Wy'East Mountain Academy - Review #3

I think the most glaring unique aspect of this school was the campus and day-to-day activities. The entire campus was essentially a skate park, and at the time they were in the process of building a dry slope jump/airbag and a rail park. I honestly can't even imagine what that campus looks like today. Such an amazing campus for those athletes.

I think the whole experience in general was one of the best things that could have happened to me. They really took me out of a not so great environment and helped coach and mentor me into the person I am today. I can specifically credit Mike, and Kerry for their dedication to the students. You could tell that the success of the students is what brought them joy and satisfaction.

I would have relished the experience more. I would tell anyone who is about to attend to soak up every single minute of their experience, utilize every tool that Wy 'east offers and take nothing for granted because it truly will be one of the best experiences they will ever have.

Hands down, the best part about Wy'east was the culture. From a day on the entire staff was extremely welcoming and focused on the success of the students, academically and athletically. Every environment the staff created for the students was conducive to growth in that field, on and off the mountain.

Again, I would say to take advantage of every opportunity that is available, whether that's learning a new sport, or learning how to build skate parks by helping the construction crews create new features.

The thing I liked the most about the school aspect was that you could either use their recommended school program, or use whatever program you were already using. They also had great tutors come in to help out. Not only were the tutors great, but one of the owners, Mike Hanley, who was a part of almost every classroom session, was one of the most intelligent, well-rounded individuals I have met to this day. He was a great asset to have on the slopes and in the classroom.

This is the place to go if you're serious about snow sports. Their track record speaks for itself with how many Olympians and X games medalist they have on their alumni list. The facilities they had off and on the snow are the best in the country. The coaches were extremely professional and knew exactly how to tailor their coaching to each individual. The coaches didn't stop being mentors when we came back from the mountain either. They also lived on campus and continued to help develop the students in all aspects of life.

To be honest, I don't remember there being any sort of visual arts, music, or theatre. However, things change. It was about 11 years ago that I was a student. With that being said, the students aren't going to this academy to play music or pursue careers in the visual arts.

When I went to the Academy, my folks weren't super well off, it was my grandmother who financed this opportunity. One of the ways I was able to make a little money was a "can drive". One of the coaches, Kerry Miller really helped me out with it. Every week we collected cans and took them to the recycling center so I could have some walking around money.

Once again the facilities were outstanding. We stayed in cabins which housed about 4 people; it had a nice living space and little kitchenet. All were well furnished and well maintained.

We had an on-site dining facility with cooks who really catered to the students. Every morning they would cook made-to-order omelets and always had a good selection of other food.

Honestly, back then we really didn't hang out in town too much. We were too busy having the time of our lives on the campus. Occasionally we would go to Government camp, or down into the Portland area to go shopping or to a local skatepark, but other than that we had all we wanted at the Academy.

I think the best part about a school like this is the like-mindedness of the surrounding people. Everyone is there for a common goal, everyone has the same interest and same dreams. It was like having an extended family. Besides making great friends with the other students who were attending the academy, we were able to socialize with the locals as well. We made friends through different competition series, or through Open Skate night on the campus.