Skiing is more than a hobby for some kids at Ridgeline, it’s a lifestyle – and they couldn’t be more happy about it. 

All of the snow that Logan receives makes doing some daily tasks a little harder, like getting to school on time, clearing driveways, and keeping out of car accidents. Although the weather can often be upsetting to many, some students couldn’t dream of a better place to be than here in Cache Valley, home of their favorite ski resort: Beaver Mountain.

Tyler Turner explains that the snow has been several feet deep for the last couple days, saying, “Every time I go up me and my friends are drowning in snow.” One of the issues that comes about with weather like this is that so many kids, wanting to ski, are missing days of school to “hit the slopes” instead. “I’ve missed every day this entire week,” says Miles Staple when talking about the sudden drop in his history grade. 

So the question is: how can one balance their hobbies and schoolwork? Trey Johnson, another student, explained that his mom will not let him go up to Beaver Mountain unless his grades are perfect. According to him, this is not an easy task by any means. Luckily, he knows how to get things done and can stay on top of homework. 

Ridgeline is obsessed with its sports and activities and, in many of its students’ opinions, skiing and snowboarding are their versions of basketball and football. This poses a question of whether the school is justified for supporting football and basketball while they punish students who ski and snowboard during school hours. Will Ripstien thinks that there should be a set, school-excused schedule for kids who ski and snowboard so they can enjoy their days on the mountain while they have the time. 

The “ski lifestyle” is not going away anytime soon, so there needs to be a compromise between students, their parents, and the school.