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New Snowboard Program
  
November 1, 2017
by:  
Mike Papke

We are excited to announce for the winter 2017-18, BSF Freestyle/Freeskiing will offer a Snowboard program.  We had a soft opening of this program last season, and it was a big success, with the entire snowboard team earning a start at the USASA National Championships at Copper Mountain.

What does this program look like?  

This program is geared to the athlete that is interested in improving all-around riding skills as well as competing in USASA events. The team will train on Bridger Bowl's natural terrain as well as in the terrain park.

Qualifications:

Riders should be 10 years and older and ready to commit to train and develop their overall riding skills.

Events:

We are a competition-based program and will compete in USASA events as well as the Smoking Ace tour events.  USASA and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard work together to create opportunities for athletes no matter where you might live. For USASA events, we are located in the western region and participate in the Inland Northwest series.  Click here to find more on the Inland Northwest Series.

The Smoking Ace is a tour available for athletes.  This tour does not require memberships and is a prize-giving event. Click here to find more on the Smoking Ace Tour.

Who's coaching?

Nick Hugues grew up in Pocatello, Idaho, snowboarding in the Mountain West at a small ski hill called Pebble Creek Ski Area, where he rode the steeps and jibbed the streets. At Idaho State University he attended the USASA National Championships at Copper Mountain, Colorado, and also the Gatorade Free Flow. In 2015 Nick took 3rd place at the Spring Run-Off hosted at Big Sky Resort. When Nick isn't in the backcountry or at Bridger Bowl hiking the ridge, he can be found mountain biking, skateboarding, whitewater kayaking, and fishing our beautiful Montana rivers. Nick is also a event lead for Under Canvas, one of Americas premier Glamour Camping companies, where he spends his summer months traveling the country.

Program cost and details?

Schedule: 2 days a weekSaturdays & Sundays: 9:30-3:00 pm at Bridger Bowl

Dates:  December 9 - March 4, 2018

Cost: $830

Includes: all training plus Christmas Camp, December 28-31st, 2017. Baseline testing for concussions is recommended for athletes 12 years and older.  We have two 45 minute sessions available.  November 13th from 4:30-6:00pm. To sign up for impact testing, Click Here.

Additional costs not included: 

US Ski And Snowboard License or USASA is required to compete at sanctioned events.

Bridger Bowl ski pass required.

Fall Tramp (trampoline) Camp fees are not included.

Individual race fees, travel, and coaching expenses for races and camps (dependent on the amount of competition and age). 

Team apparel (optional) 

Equipment

Rescue beacon & confidence in its use is recommended.

Boards are based on height, weight, discipline and skill level.

Proper boot fit with fit flex and performance in mind.

Helmets are required at all times.

The pipeline for snowboarding?

I have attached a document to help everyone understand the options that they have as a snowboard athlete. Click here for Snowboarding Pipeline.

How do we create training plans for training?

BSF Freestyle/Freeskiing & Snowboarding follows the Long-Term Athlete Training Plan (LTAD) provided by our national governing body.  This material is comprised of several sports and is a great tool for us.  This is also a great tool for parents to start conversations with their own children about how their training is going, etc.  For a look into the LTAD, Click Here.

How to sign up?

All participants must be a BSF member. Once you have your membership, you'll register for the program online. (These are two separate checkout systems; sorry for the extra typing, but it does keep costs down.) 

1. Get your BSF Annual Membership.   GET BSF MEMBERSHIP

2. Enroll in the Snowboarding program. (This is a separate registration system through League Athletics.) REGISTER NOW.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Michael S. Papke

BSF Freestyle Head Coach/Program Director, Northern Division Freestyle Chairman

Cell:     (406) 581-8598 Office: (406) 587-2445 ext 305 

mike@bridgerskifoundation.org