STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Brianna Sandoval is a Bellevue Elementary School student who, like so many in the area, caught Olympic fever this year as children and adults alike tuned in to watch seven Sun Valley skiers and snowboarders compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

“I’m going to go up to the top of the hill and be one of those racers,” Sandoval said, flashing her big smile to reveal a missing tooth. “I like zig zagging down the hill like they do.”

Sandoval was among 120 youngsters who took part in the Rota-Rippers Learn to Ski and Snowboard program at Hailey’s Rotarun Ski Hill this year.

That the program came off was nothing short of a miracle, thanks to warm temperatures that meant that the little ski hill got just 4.5 inches of natural snowfall this winter.

But the snow guns the small ski hill installed a few years ago worked their magic and Rotarun opened on Jan. 3 after lower temperatures following Christmas enabled snowmakers to turn 500,000 gallons of water into snow.

Anxiously awaiting the ski hill’s opener were 200 applicants—far more than the 120 children the free program is able to accommodate.

“We work with school counselors who give a heads up to new families in the schools. We take home schoolers, as well as kids from more traditional schools. And the kids are so excited--we even had parents bringing them on Martin Luther King and Presidents Day  when schools weren’t open,” said Adelia Maria Watson, the Rota-Rippers program director.

Rota-Rippers spend two hours--from 3 to 5 p.m.--twice a week for eight weeks in lessons.

“Kids come in scared but excited and the first day it’s coordinated chaos,” said Watson.

The youngsters spend their first lesson learning how to put on their boots and click their boots into skis before learning to sidestep uphill.

“Typically, the parents don’t have any experience with skiing so, oftentimes, they’ll come with so many clothes on they can’t even move,” said Watson.

As soon as they can, volunteer coaches get them on the new Magic Carpet that Rotarun installed last fall. The carpet is like an escalator without stairs that takes them uphill.

“It’s been a game changer,” said Margit Donhowe. “The Magic Carpet makes it so much easier. Before, we had to teach them from the get-go how to grab the Poma tow.”

Donhowe is one of 29 volunteer coaches who come from up and down the valley to work with the children. Twenty-seven have been with the program for many years.

“I do it to share my love of skiing,” said Donhowe. “It’s really fun volunteering. There’s nothing like putting kids on skis for their first time and having them make turns down the mountain by the end.”

Tim Meintz was among five volunteers who manned the Magic Carpet this year. A retired teacher, he and his wife came to the valley for the winter to see their grandchild. He heard about Rota-Rippers and found himself becoming grandfather to more than a hundred youngsters, teasing them that they’ll have to smile as they get off the Magic Carpet or they’ll have to pay him a dollar.

“I just want to make sure no one gets hurt,” he said. “It’s been interesting as it’s hardly even been cold enough for them to make snow. You can see the ground next to the snow they made. You can see the grass. But the kids don’t take note of that. They’re just having fun.”

Sandoval’s mother and grandmother faithfully turn out to watch Brianna, spending two hours at the bottom of the hill with Brianna’s 3-year-old brother and their newborn infant.

“I’ve never skied so I’m very proud of her,” said her grandmother. “And her brother can’t wait to learn.”

Brianna was a little hesitant to try skiing at first, they said.

“But we told her: Try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it.”

Scotty McGrew the executive director of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, picks up the kids at school in the SVSEF ‘s big blue bus. They file into the modest little lodge that is Rotarun’s where they stuff their backpacks in cubby holes and help themselves to chickpeas, apples and raisins provided by The Hunger Coalition.

With the end of the ski year nearing, Guy Cherp of Cox Communications has brought in cupcakes iced in the Cox Communications colors of blue and green. The kids will be feted with pizza on the last day.

“I love skiing because I learn new things every time,” said one.

“I have had so much fun skiing here,” said another. “I’m grateful to live in such a beautiful place with loving and kind people who support this fun winter sport.”

Brianna Sandoval scrunched her face as she pondered the most challenging part of learning to ski.

“The hardest part was making a pizza with my skis—I kept falling,” she said referring to how she points her skis together to snowplow so she can slow down.

“But, she added, “Now, I can fly.”