Operations & Office Staff
The Albany office team, plus the committees and volunteers who support our members.
Our Staff & Committees
Choose a group to see our office staff, steering committees, and other volunteer committees.
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |
Bonnie Kolber
Snowboard + Children’s Examiner AASI + Alpine Steering CommitteeACE Team Coach
Notes
| Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Most people don’t know I make giant puppets and masks for pageants and parades. I used to be a stilt-dancer for the Bread and Puppet Theater! |
|---|---|
| What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Outside the snowsports industry, I have a homestead and keep goats, chickens, and honeybees. I also have a gardening business and run summer arts and outdoor adventure camps for children around northern Vermont.
Within the snowsports industry – I am a Snowboard Instructor and Staff Trainer at both Stowe & Jay Peak. I am also an AASI Examiner and the Coach of the ACE Team. |
| Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | I was 22 when I learned to snowboard at Sugarbush the first winter I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Miami and went to college outside of Chicago so never had an opportunity before that!
It was the year of the big Ice Storm in Vermont. I was working as a cocktail waitress so I got free lessons and $1 rentals, and I remember the instructor telling me if I could learn in these conditions I’d be able to ride anything. At the time I didn’t know what he meant, but in retrospect I recall being able to see the grass through the “snow”. Bulletproof was the word of the season. |
| What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | One of my favorite memories is teaching the kid of a ski racer family to snowboard; they literally dropped him off by the scruff of his neck and said “he’s all yours.” After years of fun in the snow, reading maps, making tracks in the woods and digging ourselves out of deep powder together, they told me he’s a different kid than before he started snowboarding, so much kinder and happier. That’s my favorite thing, not just teaching a sport, but sharing a way to make life more enjoyable. |
| Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Pretty much anywhere with some pitch on a powder day! |
| If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Apprentice yourself to the people who inspire you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Pursue your dreams. Be patient. Stay humble. |
| What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | paddleboarding, hiking, gardening, reading, mountain biking |
| Name three words that describe you. | Creative Fun Perceptive |
| When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | When I was a child, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be happy. I also knew I loved teaching. I feel very lucky to have been able to follow my heart and find a wonderful career teaching snowsports! |