Schools for Cool
Our annual preview of ski racing academies
Burke Mountain Academy
60 Alpine Lane, East Burke, VT 05832
802-626-5607 (t); 802-626-3784 (f)
burkemtnacademy.org
Director of Admissions, Tory Amorello, tamorello@
burkemtnacademy.org
Founded: 1970
Sports: Alpine and nordic ski racing are our pri-
mary sports. Other competitive sports include soc-
cer, mountain biking and road biking.
Grades: 7-8 (winter term only); 9-12
Program length: Full year (Aug. 20-June 4); win-
ter term (Nov. 20-March 20)
Application Period: Rolling; applications are
encouraged early as spots are few.
Staff/student Ratio: 1: 3; coach/athlete ratio:
1: 5
Cost: Full year $40,900; winter term $28,800
Scholarships: Need-based financial aid
Headmaster: Kirk Dwyer
Academic strengths and overview: BMA
provides comprehensive narrative evaluations.
Classes are small (with maximum of 15 students),
emphasizing student participation and leadership.
Original, independent thinking is strongly encour-
aged. Sixty-five percent of graduates attend their
top choice college or university. Hard work and en-
gagement are expected of every student in every
aspect of the program.
Mission Statement: Burke Mountain Academy
provides passionate ski racers the opportunity to
pursue their limitless academic and athletic poten-
tial in a community based on trust. We embrace
an ethos in which hard work is held in the highest
esteem, and believe risking failure and learning
from success are exceptional preparation for life
beyond Burke.
Head coaches: Alpine program director, Adam
Chadbourne, USSA Domestic Coach of the Year;
nordic head coach, Peter Phillips; men’s alpine
head coach, Darrell Gray; women’s alpine head
coach, Adam Chadbourne; J3 head coach, Kirk
Dwyer
Coaching staff: Men’s FIS coaches: Kraig Sour-
beer, Jacob Fisher, Sam Damon; women’s FIS
coaches: Rolf Gidlow, Amber McHugh, John Dw-
yer; J3 coaches: Steve Berlack, Tory Amorello,
Bryna McCarty, Silas Ratico; nordic coaches: Matt
Johnson
Notable alumni: Nolan Kasper, Liz Stephen
(nordic), Kieffer Christianson, Abby Fucigna, Cait-
lin Ciccone, Erik Schlopy, Jesse Hunt, Kraig Sour-
beer, Chip Knight, Diann Roffe, Julie Parisien,
Lindsay Cone, Bryna McCarty
Training facilities: Burke Mountain lifts are two
minutes from our doorstep. We have exclusive
rights to the training hill and a high-speed Poma.
Our nordic program grooms a 2K loop around
campus and athletes can walk to the Kingdom
Trails Nordic Center, where they have access to
more 50K of trails. For 2010-11, three BMA stu-
dents were added to the U.S. Ski Team, one to the
Australian National Team and one to the Canadian
Prospect Team. Also, five of eight female athletes
on the Eastern Regional Team are current BMA
students, and one is an alum.
Carrabassett Valley Academy
3197 Carrabassett Drive, Carrabassett Valley, ME
04947
207-237-4466 (t); 207-237-2213 (f)
gocva.com
dsmith@gocva.com
Founded: 1987
Sports: Alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboard-
ing, big mountain skiing/riding, soccer, mountain
biking, hiking.
Grades: 8-PG
