Ski clubs grounding for good ski skills

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 548, 9 August 1994, Page 11 (Supplement)

Ski clubs grounding for good ski skills

The Turoa Alpine Ski Club is providing local youngsters with the basic ski schools and producing the champions of tomorrow. Gold medal-winning Olympic skier Patrick Cooper is just one of their success stories. Other graduates to make good include national ski team members Annika and Todd Haywood, Kim and Brent Fuller, and Turoa Ski Resort's race department supervisor and head coach, Warren Scott.

TASCI's Sunday recreational ski programme caters for around 50 children aged four years and upwards and have six teams of various ages and abihties. Youngsters are taught the basics of skiing in the learners group, progressing up through the ranks to Turoa' s Ski Academy level. Organisers say there is still plenty of room in their programme for more children, who want either to learn to ski or improve on the skills they already have. Another aspect of the TASCI club is their team of 12 promising skiers from Ruapehu College. Their race training is co-sponsored by TASCI, the College, Powderhound and Turoa Ski Resort. The Juhction Ski Shop has, for many years provided generous sponsorship and subsidies for TASCI's younger members. A recent programme undertaken by TASCI in conjunction with the NZ Ski Council sees representatives visiting local schools with a trailer of old skis and boots in tow, as an opportunity for children to undergo 'dry land training' and learn the basic manoeuvres BEFORE venturing onto the slopes.