Camper Testimonials

 
Cyndi Devereaux
Hi Mike-
How are you?  I am finally getting a chance to follow up on Haydn's wonderful camp experience with you guys.  Even though he had a rough start with his bout of home sickness he had an amazing time, grew as an individual exponentially, made some great friends (especially Sebastion Broussard) and feels he really improved his skiing.
Cyndi Devereaux


Ben Hallen
Hi Mike and Lynne,
I was just thinking of how much fun I had last week at your camp and thought I would send a quick e-mail saying thank you. I can’t give enough praise to Roger and his excellent coaching and also the overall camp experience. Thanks again and I hope to see you both next Summer.
Sincerely,
Ben

 

Bonnie Dumas (parent)
Chloe would like you to know she had a great time at ski camp and learned alot.  I would like to thank all the staff at Mt. Hood Summer Ski Camp for doing such a great job.  You all made her first experience of sleep away camp and ski race camp wonderful!  Thank you!!
~Bonnie Dumas


Paige Havens (parent)
Mike –  

Jack Havens had a fantastic time at camp the last two weeks.  He is very confident in the skill he gained.  He is already talking smack on how he will be able to beat his coach this year.  Plus he has mapped out a multi-year plan to become a counselor.  That’s if you approve of him!  Thank you, he had a great time and I’m sure we will see his achievements on the slopes this season.  See you next year!
Paige Havens


Art Andrews and Kristen Nelson
Hi Mike,
I wanted to drop a quick note to you in regard to our experience with Mark Stegall this past weekend.  My girlfriend and I are fairly new to snowboarding and are more or less self taught.  We have been boarding for  just over a year and still consider ourselves to be beginners.  As we are  both professionals and in our 30s, we are a bit more careful when it comes  to boarding than some younger riders because any major injury would effect our business and livelihood.  We took an introductory lesson to snowboarding when we first began boarding at our local slopes but found them to be only moderately useful and have been winging it since then.  We finally reached a point where we felt that we needed more professional direction and signed up with your company for 2 days of lessons at Mt  Hood...As far as our snowboarding hobby goes, those two days have changed our  lives. Thanks to Mark, we wouldn't even recognize the snowboarders we were when arriving at Mt Hood.  From the first minute to the very last Mark gave us very specific and very useful information that destroyed the inefficient way in which we had been previously boarding and rebuilt a new and very solid foundation on which all of our future boarding will be based. Mark's patience, intensity, genuine love of the sport and love of precision and performing this sport the RIGHT way is something I haven't seen before and really appreciated.  The important thing is that we not only appreciated Mark's approach and demeanor, but it was truly effective, simple to follow, and produced immediate results!  I feel that we came to Mark trying to hammer nails with a screwdriver and Mark introduced us to the hammer.  We certainly aren't experts yet, but Mark provided the correct tools and the knowledge of how to use them so that as we go into the fall 2009 season, we will be able to practice and use these tools to improve our technique as well as simply enjoy our time on the slopes more! Even beyond simple training, Mark gave us a lot of personal information regarding his experience with equipment and even allowed me to use some of his equipment when mine was creating problems!  I now have a much better idea of what I need and how to make the most of what I have thanks to Mark's guidance in this area. We have not had any experience with your other instructors, but even so, we can only believe that Mark is a Rock Star in your group and a true asset to your business!  We expected this to be a one-time trip, but thanks to the amazing experience Mark gave us, this will be at least an annual trip if not more often!  You will certainly be hearing from us again and we are looking forward to more instruction from Mark in the future! I apologize for turning this "note" into a book, but I simply can't tell you enough how much we enjoyed the experience and how much Mark helped us!

Sincerely,
Art Andrews and Kristen Nelson

Yuri and Sylva Gaspar: (Veronica's parents)
Dear Mike,
We would like to thank you, your instructors and counselors for the wonderful time our daughter Veronica had in your camp.  She only turned 12 past spring and she never traveled alone before. You can imagine how relieved we have been, when she called from the airport, that everything was o.k., the counselors met her as promised. She called couple more times to tell us how happy she was in the camp.  When she returned home we could only hear that everything was "AWESOME": snow, skiing, her instructor (Heidi), her new friends, and especially the afternoon activities.  We knew about the camp only from DVD. Veronica's experience far exceeded our expectations.  Great job, your camp is excellent!  We have already skied several days this year, and I could see the progress Veronica made since attending Mt Hood camp.  She cannot wait to return next summer.  Thank you for your dedication and efforts.  We would gladly give references to anybody, if they need one. 
Yuri and Sylva Gaspar
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2008
 

Teri Hanchulak (Jordan's mom):
 My daughter Jordan Hanchulak spent a week at your camp recently.  It was truly the time of her life.  She can't stop talking about it.  I want to thank you for that.

Bill Lavis (Mac's dad):
BTW - Mac had a great time (it was his second year) and just raved about his experience on and off the hill.  It truly is one of the highlights of his year (including his regular winter days!).

Beth Kalafa (Sara's mom):
I want to thank you all for the wonderful experience that my daughter, Sara, had at your camp this summer. (She attended sessions 7 & 8) She learned a lot, had lots of fun and made some lasting friendships! (We already had one camp friend come to visit when his family was visiting the Boston area at the end of the summer!!) She is trying to figure out how she can stay for longer next summer!  Thank you again!!!

Christen Brooke:
Dear Mike and Lynne,  I would like to thank you both for a great two weeks spent at Mt Hood Summer Ski Camps.  The coaching was of the highest class and I felt like the staff was interested in my career as a racer.  Thanks again, Christen Brooke

Helen Campbell:
I have nothing but the best memories from ski camp. First off, there is just something fun about being on the mountain in the summer, it feels like you are getting away with something, tricking mother nature. Skiing in July? It's just too nuts. The staff keeps it fun and lighthearted, the afternoon activities were great. It was my first taste of rock climbing, and it ROCKED! But perhaps most important is the training. I don't think anything can beat five days in a row on the mountain and in courses with a qualified coach. The repetition helps form muscle memories, and solid foundations are made that create confidence in the upcoming seasons. The drills are specific to your needs, because the groups are small. I just found the pictures I took during my first year at ski camp and spent so much time remembering all the good times I had and good people I met.

Melissa Palombi: 
Dear Mike,  I had a great time at camp this summer.  I hope I will be able to come back next year.  Thanks again, Melissa

Margaret Deutseb: (Parent)
Dear Mike, Thank you for letting Clay stay another week.  He LOVES your ski camp & is looking forward to attending next year!  Sincerely, Margaret Deutseb

Ann Lawton: (Parent)
I am writing to thank you for the wonderful time that Lauren had at Mt Hood Summer Ski Camp.  She thoroughly enjoyed all the experiences from the skiing to the independence.  A return visit next summer has already been requested.   Thanks again for providing such a great opportunity for my child.  Sincerely, Ann Lawton

Bryan Earley:
Dear Mike,  I had a great 2 weeks at your camp.  Regards, Bryan Earley

Andrew Siebert:
Ski camp was one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. I started out on JV III my freshmen year, went to summer ski camp and it was an amazing experience. My sophomore year I won JV races, got to ski on varsity for the first time and skied in the State Championships that year. It helped me improve THAT much.  This camp helped me race faster and stronger. Camp improved all skiers on the team and helped Aloha boys win First in Metro in 2000. The activities were fun. I have so many memories of camp like rafting, rock climbing, and the Alpine Slide.

Betty Monroe: (Parent)
Dear Mike,  From all reports Jimmy had a fabulous time.  Thanks again.  Sincerely Betty Monroe (Jim Carlson’s mom)

Etic Abhyankaz:
Dear Mike,  I had a great time last summer at your ski camp.  I always wanted to write you to tell you what a great time I had and how much I learned my coach’s excellent guidance.  Mike, as a management professional, I must admire the excellent organization you have at Mt Hood Summer Ski Camps.  You also have a very dedicated staff who really are keen on helping their students progress and teaching them new skills.   Take care and best wishes, Etic Abhyankaz

Pat McConnell: (Parent of a high school ski racer)
 Skiing is no different than any other endeavor in life: If you want to be successful, learn the fundamentals, then practice, practice, practice. It does not matter whether it is algebra, public speaking, or skiing ~ the basic issue is the same. Learn the fundamentals, then practice, practice, practice. JP took home race medals on Saturdays but the races were actually won during the summer. When you look back at what made AHS so successful in 1999 and 2000 it is easy to figure out. They WORKED harder than any other team in the league. In going from the worst team in the league in 1997 to the best in 2000 I will absolutely guarantee you that Andrew Siebert, Evan Wood, Doug Boyer, JP McConnell, Corey Hattery and Matt Coble spent more days on the snow, training, than any other group of racers in the league. They all spent at least a week ~ and generally two or more weeks, training at MHSSC every summer during their high school racing careers. Their motivation was the shared dream of standing on the top step of the podium.  What made the dream into reality was a willingness to get up early in the morning when the air was cold and the snow was hard and train and train and train. And I happen to know that crew had a little fun up there also…..J
Patrick McConnell, Clyde/West, Inc.

Kirsten Griffith:
Mike Annett,  Thank you for putting out so much effort to make these camps so excellent.  This last camp was the best of my life!  I learned  a lot and had fun at the same time!  Thanks, Kirsten Griffith

Kevin Moore:
The two years that I went to camp, I had the time of my life.  All of the older racers on the team made it worth while, they were always there for laughs and encouragement!  Also, the professional instructors taught me so many excellent skills that I applied throughout my high school racing career, and my self-confidence was boosted!  Also, the daily excursions were also a blast, such as rafting and hiking.  The sleepless nights, adventures, humor, and comfort made my experience unforgettable.

Elizabeth T. Imes: (Parent)
Dear Mr. Annett, Thank you for providing an enjoyable ski camp experience for my son and all the young people who seem to have a grand time.  Sincerely, Elizabeth T. Imes

Doug Boyer:
I remember that I went to camp after my sophomore year and improved by leaps and bounds.  I went from JV to Varsity as a result.  Plus I got to do rock climbing, cliff diving and whitewater rafting.   A weeks worth of skiing lets you see yourself improve quickly.  The camp coach you work with over the week lets you get good input on how to improve.  Its definitely worth the money and was one of the best experiences on the ski team. 

Richard Sheinberg: (Parent)
Dear Mike,  As you probably know, Daniel had a great time at your camp last summer.  He had a much improved season and managed to place 13th in the slalom at the Eastern’s.  We were very proud of him.   Sincerely, Richard Sheinberg

Laura Pozzi:
Dear Mike & Lynne,  I had so much fin at camp, thank you!  I truly enjoyed myself.  I am so happy I got to meet such great people.  Every thing about camp was great, the food, the coaches, counselors, the activities, the lodging, the directors!  Thank you soooooooooooo much!  Love always Laura Pozzi.  P.S.  The skiing was great too!

Mark Sertl:
Dear Mike,  Thank you for accommodating my short time at Hood.  I had a GREAT time skiing.  John did a great job making me feel welcome and I left with a couple of things to work on later this fall.  John did a good job with the wide variety of ages and skills in our group.  He made everybody feel like they were getting equal treatment and his attention.  The efficient on-the-hill video was very helpful and made apply the coaching tips that much easier.  Thank you and John.   Sincerely, Mark Sertl

Bryce Lander:
I, for one, went from getting somewhere around 26th in the Cato race one year to getting 7th or 8th the next year. And the year before that I went from JV to Varsity. So ya, ski camp is a priceless part of a high school racers career. We don't get to practice 2 or 3 times a week like those PNSA guys.

Holly Mueller: (Parent)
Hi Mike,  My name is Holly and I am Brechin Mueller’s mom.  I wanted to say thank you to you and your staff for making brechins experience truly wonderful.  Brechin had soooooo much fun in her 2 weeks that she wants to come out for 4 weeks next year.  She really enjoyed the on snow training and said the coaches were great and she learned a great deal in the 2 weeks of camp.  Thanks again, Holly Mueller

AJ Crocker: (Parent)
Hi Mike,  AJ Crocker attended camp last summer to become a better snowboard racer.  She was a freshman on the JV Alpine Race Team at Union Mine HS.  We ski/board in the Sierras.  This year, after your awesome training, AJ is Number ONE on the Varsity Team as a Sophomore!  She made 4th place in All-League and won 24th out of 100 at the State Competitions.  Thanks!  The Crockers

Natalie Mar:
Dear Mike.  Thank you for hosting a great camp.  We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and were greatly impressed by our coach Kris Pepe.  We have been to many different mogul camps and Kris was one of the best coaches we have had.  He tailored drills to focus on our weak areas, took notes at video sessions, and spent extra time discussing technique, working on the trampoline and teaching jumps late into the afternoon.  As a top competitor, he offered a profound understanding of the sport that we greatly appreciated.  The combination of his knowledge, personal experience, and ability to teach is unparalled.  He made this past week one of  the best experiences on snow we have had.  Thank you for a most enjoyable camp!  Sincerely, Natalie Mar

Linda:
Joe and Anne,  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ryan arrived back from camp at 12:30am this morning full of love and laughter and stories and happiness!!!!  The first words out of his mouth were I wish I stayed for another week and I want to go next year for TWO weeks!!!  He spoke more last night than he has in months!  Thank you one more time..  Affectionately, Linda

Claudia Ines Ventresca:
Hi Mike:  Greetings from New York City!  I must admit to feeling a bit "shell-shocked" being back.  A first for me.  Usually the City, believe it or not, is quite comforting despite the speed at which things tend to move here.  I have you guys to thank for my new level of discomfort with New York. Something for which I am very grateful; I really did have a great time at  your camp... My experience at your camp helped to crystallize the love I feel for Oregon, and helped to clarify for me a very basic, but important need to go back  home (even though I was raised in the East Coast, In my heart, home has always been the West Coast).  I found everyone I met, you included, to be warm, accommodating, and in some cases challenging (like when John Rust took us climbing at the gym!  I'm grateful for that too -- because it help me to deal with a fear of heights I've had since I was a child... express my thanks to John for me).  Most important facet of my experience, I feel, was having Mike Langdon as  my teacher.  I'm an avid martial artist and an avid scuba diver, which means that in my quest to learn, excel, and tune body and spirit into happier states of being,  I have search, incessantly, (to the point of frustration for finding lack rather than abundance) for those special individuals, who are a brilliant mixture of happiness and strength, humor and will power, endurance and balance, intelligence and humbleness, elegance and spunk.  I realize that the above qualities may come across as too abstract; so, I will qualify, exactly, what it is that I liked about having Mike as my instructor: * He was always punctual. * He was accommodating and helpful regarding my gear and my level of comfort  with it. * He knew when do give technical instruction and exactly how much time to spend on drills vs. riding -- which I feel helped me improve faster. * He cared about my expectations and fears, and was willing to listen to them,  which made him a very effective coach in my mind. * He was willing to work with me, even thought I was a beginner. Considering  his level of experience, I thought this would have been frustrating for him,  yet he never showed frustration --- not even once.  * He challenged me to be my best.  And showed me that to me my best  doesn't  necessarily mean to be hard-charging at every turn, but rather, open and gentle and letting the board decide what it wants to do with you.  * He gradually, without me being to aware of it, helped me expand my skill-set and had me doing jumps and other cool stuff in no-time!  * I sincerely had, with him, the best time I've ever had snowboarding!  In short, I've been recommending your camp and Mike's instructions to everyone  I know and don't know.  :0)  Happy New Year.  Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon,  Claudia Ines Ventresca

 

July at MHSSC
Posted on Friday, August 20 @ 07:48:32 PDT by netlag
 writes "July at Mt Hood is like the movie Ground Hog Day, the film where Bill Murray keeps living the same day over and over again; the only difference being you never really get tired of the perfect weather and beautifully manicured terrain parks. The snow levels continue to drop but the energy and enthusiasm for summer skiing remain high while the Timberline groomers work their snow pushing magic to keep the parks pristine.

The jib park at Mt. Hood Summer Ski Camps (MHSSC) continues to grow. This month saw the addition on the new C box and the inverted rainbow box, two features that have instantly become a crowd favorite. Rail destroyers Zack Davidson and Nolan Willard have been putting on regular shows for the campers: Zack with his 450’s on to switch ups to 270 offs and Nolan with 270’s on to switch ups to natty and unnatty 270’s off. The two have also been seen throwing down big off axis spins, regular and switch, off the 40 and 50 foot jumps in the park. Skiing’s original bad boy, Glen Plake was seen ripping through the MHSSC mogul course and terrain park while on a photo shoot and took the time to sign autographs and take pictures with a number of fans. Anyone who thinks Plake is over the hill obviously has never seen him ski moguls in person, he continues to shed the bumps at excessively high speeds with impeccable form. Speaking of high speeds, MHSSC counselor Zvi Dubitsky wowed alpine race coaches by flashing the Palmer snowfield switch at speeds exceeding 40 MPH for close to half a mile.

If the MHSSC private terrain park wasn’t already enough to keep someone interested for an entire summer, Timberline opened their best public park to date following the Burton summer invitational snowboard contest. The new public park debuted with a roller coaster S box, a dragon box, and an up flat up not to mention the back to back to back super kickers and the superpipe up top. The flow, variety and size of the new park was unprecedented for a general access summer time terrain park.

Off snow activities continue to offer just as much fun as the on snow part of camp. The new two mile + down hill section of the MHSSC Mt. bike course was completed and the total course length is now over 4 miles. Summer time cook Lenny Z. made multiple runs down the Deschutes River’s class 4 Oak Springs rapids in an inner tube and escaped unscathed. “Big Mountain” Bill Whalley and Nick Colavito debuted overnight surf camp with spectacular results. Thanks to the purchase of two expedition tents and some eager campers, surfing on the Oregon coast on Saturdays and Sundays has become a weekly event. For a small fee campers are getting wetsuit and board rentals along with instruction and camp fire dinners at a great Oregon campground. Finally, this summer in Hood River has been one of the most consistently windy summers in recent memory. This in turn has prompted a number of coaches, staff, and campers to run off the hill to get out on the Columbia River for some unbelievable wind surfing and kite boarding. Camp owner and director, Mike Annett, has been sneaking away on an almost daily basis to partake leaving Tim Feeney at the office to answer phones and write press releases.

Summer Snow by Bob Robicsek
You can see the pure whiteness of it
Visible from miles away in all direction
Rising above the brown and green
Majestically…spiraling upward toward the heavens
So lonely against the bright blue sky
Glistening under the hot glow of the summer sun
Defying the seasons and the verdant lushness at its base
And every summer day a thousand red and blue sticks
Arise upon its brilliant slopes like so many birthday candles
Celebrating its whiteness and its defiance of summer….
As hundreds of faithful worshipers in bright colored suits
Glide down its steep inclines, carving neat parallel lines
With each turn celebrating the endless winter that is Hood...
July 7, 2006

Joe Sulpizio:
John Rust was a great coach!  I think that I learned a lot from him.

Rob Anderson:
To Mike,
Just wanted to thank you again for everything.  I haven't spent a better week in a lifetime than last week.  Learned so many new things. Met great people.  And found a place that I'll want to come back to year after year.  It's only been a few days since I got back home and I've been sleeping for most of the time.  Really got a lot accomplished in one day at Mount Hood.  I learned so many new things that I can share with new friends, things I was always afraid to try before attending your camp.  Skiing was a blast, however, being able to go rock climbing and whitewater rafting after the ski day had come to an end was even better.  Both of these I had not done in the past.  Tried rock climbing twice.  Made 2 attempts on the first day and 1 on the second.  Please thank John Rust for pushing me so hard.  The view at the top of the climb was nothing less that exhilarating. Whitewater rafting was great too. Didn't want to fall in since I'm not that great a swimmer, but the thrill of just being out there with a group of people having fun really is a great feeling. Thank the counselors.  Bret, Liz, Sage, Allison, and any others that I may have missed.  And all the kitchen staff.  Meals were way more than I had ever imagined. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that I would really like to be out there right now, but work in the city required that I return to the East Coast.  As I said to Bret just prior to hopping the bus for the airport, if I don't call you, call me.  Couldn't miss another great season at Mount Hood Summer Ski Camps.

God Bless and keep up the good work.
A supporter forever.

Sue Ballanco (parent):
Greg had a great time at camp and was telling us on the ride home about coming back next year!
So thank you once again for your patience , follow up and running a fun program for these kids who love to ski! I will and have recommended it to many fellow ski families.

the Poiriers:
dear mike;
thank you for a wonderful week.  colette, jolie, angele, genevieve and myself all had a truly wonderful and awesome experience.  the coaching was far beyond what i thought it would be.  All of the coaches are passionate and incredible.  You have a first rate operation and i admire your dedication and passion.     To ski every day and have such wonderful weather and to do incredible activities in the afternoon is mind boggling.   It reminds me of my younger days.  We will definitely be coming back next year as one week was not enough.  You're camp was the highlight of our summer and hopefully the prelude to a successful ski racing season for our family.
thank you.

Marina Riedel (parent):
Tanner is having a GREAT race season! Your camp is amazing!

 
 
 
 

Mt. Hood Summer Ski Camps
P.O. Box 317
Government Camp, OR 97028
PHONE/FAX (503) 337-2230

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Last Modified: 05/29/2010

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