Well, UPportunity's first adventure, skiing in Aspen, was a big success. Romello, Gabriel, Anthony and Ramon were chosen from their mentorship program in Gary, Indiana, called African American Achievers Youth Corp, (AAAYC), led by Dr. Vernon Smith. I knew it was going to be quite the adventure when none of the boys had ever skied or been in the mountains, and 2 boys had never been on a plane.
The first night, the boys unpacked their things, ate pizza and immediately jumped in the hot tub. Many questions were being flung around such as, "Are there bears out here!?", "how high up are we?", "how do we ski down?". The fear of the unknown was clearly embedded in them. I tried to calm their nerves with my first answer to their question, but by the tenth question of the evening, I said, "Let's just wait and see what it looks and feels like in the morning."
Morning came, and it was beautiful. The bright sunrays were rising across the Rocky Mountain snow covered peaks, and the boys had a sense of calm about them as they took in the heavenly site while fueling their bodies with a hearty breakfast at the kitchen table, where they cooked, cleaned and shared it together.
And we're off to the slopes! The scene was chaotic, ski lifts and gondolas moving up and down the mountain, skiers and snowboarders whizzing by, struggling to put on their ski boots, grabbing skis and poles, dropping skis and poles, etc. I could see in Romello's eyes that this was sensory overload. I thought the best way to handle their anxiety was to lead by example and move on.
I've taught skiing for the past 25 years at Aspen Ski Co. and what I tell my clients is - "Skiing is easy!". It's all about balance and confidence, and I'm here to give you the skills to find your balance and encourage you along the way.
The boys were eager and one by one jumped into the process of learning to ski. It wasn't always easy and there were plenty of falls, missteps, throwing polls and a few tears, but I could tell that nothing was going to stop them from tying and eventually succeeding. One by one, their fears melted away, like the morning sun melted away the light dusting of snow on the seats of the ski lifts. Gabriel, Romello, Anthony and Ramon were off and running. They were letting their skis slide across the mountain, skiing backwards, hopping, and jumping - they were amazing!
“Each day brought more challenges with longer, steeper runs, and new skills to learn to maintain their balance. With their newfound confidence, these obstacles were no problem and the boys progressed from beginners to accomplished skiers. They had fun, and I had the satisfaction of seeing them confront their fears, grow, and move forward. ”
After four days of skiing, we were done and had to return the skis and clothing. We were back in civilian clothes, having dinner and reminiscing about our adventure, when I had more adventure to spring on them - the Ultimate Taxi!
After twenty minutes and a circle tour of downtown Aspen, we heard the faint thump of the bass and then a blast of music as Jon, the driver, came towards us up with street. The boys had a blast in the Ultimate taxi, which sports over 900 pulsating LED lights synchronized to music while Jon plays various electronic instruments including, but not limited to, synthesizer, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and more. The boys really experienced a piece of Aspen history that night, and loved the whole wacky thing.
In the morning, it was off to Denver airport, and then back home. The boys will host their presentations from the UPportunity Aspen Trip at the April 16th, 2016 meeting of the AAAYC at Indiana University Northwest in Gary, IN at 1:00pm. For anyone interested in attending, please contact Kevin at kmcdski@gmail.com.
For the Chicago Tribune's article on the UPportunity Aspen Trip by Jerry Davich: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-davich-gary-teens-aspen-skiing-st-0411-20160408-story.html
For more photos of Kevin and the boys from the UPportunity Aspen 2016 trip, find them here.
A big thank you to Aspen Ski Co. for equipment and clothing rentals, as well as lift tickets, Jon Barnes and his Ultimate Taxi for an unforgettable ride around Aspen, and the Sorrells family for their generosity.
All photographs taken by Ron Delhaye.
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