FLECKL, Germany -- Fifth grade students from Vilseck Elementary School pose outside the chair lift at Ochsenkopf ski area with instructor Mike Schmidt, Feb. 5.
The students were part of a group of 40 fifth graders from the school who participated in a two-day ski excursion to the nearby ski hill. Instructors from U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Outdoor Recreation, along with Schmidt, taught the students skiing fundamentals and how to be comfortable on the hill.
Students learned ski safety and how to fall, get up, stop and turn before they ascended the slopes. Half-way through the first day, most students started mastering the basics of alpine skiing.
The skiers improved their skills while accepting the challenges and frustrations that come with learning a new sport.
"It was fun," said Aniya Goodman. "Except for when we went down the mountain and fell."
Both parents and intrepid new skiers said they would try skiing again. VES hopes to offer the ski trip again next year to interested students.
Joseph Mee and Robert Morris contributed to reporting.
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