Every winter, as the temperatures drop and the snowpack on Mt. Hood rises, citizens of Tualatin and Oregon alike have the opportunity to make the two hour journey up Mt. Hood and go skiing or snowboarding. 

Skiing on Mt. Hood has long been part of Oregon tradition, with Timberline Lodge opening in 1938, bringing Oregon its first destination ski resort. In this issue of The Wolf, I caught up with TuHS senior Theo Tzantarmas, who gave us an inside look into his daily life as a Tualatin Ski Team member. 

What do you do to get ready the night before you leave for a ski day? 

“The night before I leave I put all my gear, bags, and ski pass by the front door. I also lay out my clothes and race suit in order to quickly get ready in the morning. Usually I’m awake by 4:30-5 a.m. the next day… and heading to the mountain with the team around 5:45.” 

What ski resort do you and the rest of the team have season passes at, and which one is your favorite? 

“The Tualatin Ski Team trains and has season passes to Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort. In my opinion this is the best ski resort on the mountain for racing since they allow us to set up gates and poles for training days on the same courses we usually race on.”

What does a typical ski race look like, and how do the competitions work?

“Ski race days are long and tiring but also a lot of fun. Usually it takes me a little to fully be up and ready, but once I am, it’s time to get stuff done. This includes setting up the insulated ski tent, meeting with coaches, changing into race gear, stretching, taking a practice run, then slipping the course and lining up for my race. This entails a lot of waiting around for my number to be called, and usually we get two runs down the course with about an hour-long break in between.”

Racing-wise, how have you been performing? 

“For slalom I’ve been doing ok, but giant slalom is definitely my favorite. I’ve been improving a lot since last year, and our team is in the running for state, so there’s a lot of stress going into each race to perform well.”

What are/were your goals for this ski season? 

“My main goal is to improve,. Each race I like to get at least 1 percent. Also, as a senior, I hope to build up a strong support system for the team, so it hopefully constitutes long after I graduate. I’m also hoping the team makes it to state this year!”

Thanks for answering these questions, Theo! On behalf of The Wolf, we wish you and the team good luck for the rest of your season!