This year, Alliance decided to try something new by taking a team trip down to the Black Hills of South Dakota for some snow sports action. Nine members of Alliance opted to participate, so once all the arrangements were made the crew traveled down to the Hills and started exploring.
The crew tore up Terry Peak for two days, shredding during the day and enjoying games in the evening. The crew also got to spend some time enjoying Black Hills amenities and Full Circle hospitality thanks to the generosity and facilitation of Master Naomi Even-Aberle of Full Circle Martial Arts in Rapid City.
On the slopes, the levels of experience varied across a great range. A couple older members of the crew were shred veterans who have been all over North America in search of that white gold; a handful of others were brand new to the idea, learning for the first time how to ride the white, frozen waves that covered the rocky sides of Terry Peak. Fellowship and team building was a core goal of this trip and all of our participants experienced these things in spades. Of particular note, one Alliance student was introduced to his future instructor; after graduating, high school senior Mason Rud will be heading to Rapid City for college where he will continue his martial arts studies under Master Naomi at Full Circle.
The Alliance 2017 Snow Trip was a success and a memorable event for all those who participated. The crew had lots of fun and hopes to be able to reprise such a trip in future years.
