Wintergreen Teams

There are a variety of teams that make up the Wintergreen Race Program. We have competitors representing Wintergreen on the Ski Race Team, the Developmental Ski Race Team, the Snowboard Team and the Freeride Team. We are also very proud that the University of Virginia Ski Team considers Wintergreen their home mountain. All of our teams are coached and trained by Wintergreen staff and participate in a variety of competitions both on and off the mountain.

Use the following links to find out about:

• The Ski Race Team
• The Development Team
• The Freeride Team
• The UVA Ski & Snowboard Race Team

About the Wintergreen Ski Race Team

• Team members are taught to set and reach their own goals as well as to evaluate their own abilities
• Training enables each skier to race at his or her own highest level
• Each racer will learn good sportsmanship and to represent Wintergreen in a positive manner
• Many top place finishes and lots of progress
• Training starts in early December, with the first scheduled race the day after Christmas
• Weeklong race camp for 5 days followed by traveling to regional races

The Wintergreen Ski Race Team is going into its 17th season at Wintergreen Resort. The team is very strong once again with a lot of dedicated racers coming back to pursue top place finishes in our region. Ski racing in the south is an opportunity for dedicated kids to participate in a very unique and challenging sport. Wintergreen plans to continue to promote ski racing by offering the best coaching and training conditions in the region. The program is designed to help kids set goals, learn to be self disciplined in preparation for events and be competitive while supporting teammates and competitors. The social setting is very positive as families get to know each other by traveling to races and working together in volunteering to help with events and training. Parents needing more information about being a race parent should read the Parents Guide.

The Ski Race Team is open to ages 9-18 and new applicants must be approved by the director or coach. Most of our racers have spent at least one year on our Developmental race team before moving up to the race team. If you are interested in the race team or if you have additional questions, please contact the director; Chris Shepard @ 434-325-8282 or cshepard@wintergreenresort.com.

Please click here to view the Ski Race Team Parent's Guide. (pdf)

Training Schedule

We will start training the weekend after Thanksgiving and go through the first weekend in March. The early weekends will be on snow if we have slopes open. If we do not have snow, we will be doing dry land activities to include hiking, instructional clinics, ski tuning clinics, video analysis and other. We will also be doing the physical fitness test on the first weekend. All race team members will need to complete the physical fitness test before they ski with the team. The test consists of a timed mile run, timed forty yard dash, push ups, sit ups, pull ups and hex jump. As soon as we have snow, we will be training on our basic ski drills focusing on fundamentals. We will also be doing equipment checks to make sure everyone is using proper equipment. Gate training will happen as soon as possible to make sure there is adequate practice before the first race. A list of races that we will provide coaching for will be made available in November each season.

The cost of the program this year is $550, and can be purchased online.

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About the Developmental Ski Race Team

The D-Team is designed as an entry program for the Wintergreen Ski Race team. It is a requirement for individuals who wish to eventually be on the competitive Ski Race team. With dedicated, certified coaches to help teach the skiing skills and training procedures, this season-long program is offered to ages 7-13.

The prerequisites to enter the program are:

• You must be at least seven years old by December 1st
• You must be able to ski stop on any terrain at Wintergreen resort with your skis in a parallel position (no wedging to ski or stop anywhere).
• You must be independent on the mountain. This means you can get to any place on our slopes by yourself without an escort.
• You must be able to ride the lifts without assistance.
• You must be mature enough to listen to coaches during training times and disciplined enough to give good effort in attempting drills from coaches.
• You must have after a reasonable time an ability to set goals related to competitive ski racing.
• Starts the week after Christmas with the week long race camp and continues every Saturday and Sunday from 8 - 11am.
• You should be able to attend the week-long camp just after Christmas (mandatory if it is your first year) and at least half of the practices for the rest of the season.

Schedule - for the D-Team Tryouts will be held on Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons at 1:00pm in early December and are mandatory for first year candidates. The exact dates will be determined by slope opening dates and there will be two tryouts if we open early enough.

The first D-Team practices will be held on December 27th-31st from 8:00am - 11:00am each morning. This is the Holiday race camp and it is mandatory for first year D-Teamers. These first five days of training set the stage for the whole year with five days of training and a timed race on the last day.

The rest of the season the D-Team will practice from 8:00am-11:00am every Saturday and Sunday except the two weekends we host races here at Wintergreen. We will also offer practice on the two holiday Mondays. The exact dates of races and a complete schedule will be posted before Christmas.

The D-Team will be limited to 40 participants with priority given to ones that have participated before and who show an interest in improving and are motivated toward competitive ski racing.

Any questions not answered here should be directed to Chris Shepard at 434-325-8282 or cshepard@wintergreenresort.com.

The cost of the program this year is $550, and can be purchased online.

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About the Freeride Team

• Membership is open to both skiers and snowboarders..
• The Freeride team is open to ages 8-18.
• The program provides dedicated, experienced coaching staff to ensure consistent development through the season.
• You must be independent on the mountain. This means you can get to any place on our slopes by yourself without an escort.
• You must be able to ride the lifts without assistance.
• You must be mature enough to listen to coaches during training times and disciplined enough to give good effort in attempting drills from coaches.
• Registration and Team Tryouts will be held in December. Time and date will be determined as soon as we know the slopes will be open.
• Holiday camp is December 27 through 31 from 8:00am to 11:00am
• Weekly Team training is held on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00am to 11:00am

The Freeride Team is Wintergreen Resorts’ snowboard and twin tip ski division of winter teams program. A high energy program with coaching and competitions that focus on flatland tricks, switch riding, rails, big air jumps, and carving turns. Our coaches are advanced certified instructors who love to ride just as much as you do.

There is a minimum skill level required:

• Snowboarders need to be able to link heel and toe side turns to control speed down steeper intermediate terrain and skiers need to be able to ski and stop on any terrain at Wintergreen resort with your skis in a parallel position (no wedging to ski or stop anywhere). If you are looking for a "Learn to Ski or Snowboard" program, please refer to the Learning Programs section of our website or call the Snowsports School at 434-325-8065.

Members of the team will be encouraged to participate in local events and competitions. A list of competitions will be provided before the season starts and coaches will help team members decide which events you should focus on.

The cost of the program this year is $450, and can be purchased online.

For more information:
Email FreerideTeam@wintergreenresort.com or call 434-325-8282

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About the UVA Ski & Snowboard Race Team

Wintergreen is proud to be the home venue for the UVA Ski & Snowboard Race Team. The team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7pm, and competes against a multitude of Colleges and Universities at numerous mountain resorts throughout the region. The team travels as a group and provides an opportunity for student athletes to reach the highest levels of racing in snowsports and compete at the regional and national levels. You can also support the team through their fundraiser.

Click here to visit the UVA Ski & Snowboard Race Team's website.

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