Hunter Quigg, 12, of Montrose, foreruns a giant slalom race at Elk Mountain as a part of the Elk Mountain Ski Club racing team.
BY KEVIN WOODRUFF
Wyoming County Press Examiner
The Elk Mountain Ski Club is getting ready to kick off a new season of racing action starting the weekend of Jan. 1 and 2.
Based out of Elk Mountain Ski Resort in Union Dale, the club is comprised of ski racers ages 7 through 18, and skill level J6 to J1 and is part of the Pennsylvania Alpine Racing Association.
According to one of the club’s board members, Melinda Quigg, of Montrose, the club has around 100 members, some local and some from as far away as Philadelphia area.
The club runs every Saturday and Sunday and there are six races for skill levels J6 to J1, with the opportunity for a lot of post-season action if the racers do well enough.
Locals that race for the team include Hunter Quigg, 12, of Montrose, whose older sister Haleigh, 15, also has taken part in the club. Abby Westgate of Forest City also takes part in the club.
The club focuses on two main racing events, the slalom, and the giant slalom.
Quigg said that much of the interest from out of the local area comes as a result of many people from the Philadelphia area staying at the Village of the Four Seasons near Elk.
Despite great numbers in the club, they don’t have a great deal of local interest, and Quigg attributes that to a few things.
“Perhaps it’s because there are not many adult skiers locally,” Quigg said. “Scott, my husband, and I grew up skiing and it has been a passion of ours. We introduced out kids to the sport at the age of three.”
Quigg also noted that the lack of local membership may come from the fact that it is an expensive sport to take part in.
However, Quigg said that the club has grown tremendously in the past few years.
“The club teaches kids a lot of discipline and hard work,” Quigg said. “And there is also a great social aspect to it. The kids get to meet so many new people from out of the area.”
In addition, Quigg said that being a part of the club also tends to develop a love of skiing for its participants.
“They end up loving the sport,” Quigg said. “And also, they are rewarded if they do well, so that keeps the kids wanting to do better.”
She said that being a member of the Ski Club/Elk Racing Team makes skiing a team event, but at the same time, it is an individual sport.
“Each run they are trying to improve your time, hoping to be invited to post season events,” Quigg said.
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