Local club promotes all-female Girl Stylerz program
By Steve Hubrecht
The Freestyle Panorama Ski and Snowboard Club is back again this winter.
The club offers a fun, structured option for kids wanting something beyond traditional ski lessons or ski racing programs, and continues to grow from strength to strength.
“We’ve been in the valley for 10 to 15 years,” head coach Nate Bundschuh told the Pioneer. “We teach kids how to ski everything from freeride to the park to moguls. It’s a really cool program.”
For freestyle skiers with a competitive bent, the club holds competitions on our home hill for entry-level and aspiring athletes. It also takes some of its members to competitions around the province. Some past freestyle club members have even graduated on to ski for the B.C. freestyle team.
“But our main focus is on fun. If we’re not having fun, then I’m not doing my job. For us, it’s about learning freestyle ski skills in a fun, safe environment.”
Last year the club had 55 members and this year looks set to grow to 85 members.
The club is putting special emphasis this winter on its Girlstylerz camps, which get female participants working with female coaches and mentors.
“By making an all-female environment, it can help take away some of the social pressure that some female participants might feel. It’s a really neat program, and one that is very popular,” said Bundschuh. “We are very excited to have added a competitive snowboard program this year for those that chose one plank instead of two. With competitions being held around the province and at Panorama.”
The club runs programs on Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Sundays, and offers a variety of multi-day programs and camps as well.
To learn more, visit www.freestylepanorama.com.
