Miguel Rovira: Snowbird Ski Instructor to WAS Board Chair

As I take the position of board chair on Wasatch Adaptive Sports (WAS) Board of Directors, I want to thank and congratulate Scott Beck for his leadership and commitment to our organization during his tenure as board chair. Scott and I will continue to work with our board and staff to continue growing our organization.

I was born in Puerto Rico and lived there until I was 14 years old. My love for the mountains and snow is still a mystery to my family who prefer beaches and hot, humid weather. I was first exposed to skiing when I attended a preparatory school in Connecticut in the early 1970s. I remember my first skiing experience at Mt. Southington Ski Area in Plantsville, Connecticut and all 425 vertical feet of man-made snow. It was love at first sight. It was the typical high school first-time skiing experience. My friends took me to the beginner hill on rental equipment, showed me how to snowplow, and then left me there to my own devices. Fast forward 47 years of skiing in the Northeast, teaching part-time at Snowbird Ski Resort, becoming nationally certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America organization, and living in Salt Lake City. I became acquainted with WAS in 2009 when I began teaching at Snowbird’s Mountain School. The WAS office was located next door to the Mountain School instructor’s lounge and we frequently shared benches and teaching anecdotes as we booted up for lessons at the beginning of our day. In 2016, I was asked to join the Board and I gladly accepted. WAS is the intersection of my passions: wanting to help people lead healthy and active lives and skiing.

WAS provides a gateway of possibilities for individuals with adaptive needs that desire to live an active and independent life. Our organization strives to connect the Wasatch mountains to a broader skiing population. There is no more powerful message of the role WAS plays in our community than the beaming smiles of cheering families when our students make turns down a slope. After I joined the WAS Board, I had the opportunity to observe Peter Mandler and his team of instructors working with a student in a bi-ski. Their commitment to teaching excellence and professionalism is unparalleled. I got to experience first-hand the look of elation in our student’s face when he linked his first turns down Chickadee. I am grateful that the board and the staff at WAS have given me the opportunity to participate in this amazing endeavor. I look forward to seeing everyone outside this year, skiing and cycling and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.