The A51 terrain park is as sick as they come—yes, that’s good sick, as in cool, rad, awesome (hey, I didn’t make up the slang). But staring down into the gaping depths of its superpipe or up at the soaring heights of its ginormous Main Street jump line is enough to make a novice shredder bad sick to his stomach.
Situated at Colorado’s Keystone Resort, the park has been recognized by multiple snowboard magazines for its world-class collection of rails, boxes, hips and booters, all served by its own lift so you can maximize terrain time. It’s here in this powder playground on any given snow-season day that you’ll find members of Team Grom, a crew of teen guys and girls connected with the ministry Snowboarders and Skiers for Christ. Each lives in Summit County, where it’s only a short drive or bus ride to an epic collection of resorts such as Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Vail. As you might expect, these guys are passionate about snowboarding or skiing. They’re also passionate about learning to live out their relationships with Jesus in every aspect of life, both on the mountain and off.
Living and Funning
“It’s like Snowboarders for Christ is a real big circle,” says Elyut Hill, 16-year-old snowboarder (and skater). “And there’s a chunk out of the circle that’s Team Grom, and that’s for us, the younger kids in high school, middle school. We have our ride days and we chill.”
“We all just go out and shred,” says boarder Chris Willett, 17. “Sometimes we just sit and eat pizza and play darts and do 18 crazy things for a guy’s 18th birthday. That was fun.”
Yep, this crew is all about fun. “We do fun,” is how skier Evan Seeling, 17, puts it.
Come the first and third Sunday afternoons of snowy months, Chris, Elyut, Evan and as many as 20 or 30 Team Grom riders, skiers, friends and acquaintances gather at either Dillon Community Church or Keystone. They pray, then hit their favorite parts of the mountain, jibbing and jumping and generally having fun.
But Team Grom goes deeper than only a good time.
“We also have meetings all through the season, like a small-group type of deal,” Elyut says. “We talk about life.”
Ten to 12 of the guys meet weekly for Bible study where they discuss their questions and struggles and provide accountability. (Last year, they even formed a covenant agreeing to surrender their slope passes if their grades fell below a B average.) They serve at SFC’s wax-and-coffee nights, where everyone in the community is invited to share free food, coffee and a fresh waxing of their skis or boards. And before taking off on ride days, the guys first get their topic of the day from Brian Moon, who serves as TG’s youth pastor-like leader.
“We have a general topic we discuss on the chairlifts with whoever you’re riding with,” Evan says. “If you’re riding with some stranger, you can talk with him.”
“We’ve talked about how do we handle relationships with people on the mountain,” Brian says. “What’s our attitude? Are you a lover or a hater? How do you share your faith? How do you start a conversation with people on the lift ride?”
Looking Good, Bro!
Sure, these guys want big air and fresh powder, but they work at focusing on other people, too. A little kindness and encouragement go a long way, and the group tries to be a positive presence and reflection of Christ to both tourists and locals on the mountain, in town or at school.
“People love to be encouraged.” Chris says. “We’re supposed to be the body of Christ and be the best representative for Him that we can. [That means] not bagging on anybody, but uplifting them whenever possible.”
“Encouragement makes the biggest difference between people, because so many people have forgotten what that’s like,” Elyut says.
It’s not uncommon to hear the groms cheering the tricks of total strangers in the park or inviting classmates to hang out on ride day or wax-and-coffee night.
“We’re part of a culture and community that is self-centered and self-oriented,” Brian says. “So when these guys do what they’re talking about—go out on the mountain and love on each other and support other people and go out of their way to acknowledge somebody else as valuable—there’s something really cool that’s going on. It’s dynamic, and people can’t ignore it, because it’s something that’s real.”
Big Dreams, Big Air
Many of the groms dream of being pros someday, and they’ve got legitimate chances. They have gear and clothing sponsors. And with early-release school schedules, they are able to ski or ride 80 to 100-plus days a year. All that mixed with dedication and lots of practice means they already possess expert abilities.
“They’re upside down off the jumps, flying 80 feet through the air, 50 feet off the ground,” Brian says. “They’re skiing and jumping off cliffs. God’s given them some natural athleticism, and they’re utilizing it to worship Him but also to draw people to Him. It’s really cool.”
Don’t be intimidated though, Chris, Elyut and Evan are stoked on the idea of meeting Breakaway readers on the mountain.
“You’ll know who we are if you meet us at the mountain or see us outside the church,” Elyut says. “Just look for a big group having fun.”
“Or people with TG stickers or Jesus stickers,” Chris says. “I would love for someone to come and ride with us. That would be sick!” 
Heading to Summit County, Colo., for a family ski trip? Contact Team Grom via sfccolorado.comand hang with Chris, Elyut, Evan and the rest of the crew. They’ll be glad to teach you to stomp a sick lipslide.
