Ski Clubs offer winter opportunities for rookies, experts

Ever wanted to escape Poughkeepsie and hit the slopes of the northeast? Or train at an Olympic facility for intense cross-country skiing? Though they bear no formal relationship with each other, the Vassar Ski Team and the Vassar Nordic Team offer exciting, accessible opportunities for Vassar students interested in skiing.

The Vassar Ski Team, according to its mission statement, aims to "combat the unyielding class homogeneity inherent in ski culture." To do this the club "secures funds and disperses them freely to help the common, working-class Vassar students (as well as their capitalist overlord fellow students) to participate in and to subvert a principle bastion of neocolonial patriarchy—ski racing." In an emailed statement, co-Captain Heili Lowman '12 shared how the team achieves this lofty goal of distributive justice. "Races are funded by the school, and a small registration fee of $20 for each skier covers any unexpected charges over the course of the season." The ski team also covers students without equipment or training: "We are happy to accommodate all levels of skiers on the team. Racers who have been competitive all throughout high school are certainly encouraged to join, and we do get quite a few seasoned veterans, but those who are just putting on a pair of skis for the first time are equally encouraged to come out and participate," wrote Lowman. "We have a deal with Potter Brothers across the road if students need to rent for the season."

The Nordic Team also shares a commitment to inclusiveness. President Laurel Walker '11, in an emailed statement, explained, "Our mission is to make Nordic Skiing accessible to any member of the Vassar community who is interested. Because of this we provide all the equipment and transportation."

For those that don't know, cross-country skiing, unlike the downhill variety, takes place on flat ground as well as hills. With their skis unhinged at the heel, participants trek across the snow.

Because of this accessibility, participating in cross country skiing for the Nordic Team is a great opportunity for fans of the outdoors. For in-season practice, the team travels about 20 miles to the Mohonk Preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains. Walker elaborated, "there are excellent trails and breath-taking scenery. Usually our winter training sessions happen every weekend and if we have a little more time we venture further up into the Catskills or Adirondacks." But cross country skiing requires a training commitment beyond winter. "Since the season is very short the majority of our skiing is training throughout the year. When there is no snow we do dry land training, which includes running, core workouts, weights and roller skiing." said Walker. All of the practicing is in preparation for meets across the northeast within the United States Collegiate Skiing Association (USCSA).

The Ski Team, which includes snowboarders, also competes in the USCSA. "We take part in two events: Slalom and Giant Slalom. Both are a series of gates that the skiers must properly ski around," wrote Lowman. If they miss a gate, they must either start over or face disqualification. After three to four competitive meets in Vermont per season, the Ski Team ends on a special note. "The competitive season culminates in a costume race whose theme is decided upon each year—this might be the only time in your life that you'll be able to ski down a mountain in boxers and a banana suit."

Surprisingly, the costume race is not the ski team's favorite trip. "The highlight of the season is the very start; the week-long training trip to Sugarbush takes place the last week of Winter Break each year and is a huge element of team bonding and development," Lowman wrote. "This past year's trip was the largest one yet with over 40 participants. I can't stress enough how important the Sugarbush trip is to the soul of the Brewskis [the Vassar Ski Team]."

The Nordic Team also has its marquee event at the beginning of the season. "The highlight of our year is our winter training trip we take at the beginning of Winter Break. We usually go up to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid and spend five days training and bonding before the ski season begins."

For black diamond daredevils and pupils of the bunny hill, Giant Slalom speedsters and cross-country marathoners, opportunities to ski at Vassar abound. As Lowman wrote, "Who wouldn't want to spend a glorious week in Sugarbush, Vt. getting to make new friends while shredding some gnar-gnar pow-pow?"