By Corbin Carkner’25
The ski team at The Frederick Gunn School is an integral part of the school’s identity and culture. It is what separates our school from others, and opens up a new realm of competition. But what goes on at Mohawk Mountain every afternoon, and what are the skiers’ opinions of practice?
Crbin Carkner, Highlander News journalist, interviewed Nico Visser of the Gunn ski team to learn more about the many fascinating adventures on Mohawk Mountain. Nico is often seen shredding down black diamonds at Mohawk, but also enjoys Lodge life with his teammates. “The mountain lodge is very nice. I wish there were a little more snow because it gets pretty icey sometimes, but overall, I think it is a pretty good mountain. One of the benefits is that there are not a lot of people, so there is no line for the chair lifts, which is very cool.”
Nico is an intermediate skier and loves the chance to get on the course every day. “I’m not the worst skier, but I’m not the best. Kind of in the middle of the pack. I live in Mexico, so I don’t get a chance to ski as much as people that live in the U.S.” In the eyes of people from Mexico, Visser is considered a very strong skier.
Nico is also excited to try ski racing for the first time. “It was definitely a different experience because I’ve never raced before, so the first run, I was pretty nervous. I am afraid to get hurt. In the race we are moving at super high speed, if we make a mistake and fall we could severely injure yourself or others, so we do have fun, but we also take a risk of getting hurt. Despite the risk of injury, I felt better during my second run and had more confidence, so I had a better run and a better time.” The ski team races once a week, but they hit the slopes five other times during the week for training.
According to Nico, skiing is a very fun sport, but it also can be very dangerous, so on Gunn Mountain Day, Highlanders should watch out and be careful. Skiing is also not a cheap sport, but it is a very fun sport. Overall, the ski team has a very fun time shredding the gnar day in and day out. They have lots of fun competing in high-intensity and high-speed races. The ski team is an important and unique addition to Frederick Gunn Athletics. Good luck skiers!
