staff writer
What began as an idea evolved into an after school program and eventually became the winter gym curriculum for Caribou students. In 1978, the Caribou Country Club and Caribou Recreation Department combined to bring to life the ski trails of Northern Aroostook County. Eight miles of trails were cut, and ski areas opened.
Staff photo/Abigail Hunt
The Caribou Parks and Recreation Department keep all skis and poles in this trailer. In January, the trailer will move to downtown Caribou, where easy access will be necessary for students.
Initially, the trails were developed and maintained around classical skiing, but, following changes and dynamics in the industry, the trails expanded to accommodate skate skiing and snow shoeing, as the Maine Conservation Society widened the trails.
As area participation increased, the Caribou Rec. Department wanted to open up skiing to children in The County, providing an opportunity for early learning. The result: an after school program now known as “Ski Daddle”. Throughout the 1980’s and ‘90’s, the program met on Saturdays, inviting children from the community to come learn about and participate in skiing basics.
Participation was due in large part to a donation to the Recreation Department. Caribou resident and avid skier Doug Collins began an endowment to provide skis for kids in memory of his late wife, Helen. Mrs. Collins also enjoyed skiing with her husband and the two were often seen hitting the slopes at Sugarloaf on the winter weekends. Collins wanted to provide the community with something that reflected Helen’s love for the sport.
Since covering the cost of the original 25 pairs of skis, this reoccurring fund has also provided for continuous maintenance and updates on over 100 sets of skis, boot and poles, equipment essential to this program’s existence.
In 2001, the Caribou Recreation Center approached the superintendent of Caribou School District and proposed a more specific program.
While participation for “Ski Daddle” had remained steady throughout the winters, Recreation Superitendent Kathy Mazzuchelli wanted to provide the opportunity to ski to more students in Northern Aroostook County.
Coroborating with the schools and offering the program during the day opened opportunities for nearly 500 students annually, as opposed to the typical 20 students on a Saturday afternoon.
The program Mazuchelli brought before the board would run for eight weeks out of the year, from January until March. The Rec. Center would offer a gym class based solely on skiing, and, with the endowment, be able to provide each student with a pair of skis, boots and poles. The curriculum, written according to Maine Learning Standards, would teach students the fundamentals of skiing, from putting on equipment properly, to how to land jumps.
Initially planned for students in grades 1-3, the program was changed to incorporate students in grades 3-6, taking advantage of the age and coordinative ability of the children.
The only problem was where to keep all of the ski equipment. That answer came from an unsuspected source: The Caribou Police Department.
In 2001, Mazzuchelli approached the Department to ask about borrowing a trailer for the program. The trailer was part of a surplus for that year, and although they had discussed incorporating it into staff trainings, the Department readily offered to donate the trailer when asked.
As a mobile ski unit, the fully outfitted trailer is brought next to the Caribou Middle School every winter, where it stays next to the ice shack until March, when the program ends. Maine Winter Sports Center has modeled their ski trailer after the Recreation Department’s.
Neal Sleeper, Recreational Program Coordinator for the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department, heads up the course every winter, and is responsible for the upkeep of the equipment, such as waxing the skis and checking the binding on the boots and laces in order to ensure continual safety.
“The fundamental goal”, he explained “is to have fun while learning lessons.” Part of that lesson is to also teach that being healthy can be fun by introducing students to healthy lifestyle choices. Now in his second year with the Rec., Sleeper also oversees the making of the grounds themselves.
Every January, Teague Park is transformed into a ski hill of sorts. Soon, the baseball field will become a ski track, where most of the 5th and 6th grade spend their time.
A small hill will also be constructed and maintained for students to ski off of, an exciting, new experience for first time skiers in the 3rd and 4th grades.
Sleeper’s excitement at heading this up mirrors that of the students.
“This program is the first of its kind in the state,” he said, simultaneously noting that, though they share similar goals, the Rec. Department and the program it has begun is separate from Maine Winter Sports.
For Sleeper, one of the highlights of teaching the course is watching the way students react to the experiences, especially those on skis for the first time. But the affects of this annually taught gym course continue on throughout middle school and high school. Rob Kieffer, the middle school ski coach, and P.J. Gorneault, nordic ski coach for the high school, have both seen benefits in their athletes.
In fact, this year’s senior ski students were the first to take part in the school program back in ’01. Coach Gorneault attributes much of this present influence to the community.
“We are very fortunate at Caribou to have a closely knit ‘skiing’ community. There is a connectivity between the Rec. Department, Middle School, High School and Maine Winter Sports Center. Being able to get students who might not otherwise ever get on skis at the middle school level is a huge asset to our program at the high school,” summarized Gorneault.
The middle school assistant ski coach as well, Gorneault noted the team has been averaging about 65 skiers over the past 5 years.
This year, Gorneault plans to end the middle school gym course by taking the 5th and 6th grades to the high school for an afternoon to ski the trails up there.
Gorneault and Ryan Deprey, the other middle school gym teacher, both feel “that by exposing [students] to the great facility we have at the high school, we might be able to increase their interest even more with the sport,” said Gorneault, stressing again the importance and necessity of the Rec. Department in making these opportunities possible. Ultimately, having fun is the biggest emphasis for these middle school students, no matter what their skill level. The high school team is a bit more focused.
“I think that we are finally starting to see the payoff at the high school level. This year, Caribou has 27 skiers on the team, the most in the past 8 years. Some of the varsity skiers at the high school that will be competeing at the state level this year are students that, when they first started the program, had a hard time skiing 2km in middle school – their technique was very raw. They are proof that the system is working on all levels,” Gorneault explained.
The Caribou Rec. Department and Middle School will begin ski classes for the seventh year this January.
