Meany Winter Sports School

Thanks to the dedication of our director and instructors, Meany is honored to have our very own PSIA authorized winter sports school. The school is authorized to teach a variety of outdoor winter sports (no luge, bobsled or ski-jumping as of yet). Since the instructors are deeply familiar with all of Meany's Ski runs, both groomed and ungroomed, the instruction one gets is second to none. With the low student to teacher ratio, it's almost as if you're getting semi-private lessons. I can attest to the efficacy of these lessons after watching my children rapidly improve their skill levels. This is definitely one of the better schools around. Below is some information on the instructors

Meany Ski Instructors

Here she is in all of her glory, the boss, the big Kahuna, the head cheese, Patti Polinsky. As she tells it:   "I'm a avid snow sports lover (telemarking, cross country and downhill skiing). If there is any snow to be seen, I'm on it whether it be in Seattle, Meany Lodge or the world. When the snow melts you will find me, for fun, long-distance hiking, 200 - 300 miles on a vacations. In my spare time, I'm in love with gardening and remodeling, both at home or at Meany with my husband Dave.

I started the winter sports program in the 70's as one day seminars, in order to encourage more people to ski the back country. At that time I was a supervisor for the Fiorini Ski school. I have earned a level III certification in downhill skiing and a level II certification in telemark skiing. I have strived to keep Meany lodge wintersports school certified with PSIA-NW. This to ensure that all our instructors will be able to provide the highest quality level of instructions." She also teaches classes and gives private lessons at Meany.

Art "point 'em down" Freeman say's:Skiing for 40+ years in the Northwest. 4 years at Meany, also some at Ski Masters. I'm also into backcountry skiing (as well as in ski areas, plus hiking, climbing and sailing when snow is not available). His better half Jo Freeman is one of the Meany chefs so it is a family affair

Jim Fahey says:  I have been skiing and teaching for over a decade at Meany. For most of that I have had the fun and pleasure of teaching the beginner skiers. Our beginner rope tow "Turtle" is off to the side of the main hill, safely away from the faster tows and skiers. All the little kids know how slow a turtle moves so the tow doesn't scare them.

It is truely amazing to see most of the beginners progress to parallel turns (without poles) in just four weekends. All the kids look forward to the final exam after every class and amazingly, all the kids pass, thus receiving a small Reeses peanut butter/chocolate cup treat. When I first started handing them out, I found that due to the thickness of the children's gloves, they couldn't unwrap them themselves, so I started doing that and putting it in their upturned mouths. It reminded me of a bird taking food from their parent. To make the treat giving more fun I have added the requirement of each of them chirping like a little bird. Now children of all ages (and I mean of ALL AGES) come up to me going "cheep cheep" with the expectation of getting a treat. The other enjoyable task is when I can tell one of the beginners that they "can ski down and get towed out". The smile is a wonder to behold.

I would like to envite you to bring your young ones to join the fun of the Turtle tow, the "cheep cheeping" at the end of every fun class, and developing new life-long friendships.

Todd Wilkie say's:   I have been skiing for more than thirty years now, including a bit of racing for Team Alpental back in the 80's. I am certified Alpine by PSIA and taught for a season at Steamboat in Colorado back when I was more irresponsible about steady income. (No more - got wife and child). I enjoy telemark on my own time and have even done a bit of snowboarding. Meany is a great place! I had one of the better powder days of my life (I'm including CO here) at Meany during the 06-07 season and survived multiple Railroad traverses to tell about it.

Mike Oberg grew up on his family ranch near Tonsasket, Washington. Sitzmark ski hill was where he learned to ski at age 5, race, instruct, ski-tech, drive a snowcat, and run a lift. He and his wife Erin now live on Beacon hill and work together in high tech marketing and design. When he's not skiing you'll find Mike riding his mountain bike, climbing in the cascades, or making a huge mess in the kitchen. Also if you have the chance ask Mike about his helmet cam. Also if you look at the Meany page - well it is Mike and Erin.

Eleonor Schneider say's "I've been teaching X-Country at Meany for the past 9 years (Time DOES fly by!). I enjoy introducing people to this amazing sport. It's great fun watching them gain the confidence to get beyond "walking on skis" - and really start to soar! X-Country skiing is a great way to enjoy the peace and quiet of the beautiful Northwest without competing with the crowds at the downhill slopes... (Meany excluded of course) AND having sliding boards on your feet adds a level of excitement that snowshoeing just can't BEGIN to match . So come try it out!" (Eleonor is certified by PSIA and has been teaching for 15 plus years - X-Country, skating and telemark.)

Norm Vigas learned most of his skiing skills at Meany (like skiing "the deep", "tube hockey", and "Gates") but has been relearning how to ski on the newer shaped skiis for the last 5 years or so. Also, most of his earlier exploits, that were captured on Super 8, will fortunately not be duplicated in the future. In the meantime he'll be concentrating on making skiing fun and adapting his learned racing experience to the rest of the skiing world - via his students.
NOTE from webmaster: We are trying to find these super 8 films and will put them on our website

Fred 'Free-Heel' Chapman say's "When I was five years old growing up in the Adirondack Mountains of Northern New York, (Yes they do have mountains in New York, course we Seattlites would call them hills) I quit kindergarten and spent the winter learning to ski (I'm not kidding). Although I did eventually return to school, skiing had made its mark on me; it has been a major source of fun and fitness for me ever since.

In 1991, I began teaching skiing for fun, eventually obtaining a level III PSIA certification for XCD (telemark) instructing. Since 2000, I have been helping cross-country and telemark skiers at Meany increase both their proficiency and their enjoyment of skiing. It is still 'just for fun'; my 'day job' is as a scientist/engineer/researcher for a medical device company.

Here in thePacific Northwest, free-heel (Nordic) skiing is a great way to get out into the mountains. Whether it's skate skiing on groomed cross-country trails, skinning up and then skimming down a backcountry bowl, searching out animal tracks in a Cascade Mountain forest, or zipping up a rope tow and carving turns down the hill at Meany Lodge, skiing is a great way to beat Seattle's dreary winter gray.

Colin Helser say's Hi, my name is Colin. I am very proud to be back at Meany Lodge again after a 20 year absence. I used to be a Meany ski bum when I was a kid. I went through the ski school program that still exists today. My father is Lee Helser, he is a fossil (the name of the Meany Retirees), and a past Meany Chairman, like Chuck Welter is today. I am one of the beginner/advance begineer instrucytors. I also help Dave with the grooming of the x-country trails, what a GREAT WAY to re-introdude myself to the Meany culture. I hope to meet many new people and see some old friends. SEE YOU ALL ON THE SLOPES!!!

Christopher Spring Say's My name is Chris Springer. I grew up skiing Meany. ...but I'm alright now. I have come back to finish my rehab, which involves working with our youth to improve society through snowboarding. Snowboarding has proven to improve confidence, balance, coordination, your love life, makes you better looking (than skiers) ...and is certainly a way to find nirvana while learning a lot about kharma too. ...I am enjoying my first year of instructing - both here and at Snoqualmie teaching mostly 11-13 year olds of all skill levels, but adults as well! I am very excited about the success of my students - who seem to have a good time despite my efforts toward refinement and dicipline. In the outside world I am a former Crest Guard Officer, now in charge of setting up and executing exercises for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana - planning simulated mayhem that duplicates what those on active duty may possibly get to deal with...it is great! Oops, sorry I digressed, now back to Meany...Please come up for lessons and I will be happy to share what I have learned about capitalizing on the moguls, using the trees to your advantage, and the value of choosing a platform that allows instant changes in directions is advantageous...not only in life, but on the snow too...Hope to see you soon!
Webmaster Note: When coming to Meany, be kind to Christopher, he really believes he can instill dicipline into the rulely Meany crowed

James Kotlik Hailing from a small village in the north east corner of Greenland, James has many hobbies. When not traveling all over the world on his personal jetpack, he really love training and playing with his three pet sabertooth tigers, Jaws, Fang, and Toothy. His other interests include long walks on the beach under a stary sky, swimming with talking monkeys, training falcons to fetch house cats, and sleeping in baby bears bed. He claims to have been skiing for more years than he can count but don't let that fool you, it is just gravity at its finest. If you have to use one word to describe him, it would be AWSOME!!!
Webmaster Note: I disavow anything that James typed above