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Every Saturday and Sunday this winter, Coombs kids in middle and high school skied at Teton Village with volunteer adult mentors in our Powder Pals program. Each week, kids progressed their skills on the mountain under the supervision of our dedicated mentors, developing the skills and confidence to become independent skiers.

This is the second year of the Powder Pals mentoring program, with 40 adult volunteers and over 60 kids participating in weekly ski days. The success of this program would not be possible without the mentors who volunteer their weekends to ski with Coombs, and we are so grateful to have such a dedicated and supportive community! Meet a few mentors who helped make this year such a success.

Rice learned to snowboard when she was 11, thanks to the support and encouragement of her older brother, Luis. "Luis was my biggest inspiration growing up and the reason I snowboard today," she says. "He got me my gear and taught me to ride." As a Jackson local, spending time on the mountain is a big part of Rice's life, and she started volunteering with Coombs so she could help younger kids in the same way her brother helped her.

"It's helpful that [Luis and I] share the same culture and speak Spanish like the kids do," she says. "I think it's definitely helped us build connections with the kids and allowed them to feel comfortable on the mountain."

Although Rice skis with the kids as a mentor, she says it's often her who learns from the kids. "This year we hiked the Headwall and I'd never done it. But the kids had done it before and encouraged me and it was really rewarding to get to the top together. That was a really cool moment."

Luis moved to Jackson when he was 11, and he remembers riding the bus by Snow King on his way to school, watching everyone ski down the hill. "I decided I had to learn to do that," he recalls. Luis didn't have a program like Coombs to help him learn to ski or snowboard, and it was tough for his family to afford gear and lift tickets. When he got older, he made sure to help his sister, Rice, learn to ride. Now, volunteering with Coombs is especially meaningful.

"Snowboarding and spending time outside is a big part of my life. It's how I talk to people and make friends," he says. "Especially in a place like Jackson where everyone does it. It feels good to ski with the kids and inspire them, showing them that they can do it too."

As a professional skier, Sophia spends quite a bit of time on snow, both at Teton Village and in the backcountry, but some of her most memorable days this year have been volunteering with Coombs.

"Coming from a competitive background, skiing can sometimes feel like a job," she says. "Skiing with the kids grounds me and reminds me how fun skiing is. We laugh every day, regardless of the conditions."

Hiking the Headwall was a big goal for Sophia's group of high school girls this year, and she said that hiking for their turns was a great opportunity to talk about how skiing can translate into bigger life goals. "We talked a lot about what it means to work hard and the idea of delayed gratification," she says. "It was a really big moment for everyone."

Photo credit: JR Rodriguez

Featured Partner of the Month: Teton County Parks and Recreation

Thanks to Teton Parks and Recreation, this was our first full winter we offered an after school Nordic ski program for our participants.

It was a huge hit, with 13 Coombs participants skiing every Tuesday and Thursday evening. 22Nordic generously purchased all gear for Coombs kids to participate and we're excited to see where this program goes in the coming years!

March Newsletter: Meet Our Dedicated Powder Pals Mentors!

Featured Partner of the Month: Teton County Parks and Recreation