South Side Story

One sign is filled up with all 58 names of the skiers racing. These signs are a way to encourage skiers as they complete the race. And the ski team does not just encourage each other. Walking into the holding area for skiers before the first race of the season, the Service Snowball, one could see clumps of similarly colored, spandex-clad skiers. Each school has their own area to put their gear and hang out before the race. But within each group are different bursts of color. Girls hug as friends from different schools come by to say hello and wish each other good luck. They wave farewell, only to see each other again at the start of the race. Many know each other through club sports and work out with each other throughout the year. But does this friendliness continue during the race?

“In advanced races it doesn’t happen as often (as in open races), but when I see someone I trained with I’m like ‘come on, let’s go,’ ” said Davis.

And as skiers finish many head back out on the trails on foot to cheer on everyone else. As a Service and a South open skier rounds a corner, a group of fellow racers can be heard yelling “Let’s go Service!” or “Come on South!”

A spirit of encouragement and camaraderie can be found especially between open skiers who are new to skiing and possibly racing for their first time. During the first hill in the open ski race, one fall lead to another and as skiers tried to stay out of the tangle one could hear multiple yells of “Sorry!” and “Are you okay?”

“A lot of people do skiing just for fun and it’s not like soccer where you’re competing against everyone else. It’s just chill,” said sophomore Kate Backstrum when asked why skiing is such a friendly sport.

“The team is really close,” said Davis, which is not hard to believe considering all the time the team spends together. Skiers have morning workouts, afternoon practices, weekend races, and of course spaghetti feeds the night before a race.

“Skiers are super sweet people. If you have a choice between a baseball player and a skier you should probably go out with the skier,” adds junior Katie Risvold.