It can be said, with certainty, that Alta and the Deseret Morning News/KSL Radio Ski School have grown up together.

It was, after all, Alta's ski school director, the late Alf Engen, who organized and taught in the first ski school back in 1948. Alta was also site of two of the first classes offered that year and has been spearheading the News' ski program ever since.

Alta's staff has been the organizational arm of the ski school since that first day, under the direction of Engen until his death in 1997, then under his son, Alan, and now under David (Hoopa) Robinson, director of the Alta Ski School.

Under Alf Engen's guidance, thousands of Utah residents learned the fundamentals of skiing. Many of those would go on to introduce skiing to their children and now grandchildren.

It has been and always will be, noted Robinson, Alta's goal to focus on the local skiers, "to introduce them to a lifetime winter activity ... something for the whole family."

Which is one reason it has dedicated itself to the Deseret Morning News' learn-to-ski program.

In its efforts to make skiing available to more people, especially families, the resort opens its beginner lift and runs in Albion Basin to skiers after 3 p.m. each day at no cost.

This, said Robinson, has been extremely popular and rewarding. "It always amazes me, the number of people and the groups ... all here because they want to ski," he noted.

This year the News' ski program is limited to 400 students on a first-come, first-served basis.

Along with the Deseret Morning News' program, the resort is also involved in a number of community programs, including the elementary school learn-to-ski and the youth program run through Ski Utah.

Alta also offers its own learn-to-ski program that begins in January and runs through February. The package includes lessons and rental equipment.

Along with beginner classes, instructors also teach intermediate classes, intermediate-advanced and advanced-expert workshops.

Ladies Day is held on Thursdays through the season and will start after the holidays.

One area that Alta is recognized for is its telemark instruction.

Robinson started ski teaching in New England in 1970. He came to Alta as a line instructor in 1980 and became a supervisor in 1986. He took over as director of the ski school early in the 1990s.

For more information visit www.alta.com.