DECEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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