Founded by Craig and Bill Johnson in the early 1970s, Spokane Falls Community College has offered courses held at Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park that help students develop and fine tune their skills on the mountain while earning one credit in Physical Education. These are PE 122 and PE 222, Basic and advance skiing and
snowboarding.
Whether their interest is skiing or snowboarding this course covers both. Any and all skill levels are welcome. Beginning students can learn basic techniques such as straight running, going straight down the mountain with feet apart and knees slightly bent, and traversing, turning back and forth across the mountain. While students of a more advanced level can rectify their skills in the 222 class.
Students must provide their own transportation up to the mountain. The classes meet once a week on wednesdays from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Lift tickets are good from 1:00 until the mountain closes so students can get some free time on the mountain in as well.
“Students who sign up for these courses are really getting a great deal on lift tickets and lessons,” Dave Keller, the class instructor said.
There are different pricing packages to accommodate different students. Those who can provide their own gear and season pass only pay a one time $90.00 class fee for the lessons. If students need gear and a lift ticket as well then it will be a fee of $150.00 The fees are good for a total of six lessons.
It is a great opportunity for students to save a lot of money and get quality instruction on skiing.
According to an article on cfah.org, students who exercise in a group setting have overall less stress.
Due to low enrollment, the class has actually combined with SCC to meet the minimum number of students needed to keep the class going. This is partially due to not many students knowing it the class was even offered.
“We have a class for skiing here? I had no idea. I love skiing. If I would have known earlier I would have signed up for that instead of taking another class I really didn’t like to fill my required PE credit,” Kelsey Anderson, an SFCC student said.
Students can receive discounts on local ski resorts with their student ID and by buying tickets in the bookstore.