A Winter Tradition

Skiing has long been an MHS tradition, and the Hurricanes have had some powerhouse teams over the years.

During a recent five-year stretch they won a Class C NEPSAC team championship (2012-13) and Class B team championship (2014-15), placed second and fourth overall in two of those years, and saw individual racers win individual NEPSAC championships in three of those seasons.

The Hurricanes race at nearby Berkshire East as part of the Mount Institute Ski League and practice at Bousquet Mountain, just minutes from campus. (Founder Clarence J. “Clare” Bousquet invented night-skiing (You can look it up), and the folks at this family-owned mountain know a thing or two about great skiing.

First-year skier Ceci ’23 leapt into the 2019-20 season with both skis. “I had two goals,” Ceci recalls. “One, start racing by the second race of the year, and two, go to the NEPSAC Championships. I started doing my best since the beginning of the season, and I actually achieved both of them!”

The support and encouragement from teammates kept Ceci going throughout the season. Well that, and she enjoyed going as fast as possible and competing in weekly races. She encourages anyone considering the sport to just take the leap.

“If you really want to do something, even though it seems impossible — like for me the NEPSAC Championships or to start racing by the second race of the year without being a professional skier — just go for it and do your best,” Ceci says. “It’s worth trying, because you never know, you might succeed. And, never let other people define what you can or can’t do.”