Special Olympics polar plunge

What a great February we had! Among the beginning of a busy semester of travel, we packed some awesome weekend activities in. Relaxing in the outdoor hot tubs at Mt Hood Oregon Resort during a sunny early February weekend was a special treat. Many of the local competition weekends are filled with recovery days at the tubs. We also joined in on classic American entertainment at the Mt Hood Oregon Resort's Superbowl watch party, where the students played pool and arcade games, drank Shirley Temples, and enjoyed dinner and dessert. The following weekend, we hosted our first "Industry Insighters" event of the year. Ski students were joined by Jason Arens and Jacob Dube, two local professionals who have been closely involved with the industry for many years. After a skills session and presentation, the students went out to a local dinner and asked questions and gained inspiration from Arens and Dube. For the final weekend of the month, a handful of students attended the Oregon Special Olympics polar plunge in downtown Portland, where we raised money for the organization and attended the event in support of this amazing program. During the weekdays, a fantastic number of students have taken to playing the campus drums and creating art; we can't wait for more band jams and art nights ahead of us. After an immense amount of February sun, the flakes are falling heavy on campus and we are ready for the winter ahead. 

Barbara & team

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CULINARY

A delicious and nutritious dinner

The month of February has come and gone in a flash! With all the traveling the student body has done, it has made the Café quiet at times and busy other times. When we do have all the students here on campus, it is nice to see everyone coming in for meals that the Culinary Department prepares. For the times that there are not a lot of students on campus, the students get to have a little more attention. For example, for the last week of February, when students came in for breakfast, they were able to watch me make their eggs to order. They get to pick out what ingredients they want, and I make it into a scramble or an omelet.

For lunches, we have been doing some of their favorites. We recently did McRib Sandwiches, Teriyaki Chicken and Rice and we always have Fish Fridays. With dinners, Kellen has done a great job in creating a robust menu for the students. Everything from Steak, Baked Potatoes, to Traeger Smoked Ribs and Pastor Chicken Burritos. A student favorite from the past month is Pizza and Wings, everyone loves this meal. We can’t wait to see what the month of March brings us!

Travis & crew

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FREESKI

Shannon Vanderwerken and Devin Lindenmyer skiing together

February was a big month for the Freeski team with a ton of events and travel across our three teams. We started the month off with an awesome bluebird day slopestyle event at Timberline, where our team had a ton of success! The same weekend some of our Freeride squad competed in an IFSA event in Washington State where even more success was had, and finally our A team athletes spent a week down in Mammoth competing in the second Rev Tour stop of the season where…. You guessed it, successes were had. As coaches it is reassuring to see the themes and athletic focuses we implement in the fall really start to click as the season progresses. 

Our B team was in Park City for the second Futures Tour stop of the season and the weather proved to be unfortunately tough. The men’s competition was canceled, but the women luckily got their event off with our very own Vivian Frederick hitting the box with a 3rd place finish!

While the B team was in Park City, part of the C team went up to Alpental and Snoqualmie for another IFSA event, and to enjoy some freeriding! Our freshman freeskier Rio Willard was able to walk away with the top spot for the U19 men! We finished the month out with our final 2 USASA rail jams of the season which ended up being a beautiful sunny day at Ski Bowl, where their parks crew built a fun and inclusive set up for everyone!

Mt. Hood picked up another 60” - 70” last week which provided some amazing riding, and will give our parks a nice refresh for the coming weeks as we turn our sights to training for USASA Nationals! It's wild to think that it is already March, but they say time flies when you're having fun! 

Brian, Topher, and Shannon

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SNOWBOARD

Snowboard team waiting to for their event at a USASA competition

Just as fast as February came, it went! The snowboard team started the month with a slopestyle contest at Timberline. Timberline set up an awesome course with two jumps and loads of rails for the kids to put into their runs. Everyone rode super well making the afternoon consist of multiple photos on the podium! Following the timberline contest we got a bunch of training at all three resorts we have access to with park runs at Meadows, Timberline, and on the rope tow at Ski Bowl. We were able to switch things up with the teachers and have days where kids spend the mornings in the classroom and afternoons on-hill. Those days usually consist of slopestyle training at Timberline, where their Conways park has finally taken shape, and end the day at ski bowl on the rope tow getting reps in on rails.

The B team made a trip to Utah for their first of three Futures Tour events on a full size slope course competing against the best in their age brackets. Everyone was able to put down runs despite the tough weather, but the one that stands out is our only girl on the B team, Annabelle Mcarthy, who qualified 3rd into finals and finished in 4th. Not bad for her first Futures Tour event! Girl power! The day after the boys competition, we scored an epic Pow Day at Brighton resort full of steep and deep Utah glory!

At the same time, The C Team made a trip to Washington for a couple IFSA contests where they competed at Stevens Pass and Alpental. Gabriel Kos was able to place at Stevens Pass and Quinn Murray was able to get on the podium at Alpental. The rest of the crew got some great experience at both venues as well as got to ride the epic park set ups at both resorts. Reaching the end of February, C team has been taking full advantage of the new snow at the home resorts while the rest of the team is on the road for their 2nd and 3rd Futures Tour stops in California.

Sprinkled in between the trips, we had a handful of local USASA events to add to the schedule. February was truly a month full of traveling to new areas, competing, and our favorite, SNOWBOARDING! We are really looking forward to having the whole team back together in March!

Until next time,

Brandon, Stew, and Alec 

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MOUNTAIN BIKE

Mountain Bike Team in Utah

The mountain bike team spend February lifting weights, training on our indoor airbag, and riding outside when weather permitted. We then took off to Virgin, Utah where our freestyle and race kids alike pushed themselves on some of the gnarliest riding in the world. We spent 2 weeks there; mainly focusing on mental strength, new tricks, and technical riding. We also visited Utah Tech University and watched a basketball game against a team from Texas and completed the famous Angels Landing hike in Zion National Park.

Asa and Bolio

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SKATE

Tag Goodell and Cam Hickey skating in Portland

February has really given us a little bit of everything in the PNW. We lucked out and scored some 60 degree sunny days as well as snow on campus. The skate crew took advantage of the sunny dry days in Portland to get to a few of the parks as well as the Courts on Portland State University campus and downtown/waterfront. With the recent snow the skate students have had the chance to go up on the mountain and ride a good amount this last month. I was fortunate enough to make it down to Slow Impact in Phoenix AZ at the end of the month. The best way to describe Slow Impact is a skate convention for skate nerds. It was 4 days of panel discussions and research papers on skateboarding and its effect on people/places. The panels ranged from sobriety, architecture, museum collections/archiving, non-profits, photography, and dance. The dance discussion was very good lead by a professional ballet dancer and skateboarder. Here are some of my notes from that discussion

Skateboarding as a movement language: Skate ≠ Dance, Dance = Skate. Dancers often ask him how to use "skate Arms" while dancing. Applying how to use the stage, props, and sets the same as how skateboarders use a city. Not defined by what something is supposed to be used for but a way to look outside the box for what can be done with it. Style matters, the worst insult for a dancer is "You dance like an Athlete" same for skating. Even though they are athletes it means a lack of style and flow.

Looking ahead to March we have our 3rd event for the SEEK contest series, a jam format contest in BOB. This lines up well as a practice event/comparison with our trip to AZ, for the Phoenix AM event. PHXAM is one of the biggest and most difficult skate events on the planet. While enjoying the sun and warmth in Phoenix we will be volunteering with the learning from the non-profit Skate After School. Skate After School provides after school programming for underserved elementary students in Phoenix since 2012. We will also take our skate campus tour of ASU. For those who don’t know what I mean by skate tour: We will have current and recently graduated students that are heavily involved in the skateboarding community show us what life is like as a skateboarder on their campus. It’s a nice way to hear and see how others are currently navigating that world. Plus it’s a great way to have a skate spot tour guide on a giant campus. 

Brian Johnson