BOISE, Idaho — The annual Dotty Clark race at Bogus Basin finished up the ski season for local high schools this week. More than 40 schools field teams were on hand — who get the day off from school to compete. And most schools have just a handful of skiers.
But there is an anomaly -- Centennial High School -- who fields a team larger than most football teams.
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Every Saturday in January and February, the hills of Bogus Basin are alive with the sound of ski racing. This year more than 60 were from Centennial, a program built by Barb Spingla, a longtime math teacher who told the school she'd handle the ski team to help get the job.
"I clearly remember one of the VP's saying 'but you would have to be at Bogus Basin every Saturday'," says Spingla, "And I looked at her and went yeah? Where else am I going to be on a Saturday in the middle of the winter?"
It was a perfect fit. And in no time, the team jumped from just 16 skiers and a last place finish to a total powerhouse.
"There are some that are really good. And a lot of them grew up on the Bogus Basin Ski Team - those guys and gals are really good," says Spingla. Those long-time racers are the elite.
But there are also those who sport the froggy backpack and just enjoy the ride.
Barb says those are the fun ones to watch over time and to see them improve.
A couple years ago, Barb retired from teaching, and it wasn't easy to give up the team.
"This is the second year I've been gone," says Spingla. "I worried about it when I retired, because I put so much time into it. It was my life for 16 years."
Barb currently works at Bogus Basin, which keeps her close to the team and the sport she loves.
Her love for the sport and her students has influenced hundreds of skiers over the years, all of whom will carry the excitement of snow and speed for the rest of their lives.
