Four instructors of the Stowe Mountain Resort Ski and Ride School attended the Hartford Ski Spectacular Winter Sport Festival in Breckenridge, CO, thanks to scholarships provided by Green Mountain Adaptive Sports. All had a very successful week, learning from the best in the adaptive ski world, and earning PSIA-ASSI certifications in Adaptive Alpine Skiing.
The funds used to provide the instructors with scholarships were raised through the GMAS Vertical Ski Challenge, a fundraising campaign held by GMAS every March. Last year, Tom Hall, Stowe’s lead Adaptive Ski Coach and a few other skiers raised over $22,000 in one day, collecting pledges from generous donors as they gathered thousands of vertical feet of skiing in one day. As promised, those funds were later used to pay for training for adaptive ski coaches and to acquire a TetraSki. Read more about all that was funded through this important fundraiser over the years here.
Meet the Instructors
Stowe instructor Tom Hall is sharing his knowledge in the Learn to Ski program.
Tom Hall, Stowe’s lead adaptive ski coach and GMAS Board member is no stranger to SkiSpec, having attended the Snowsports Academy for the past three years. This year, Tom took part in the event as a coach, sharing his knowledge in the Learn to Ski program, teaching skiers with disabilities how to navigate a bi-ski down Breckenridge’s slopes.
Tom also worked with a variety of military veterans trying adaptive skiing for the first time. Tom possesses a PSIA-ASSI Level 2 in Alpine and each of the six adaptive disciplines (visual impairment, cognitive delay, mono- ski, bi-ski, three track and four track).
Brett Hazzard has been a certified ski instructor for 12 years, and working at Stowe Mountain Resort for the past 5 years. Brett possesses a PSIA Level 1 Children’s Specialist Certification, and has been working mainly with children ages 7-14. At SkiSpec, he extended his area of expertise and earned a PSIA-ASSI Level 1 Certification in Adaptive Alpine Visually Impaired and Cognitive Delays.
Sydney Farbotnik is always a favorite with the little ones!
His newly acquired knowledge will be a great addition to the Stowe Ski and Ride School and enable Brett to serve a new population at Stowe.
Sydney Farbotnik holds alpine certification through PSIA and added a PSIA-ASSI Level 1 Certification in Adaptive Alpine BiSki/Monoski at SkiSpec. She developed an interest in working with disabled individuals early on and through her high school started their first adaptive ski program at her local ski hill (Mount Pleasant) before interning with Vermont Adaptive. Her time was split between individuals with disabilities and veterans who came into their program.
Over the last two years working with Stowe and Green Mountain Adaptive as a ski instructor she has become very interested in expanding her adaptive training in snow sports. Her mentors at Stowe have done a great job exposing her to new opportunities and giving her the training needed to support the adaptive program. She is a favorite instructor for many of GMAS’s athletes, and we are excited to see her continue to evolve and grow as an adaptive ski instructor.
Academy Newbie David Neubardt checks out his monoski before getting on the chairlift.
David Neubardt has been coaching at Stowe Mountain Resort, including in the adaptive program, for the last three years. He also earned his PSIA-ASSI Level 1 Certification in Adaptive Alpine BiSki/Monoski. The training he received at the Snowsports Academy enhanced his skills in working with this particular group of skiers with disabilities and equipped him with the knowledge and techniques necessary to provide the best support. He is excited to continue to explore new ways to support all types of skiers.
“I am so excited about this! exclaims Tom Hall, For so many years I’ve been the only Stowe instructor attending SkiSpec. It is great to have other people there this year, learning and networking at the SnowSports Academy. Tom adds, “One of the examiners commented that ‘Stowe’s instructors knew how to teach’. It’s exciting to come back home with so many newly certified instructors.”
All candidates said SkiSpec was an amazing experience and that they hope to come back next year.
You can make a year-end donation to GMAS to support future training and programming here.