I haven't skied here, but on my last Sun Valley trip I became aware of itty-bitty Rotarun, 15 miles down the valley near Hailey, ID. It's FREE! It's run by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and supported by donations. What a perfect complement to SV which is $$$$ for both daily lift tickets and season passes. They are doing some cool stuff in terms of expanding the sport to kids that might not otherwise ski. Neat article about it below. When they talk about attracting kids from "down valley" they are talking about the immigrant/Hispanic population.
https://www.mtexpress.com/svsef-set...cle_9e7813d6-ae0d-11e7-a240-6f373518d00b.html
“On its own, Rotarun is not financially viable—and we’ll never get to the point where it will be financially viable,” he said. “We’re seeking, and have received, support. But we need the community behind us on this.”
Looking at the back bumpers of cars valleywide, it’s clear the SVSEF has the network to drum up support.
That’s one reason why Rotarun has been courting this relationship for years, working to get the ski team involved in the south valley, Foster said.
“The fact is, Ski Ed has connections—to equipment and financial backers—that can expand the sport to new demographics,” he said.
The foundation—whose mission is to provide ski and snowboard training and competitive opportunities for Wood River Valley youths—has already announced one new program, called Rota-Rippers, directed toward getting young, first-generation skiers out onto the hill. The six-week program will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays in January and February. According to the SVSEF website, the $200 enrollment fee includes a season pass.
Paired with its long-tenured LASAR Team—a seven-week, $250 program for ages 5 through 11—Adicoff expects to double participation in learn-to-ski programs at Rotarun this year.
According to Adicoff, the SVSEF has already begun working with teachers and principals at Alturas and Bellevue elementary schools to boost after-school enrollment in its classes.
So far, outreach has specifically touted new financial aid available through donations by Cox Communications and the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation, which underwrite much of the costs. Unlike for the SVSEF’s other programs, the form for LASAR and Rota-Rippers is one page long, and doesn’t require financial information from parents.
“If you can’t afford it, we’ll find a way to get you on skis,” Adicoff said. “Our goal, eventually, is to offer this kind of program—the gear, the transportation and the instruction—free of charge."
https://rotarun.org/
