First Youth-Only Private Ski Facility Opens

The National Winter Sports Education Foundation (NWSEF) has opened the National Winter Activity Center (NWAC) as the nation's first private 501(c)(3) nonprofit winter sport facility for kids. The facility is located in Vernon, NJ, at 44 Breakneck Road.

Formerly Hidden Valley Resort, NWAC, to be referred to as “The Center,” will exclusively serve 6 through 17-year-olds, through partnerships with youth organizations. The arching purpose of the facility is to improve the health and fitness of our nation's youth by providing access to winter sport activities, skill development, healthy meals, and mentoring.

Upon acquiring the Hidden Valley property, the NWAC invested more than $12 million toward overall improvements including new lifts, snow-making machinery, and renovations to the lodge.

Youth participants at The Center will learn to ski and snowboard during the seven-session program in a 1-to-8 instructor ratio with PSIA and United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) trained coaches. Participating children are equipped with gear and will be active either in morning or afternoon sessions to meet with coaches for on-snow training. Each day will also include a healthy meal as part of the program's core focus to improve the health and overall wellness. In total, participating children will experience around 40 hours of outdoor activity during the winter months.

For an extra boost in motivation and instruction, U.S. Ski Team athletes will visit and ski with kids at The Center

"National Winter Activity Center provides a one of a kind opportunity for youth who would typically not have the chance to experience winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding," said Schone Malliet, founder and CEO, NWSEF. "Part of our goal is to help reverse the low retention rate in winter sports, while combatting childhood obesity and inspiring a lifelong habit of regular exercise during the winter months."

NWSEF set benchmarks of introducing 4,200 children to snowsports over the next three years, retaining 50 percent as adaptors and encouraging 10 percent to eventually enter the world of competitive winter sports.

Important partners of the NWAC include Ted Ligety, U.S. Ski Team, Olympian and World Champion, USSA, the International Ski Federation (FIS), the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), SnowSports Industries America (SIA), Powdr Corp, Royal Trailworks, and HKD Snowmakers among others.

The website for the facility is http://winter4kids.org/