RIDGE is located in Whitefish, MT by choice, not by chance.
WHITEFISH is where Rocky Mountain ski culture meets the wild west. The town is known for its vibrant community, mountain culture, and its epic ski seasons.
Here are the top 3 reasons why RIDGE Mountain Academy is located in Whitefish, MT:
1) POWDER:
We love to ski pow. Lucky for us, Whitefish happens to have plenty of snow to go around. Whitefish boasts a weather pattern that produces the goods and relatively few skiers per acre of pow. With an average of over 300 inches of snowfall per year, there is enough powder for everyone.
POWDER Magazine visited Whitefish last year
Here's a glimpse of the goods:
2) SMALL TOWN VIBE & MOUNTAIN CULTURE:
About 6,500 people call Whitefish home. Downtown hosts a number of locally owned restaurants, coffee shops, and ski shops. Whitefish blends its rugged roots as an outpost for loggers and miners with its current trend towards an economy centered around outdoor recreation and tourism.
National Geographic named Whitefish among the 'Top 25 Ski Towns in the World'.
Men's Journal named Whitefish among the '10 Great Small Towns...'
Whitefish locals are proud that mountain culture and outdoor sports are at the heart of our community. This is a place where it is not uncommon for local businesses to open late on powder days, and the baristas are likely to know the best powder stashes. These themes define the culture in town, and the community is supportive of efforts to build opportunities for outdoor recreation. Thanks to the work of many residents, miles of mountain bike trails are accessible right from downtown.
There are a number of organizations within the community that support this culture:
The Whitefish Legacy Partners (The Whitefish Trail)
At its heart, RIDGE is a mountain sports academy. Whitefish Mountain Resort provides over 3,000 acres of training grounds for our student athletes. The terrain on 'Big Mountain' offers the right amount of complexity to allow for rapid skill progression. The resort also promotes skimo racing, uphill touring, and provides access to epic backcountry ski terrain.
