Young Alumni
Ski Pioneer Kirsten Alburg (‘99)
Founder and Director Alaska Bush Alpine Ski Program
W
hen Kirsten Alburg (‘99) accepted her first teaching job six years ago, she headed to one of the most traditional Native villages in Alaska—Savoonga, located on St. Lawrence Island, in the Bering Sea. Savoonga has a population of around 650 mostly Siberian Yup’ik who still largely depend on subsistence hunting. The residents also face the same troubling dynamics—such as extreme isolation, unemployment, and substance abuse—that have contributed to Native Alaskans having a suicide rate four times higher than the U.S. national average. Alburg wanted to offer her students at the small K-12 village school some unexpected inspiration.
ABASP skier Alex Rippen negotiates a hill at Alyeska Ski Resort, in Girdwood, Alaska.
Alburg founded the Savoonga Alpine Ski Team in a coastal village that rests 52 feet above sea level. She started with eight students, three coaches, and two snowmobiles. That venture eventually led Alburg to found and direct the Alaska Bush Alpine Ski Program (ABASP), which currently involves 55 students from five different Native Alaskan villages and culminates each spring with a week of skiing at Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood, outside Anchorage, Alaska. “Children in rural Alaska are very limited in their understanding of things beyond their village, town, or region,” Alburg wrote, via email. “Some, at 13 or 14 years old, have never been out of their village, never have interacted with another culture, 10
Teacher Kirsten Alburg (center, above) created the Alaska Bush Ski Program to help students from small Alaskan villages experience the challenge of downhill skiing. Children practice throughout the year using snowmobiles (upper right) all in hopes of attending a ski trip to the Alyeska Ski Resort each spring (lower right). (All photos courtesy of Kirsten Alburg). and especially have never been to a ski resort. Our program was developed to not only introduce Alaskan children to the wonderful sport of alpine skiing, but to also foster hope for a future that these kids desperately need.” Overcoming resistance Alburg says the first year was an “out of this world” experience for all involved. Village elders were unsupportive, and student skiers had to split ski training with whale and walrus hunting. But eight students persevered and raised enough money to fly off the island to Alyeska, which discounted lift tickets and helped the team find housing. The trip was a huge success. “The kids developed a passion for alpine skiing, discovered many opportunities in
Serious business As fun as ABASP is, Alburg sees it as a matter of survival for many of her students. She has already lost four former students to suicide and knows that helping instill pride in these village children and their communities is no small feat. “With all of the suicides, many don’t make it through their teenage years,” Alburg said “[The teachers] fought for and worked together to create positive pro-
“Our program was developed to not only introduce Alaskan children to the wonderful sport of alpine skiing, but to also foster hope for a future these kids desperately need.” life, and went home with a sense of pride,” Alburg said. “Not long after the trip, the Anchorage Daily News wrote a front-page story about our kids and their accomplishments, which made the villagers of Savoonga very proud.” High standards Children involved in the ABASP have to meet high academic and behavioral standards to participate. The program has gradually grown as other village schools have started their own teams. Students learn the basics of skiing by being towed behind snowmobiles or by skiing down small hills. Alburg prepared an ABASP coaching manual for teachers or community members who want to start a team, but who aren’t skilled skiers. The Experience
grams that foster hope and pride for our students like the world was going to end tomorrow, because for some it did.” More support to come ABASP has attracted the support of some key organizations, including ski equipment and apparel giant Rossignol and Challenge Alaska, a non-profit that helps people with disabilities enjoy recreation in Alaska. However, fundraising remains an acute need. Alburg is working to register ABASP as a non-profit organization and expand the number of supporters. “I love seeing [kids’] faces and hearing their excitement.” said Alburg, who last year accepted a 6th grade teaching position inland in the village of Akiachak, Alaska. “This is my way of making a difference.”