Senior Noah Prince started skiing at the young age of four and has continued to keep on shredding the slopes over the years. Skiing became a very sentimental part of his identity, and he doesn’t plan to give up the sport.
Prince’s endless passion was able to evolve from a trip out West.
“My grandparents have a place in Breckenridge, Colorado, so [visiting them] with family is what started me skiing. That’s where I first started taking [ski] lessons,” Prince said.
Once Prince hit the slopes of Colorado, he was hooked.
“I have been skiing for over 12 years, and it’s something you can do your whole life,” Prince said. “Even after I graduate, I’m still going to be skiing.”
During the cold winter months, Prince enjoys engaging in activities that allow him to accelerate or get an adrenaline rush, whether it’s car sledding with friends, being the bassist of the band Nymph or, of course, skiing.
“I really like going fast, it’s crazy to be out on the hills going 20 to 30 miles per hour down just a mountain of white. It’s a feeling like no other,” Prince said. “Ski motivates me, [without ski] I think I’d be a lot more sad. Ski is a big thing that I do in Winter and something that keeps me going through the sad season.”
Not only has ski helped motivate Prince, it has also helped him gain grit. He is able to understand social and economical issues within the world and gain a sense of morality that goes along with these issues.
“Money doesn’t mean everything,” Prince said. “There [are] a lot of teams like Forest Hills and Catholic Central [where] the skiers pay lots of money to be on the team and they have really good equipment. Being from Northview, we’re not the most wealthy school and there’s not the most [financial] support from the school, but making do with what you have is super important with ski [and] being the best you can with the tools that you’re given.”
Over Prince’s four years of being on the team, he has developed into a person which teammates admire.
“[Ski] helped me be more of a leader because I’m always looking out for the new people on the team, trying to help them and realizing that people look up to me and that I have a big influence in a position of leadership,” Prince said.
Sophomore Sophia Tyler has been on the team since her freshman year. Over this time, Tyler has been able to not only notice but also experience Prince’s guidance for teammates.
“[Prince] is a great teammate, since he’s been doing ski for so many years. I have noticed that he really helps mentor the team and a lot of the newer racers,” Tyler said. “[He’s] really good at giving advice and helping others with form and is just a cool person to have on [the] team.”
Tyler has memorable highlights of Prince’s outstanding acceleration on the slopes.
“[Prince] is one of the fastest people on ski team, if not the absolute best with speed when it comes to skiing,” Tyler said.
Coach Challice Dixon has been one of the ski team’s coaches for approximately 11 years with her husband. She has been able to see Prince grow in the past four years and has been able to recognize Prince’s strengths in skiing.
“[Prince] has good technique and is an aggressive racer,” said Dixon. “It has been a pleasure to see [him] mature over the last four years and become a leader on the team as a senior.”
Prince’s life has significantly been impacted by being a part of ski team, and he hopes that his peers can also receive the same benefits by trying the sport.
“A lot of people at [our school] don’t know there is a ski team. It’s sad, and I think there’s a lot of people who would really enjoy doing something different for their winter season,” Prince said. “If [any students] have ever skied before or if [they’re] interested, they can talk to me or the athletic office.”
