OCM BOCES Welding Students Craft New Terrain Park Features at Greek Peak

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026
 

OCM BOCES Welding Students Craft New Terrain Park Features at Greek Peak

Skiers and snowboarders hitting the slopes at Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland have two fresh additions to the terrain park this season, thanks to hands-on work from students in the Welding Technology program at our Cortlandville Campus.

Under the guidance of instructor Kevin Auyer, the Career & Technical Education students recently completed a tube rail and a 23-foot-long “waterfall”-style rail. The latter design features a series of short sections that drop slightly with each step, adding exciting flow for riders.

Students were excited to do the project — and so was Auyer. The instructor says the opportunity to teach welding every day, combined with students’ enthusiasm, makes his job thoroughly enjoyable.

“This job is easy for me because it’s what I love doing and the kids are all about it,” Auyer said. “These kids are building something in class and then they go use it on the mountain.”

The collaboration bridges our Welding Technology program and Greek Peak through CNY Freeride, a Cortland-area nonprofit under the umbrella of the Central New York Action Sports Foundation. 

CNY Freeride builds and maintains the terrain park and offers year-round coaching and training camps. The organization supports a range of action sports, including wakeboarding, wakesurfing, mountain biking, motocross and skateboarding.

The organization supplies the materials for the features students build, which helps the nonprofit save on labor costs for new additions.

“It’s a pretty good partnership because they’re always looking for people to help them stay inside their budget, and it gives our students hands-on learning,” Auyer said.

The partnership kicked off about two years ago when co-founder Travis MacDowell connected with OCM BOCES and teamed up with Auyer on the initial projects.

“Just being involved with them is extremely rewarding,” MacDowell said. “It’s an honor to see the development thought process, the layout, and the final product.”

This real-world experience gives students valuable skills while supporting local recreation, proving once again how OCM BOCES is #MoreThanYouThink.