The lift has been turned off for the final time, and as of March 9th, Chester Bowl is now closed for the season. We want to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone- participants, staff, volunteers, Cadets, and other supporters- for being a part of the Chester Bowl community and helping us have a successful winter.

What’s next? Summer Camp registration is open, and we are working with the City of Duluth to select the bands for Music in the Park!

If you are a season pass holder and not ready to be done skiing or snowboarding for the year, don’t forget about the seven partner area discounts!

Scheduling

We collect all of our equipment 5:30-9, April 7-9 and you will need to sign up for a specific date/time to bring your gear back. You can claim your equipment return slot here. Sign up for ONE slot for your family.

You will select a date and time to bring your gear back, gather your equipment, bring it to Chester. You will park near the equipment garage, check in with the staff to make sure you have all your gear, and then bring your paperwork into the chalet to finish the return process. If you completed your volunteer commitment, you are eligible to get your volunteer deposit refund. If you don’t meet your commitment or return your gear late, you forfeit your deposit.

If you cannot return your gear that week, you need to contact Sam Luoma (sam@chesterbowl.org) before April 7 to setup a date & time to bring your gear back.

Storing & Cleaning Your Equipment

As the season ends it is important to plan to store your equipment correctly (so it doesn’t rust or get damaged) and to get the equipment return dates on your calendar.

Once you are done using your equipment for the season, you need to clean any mud or debris off it, dry the equipment, and store in a dry place that doesn’t have a lot of humidity. If your gear comes back in poor condition (other than normal wear & tear) you will be responsible for replacing that equipment. Those of you with pets at home need to remove the hair from your boots & helmets.

Summer Camp Registration for 2025 is now open. Please look for summer camp tab on the menu.

Cadet registration, including our new year-round program, is also open. Look for the blog post with details and a link.

Today’s Freestyle Friday sponsored by Ski Hut is postponed to Friday, 3/7/25. Conditions aren’t the greatest for a contest and we want to close out the series with fun and safe conditions. Practice your tricks and we will see you next week!

Starting this spring, Cadets will have the opportunity to participate in a year-round youth development program! Cadets participating in this program will have the opportunity to participate in both the Summer & Winter programs but will also get the chance to attend field trips, trainings, and complete service projects during the shoulder months.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM & BENEFITS 

The new program takes all the great things that volunteers loved about the summer & winter Cadet programs and combines them into a cohesive, year-round program. Besides spending a year making new friends and connecting with the Chester Bowl community, Cadets will:

• Develop job readiness skills to help prepare them for their first jobs
• Develop the leadership skills 
• Take part in community service opportunities
• Take part in skill development focused on: skiing, snowboarding, camp skills, instruction skills, working in the terrain park, learning about chairlifts, learning how to work with children, learning how to mediate disagreements, and many other skills
• Cadets will have the chance to gain CPR/First Aid certifications 

Participants in the year round program will get receive the following benefits: 

• Free food during the winter program
• A personalized jacket with their name on it
• A free season pass (for year-round Cadets only)
• Free leadership trainings and certifications 

At the conclusion of each year, Cadets will be presented with a certificate of completion and the opportunity to use Chester Bowl as a reference as they apply for their first jobs.

Our year-round AmeriCorps member, Beth Carroll will be coordinating this new program, working with and providing support for Cadets. Beth comes to Chester with a wealth of experience working with youth in camp settings and we are excited to have her part of this first year of programming.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE 

This new program will kick off in May and run through April of the following year. There will be the same organized programming but we will be sprinkling in leadership trainings, field trips, and opportunities to do work within the community during the shoulder season. The commitment from year-round participants is between 10-15 hours a month with opportunities to volunteer more during the summer and winter months when we have programming. Most events will be optional with the exception of orientations. Here is a breakdown of the year-round Cadet program’s schedule:

• Year-Round Program Registration (March-May): Open to Cadets who are currently or will be going into 7th grade during the winter of their year of service.
• Summer Only Cadet  Registration: Open to Cadets who have finished 7th grade and only want to volunteer during camp.
• Summer Camp Orientation (May) 
• Summer Camp (June-August): Cadets will volunteer during the summer spending time at each site. Cadets will receive weekly leadership training sessions at camp and will be supervised by Cadet Coordinators (summer camp staff)
• Summer Event/Trip(August) 
• Fall Fest (September): Cadets will volunteer during Fall Fest helping during the event.
• Fall Camp (October): Cadets will have the chance to volunteer during Fall Camp.
• Fall Service Project (October): To provide an opportunity for Cadets to help within the community.
• Winter Only Cadet  Registration: Open to Cadets who are currently enrolled in 7th grade and want to volunteer during winter only.
• Winter Orientation (November/December)
• Winter Program (December-March): Cadets will help during lessons, Freestyle Fridays, Girls Shred, Winter Carnival, Alpine Race Series. 
• Winter Trip (February/March) 
• Graduation (April): After finishing the year of service, Cadets will receive a certificate of completion and have the opportunity to attend an event to celebrate their achievements. 
• Leadership Classes: These will be held during winter & summer programming.
• Monthly Gatherings (April, May, September, & October)

REGISTRATION & COSTS & BENEFITS

Registration for the year round program is open now through May 1, 2025. Follow this link to get registered for the year round program. The cost for the year round program is $200 and includes a free season pass during the winter. Cadets may still need to pay for the larger field trips but the $200 covers all the other expenses of participating in the program. If the $200 fee is a hardship for your family, please email sam@chesterbowl.org for information about a possible scholarship. 

Program Pricing, Benefits, and Grade Requirements 

	Year Round Cadet Program	Summer Only Program	Winter Only
Costs/Cadet	$200	$100	$100
Personalized Jacket	Yes	No	Yes
Leadership Training	Yes	Yes	Yes
Field Trips	Yes	No	No
Season Pass (winter)	Yes ($85 value)	No	No
Grade Requirement	Finished or entering 7th grade	Must have completed 7th grade	Must be in or completed 7th grade

SEASONAL VOLUNTEERING OPTIONS 

Not ready to commit to a whole year of volunteering? We will be continuing to offer just Summer and Winter volunteer options. The cost to participate in either the summer or winter is $100 each but you won’t be eligible for a free season pass in the winter.  Follow this link to register for the summer program. 

Thank you to the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this program expansion, and investing in tomorrow’s leaders! Find out more about the Chamber at this link.