The ski and snowboard teams visiting Mervin manufacturing.

a letter from the head of school

Students volunteering at the Special Olympics for a weekend activity.

It seems like the holiday season has come sooner than ever this year. All of the students have balanced out their busy schedules with time on the road with keeping up with their assignments, tests & college applications. We had our highest two SAT scores ever this semester as more college acceptance letters come in every week. There is a lot of momentum building towards our Good in the Woods annual fundraiser on December 17th & if you have not had the chance please check out the website: GOOD IN THE WOODS (ejoinme.org) where you can bid online for lots of amazing packages & items. The snow has started coming down on the mountain & all three of our local resorts are building up their bases for what is sure to be an amazing winter. Hopefully everyone who went home for Thanksgiving got to enjoy some quality time with friends & family but for the students who stayed on campus, they were treated to an amazing Thanksgiving meal at Black Butte Ranch. The end of the semester is coming up fast so please make sure to get all of your paperwork completed in order to reserve your place for next semester because we are looking at filling every available bed. Thank you for your continued support & communication. See you soon!

-Mike Hanley

academics

November was an exciting month for academics. Our Fall SAT scores became available this month, and we received our two highest scores to date! Nearly all of our seniors have submitted their college applications, and every week we receive another college acceptance letter. The mountain bikers visited Utah Tech University during their trip--which led to several of our senior quickly submitting their applications to Utah Tech. It has been amazing having the support of all of our coaches when it comes to visiting college campuses during their trips. The academic team extended a goal at the start of the semester for the coaching staff to incorporate two college visits, two industry trips, and one service opportunity to their trip schedules--and it has been awesome to see everyone follow through and the enthusiasm from the students.

This month students will be wrapping up their courses. The last day to work on classes is December 15th. Also, you can expect teachers to reach out regarding coursework plans. Congratulations to our Students of the Month for the month of November: Vivian and Thomas!

-Kayla Hokanson

Vivian has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA for the entire month of November, meeting her SMART Goal she set for herself on day one of school. Vivian has set another goal to finish all of her classes for the rest of the year by next Tuesday. Since she’s proven she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to and I have no doubt she’ll get it done! Vivian always comes to class early and prepared, stays focused, and has a positive attitude about school that uplifts her peers and teammates. Go Vivian go!

Congrats, Vivian! Keep it up.

-Hannah Green

My pick for Student of the Month for November is Thomas. Thomas had two goals set for himself over the past few months. He set out to finish early, and get a 4.0 GPA. This month marked the last stretch for him, and he is incredibly close to achieving both of these goals. In order to get to this point, Thomas put in a phenomenal amount of effort. He did voluntary double days, did schoolwork during free time, and completed extra credit in order to get his grade up to where he wanted it. All of this was completely voluntary, and Thomas was constantly asking for ways to boost his grades. It is this determination and drive that has earned him the title of Student of the Month. Way to go Thomas!

-Peter Ellis

student life

Angus Lindsay and William Baker at Top Golf

Greetings Wy’East Families,

We can’t believe Fall term is almost over, this past month went by so fast! On the residential side of things a lot has happened. The Wy’East Academy Student Government has been meeting once a week and I've enjoyed working with them on planning residential activities. We started out the month with a Portland tour where students had the chance to spend some time in Portland exploring the city and some local shops and afterwards we took the students to some local food carts. Trying different cuisines is a favorite among many of the students and we have been able to incorporate this into our weekend schedules. In addition to exploring Portland, this past month we took the students to Top Golf where we were greeted with a buffet of amazing food and hours of golfing. Top Golf was a lot of fun and we will definitely be returning in the near future. The next weekend we hit up Snowman which is the annual snow convention at the expo center and then afterwards the students went and volunteered at the Special Olympics for the evening. For Thanksgiving a majority of the students went home to be with their families, for the several students that stayed behind on campus, we planned a special residential trip to Black Butte Oregon where we rented out a house. On top of this, Kellen one of our chefs joined us in Black Butte and cooked an unforgettably delicious classic Thanksgiving dinner for staff and students. It’s safe to say that thanksgiving on campus was one for the books. Looking into this upcoming weekend we will be going ice skating and rock climbing. The residential staff is incredibly proud of the hard work that each and every student has been putting into keeping their cabins clean, being on time to activities and collaborating with staff in planning activities. We can’t wait for the start of winter term!

-Netanya Beard

culinary

Students and staff enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal made by our chef, Kellen, in Black Butte, Oregon.

Well the month of November was good for the Culinary Team. It is so nice to have all the teams on campus for most of the month. The students have been enjoying the food. We have enjoyed the suggestions that the students have come up with to improve their offerings. Since it has gotten colder out, we have started to do daily soups with the hot meal at lunch. As well as having the Deli Bar-Quesadilla Bar out for another option at lunch. At dinner, Kellen has done a great job of creating a great meal every night. We have not produced a lot of desserts this month because the students will get somewhat tired of the same thing. So, we will probably ramp it up again once everyone is back for the final three weeks of the Fall Term.

For Thanksgiving, Kellen went with the students to Black Butte Ranch and cooked for them. They had a traditional dinner that evening.

We are looking forward to the final three weeks of school and will be sending the students home on a good note from the Culinary Team.

-Travis Gibson

athletics

I am very excited to announce that we have hired Cameron Weeg as our big mountain coach to assist with our snow programming. Cameron is a local, born and raised in Boring, Oregon. Cameron has a background in coaching mountain sports, marketing, and content creation, so we are excited to see what insights he is able to pass onto our staff & student body!

Cameron is the most passionate about Big Mountain and is excited to share all the insights that come into the line selection element of breaking down the face of a Mountain. The goal he has with the program this year is to get our student body familiar with the IFSA event series where they plan to travel to local PNW events like Alpental & Crystal Mountain. Big Mountain will run under Brian McCarthy and our amazing ski programming.

I worked with Cameron a few years ago on what we now refer to as “The China Project” which was my first year here at the academy. The project goal was to take never ever skiers and snowboarders from China and turn them into Olympic Medalist in 4 years. Cameron believed that we could do it along with the rest of the team we had in place. Most of the people I knew in the industry thought we were crazy pursuing such a goal but sometimes a little bit of crazy is where the magic lies so I am very excited to have Cam rejoining us at the academy!

Big Mountain: what do your turns look like while going as fast as you can down a mountain? Diving more into the technical/tactical elements of an icy face compared to a powder day with how we break down training will be vital skill for our students. “How you do anything is how you do everything” and these guys will be artfully dissecting every mountain they go to this season. Welcome to the team, Cam, lets go create some legacy!!!

-Elijah Teter

freeski

Topher, Vivian, Netanya, Charlie, and Paddy having fun skiing.

Hello Freeski Families,

We have had a great month here on the freeski team. We keep saying it but the team bonding and overall comradery has been unmatched this year. The positive attitude that the team possesses has allowed for ample progression during our daily training. November brought us a wide medley of weather from rainy days ideal for campus dry slope sessions to multiple feet of snow getting us up on hill for some early season jibbing in the woods. Timberline had a soft opening at the beginning of the month and we got a nice day of pow slashes and lift rides giving the team a nice glimpse at the season ahead.

In the middle of the month we ventured north to Washington for a “industry trip." We first visited the Mervin Factory, the company that makes Libtech Skis, Snowboards and Surfboards. There, we were welcomed with open arms and given an in depth tour of their state of the art factory, seeing behind the scenes of just what it takes to make a pair of skis from a raw piece of wood to a polished pair of planks. In addition to the tour, we met with their director of marketing who showed us the process of making team and product videos showcasing how unique their brand is.

After the Mervin tour we were on our way via ferry to downtown Seattle for the night. The next day we woke up to check out the University of Washington and all it has to offer. The team was amazed by the athletic facilities including the massive Husky Stadium. As we wrapped up the campus tour we headed over to the infamous Pikes Place Market. A couple hours later and the team had caught fish out of the air at the fish market, tried the clam chowder, sampled raw honey and some kids purchased a few art pieces from the plethora of local vendors.

Next stop was the K2 Skis and Snowboard World Headquarters. At the Headquarters we were given a thorough tour of all the brands under their umbrella including Line Skis, BCA, Marker Bindings, Dalbello Boots and K2 skis, boards, blades and boots. Needless to say the team was honored to get their eyes on all the 2023/24 products that have yet to hit the shelves. A highlight was getting to hear from employees in Marketing, Design, and Sales all sharing their back stories, how they got their start in the industry, and what a day in the life of each position looked like.

As we put a bow on November, Mother Nature has decided winter is here to stay with feet of snow falling on the daily and the resorts starting to open up. We have had some great pow days this last week and everyone is looking forward to the winter ahead!

-Brian and Topher

snowboard

Hello Snowboard Team Families!

As quickly as November came, it went. It snowed, then it didn’t, then it did again. The snowboard team has seen it all this month from on campus training in the gym & dry slope, to building pow jumps & features in the trees waiting for timberline to open, riding opening day when Timberline finally had enough snow to open. Then we had to go back to building features in the woods when Timberline closed again and finally, within the last few days of the month making it back to the resort for their second “opening day” lapping the chairlift and enjoying some amazing snow. In the middle of all that, we joined forces with the ski team and made a quick trip up to Washington.

The trip was short, but such an incredible experience for the kids. We piled into the vans and drove up to Sequim, Washington to visit “Mervin Manufacturing” where GNU snowboards and LibTech snowboards, skis, and surfboards are hand made. The kids got to hear from a few long-time employees (20+ years each), as well as someone from almost every department. During our tour of the facilities, the kids were able to see every step required in the process of making snowboards & skis. From constructing the wooden cores, to their unique sublimation process for the graphics. We also got a sneak peak into their super secretive surfboard factory!

Following our visit to Mervin, we took the ferry over to Seattle where we stayed the night in a hotel in preparation for what was in store for the next day. We started the day at the University of Washington, where the ski and snowboard teams got a lay of the land on their beautiful campus and a glimpse into what the school has to offer. From there, the crew got to experience Pike Place Market where tons of local artists and vendors set up their crafts in hopes to share their passions with the public. After seeing what Pike Place had to offer, we made our way down the street to the offices of K2 skis and snowboards, Ride Snowboards, BCA, and Line Skis. Michelle, The assistant to the CEO of the collective, gave us an awesome tour of their facilities as well as introduced us to many faces that make all of those brands possible. A fun fact about Michelle is she was a life coach at the academy years ago having some great insight on the doors that can be opened through being a part of our family.

After the return from Seattle, training went on as usual; working in the gym, on the trampolines and on our dry slope facilities here on campus for that final prep before the season really begins. Our focus has been building muscle, progressing air awareness, and learning tricks that are just waiting to be taken to snow. The squad is super excited for the resorts to open and the parks to take shape. We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and we now have our sights set on finishing the semester strong!

-Brandon & Stewy

mountain bike

JM, Josh, and Boden enjoying a sunset in Utah.

We had another action packed month with November and our big trip to Utah. Our trip to Virgin could not have gone any better. The students that have been on the team and been to Virgin in the past said this was our best trip to Virgin yet. There were a lot of goals ticked off the students' lists before even getting down to Virgin with our trip to Woodward Park City. We had multiple students accomplish their goal of trying a new trick and brushing up on the tricks they want to attempt landing to dirt.

During this trip we spent two days in Big Water, Utah which was a new stop for us at the academy. Big Water is an amazing zone that is similar to backcountry skiing with hiking up ridges, often with bikes on your back or carried in front of you, then getting to ride down these open canvases where you can paint your own pictures with your carves. There are no rules. No right or wrong way to get to the bottom. It is the most creative form of expression where your style really shines through. Though it may sound cheesy but you get to see someone’s personality through their riding of lines like this.

While in Virgin, we had a shuttle day riding some of the classics like Flying Monkey, Kong, Natty’s and Nephis. Most of the time spent was at the old site and the most recent rampage venue. The kids had the opportunity to walk around and check out the level of riding and scale of features that makes up Red Bull Rampage. We had amazing sessions at the zones in Virgin and a lot of them accomplished the goal of pushing themselves whether it be riding something they are uncomfortable with or landing a trick to dirt. I asked the kids while we were driving back to Salt Lake City, if they did one thing that scared them on this trip, and the response was unanimous, yes.

We are so happy with the culture of our team and the environment created where the kids are willing to embrace their own fears and push themselves. We hope to continue on this momentum and at this point, it’s good to see where your expectations have been surpassed and now you are along for the ride.

-Kevin and Asa

skateboard

Skate students getting ready to do volunteer work and talking with Joey, the head builder for the Warm Springs Skate Park.

Hello Skate Families,

November has been another wonderful month for the skate program! We took advantage of the sunny weather to spend a few days skating in Portland and outside on campus in the jungle. The students spent a couple weeks working on their own digital contest run, using the format from the USA Skateboarding national championship digital contest. This meant each student had to film and submit a 50sec run to me. They were paired up on the last day and had to work together to film their runs--this is easier said than done! 4 hrs for 2 people to land a run they are each proud of with difficult tricks and filmed in a way to highlight what they did. Each run was judged for use of park, trick selection, speed, and difficulty of tricks. Additionally the filming of the runs was judged separately on creativity, clarity of shots, and following ability. To keep the contest fair and make it more exciting I had friends and industry connections judge it. They provided me with unbiased feedback on each of the runs and filming which I shared with the students when reflecting on how it went. In the end Hudson took Best Run and Kado took Best Filming! We will be doing this again in the spring so students can compare/track their improvement.

On the 10th we had the opportunity to visit and volunteer with the construction of a new skatepark on the Warm Springs Reservation. It was a great learning experience for us all to spend the day on the reservation. The building crew did an excellent job of explaining how special this park/place is and how important it is to give back to the community. The first thing we did was grab some trash bags and gloves to help clean up the park and surrounding area. After that we helped clean up the jobsite moving gravel and organizing the metal from the old park. There wasn’t any concrete being poured that day so we will try and go back out on a pour day to see what that is like. Before we left the students got to skate a new feature of the park that had just been finished.

To wrap things up I’m looking forward to getting down to San Diego with the students here soon and looking forward to a great month of December with the skate program!

-Brian Johnson