Lakes District Secondary School is well represented this week at the provincial high school skiing championships which began March 5 and which wrap up today at Sun Peak outside of Kamloops.
Both the girls and boys snowboarding teams finished first at zones held recently on Troll Mountain outside of Quesnel, earning them the right to attend the provincials.
Teslin Pinter, Nisa Hofer, Avril Thom-Lucy, Micah Watson and Kira Watson are on the girls team while Jeremy Burleson, Cameron Stewart, Avery Wilson, Skyler Tizya-Baker, Austen Goertzen and Coulton Lambert are on the boys team.
Zoey Thom-Lucy, Kyle Nealis and Marlee Wilson, all alpine skiers, round out the school鈥檚 representation at the provincials.
Coach Patti Dube noted the achievement of Teslin Pinter who was the overall number 1 snowboarder at the zones.
In existence since 2003, the team is a blend of its student athletes in Grades 8 to 12, the cooperation of the school district and its teachers, family members and businesses and groups within the community, says Dube, a Lakes District Secondary School teacher who, with husband Pat, act as coaches and minibus drivers.
鈥淲e have very understanding teachers and amazing support in the community,鈥� she said of the need for teachers to fill in when the Dubes are on the road with the team and of the monetary demands of team travel, training and competition.
The trip to the provincials, for instance, comes with a price tag of $800 for each competitor but fundraising and donations have lowered that direct cost for each student to $160.
Overall costs are also lowered because both Dubes drive the minibus which is the property of the school district.
When away from home, teachers will give students homework but they also understand that not all of it might get done, said Dube.
Participation on the team is an extracurricular activity but the team travels during school time each Wednesday, a two hour trip each way, during the season to train on Hudson Bay Mountain in Smithers.
That again means cooperation from teachers and others, Dube added.
Hudson Bay has also eased the team鈥檚 financial needs by providing an attractive rate for season鈥檚 passes.
Dube said people should not be surprised 亚洲天堂 Lake fields an alpine and snowboarding team when the closest mountain is two hours away.
鈥淭here are athletes in every community and we just give them that opportunity [to compete],鈥� she added. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all great kids.鈥�
Over the years the Lakes District Secondary School team has produced nine provincial snowboarding champions.
The provincial ski championships are held under the auspices of the province-wide BC School Sports non-profit organization.
At the zones with the girls snowboard team from Lakes District Secondary finishing first, Fort St. James placed second and McBride placed third.
Coming second at the zones behind the first place Lakes District Secondary boys snowboarding team was Smithers followed by Vanderhoof.
Quesnel Junior Secondary, Fort St. James and Duchess Park from Prince George were one, two and three in girls alpine skiing while Smithers, Quesnel Junior Secondary and Duchess Park were one, two and three in boys alpine skiing.
