Lance Topper Photography

A free ride skiier goes in for a flip. This is the kind of competition that Adams takes part in.

Carrie Adams' skis slice through the snow like knives as she zips down the icy, frigid slope. As she maneuvers herself expertly down the steep incline through the moguls at Tahoe's Sugarbowl Resort, snow fans out beneath her as the wind burns her cheeks.

While most people eventually have to pack up their skis and goggles and return to their homes in the suburbs, it is a different story for C. Adams.

C. Adams is a junior at the Sugarbowl Ski Academy, a school created for people interested in pursuing skiing. Skiing is now a primary part of C. Adams' every day life; she eats, sleeps and studies with the slopes right outside of her dorm window.

The Sugarbowl Ski Academy was founded in 1998 as a winter tutorial system and since then has expanded into a boarding school for committed skiers. Over the past 10 years it has supported a variety of skiing programs, starting with racing and recently adding the freeride and cross country programs.

C. Adams has been skiing since she was young, and the long drives to and from Tahoe, Calif., combined with the heavy workload that she would face upon her return led her to transfer from Palo Alto High School to the academy.

She first joined the Sugarbowl Ski team in fifth grade, where she competed as a racer.

Three years ago, she decided to switch her focus to freeride, which competes in jumps, moguls and other tricks.

"I've been skiing since I was three or four," C. Adams said. "I wanted to compete in skiing a little more. Last year I went to a competition and it took me forever to catch up on the work."

At the Sugarbowl Ski Academy, the teachers are accustomed to students missing class for skiing and trying to work around the busy schedules of the 24 students who board at the school.

"The academy's primary objective is to provide students the opportunity to pursue their athletic goals without compromising their academics," head of the Sugarbowl Academy, Tracy Wilson, said.

The students have a mandatory study hall session from 7-9 p.m. in the dorm rooms, which Adams finds extremely helpful.

Also, the coaches and teachers are in constant communication, allowing students to take tests they would have missed while away at a competition.

"The coaches are vital parts of the program, and even have offices on campus," Wilson said.

Because the coaches are connected to the school, teachers are much more lenient on C. Adams while she is competing.

"When I go on trips the workload is a lot lighter and it's much easier to keep in contact," C. Adams said. "It is less difficult for me to stay on top of my work here."

The academy, which offers education for students in grades six through 12, is located near Truckee, Calif. and resides in the city of Tahoe.

It is less than a mile away from the ski slopes and the students can walk to them in minutes, according to Rick Adams, C. Adams' father.

"The Sugarbowl Academy is so far away from everything," C. Adams said. "It is very different and the altitude really got to me in the first week. I was tired all the time and it's a lot colder living in Tahoe."

Although she feels that the transfer to a new school was the right decision, there was the initial shock of going from a public school of 1,900 in the Bay Area to a specialized boarding school in the mountains.

"I was the new girl and everyone already knew each other," C. Adams said. "After a while I got used to everyone and we all became friends."

C. Adams' parents also felt an extreme impact on their lives with her choice to board at the Sugarbowl Ski Academy.

"It was sort of a shock because our other daughter just graduated and the evaporation of our children happened all in one summer," R. Adams said. "However, the experience with the school so far has been fantastic."

The academy centers around their students' athleticism and supporting their futures in skiing. C. Adams has been adapting well to the new environment.

"Everyone here is really motivated and they all have that competitive push as athletes," C. Adams said.

During the fall and spring, the school has regular school hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for five days a week.

After school, freeriders like C. Adams go to conditioning training practice where they use trampolines and special types of roller blades to simulate skiing and to practice their tricks during off seasons while they do not have snow to work with.

Once the winter season begins, the schedule alters in order to fit around the students' skiing.

Monday is a full day for C. Adams, then Tuesday through Thursday school starts at 1 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m., due to early morning ski practice until 11:30 a.m.

On Fridays, class starts at the normal time and ends at 1 p.m., so C. Adams and her classmates have a chance to ski in the afternoon. Many other students, like C. Adams, decided to attend the academy after years on the Sugarbowl Ski Team.

One has to meet certain requirements to get accepted to the academy, such as a coach recommendation and an application. However, the academy is not only meant for competitive skiers.

"We will accept students with a variety of athletic abilities," Wilson said. "Some kids are trying to make the U.S. ski team and very few get to that point. Many want to compete at a collegiate level."

For C. Adams, goals for skiing are realistic and she does not see herself pursuing the sport too seriously in the future.

"The kind of skiing I do is mountain skiing and that is not in the Olympics," Adams said. "It also has no college teams for me to join, so I cannot get a scholarship for it."

Although skiing will not be her future career, she can still take part in a number of competitions while attending the academy and after she graduates. C. Adams current school situation is great improvement from when she attended Paly, because now she can access snow more easily.

Starting in January, C. Adams will be travelling with the Sugar Bowl Ski Academy to ski competitions in Washington, Utah and Wyoming every other week.

C. Adams will also be traveling around the country this year as she plans to compete in the Free Skiing World Tour.

C. adams is attending the school to enjoy her passion without the pressure of professional skiing.

"What really drives the students is that they enjoy the skiing whether it is focused or unfocused," Wilson said. "Most will become lifelong skiers either way."