Investing In Our Valley’s Youth

This year we held a Junior National Qualifier in mid-February. Teams from all over the Rocky Mountain region convene in CB with skiers from second grade up through high school to pour their hearts out on our beautiful high-altitude trails. The volunteers come out of the woodwork for a JNQ. Unlike the circus of the Alley Loop or Grand Traverse, a JNQ brings out the quiet and diehard nordic locals and parents of former CB Nordic racers who have long since grown up and moved on.

As a club Nordic team, our competitive division is small. Finn Veit, a Crested Butte senior, was one of six comp team racers this year. He’s been a Nordic racer since elementary school and embodies the CB Nordic spirit of community, tenacity, and teamwork. After a freezing day of classic racing in an all-out blizzard on Saturday (the Cupid Crusher – one of only three notable snowstorms this season), Finn toed the line for the skate 5k on Sunday on a beautiful bluebird day ready to leave it all out on the trails. When he crossed the finish line of the skate 5k in first place, the entire CB Nordic system of support was there to witness it – his first win in the last JNQ of his high school career on home turf. The years of hard work and dedication were evident. And we, as CB Nordic staff, were incredibly proud of the commitment we’ve made to affordable youth programming.

I began mentoring Aida in 2009, when she was nine. At first, we were shy and didn’t know exactly what to expect. It didn’t take long to adventure out and explore our beautiful Valley. We went on hikes, and Aida especially loved the wildflowers. We tried fishing which wasn’t exactly successful. We enjoyed the Recreation Center and the Ice Rink. We went out early to watch huge balloons rising on the 4th of July. I got to know her family, and we shared many birthdays and holidays together. Our friendship grew.

In 3rd grade, Aida was challenged to read 300 books with the Pig-Out-On-Books program. We read together almost every day. Not only did Aida meet the challenge, but she won first place! Years passed, our Mentorship continued, her family became like part of mine, and in 2015 we were named the Partnership of the Year, a huge honor. We talked about dreams and encouraged each other to reach for the stars. We even worked summers together on the Rockin’ Reading Route. Our mentorship continued through Aida’s graduation from GHS in 2020 and we are still good friends after 16 years. On March 27, 2025, it was an honor to celebrate a momentous occasion as she was sworn in as a new American citizen, a proud moment for me.

WEHA expanded the very successful Skate for PE Program to include the Gunnison 1st Grade Classes along with the CB 1st Grade Classes this past season. WEHA provided all gear and coaching to seven 1st Grade Classes and 155 five, six, and seven year olds. These students got to skate at our local rinks for 3 sessions during February and March of 2025. This program breaks down any financial restraints and enables all FIrst Graders with the opportunity to try skating. Many of these children had never skated before or had the opportunity to try ice skating previously. This program allows them to try it and experience something that allows them to step out of their comfort zone and experience the joy of trying something new. After coaching in Gunnison one evening, I stopped to get dinner and ran into Alun and his family at the restaurant. Alun is a 1st Grader in Gunnison who skated for the first time in this program. Alun introduced Coach Bill to his family and told his younger siblings how much fun Skate for PE was and that they would get to do it when they were in 1st Grade. Alun’s excitement for skating and his desire to skate again were evident throughout this chance meeting and reinforced why we do it and how much coaching influences the youth in the valley!