Skiing is ‘just chill’

“Should I put ‘good luck South skiers’ or ‘good luck skiers’?” “Mmmm…Good luck skiers.” A group of students armed with bottles of paint, brushes, and glitter are busily painting signs. Not signs to put up around the school, but around the trails. This is South’s cross-country ski team. Those who are not in the ski room waxing or getting their spandex uniforms are making signs

“We make signs to support the whole team,” said junior Petra Davis, “We don’t make them before every race, but we should.”

One sign is filled up with all 58 names of the skiers racing. These signs are a way to encourage skiers as they complete the race. And the ski team does not just encourage each other. Walking into the holding area for skiers before the first race of the season, the Service Snowball, one could see clumps of similarly colored, spandex-clad skiers. Each school has their own area to put their gear and hang out before the race. But within each group are different bursts of color. Girls hug as friends from different schools come by to say hello and wish each other good luck.

Friendly Competition

Jay glares at his rival and friend.

Ben stares at his rival and friend.

Best friends at school and competitors in the pool, sophomores Jay Schulte and Ben Rockwell have been racing each other in practice for the past two seasons. They have pushed each other to become better swimmers.

“It can be aggravating sometimes to swim with [Rockwell], but it makes us both faster,” said Schulte. “We are only really competitive in practice, but we swim different races so we don’t get the chance to swim against each other very much.”

Schulte and Rockwell enjoy swimming together but are sometimes distracted form their goals at the regions and state meet.

“Jay and Ben apply to the 90-10 rule,” said South swim coach Troy Christensen jokingly. “I love working with them 90 percent of the time, and the other 10 percent of the time, they are just annoying.”