Diane and Doug Roy run the Rod Roy Snow School, begun by Doug's father in the 1960s. Though it has about 1,500 students in a season, they say the success of the school still lies in the personal touch. Photograph by : JOHN MAHONEY, THE GAZETTE

Skiing runs in their veins
Rod Roy started taking students on ski weekends about 40 years ago. Today, it's his children who run the snow school that bears his name. And the family feeling is key to its success.

LIANA BALINSKY-BAKER, Freelance

Published in The Montreal Gazette: Thursday, February 02, 2006

What does it take to run the largest snow school in the Montreal area? Doug and Diane Roy, the married couple behind Rod Roy's success on the slopes, have the answers. And they might even reveal some if you can keep up with them and their family on the ski hill.

Rod Roy's many programs for all ages begin in early January and finish in March.

The snow school, founded in 1962, boasts 1,500 members and 90 instructors.

It also holds a whole lot of childhood memories for the thousands of former members who have since grown up and now send their kids on the bus each weekend for a day of skiing or snowboarding.

The school was born in the early 1960s when Rod Roy was a teacher at Sir Winston Churchill High. He started organizing weekend ski trips for his students.

While much of the ski school has evolved, one thing has remained the same - it's a family affair. Rod's son Doug has taken over the business, which he runs with his wife, Diane.

The couple, who live in Pierrefonds, have each been involved with Rod Roy in some form for 25 years. It seems only right that they met through the ski school.

The other part of the Rod Roy operation is its group trips, which Doug's brother Gord runs out of Mont Ste. Anne.

Doug and Diane's two children - Cameron, 13, and Lauren, 11 - are involved in various programs, while their grandfather, Rod, never fails to make it to the mountain each week.

Prospective members should not be alarmed at the size of the ski school.

"Even though it's so big, it's set up a way that manages to stay personal," Diane Roy said. "Everyone gets to know everyone."

The 1,500 members are divided by age into different sections, which travel to hills that correspond to the age group.

The junior program takes skiers 6-11 to smaller ski centres for lessons. This way, younger first-time skiers won't have to face Tremblant's steep pitches while teens can have more of a challenge by signing up for lessons or free skiing at bigger hills.

Educators make up the majority of Rod Roy staff. Most program directors are teachers or have some background in children.

"When there's a conflict, the staff are qualified and the way they deal with what comes up as educators really makes a difference," Diane Roy said.

But the ski school is about much more than just learning a skill. "It's about the kids learning to take care of themselves in a setting that's not like another day of school," she explained.

Francesco Capretti, age 12 and a five year veteran of Rod Roy, agrees. "I get to go ski with my friends, so that's a lot of fun but I also can take a lesson and get better.

"Without Rod Roy, I wouldn't be able to ski because my family doesn't go that often."

His siblings are mostly at the hill, anyway. Brother Andre, 10, and sister Lucia, 15, are students, while his eldest sister, Marie-Louise, 18, is an assistant instructor for the youngest kids.

For more information about Rod Roy Snow School, visit www.rodroy.com

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2006