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Plymouth Ice Festival Page 13

He also touts the mental health benefits related to seasonal depression
disorder.
“Getting out and being active has been proven to change your mental
state,” he noted. He's also seen significant ski equipment upgrades that
make learning to ski easier.
Parent tells of a recently widowed woman in her 80s who took up ski-
ing and traveled to ski, “and became hooked. One day's lesson, you're out
learning. If she can do it, anybody can,” he said. “That's why we do these
events,” Parent noted of the Ice Festival demonstration in Kellogg Park.
The National Ski Patrol, founded 80 years ago in Vermont, has a web-
site, www.nsp.org which notes, “The emergence of new snow sports like
snowboarding, tubing, and snow-skating has introduced new equipment
and terrain, requiring new safety and rescue techniques and emergency
care methods to be developed and taught. In addition, greater access to
the backcountry has brought new training and regimens for NSP mem-
bers. As the leading authority of on-mountain safety, the NSP is dedicat-
ed to serving the public and outdoor recreation industry by providing
education and accreditation to emergency care and safety service
providers. The organization is made up of over 30,000 members serving
over 650 patrols. Our members work on behalf of local ski and snow-
board areas to improve the overall experience for outdoor recreational-
ists.”
There are a number of other industry groups that encourage outdoor
wintertime sports for all ages.