Featured Image: Kents Hill Winter. Provided by Kents Hill Athletics
Authored by: Andrew Willihan
For generations, small mountains have been where many skiers first fall in love with the sport. Whether that passion evolves into racing, freeskiing, or simply enjoying the outdoors with friends and family, it often begins on a modest slope with a rope tow.
My own career started at a large ski area in Maine, where I coached athletes who advanced to the U.S. Development Team, NCAA, and USCSA programs. Later, I led a varsity USCSA team to national success. But ultimately, I found my way to the O’Connor Alpine Training Center at Kents Hill School – a smaller venue with a large impact.
Here, on the shores of Torsey Pond, student-athletes train on a 70m homologated hill with two rope tows and a 30% pitch. Kents Hill School, a 200-year-old independent school ranked Maine’s #1 Private School by Niche.com, is home to 220 students who balance academics, athletics, and community life. Skiers and riders from all over the world come to Kents Hill to learn from caring and educated faculty, further grow their skills on skis and snowboards, and be coached by passionate adult-mentors.
Skiing at the O’Connor AlpineTraining Center is a unique experience as it is a private facility designed for the students of Kents Hill, but also services the greater community. It’s home to the local middle and high school teams, the Kents Hill Junior Program (U8-U12), visiting college teams, and clubs from as far away as Boston. Races range from middle school competitions to USCSA collegiate events. It’s a little hill with a big role in a skier’s journey.
The design of the facility is intentional. The lodge sits at the top of the hill, allowing athletes to strap on their gear and step directly onto the top of the run. The layout naturally supports progression: a flat warm-up area leads into a teaching zone, before cresting onto the 30% main pitch which tests your abilities before flattening out towards Torsey Pond. A quick rope tow turnaround means athletes get more reps in less time – a huge advantage for training and coaching. Student-athletes enjoy lap after lap on the course, in the terrain park, or laps of joy for our recreational skiers and riders.
For coaches, the setup is equally efficient. Gates are staged at the top, courses run 40-45 gates, and athletes can reset quickly. Timing? No problem. Video? One stand-still position can get the whole hill. Coaches can coach from the hill as the skier goes by on the rope tow – direct and immediate, so the athlete can go into their next run as soon as they’re recovered. Equipment gets hauled out with a snowmobile while athletes head back to the lodge for tuning, video review, and community time. The entire system is built around efficiency, care, and connection.
Our philosophy is simple: Care → Teach → Coach. Every detail, from snow surface preparation to coaching feedback, is designed to support the student-athlete experience. When athletes feel cared for, they perform better. When the environment supports progression, development accelerates.
Across the country, large resorts are building world-class venues for elite competition, and they are impressive – Mittersill, Sun Valley, Copper Speed Venue, to name just a few. They have all been constructed and orchestrated to perfection. But when it comes to technical and tactical development, small mountains are priceless. They provide the controlled environment needed to teach, refine, and experiment. They are nimble, accessible, and deeply personal.
The conversation across alpine training is increasingly about turnaround—maximizing time on snow while minimizing time on the lift. The ideal training environment blends quick laps with terrain that both challenges and teaches.
This is where small venues prove priceless. They allow coaches to truly teach, control the environment, and adapt quickly. At Kents Hill, we put care first, and athletes engage more fully. Teach well, and skills will strengthen. Coach deliberately, and performance follows.
Do this consistently and you don’t just develop athletes – you create lifelong skiers and riders. That’s the power of smaller mountains like Kents Hill: they’re not just part of the snow sports ecosystem, they’re essential to its success.
Andrew Willihan
Kents Hill School
Associate Athletic Director
Snow Sports Director
Head Alpine Coach
USSS Sport Education National Faculty
About the Author: Press Release
