This ski club is a great organization that has had excellent competitive programs and helps kids get the opportunity to ski and snowboard in the Roaring Fork Valley. Unfortunately, an insanely large portion of the money raised goes straight into the pocket of the executive director Mark Cole. Cole obviously directs the club in a fund raising direction that works well for the salaries of the upper staff and neglects the on hill potential. The club is looking good on paper and is unquestionably a community asset, however, it suffers from mismanaging their once healthy competitive programs. It is a problem that seems to be growing in the Ski and Snowboard world from USSA down to local programs. Pay a big salary to a director and that director will focus on fund raising above all else.
I had the best job this year of vbolunteer on many AVSC comps, NORAMS/Director's Cup/J3JO's/ to name but a few..This club puts the word organize in the word organization..awesome coaches..superb athletes. To watch our valley's youth become world class caliber racers is breathtaking and inspiring.
The AVSC athletes are, in my opinion , the best trained mentally and physically as an athlete can be.
I volunteered as a course worker either as slipper or building courses and let me just say..the NORAM downhill is for real. The course is the same course used in the Women's World Cup downhill and the 180 plus competitors of young men and women were fearless and fierce over Aztec and the entire course from top to bottom.
It takes a village to raise a child..it takes a professional ski and snowboard organization like AVSC to raise Olympic hopefuls.
Congrats..look forward to seeing you all on the hill next year.
