Looking downhill, Burnsville Alpine ski coach Derek Nash sees everything he loves about the sport as his Blaze team makes turns down a run at Buck Hill.
"We have kids who have ski-raced their whole lives, and some that the first day of practice was their first time ever as part of a ski team," said Nash, who heads the Blaze boys' program. "That's what makes this pretty special as a coach, and as a team."
Skiing, Nash said, is about opportunity — to compete in a sport that kids can continue to enjoy well into adulthood, and be part of a team and find a sense of place.
Opportunity seems to be the theme for the Blaze's upcoming season. Both the boys and girls' squads have a shot at surprising many around the metro, Nash said, with some "sneaky" depth and well-rounded skiers.
But, more importantly to Nash and fellow Blaze coach Tim Bocklund, Burnsville is helping more students get into ski racing by offering a co-op with Shakopee.
"Opportunity is absolutely huge for this sport," said Bocklund, the girls' Alpine coach and a 1978 Burnsville graduate. "We didn't have a ski team when I went there. … A lot of these kids wouldn't be in a sport if they weren't doing this. … It's a great, great thing that we can offer this."
Early start
The Blaze skiers were happier than many in the metro area about winter showing up early. The November snow and cold has helped build a solid base at Buck Hill, which allowed the Blaze to start practicing on the hill nearly three weeks earlier than normal, Nash said.
The quick start has led to a slight delay in getting more Shakopee students signed up and participating, Nash said. As of last week, the Blaze had two Shakopee skiers — Gavin Menning for the boys' team, and Rachel Scalf for the girls' — on the roster. The coaches expect a flurry of more in the coming weeks.
Both skiers add more depth to what have been top-heavy lineups in the past.
The boys return two state qualifiers from last year in senior Jon Garbe and sophomore Jack Lindsay. The girls are led by senior captains Jayna Adams and Jessie Drymon.
"I think we should have a good team," Garbe said. "We have some young kids who could be coming up, and it should be fun."
Extended family
Garbe, who has been ski racing since he was 5, credits the laid-back nature of his coaches and teammates for setting the a good tone.
"It helps a lot, because the race itself is so intense that if you spend all day worrying about it, it's just going to throw you off," Garbe said. "It's nice to relax and forget about it a little bit, then get your head on your shoulders and get ready to race."
The co-op this year, Garbe said, has simply added more skiers to the Blaze's "extended family."
"The atmosphere is just great," said Quinten Anderson, a junior who had never skied competitively until his freshman year on the team. "We help each other through everything. We have good skiers, but we just love to be with each other out there. Not many kids get the opportunity to be on a team like this. That's what we love about it."
