Tahoe XC as a Double Major
When you think of Tahoe XC, what comes to mind?
Do you think of Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Area and its 50km of immaculately groomed trails for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing? Is it your go-to trailhead to exercise your dog both winter and summer? Perhaps it is the free cookies you get with your season pass? Is it the place to take your neophyte friends mountain bike riding when they come to visit? Is it the trailhead you leave from to find solace in nature and connection with your friends? Is it the place you bring your kids for the Strider Glider Program in winter and Junior Mountain Riders in summer? Is it the Lodge you like to come into for hot cocoa after a brisk ski and banter with the friendly shop employees? Is it the place you can find unique gifts and cool clothing in the Retail Store? Is it the place where you first learned how to skate ski with Court Jester, er, instructor, Tim Hauserman? Is it that funky old Highlands Community Center with the cool vibe where you became an Eagle Scout? Is it the Winter Discovery Center Yurt where you learned how to measure the water content of snow alongside Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP) staff?
Yep, You're Right
All of these things, and many more, are what make Tahoe XC, Tahoe XC. Your answers to my opening question are your experiences, and these experiences are the heart and soul of Tahoe XC and the purpose of its existence. At its core, Tahoe XC is a community hub where all of these opportunities exist and you only have to insert yourself into whatever experience(s) you want to have here.
How Tahoe XC Came About...
Looking back, Tahoe XC was formed in 1999 by several passionate local skiers who wanted to provide affordable skiing and programs for the North Lake Tahoe community. When the founders realized that they could not operate a non-profit ski area, they formed a Board of Directors to enact their vision, and they divided Tahoe XC into two entities- the non-profit 501(c)3 Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Education Association (TCCSEA) and, the public-benefit corporation, Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Area. Both entities are under concession with public agencies - Tahoe City Public Utility District (TCPUD), CA State Parks-Burton Creek, California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC), and the US Forest Service (USFS) all of which dictate land use. And, both organizations have a distinct role to play in the overall function(s) of what you all think of as “Tahoe XC”.
The inherent purpose of Tahoe XC is to get people of all ages interested in, and passionate about, human-powered sports. More creatively, think of Tahoe XC like a college student who is earning a double major- a BA in Business and a BS in physical education.
Earning a BA in Business
Earning a BA in Business you have Tahoe XC - the Ski Area and Lodge. This is the PRODUCT entity. The Ski Area’s main commodity is groomed trails in winter. It also supports the Lodge, retail, and rental shop. It earns revenue through the sale of Season Passes, Day Tickets, Retail, and Rentals that customers use to explore the grooming. Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Area pays taxes, pays trail use fees to its land-use partners, and it benefits the community by injecting nearly all profits back into the business by employing up to 40 people and through the purchase of capital - snowcats, snowmobiles, snow removal equipment, and summer/winter rental equipment. These equipment purchases reciprocate the non-profit by providing TCCSEA programs with free groomed trail use, subsidized coaching and equipment.
Earning a BS in Physical Education
And, earning a BS in Physical Education you have TCCSEA - the non-profit, SERVICE entity. Here you have all the year-round programs - In winter, our “flagship” Strider Gliders, plus Strider Gliders Laser Biathlon, SWEP and the Winter Discovery Center yurt classroom, Free Skiing for Schools, Free Skiing for Families, Los Embajadores, Las Chicas, Development and Competition Teams, Nordic Naturalists, and, we partner with the North Tahoe MS and HS Cross-Country Ski Teams. In the summer, TCCSEA offers Junior Mtn Riders, Summer Striders, the Development and Competition Teams, and the newly formed, ProActive Lifestyle Squad (PALS) for older adults.
Better Together
TCCSEA secures revenue through program dues. And while TCCSEA keeps dues affordable for families, many program costs are supplemented by fundraising - events like the Summer Gear and Bike Swap, Winter Backcountry & Nordic Ski Swap, Alpenglow 20k race, and The Great Gravel Grind Bike Ride (coming summer 2023). In addition, when the Ski Area has a financially good winter season, extra revenue is loaned to TCCSEA allowing programs to flourish when fundraising and program dues don’t cover costs.
Tahoe XC & TCCSEA
So, like you and your experience(s) at Tahoe XC, TCCSEA and the Ski Area cannot exist without each other. Over the past 24 years, “Tahoe XC” has become the catch-all phrase most people use for both entities. And when I think of Tahoe XC, it is hard to imagine it without acknowledging the big picture partnerships with public land owners- CTC, CASP, USFS and TCPUD. Without them, Tahoe XC would have no terrain to groom impeccably, no programs that experience perfect corduroy, and it would have no Lodge, or retail, or rental shop. In short, Tahoe XC would physically not exist as it is. Lacking physicality, there would also be no soul and no heart. These are the core expressions of what Tahoe XC means to me, to you, and to the community. And each time you share, or connect with, a Tahoe XC experience you are ensuring that Tahoe XC remains your community hub, both winter and summer.
I hope this issue of Ben’s Bench helps you understand the differences between the two organizations and how your answer to the question, “what comes to mind when you think of Tahoe XC?”, sustains all of it; and all of us. Thank you for reading.
