Thousands of Alaska children have learned the fundamentals of alpine skiing at the Alyeska Ski Club in Girdwood. Some don't make it out of Mighty Mites, the venerable and affordable start-up program aimed at 7- to 12-year- olds. Others become Olympians -- though not always in skiing.
"Back then, I was a legend in my own mind," laughed 2006 Olympic snowboarding bronze medalist Rosey Fletcher, who skied with the club until 1991, when she was 15 years old. "I wasn't a very good skier, but I had a lot of heart.
"It was great for me, actually. It's where I established what a racing line is and what a gate is. At 15, I saw a bunch of guys out snowboarding and it just seemed like the right thing for me. But everything I learned transferred over."
Fletcher isn't the only Olympian to start as a Mighty Mite. Two-time Olympian Megan Gerety, who spent a dozen years on the U.S. Ski Team, was a Mighty Mite at age 6.
"It was very beneficial," said her father, Dan Gerety. "She had good coach, good races and she just flourished."
An outstanding athlete, Gerety, now 37, ended up playing boys' hockey, soccer and tennis too.
"Now I kind of wish she'd stayed with tennis," said Dan Gerety. "She would have made a hell of a lot more money in that."
But when young skiers sign up for Mighty Mites, the overriding idea isn't racing, or money or future success. It's simply to enjoy skiing and all that goes with it. Athletes make friends, play on the hill, get pins and trophies and sometimes earn a post-practice ice cream.
With an expensive new club race-training center more than twice as big, officials continue seeking donations to keep costs down for skiers and their parents.
Mighty Mite skiers spend just $125 for a five-month program. That doesn't include lift tickets, but programs for young skiers at other ski areas can be much costlier. At the Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort in British Colombia, for instance, a five-day children's camp, which includes lesson, lift and rental, can run $579.
"It's the volunteers that make it so inexpensive," said Matt Tanaka, club vice president and head of the Tanaka Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Matt's father, Jim Tanaka, that supports youth ski racing in Alaska. "That's why you see so many kids in the program."
The Mighty Mites started as a mom-and-pop program in Girdwood 41 years ago. Now, theoretically at least, a skier could ski with the Alyeska Ski Club from age 7 to 84, from Mighty Might to Master.
Below is a brief look at the various programs:
• MIGHTY MITES -- The club's oldest program is for 7- to 12-year-olds, with 185 kids expected this year. Building enthusiasm for skiing is the theme, with making friends, learning about teamwork and earning trophies as important as skill training. Some grandparents who went through Mighty Mites decades ago have seen children and grandchildren follow in their footsteps.
"It gives these kids an outlet," said Alyeska Ski Club board member Warren Sell. "It keeps them on the hill instead of on their computers."
Fee: $125 includes race expenses, Alyeska Ski Club membership, liability insurance, the Tommy Moe Invitational race entry fee, T-shirt, trophies and other awards.
Schedule: Meets Sundays Dec. 7-April 12, plus two-day weekends at end of season.
• DEVO -- An entry-level program for 8- to 13-year-old skiers who split time between directed free skiing with coaches and learning race techniques on set courses with drills. Athletes encouraged -- but not required -- to participate in Youth Ski League races. Last year, about 75 skiers signed up.
Fee: $275 until Dec. 1, with $50 discount if also registered as a Mighty Mite.
Schedule: Meets Saturdays Dec. 6-April 11.
• DEVO II -- New this season. This extension of DEVO is aimed at 13- to 15-year-olds, particularly Mighty Mites graduates who aren't ready for the more competitive junior program. Athletes split their time between directed free-skiing and learning the basics of racing through gates, using drills and set courses. Skiers are encouraged to buy a U.S. Ski Association student license so that they can race in local USSA races. Sell expects 30-50 skiers will sign up.
Fee: Same as DEVO
Schedule: Meets Saturdays Dec. 6-April 11.
• JUNIORS -- Operated by the nonprofit Glacier Valley Ski Education Foundation, the Junior program is a "radical departure" from Mighty Mites or Devo, according to Sell, for alpine racers ages 13-20. Aims to accommodate athletes who compete locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally.
A limited three-day program (weekends plus one day mid-week) is available for athletes who are entry level or experienced USSA racers. Basic techniques and skill building is emphasized. Competition is focused on local races. An even more limited program eliminates the mid-week training day.
J-4 juniors are 11- to 12-year-olds, who take one trip Outside to race "just to say we did it," Sell said.
J-3 juniors are 13- to 14-year-olds who get a first look at national level ski racing.
Skiers at the J-1 and J-2 level are usually on a track to compete nationally. Skiers here typically get their first look at FIS racing.
Fees: From $1,750 for five-day program to $750 for two-day weekend program. Alyeska Resort offers a 50 percent season pass discount to all ski club Juniors.
• MASTERS: For skiers ages 21-84 who train Saturdays and Sundays and race regularly. "Some of these guys have a take-no-prisoners attitude, both the men and the women," Sell said. "But there's a nice social camaraderie aspect to it too."
Former UAA ski coach Paul Crews, who now teaches at the Alyeska Ski Club, said it's a value at any level.
"It's cheaper than many sports," he said. "You can go to swaps and buy used gear that's really good and it's not bad at all. A lot of kids spend more in movie theaters than they do on the hill."
Reporter Mike Campbell can be found online at adn.com/contact/mcampbell or call 257-4329.
By MIKE CAMPBELL
mcampbell@adn.com