Ski Utah’s Discover Winter program enters its fourth season of increasing access to snowsports for beginners of color. Eight of Utah’s 15 resorts now provide Discover Winter’s free lessons, including Woodward Park City and Deer Valley Resort.Discover Winter aims to create experiences that promote a lifelong passion for skiing and snowboarding. Participants receive four complimentary lessons, along with transportation, equipment and proper warm clothing. After completing the lessons, they get a Ski Utah Yeti Pass with access to one day at each of Utah’s 15 mountain resorts. Woodward Park City has been involved in Discover Winter since the beginning in 2020. Woodward is positioned as a training ground for all kinds of athletes, and as a resort focused on learning and growth above all. “This is one of the best places to learn because we are truly set up for that,” said Sarah Sherman, Woodward’s senior marketing manager. “We’ve had really positive feedback as an organization for the participants because it’s an easy place for them to get and it’s a non-intimidating place to learn.” Woodward Park City offers their Hot Laps lift, helping beginners progress from the basics to the big leagues all in one place. Credit: Park Record file photo by David JacksonUnlike other big-mountain experiences, Woodward’s manageable size and dedicated teaching terrain are tailored for skill-building. With only one lift, it is specifically designed toward repetitive, constant learning. Progression Director Eric Rolls said, “The smiles and stoke from these participants mean that the program was a success. It is so rewarding to see people light up with excitement when they learn a new sport such as skiing or snowboarding.” The learning curve for beginners in the snow sports can be steep, according to Rolls. By participating in Discover Winter, teaching resorts must be hyper aware of the particulars that make a ski day successful and account for the difficulties that come with that first ever day on snow, he said. “The first visit always takes a little extra time — equipment fitting, orienting students, and establishing basic needs. We are familiar and patient with those needs and see it as all part of learning,” said Rolls. This specialized learning experience is important to Deer Valley Resort instructors, as well, according to Ski School Assistant Manager Doug Gormley. “There’s this strong localism to skiing, and we try to really make people feel invited to the resort and a part of the resort, and it’s just everything from that first friendly greeting to walking them through every step of the getting-on-skis process,” said Gormley. Deer Valley offers Discover Winter lessons every Sunday starting Jan. 12 through February. Credit: Deer Valley ResortAt Deer Valley, a typical ski lesson will only account for lessons in physical skiing technique. With Discover Winter, Deer Valley aims to account for every step of the process. They meet participants at the base village and walk them through every part of the rental shop and the fitting process through to their first time on the hill.Woodward follows participants through the same process, trying to make every piece of the puzzle as easy as possible to bring that positive experience to first-time skiers and boarders, they said. “We try to just make each and every step smoother, because it can kind of feel overwhelming when you arrive at this resort and you kind of don’t know where you’re heading and it just makes the day so much more seamless,” said Gormley. Gormley also emphasized the special care he takes as the program organizer to ensure the proper staff is meeting Discover Winter participants where they are at. In creating the perfect first day, Deer Valley employees work to lend a hand to new participants, but also lend a great attitude to what is inevitably a frustrating learning curve. “There are a lot of additional pieces that are catered specifically to this program, and a big part of that is staff. We really focus on handpicking instructors who are going to be able to meet the needs of the students,” said Gormley. Discover Winter lessons run every Sunday at Deer Valley Resort from Jan. 12 through the month of February. Lessons at Woodward are also held weekly starting in January.“You realize the effect it has on them just in terms of being able to accomplish something that they’re nervous about,” said Gormley. “It’s really cool to share the mountains with people, especially in the surrounding areas. They stare at these mountains every day, but they might not recreate in a way that a lot of us get the opportunity to do, and it’s really cool to kind of share that with other adults.” Because Discover Winter lessons happen over the course of a month through Ski Utah, applicants benefit from being local to the state of Utah, though folks can apply from anywhere. Other participating resorts in Utah are Alta, Snowbird, Snowbasin, Solitude, and Sundance Mountain Resort, though the Ski Utah Yeti Pass gives participants access to all the resorts in the state. Woodward offers support to skiers and boarders of all skill levels. Credit: Park Record file photo by David Jackson“There’s a lot of joy out of it. And I think our instructors all leave it thinking, ‘Wow, that was an incredible experience,’ and they realize the impact it made. To get to share this amazing sport, It’s hard not to get stoked on that,” said Gormley. Gormley said he is glad that this program continues to be a part of Deer Valley’s teaching program, and explained how grateful he is to have the staff and instructors to back it up, despite how increasingly busy Deer Valley gets each season. “We are nonstop busy. Between all of our programs, it has just gotten more and more challenging. And a huge part is the staffing. We’ve gotten a lot of help from our part time staff who have given us extra days to do some of these programs,” said Gormley. Registration for Discover Winter has closed for the 2024-25 season, and applicants will begin lessons starting in January. Last season, Discover Winter received over 600 applications and were able to accommodate up to 200 participants. This season, Ski Utah plans to accept up to 300 applications, said Alison Palmintere, director of communications at Ski Utah. Woodward Park City opens Thursday with access to the Hot Laps lift and their early-season terrain park. Deer Valley Resort opens to season passholders Friday and everyone on Saturday with lifts including Carpenter Express, Homestake Express and Sterling Express.The post Woodward and Deer Valley participate in Ski Utah’s Discover Winter for the fourth season appeared first on Park Record.