Lessons At Powder Ridge Are Filling Up With Olympic Enthusiasm

KIMBALL (WJON News) -- Sports like downhill skiing and snowboarding are taking center stage over the next two weeks during the Winter Olympics in Italy. A recent survey says up to 72 percent of Americans plan to watch the games, and snowboarding is the #1 most anticipated sport to watch this year.

Get our free mobile app

Shelby Hedtke works at Powder Ridge Ski Resort in Kimball. She says they offer skiing, snowboarding, and tubing for anyone who wants to try the sports themselves. They have private lessons, beginner hill only tickets, and rent any equipment you would need.

I feel like skiing is a little bit easier of a sport to pick up on if you are a beginner and you've never tried any skiing or snowboarding.  So we do see a lot of people starting skiing, and once they've mastered that, they'll give snowboarding a try.

They typically see an increase in interest for their sports, like downhill skiing and snowboarding, during the Olympic years.

For sure with those beginners.  So the phone calls and the lessons, the popularity right now is spiking pretty rapidly.  So it's a lot of people that maybe wouldn't be thinking about the sport now that it is on TV, they are starting to inquire and want to learn more.

Hedtke says skiing and snowboarding and be a life long sport, and they offer steep discounts for people over 70 years old.

We have a group of 70-year-olds that will come out on the weekdays when we are a little less busy, get a free cup of coffee, and take a few runs on the slopes.

Powder Ridge has two beginner runs, several intermediate runs, and a handful of black diamond runs.

Hedtke says the early-season snow helped kick off the season for them. Powder Ridge remains open until about mid-March.

The Kimball area ski resort opened in 1954.