There is much prestige in competing in a high school sport. A visit to Service High School in Anchorage showed that the teenagers are very excited about skiing. Jan Buron, head coach for Service High School, said that there are six high schools in Anchorage. All have a ski team, most with over 50 members. The main goal for the season is the state championships, where the skiers compete individually in addition to earning points for their school.
Skiers come from all over Alaska, and it is important to do well.
Most schools in Alaska have a ski team, with the exception of the schools that are in the most northern part of the state. There the winters are often too cold, or the schools are too small to have anything more than a basketball team, which is also popular among teenagers. Head coach Buron says that his skiers are divided into six groups according to ability. The lowest group is made up of beginners, while in the advanced group are mostly very serious competitors. All the groups train everyday, Monday through Friday, and there are races in the weekends.