Hi Subscriber First Name,

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and the Winter Olympics inspiring athletes everywhere, our trails are showing off their own kind of magic! With longer days, a solid snowpack, and fresh tracks to enjoy, all the hard work from our volunteers is shining brightly.

We also want to send a heartfelt thank-you to our incredible donors, including our generous Pick.Click.Give. supporters. Your investment helps create these moments for our skiers, our community, and our trails so everyone can feel the love this season on and off the snow. ❤️💖💞

Ski 101 Update + Adult Lesson Opportunities

Friends, winter threw us a curveball this January, and our Ski 101 on-snow sessions didn’t go as planned—but the excitement isn’t over! Our volunteers and instructors are ready, the trails are waiting, and your next chance to hit the snow is right now!

If you registered for Ski 101 (or are brand new to skiing), stick with us! We encourage you to join one of our Adult Ski Lessons and build confidence in your balance, technique and glide. This popular member benefit offers small class sizes (capped at just five participants) and the flexibility to meet at GPRA or Archangel Road, depending on trail conditions.

Adult Ski Lessons are open only through the end of February! We’ve still got great opportunities to get on skis this season:

• Classic Ski Lessons: Tuesdays | 12:00–1:00 PM & Saturdays | 12:30–1:30 PM

• Skate Technique Lessons: Wednesdays | 12:00–1:00 PM & Saturdays | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM

Wondering how to book lessons? If you're already a member, head to your Member Dashboard at www.matsuski.org and scroll down to the "Adult Ski Lessons" button. If you're not a member yet.... what are you waiting for?! Head over and become a member now: MSSC Membership

Community Shout-Out: Overflow Mitigation at GPRA – Our Local Olympians!

A huge thank you to the incredible community members who answered the call to help with overflow mitigation at GPRA following hurricane force wind and overflow events. This cold, wet, physically demanding work required strength, endurance, and teamwork—qualities our volunteers demonstrated in full force! If there were a medal for dedication, our crews would be standing proudly on the podium!

We’re especially grateful to Boretide Construction and Richie Crum for donating a full day of mini-excavator use supported by operator Wayne Perales—giving us a crucial head start on the toughest sections.

Volunteers have contributed well over 100 cumulative hours, with many individuals logging 40–50 hours! As soon as one area was cleared, another challenge awaited, yet our team kept pushing forward.

Special thanks to Lou LaRousse for leading the on-the-ground efforts, Ed Strabel for coordinating volunteers, and to Mark Strabel, Lucas Parker, Kirby Spangler, Chris Gierymski, Beau LaRousse, Devin Hines, Lee Brian, Ben and Christy Marvin and Jim Mason for their incredible time, energy, and grit.

We are so grateful to everyone who stepped up when our community needed help — keeping our trails accessible thanks to a team of true champions: our own Winter Olympic–level volunteers!

We’re planning a special celebration in March to celebrate our incredible team of Volunteers. We are snow excited to share more info in our March newsletter!

From Mat-Su Trails to the World Stage: Gabe Black’s Breakout International Season

From his very first race at age four with Mat-Su Junior Nordic to competing against the world’s fastest juniors in Europe, Gabe Black’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. After earning a spot on the 2026 U18 USA Team, Gabe took on the international stage in Trondheim and Ulricehamn—charging to two top-ten finishes, including 7th in the 7.5K Classic as the top American. Racing in a Junior World qualifier against each region’s six fastest skiers, he proved he belongs among the best.

This hometown athlete is making global waves. Click below to read the full story and see how far Mat-Su grit can take you.

It's Olympic season.  Our nation's best are joining forces with each other to compete with the others around the world, celebrating our common pursuit of fairplay and competition.  Similarly, our very own Mat-Su Nordic skiers have earned their places to join fellow Alaskans and Americans on State and National teams, respectively.  An incredible nine of our local youth skiers qualified to represent.  They will soon travel to compete in Cable, Wisconsin for the Junior National Championships or Whitehorse Canada for the Arctic Winter Games.  One of which, Gabe Black, has already competed at Trondheim, Norway and Ulricehamn, Sweden with USA's U18 Team, with multiple top 10's and leading team USA.

It takes a strong village to support these skiers.  Thank you to all who've given your time and financial support!  If you're reading this, you've probably had a hand in launching their success.  The countless Junior Nordic Coaches, High School Coaches, Mat-Su Ski Club officials and volunteers often giving hundreds of hours a year grooming and maintaining trails.  We thank you for your hard work and donations!

Team USA U18 Qualifier:

Gabe Black

Junior National Team Qualifiers:

Clara Sensabaugh

Kyndle LaRousse

Elliot Sensabaugh

Banyan Smyth

Gabe Black

Raven Spangler

Weston Sensabaugh

Arctic Winter Games Team Qualifiers:

Wren Spangler

Amelia Parker

Eric Strabel, Mat-Su Nordic Head Coach

The first two Finisher Race of the season were very well attended, a total of 75 racers finished the first race with crowds cheering them on! Both were festive days with podium finishes and lots of smiles from all that participated! Many thanks to the awesome volunteers who make this race possible!

Polar Cub Bjorn was super proud to have completed his first race!

Let’s go ski! Stephanie LaRousse, Junior Nordics Program Manager

Join the Mat-Su Ski Club Board!

Are you passionate about trails, Nordic skiing, and supporting our community? We’re excited to invite applications for new board members! Whether you’re a longtime skier or just recently discovered the joy of Nordic skiing, your love for the sport and commitment to our community is what matters most.

We’re particularly interested in folks with experience in finance or fundraising, but everyone with energy and ideas for helping guide the club is encouraged to apply.

Key dates:

• Applications accepted through March 18

• Online voting: March 19–26

• Results announced at our Annual Meeting & Après Ski Celebration on Friday, March 27

Curious about what’s involved? Check out the application for a full overview of board responsibilities, or reach out and we’ll connect you with a current board member to share their perspective.

Remembering Terry Slaven

It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of Terry Slaven, a cherished member of the Mat-Su Ski Club community. Terry gave so much of herself—as a Junior Nordics coach, tireless volunteer on trails and events, and a former board member—always jumping in wherever she was needed. Her dedication, leadership, and friendship touched so many, and she will be deeply missed.

With gratitude to all our donors, members, and supporters who champion the Mat-Su Ski Club today and help shape its future. Your commitment keeps us fueled and our community connected.