9 minute read
Racking Up Recreational Offerings
MAC Carves New Niches for Member Education & Enjoyment
BY JAKE TEN PAS
As illustrated by the From the Archives photo on page 74 in this issue, skiing in jeans is winter fashion at its most off-piste. But there was a time in MAC history when members who didn’t even know how to ski — much less dress properly for the snow — were propelled downhill purely by the joy of the sport. In the 1950s, MAC Ski School catered to the uninitiated, seeking to broaden participation, build skills, and open up an outside world of seasonal adventure.
Thanks to the current Outdoor Department’s efforts, MAC Ski & Snowboard is once again emphasizing recreational offerings. Whether members are too young or inexperienced to consider competition or old enough to know they just want to have fun or work on specific skills, the club is ready to support them.
“Our goal is to make skiing feel accessible and inviting no matter where someone is on their journey. Competitive programs will continue to thrive, and now there are more ways for families, adults, and first-timers to join the fun,” says Philip Wilson, who was recently promoted to the position of Outdoor Department Manager.
“We’re trying to create those natural connection points, where a veteran racer and a new skier might share a lift ride and swap stories or advice. That sense of shared experience strengthens the club as a whole and helps members see themselves in new parts of the MAC community.”
Sometimes those might be family members, not just fellow MAC members. The Baumgartel family is a case in point. Dad Lukas grew up skiing before stepping away from the sport for around two decades. After accepting an invitation from some buddies to get back to the mountain, he realized that despite being able to get from top to bottom, he could probably do it more artfully.
“I was kind of impressed and happy with how much muscle memory was still there for something that I hadn’t done in that long. I never had formal training, and I kind of had the same mentality I did when I was a kid, which was, ‘I’ll go down anything and just figure out my way.’ I might not look great doing it and I might not be able to keep up with all my buddies, but I can get there.”
After tearing his ACL in 2020 — and undertaking rehabilitation with Rose City Physical Therapy at MAC — Baumgartel decided it was time to get some coaching from MAC instructor Jason Curnow. His motivation was no longer just technique but also getting his confidence back while establishing proper form and practice to prevent further injury.
“Amazing ski coach, amazing guy. I took a handful of private lessons from him and just had a fantastic experience. I think I made a lot of progress in my skiing,” Baumgartel says, adding that the two have become friends who also pursue their shared passion for mountain biking together.
“I think a lot of people with their sports as adults are like, ‘I’m good enough at it, now I’m just going to do it for fun,’ and it really changed my mentality to, ‘I want to constantly get better at it.’ Not that the fun part decreases, but it also just adds this other element.”
As a self-described avid outdoorsman and “speed freak,” Baumgartel enjoyed refining his approach to, and perspective on, enjoying the sport. He says he was able to put together several of his lesson learnings focused on edge pressure, weight distribution, and how he moves his body. “You make a really nice turn and think, ‘All right, that felt great,’ even though you might not be going as fast.”
“One of the reasons we vibed is that my enthusiasm for skiing perhaps outweighs my skill. He was really good about sharing that level of passion and genuinely wanting to help me upskill to try and grow in the right direction.”
Another aspect of the sport that Baumgartel has come to love is that it provides a seasonal carrot to keep him dedicated to his well-being all year long. Knowing that he’s looking forward to basking in the winter wonderland each year, he sticks to his PT exercises through the summer and fall.
For Baumgartel, that means getting his family in on it, too. He and his wife, Heather McGinn, have found it to be a great activity to do with their kids. Due to the fact that her own history with skiing mirrors her husband’s, Baumgartel hopes to get her to take some private lessons this winter.
He also plans to enroll both of his kids, Calder Baumgartel (10) and Ansel McGinn (6), in the Flying M’s Holiday Ski & Ride Camp from Dec. 27 – 29. The 3-day program is a great way to teach children some snowsport basics, and if they like the experience, there’s always a new peak to ascend.
The Parent Trap
At 11 years old, Olivia Randles currently defines that peak as beating her mom in a ski race. As she continues in her progress, however, new peaks might materialize from the mists.
Two years ago, she got her start at MAC’s holiday camp, and now she’s racing in Youth Ski League. What began as curiosity snowballed into genuine zeal, and the setbacks she’s experienced along the way only added to her resolve to improve.
“At first, my friends did it, and I wanted to do it, too. It was fun, and we did a couple of races. Learning all of the different gates and trying to go really fast were my favorite parts,” she says. Then, at one of her first official races, she wiped out on icy snow. Her mom, Jamie, recalls it being embarrassing for Olivia, and possibly traumatic.
“Watching those kids get back up and take another run is just so amazing,” she says. On Olivia’s next race, she ended up finishing, and the reinforcement of her resolve seemed instantaneous. “She was proud of herself, and I was so proud she got back out there.”
Olivia adds, “Even if I fall now, I feel like it’s a lot easier to just climb back up and go around the gate again.”
Her brother, Owen, is a few years behind his sister at age 8, and whether his time skiing will translate to a desire to compete remains to be seen. For now, he’s taken his foundations, shored up with the Flying M’s, following up with private lessons courtesy of MAC instructor Daniel Wild, and seeing where the slopes of Mt. Hood Meadows take him.
Of course, Owen lays out his current situation much more simply: “I liked my coach. He was really fun because he likes to do jumps, and I really like to do jumps, too.”
Owen’s rapport with Wild was so natural, in fact, that he asked for private lessons for his birthday. “That was his big present. He really wanted to be with Daniel all day,” Jamie adds.
She and her husband, John, both doctors, love to watch their children’s progression, even as they readily admit that ceasing trying to teach them directly was a great decision. “The first three years of teaching kids to ski is not fun in any way. It’s like an investment in future fun. Now they’re good, they keep up, and it’s really fun,” Jamie says.
“The thing that impressed me most about the Flying M’s was that it gave Owen the chance to take risks in a safe, supportive environment, and to face fear and uncertainty,” John adds. “We could tell that he gained confidence last winter and wasn’t scared to try hard things on the mountain. These are lessons that reach beyond skiing. We were really impressed with the program.”
So much so that John almost wishes there was a Flying M’s for adults. Given the recent nature of MAC’s expansion into offering small-group lessons for adults, he seems intrigued by the possibility of honing his snow craft.
“Jamie grew up in Welches, and so skiing was a big part of her childhood. I started learning as an adult,” he says. “It’s obviously much tougher to learn when you’re older, being higher off the ground, losing balance, falling. You’re a little more fragile, and these things can add a little anxiety to going down the mountain. I’ve improved a lot, but I think the kids are better than me at this point.”
Both adult Randles also enjoy the ease of dropping the kids off with instructors during lessons and camps and being able to enjoy time with their friends — some of whom they met through MAC — skiing at their own pace.
“The ski community is a really nice group,” John says. “They have an end-of-the-year barbecue out there, they show movies. It’s just very welcoming.”
That’s exactly how Wilson and the Outdoor department want it.
“MAC’s ski community has always had deep roots, from competitive programs that have produced incredible athletes and coaches to families who simply love getting outside together,” he says.
“We realized there was an opportunity to bring more members into that shared
mountain experience. Not everyone’s chasing race gates, but everyone can appreciate the challenge, connection, and of course the après-ski that come from a day on snow. Expanding our recreational offerings lets us celebrate the full spectrum of skiing at MAC.”
