Style Guide

Affordable Programs. Individual Potential.

Everything GTSSF publishes starts here. The mission says what we do, the vision says why it matters to the valley, and the values decide how a program, a page, or a reply to a parent should feel.

Values

Source: Coaches Handbook, “History, Mission Statement & Statement of Values” (Code of Conduct page). The handbook lists six values and describes seven; Balance is described but not in the list. Keep both in sync when the handbook is next revised.

Where We Come From

1. 1988 · FoundedStarted by local ski racing legends Deb and Dana Mackenzie, Brad (Squeak) Melehes, Mark Melehes, and John Borstelman as Teton Valley’s first nonprofit.
2. 1988 · The first ski swapThe first annual “Tug Boat” (Terry Palmer) Memorial Ski Swap raised the money to operate. The Ski Swap still runs every November.
3. AlumniSage Cattabriga-Alosa; two-time Olympian and Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf (2018, 2022); Red Bull athlete Kai Jones.
4. TodayDevelopment and competition programs in alpine, cross country, freeride, and snowboard for hundreds of local athletes, following U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete development guidelines.

Bright Snow, Plain Words, on the Athlete’s Side.

GTSSF should look like a clear morning at Grand Targhee and sound like a good coach: direct, encouraging, and specific about what happens next.

Write It Like This

House Conventions

Say the Same Few Things, Everywhere.

These lines are approved. Reuse them word for word in titles, social bios, grant forms, and print so the foundation is described the same way in every place someone meets it.

The tagline is the mission line from the home hero. The WordPress site tagline (Settings › General) uses the same wording, so feeds and shares match.

Button Verbs

One verb-led label per button, title case in the editor (the button style sets the uppercase). Never “Click here” or “Learn more”; say where the button goes.

A Snowflake for the Foundation, a Trail Badge for the Teams.

The snowflake lockup is the foundation’s signature and leads on every page header. The GTSSF trail badge is the compact mark for avatars, favicons, and small spaces. Always start from an original file; never a screenshot.

Primary Logos

Alternative / Artifacts

Approved alternates for specific jobs. Each downloads as an SVG from the website.

Navy Type, Blue Actions, Sky Above, Gold to Celebrate.

The palette is the Blocksy global palette, and Kadence blocks read the same values. Pick colors from the palette in the editor, never a custom hex. Ratios are measured against the surface named; text needs 4.5:1, large text and UI edges 3:1.

Core

Supporting

Teal (#4B929A) and Aqua (#5FC2CC) are retired. Palette 4 is now Slate, palette 5 is Butter, and Bronze is palette 9, so every block that used the old slots picks up the new colors automatically.

Supporting Hues

The blues and greys the theme and Kadence blocks already use. They are built in, so they are listed for matching, not for picking: in the editor, choose a palette color.

Blues

Greys

CMYK values are straight conversions for reference. Proof anything printed with the printer before a run.

Supporting Values

Circular Leads, Ringside Reads.

Two self-hosted families, each with one job. Circular carries titles, navigation, labels, and buttons. Ringside Narrow sets long reading. This guide is set entirely in Circular.

The Fluid Scale Proposed v2

Seven steps, each a clamp() that grows smoothly from a 375px phone to a 1440px desktop. Sizes are in rem, so browser zoom and user font settings still work. The site measured 17 different sizes on desktop; every one of them maps to a step below.

Nothing is set below 14px, with one deliberate exception: the bottom tab bar (12px labels, 10px sublabels). Body copy keeps a 65–75 character measure. Headings use text-wrap: balance; paragraphs use text-wrap: pretty.

One Scale, Every Editor

Whichever size picker an editor uses, it resolves to the same step.

Groups in Motion, Coaches in the Frame, the Tetons Behind.

GTSSF photography shows a community, not a highlight reel: athletes doing the sport together, listening and cheering, with the coaches, parents, and volunteers who make it happen and the mountains that make it ours.

What We Photograph

Shot list for this season: the library is strong on teams and scenery and light on parents volunteering and board members at work. Capture both at the Ski Swap, on race days, and at awards.

The Library, by Program

46 photos selected from the media library for group energy, sharp faces, and strong light. Each caption names the GTSSF value the photo shows, so the next photo can be chosen the same way.

Alpine

8 photos

Where most GTSSF athletes start, and where many stay. Flow builds a love of the mountain; Race takes U10 through U16 athletes into gates, timing, and Intermountain Division competition. Photograph the team, not just the racer: coaches in the frame, parents at the finish, friends between runs.

Freeride

8 photos

Freeride turns strong skiers into thoughtful big-mountain athletes. The pictures should carry the team’s personality and the respect the sport demands: scouting lines, listening to coaches, and celebrating together on the IFSA podium.

Snowboard

8 photos

Snowboard athletes progress from Flow to the U12–U19 team, riding the whole mountain and the park. Show riders with their coach, hiking for one more lap, and the scenery that makes the day unforgettable.

Cross Country

8 photos

Nordic is the foundation’s most social sport: Flow, Rec, Prep, and Comp, Tuesday Night Nordic, and races across the Intermountain Division. Capture the group celebrating, coaches out on the trail with their athletes, and the Tetons above the track.

Programs

14 photos

Programs keep athletes training all year: bike camps, summer Nordic roller skiing, Strength Training, and Trampoline Training. Photograph them the way we photograph winter: groups working together, coaches teaching, and the valley behind them. Running is missing from the library; add it to the shot list.

One Container, One Rhythm, Copy That Flows.

Every page sits in a 1200px container with 5vw edges. Sections stack on a 50px rhythm on desktop. Program pages open with the flowing intro: the photo floats right and the copy wraps around it, then continues full width.

Vertical Rhythm

The Parts Every Page Is Built From.

Website User Interface

Header & Tab Bar

Donate

Navigation: Circular 500, uppercase. The tab bar is fixed to the bottom of the screen: square cards on navy, label above sublabel.

Page Title

Buttons

Primary: blue fill, white Circular 700, 14px uppercase, 0.05em tracking, 12px 24px padding, square corners, navy on hover. Header Donate: 13px today; type v2 lifts it to 14px. The small gold button is the same size in Gold with navy text (7.0:1), for one secondary call such as Register Now. On a navy band, Gold marks the single most important call.

Program Intro

Team Cards

Alpine ProgramsAges 7–19 · Flow, U10, U12, and U14/U16

Freeride ProgramsIFSA athletes, U12–18

Nordic ProgramsAges 5–19 · Flow, Rec, Prep, and Comp

Session Details Tabs

Schedule and Participant Details are shared Blocksy content blocks (3199 and 1811) on all 13 team pages. Table text 15px, labels 14px uppercase, hairline rows; the first line of both tabs shares one baseline.

Sign-Up List & Partner Logos

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Jan. 24 – Targhee Club Series

Body-size link with the theme’s 1px underline.

Spacing, Radii & Breakpoints.

Blocksy is the source of truth; Kadence reads the same values through mapped variables. Use the presets in the editor rather than typing pixels.

Readable by Everyone, on Every Screen.

Families read this site on a phone in a parking lot at 7 AM. Design for that moment and it works everywhere.

Do & Do Not.