Six years ago, when Sean MacCarron moved to Jasper to work for Marmot Basin, there wasn鈥檛 a designated snowboard team in town. So, shortly after his arrival, he started one: Jasper Free Mountain Snowboard Team.
The non-profit 鈥渇reeride, freestyle team鈥� celebrates its fifth season this January, and is holding its annual orientation day Dec. 15.
MacCarron, the president and program coordinator, said the team is less about competition and more about learning new skills and having a good time with friends.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not a seriously competitive group because everybody just enjoys the training and the social aspect of it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all-mountain riding with the development of freestyle skills. So, for the kids, they get to hangout and ride with their friends every Sunday, all day, with a professional coach.鈥�
Kace Ellis, who dreams of coaching his own team one day, has been training with Free Mountain for five years. 鈥淚 am still learning every year,鈥� he said.
To encourage participation, Free Mountain is opening up to a younger crowd this season, welcoming 10-year-old boarders for the first time.
The young guns will be in the 鈥渟tarter group.鈥� But, before they can join the team, they have to be able to ride the School House Chair and make it down the run unaided.
鈥淭he kids still have to be able to snowboard, because if they鈥檙e beginners they just go to ski school,鈥� said MacCarron, who has been coaching for 47 straight seasons鈥攕pending his winters in Jasper and his Canadian summers in Australia.
鈥淚f they鈥檙e not in the starter group then they have to be capable of coming down the Eagle Express Lift using both edges.鈥�
When Free Mountain was created in 2009, it was open to youth 11 to 14 years of age. But, as the boarders got older, the maximum age was extended to allow them to stay on the team until they reached 17.
鈥淲e had some kids who turned 15 and then 16 and then 17 that didn鈥檛 want to leave the team, so we changed the cut off to 17,鈥� said MacCarron.
The Free Mountain orientation day is Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Boarders interested in the team are encouraged to meet MacCarron and Cameron Vos, the team鈥檚 head coach, on the deck of the lower mountain cafeteria that morning.
Nicole Veerman
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