The excitement of arrival day is only rivaled by the emotion of Graduation Day at Wy’East Academy. Another Olympic season came and went, with Wy’East alumni once again representing their nations in Italy. A special congratulations to Konnor Ralph and Nick Goepper for showing our students what is possible at the highest level of athletic achievement.

Our record-breaking class of 25 seniors all earned acceptance to four-year universities, continuing to balance academic excellence with elite athletics. Graduates will pursue opportunities ranging from the University of Utah and Montana State to studying German in Austria at the University of Innsbruck and art in London.

The year began with students traveling to the Netherlands for FIS-sanctioned ski and slopestyle competitions, where they secured four podium finishes. Snow athletes then headed above the Arctic Circle to Finland for early-season training before the holidays. Students remaining stateside for Thanksgiving enjoyed a meal along Puget Sound and even spotted orcas hunting seals offshore before the group dispersed across the globe once again.

Our mountain bike program took full advantage of the Northwest autumn with trips to Montana and Canada before spending more than a month training in New Zealand. This year also marked a milestone as our first mountain bike alumnus competed in Red Bull Rampage, the world’s premier freeride mountain bike event. Meanwhile, skateboarders traveled to San Diego, San Francisco, New York City, and Paris, skating alongside industry professionals while exploring universities, art, food, and culture.

Students continued pushing one another to new heights throughout the year. Senior Finley Good became the first active Academy student in over a decade to compete in the X Games, setting a new standard for future athletes. Beyond competition, staff encouraged students to continually ask, “How can I help?” That mindset led students to volunteer with the Special Olympics, teach snowboarding to underserved youth, clean Portland parks, and work with legislators in Salem.

The year culminated with our first annual Rail Jam fundraiser benefiting the IRCO Upward Bound Program. Together, students raised $5,000 to help send a first-generation immigrant to college. We could not be more proud of this remarkable group of young people and look forward to seeing how they continue to inspire far beyond our little island in the woods.

Mike Hanley, Head of School

Student life

As we wrap up an incredible 2025-2026 academic year, we’re grateful for the energy, connection, and generosity that have defined on campus.

One of the highlights was our IRCO Upward Bound Fundraiser, where our community came together in support of first-generation students working toward college access. Thanks to the collective efforts of our students, staff, and partners, we raised an impressive $4,666 for this Portland-based nonprofit. The event was a true reflection of what makes Wy’East special. We were proud to welcome program beneficiaries to campus, alongside our student-athletes and their families, Snowdays program leaders, and valued business partners including Goodwynns, Melt Away Boutique, and Mt. Hood Roasters. Generous prize donations from Leathers, Bogs, NoGood Clothing, Autumn Headwear, 686, Hoodgirlzzz, Limelight Restaurant, and many others who helped make the event both meaningful and fun.

This year, our students contributed over 400 hours of community service across five impactful programs, including Portland Parks & Recreation, Oral Hull Park for the Blind, Snowdays, IRCO, and Special Olympics Oregon.

Outside of the fundraiser, our students made the most of their weekends with a wide range of activities designed to build connections and create lasting memories. From the adrenaline of go-kart racing at K1 Speed, to local hikes along Lolo Pass and the river, to relaxing soaks at the Ka-Nee-Ta Hot Springs, there was something for everyone. Students also challenged themselves with escape rooms and other off campus adventures.

We closed out the year with a memorable senior trip to Seaside, where our graduating class celebrated together with a coastal weekend full of surfing, great food, and time to reflect on their journey at Wy’East. Great weather and even better company made for a weekend to remember.

We’re incredible proud of our students and the vibrant experience they continue to shape. With summer semester just around the corner, we’re excited to build on this momentum and jump into another action-packed season starting in June.

Academics

As we close out another academic year, we want to take a moment to reflect on the hard work, growth, and accomplishments of our students. From the first day of classes to final exams, it has been a year marked by perseverance, curiosity, and meaningful learning across all grade levels.

A special congratulations to our seniors, who graduated and will now take their next steps beyond Wy’East. Their dedication, resilience, and leadership have left a lasting impact on our school community. We are proud of all they have achieved. We wish them continued success as they pursue their future endeavors.

We also recognize the efforts of our underclassmen, who have shown tremendous progress this year and are well-positioned for continued growth. Their engagement in the classroom and commitment to their studies and sports have been evident, and we are excited to see what they accomplish next year.

Thank you to our faculty for their unwavering commitment to academic excellence and to our families for their continued support. Together, we have made this a successful and rewarding year.

We wish everyone a restful and enjoyable summer break and look forward to welcoming you back in the fall.

Athletics

We are excited to share that Wy’East Mountain Academy has officially been named a U.S. Ski & Snowboard Gold Certified Club. Gold Certification is the highest designation awarded by US Ski & Snowboard and recognizes clubs that demonstrate excellence in coaching, athlete development, leadership, and athlete safety.

This achievement reflects years of dedication from our entire community. From early mornings on the mountain to time spent in the classroom, on the road, and around campus, our athletes, coaches, staff, and families have worked together to build something truly special.

At Wy’East, we believe in developing the whole person through people, place, and passion. This recognition reinforces the values that continue to guide our community and the environment we strive to create every day. Thank you to everyone who has helped shape Wy’East Mountain Academy into the community it is today. We are proud of this milestone and excited for what lies ahead.

Freeski

As the sun sets on the 2026 winter semester, the Freeski coaching staff would like to thank all of our parents and athletes who made it one for the books. From early morning training sessions to long travel days, this season was defined by commitment, resilience, and a shared passion for the sport. We traveled to six countries, had athletes compete at 30+ different events, celebrated meaningful successes, and learned valuable lessons along the way. Through it all, this group continued to support one another, push their limits, and represent our program and themselves with integrity.

Regardless of the results, we are incredibly proud of this team for consistently showing up, putting in the work, and embracing every opportunity. Their positive energy and willingness to challenge themselves made this season memorable. With the contest season now behind us, it has been a pleasure to watch everyone ease off the throttle and enjoy skiing without the pressures of another trip or contest around the corner. Everyone has been taking full advantage of sunny park days, lapping with friends, and getting creative while filming together. These moments remind us why we love what we do and highlight the strong sense of community that defines this program! Another big thank you to everyone who was a part of this season, and we look forward to seeing you this summer, next year, or out there in the mix!

Mountain Bike

It’s crazy to think that we’re already at the end of the school year, however on reflection it makes sense why this semester went by so fast. We started the semester off with a big mission to Queenstown, New Zealand to escape the gray days of winter and jump into summer. This trip was all time! The students were mixing it up with Pros from across the world and across all disciplines of riding. We saw a ton of progress from the students on this trip due to the fact that there were the biggest public jumps in the world and also lift-access riding within 10 minutes of each other. We made the long voyage back to campus and had two weeks to decompress and reset before our trip to Virgin, Utah. This trip is the one that pushes most students outside of their comfort zone purely by the terrain they're riding and by the scale of features there are to ride. We were able to carry over the momentum from the New Zealand trip to this one and it was awesome to see the students push themselves as much as they did. I’m really proud of them for getting out of their comfort zone and achieving goals that may have scared them. As we wind down the semester we are continuing to train outdoors when weather is permitting and when not, we’re taking advantage of BOB and those facilities for our training sessions. Thanks to everyone for a great semester and even better school year.

Skate

This spring 2026 semester has been incredible! Starting off with our trip to Southern California, where we skated and explored from San Diego to Pasadena. Two things stand out from that trip aside from the burritos: Lila conquering the long bump to the bar in Oceanside and spending a day in LA with Rob from 2 Riser Pads. The weather was great this semester for the PNW, so we got a lot of time off campus and in the jungle. The end cap of the semester was the NYC trip, a week of subway trains and pushing through the city. We met up with a lot of people on that trip and were lucky enough to have Evan Wasser spend a lot of time with us. Have a great summer!

Snowboard

This past year on the snowboard team has been one to remember despite one of the worst snow seasons that the entire West Coast has experienced in decades. Luckily for us, it didn’t matter what the snow was doing early on as we had access to our new landing bag right here on campus for the crew to session every week. It truly is what dreams are made of for anyone wanting to learn the big scary stuff which became real when the team went to Finland to ride at Ruka! That trip alone was a highlight of the year, but we were just getting started.

We logged more airline miles this winter going all the way over to the East Coast who had arguably their best winter ever, where we rode at Okemo, Killington, Sugar Bush, Dark Park, and Mount Snow. We then hit the other coast in Tahoe, then onto Utah, and eventually Colorado to finish the semester as we do at USASA Nationals. This year was full of progression, results, and most importantly good times with good people. From the snowboard team, we sincerely want to thank each family who continues to trust us to help shape the lives of your children at this point in their life. Let’s do it all again next year!

CULINARY

This past school year flew by. With the team making cookies, brownies, rice Krispie treats and three meals a day! It was so nice to see the students try new food items that the team created. One of the best lunches that we provided for the students was Loco Moco’s! Any time I mentioned we were having it the students were very excited! Kellen, with his creativity to make awesome dinners, was the anchor of the team. It all culminated to a wonderful Graduation Dinner for the graduating seniors and parents.