EUREKA, Mo. — Her dad first put her on skis as a toddler—and, as they say, it was all downhill from there.
“I always really had an interest in going fast,” said Hattie Sloane. “It’s a great feeling.”
“I haven’t been able to keep up with her since she was ten years old,” said her father David Sloane. “She’s fast.”
Now a fifteen-year-old freshman at MICDS, Hattie ski races competitively and travels around the country with the Hidden Valley Ski Team.
“People are like, ‘oh, you ski race, that's really cool,’” said Hattie. “I do something that not a lot of people do, but it'd be fun if more people got to experience it because it’s such a cool thing.”
Hattie plays other sports and completes “dry-land” workouts during the warmer months, to keep in shape and stay disciplined.
“She's fearless and certainly with skiing going fast, all of that, you know, not being afraid to crash,” said David Sloane. “But I think that translates into other parts of the life, where she's not afraid to give things a go and, you know, afraid to crash.”
It's hard to remember when spring seems so far off, but winter--and ski season--are relatively fleeting here in St. Louis. Having a spot to hit the slopes close to home helps competitors and enthusiasts make the most of it.
“To be only half an hour away from a ski hill, where had you can ski after school three days a week or two days a week and Saturdays? It's awesome,” her father said.
It’s part of the reason the Hidden Valley Ski Team has gotten so popular, they have had to move to a waitlist and evaluations for memberships. However, clinics and open-ski times are widely available, especially now that the resort has extended its hours.
“There’s much more opportunity, really, if you have a local small ski area near where you live to become a really good skier, then just going out to the big mountains and then you're on the relatively easy slopes because you haven't skied for a year,” said David Coulter, one of the coaches and co-founders of the Hidden Valley Ski Team.
That goes for those who are just learning, to those at it for a lifetime.
“It’s always like a good skill to have, and it's just fun to get it. get out here and snow, no matter what skill level you are,” Hattie said.
For more information on adult ski race “beer leagues,” ski lessons, and operating hours at Hidden Valley, check out their website.