Throughout this winter season, many students at DePaul Prep have been enjoying the ski and snowboarding club offered. In contrast to other clubs that meet in classrooms or on campus, the ski and snowboarding club allows for students to go off campus and enjoy the cold by doing winter activities that they love. Whether you are an experienced skier or snowboarder, or you have only been on the slopes a few times, this club allows for an affordable way for students to have fun and enjoy the slopes with their friends.
This club organizes trips to Sunburst in Wisconsin where students have the opportunity to hang out with their friends, improve their skiing or snowboarding skills and to just have fun outside of school with their peers.
The ski and snowboarding club coordinator and the Assistant Dean, Ricardo Cotto, is an experienced snowboarder and faculty member who makes sure the club runs smoothly and is inclusive for all students who want to participate. Cotto explains the structure of the club: “It is unlike our other traditional clubs where they meet here on campus and they’re assigned classrooms. Ours is a little different because everything is off campus. So, it’s not much of a weekly meet and weekly hang. It’s more about organizing off-campus trips to Sunburst Ski Area.”
This is the club’s second year in session, improving from just 2-3 trips a year to around 4-5 trips this winter season. This club has 30-40 members who attend each trip.
Junior Adrianni Biancini, the founder of the ski and snowboarding club, said, “I created the ski and snowboard club to create a space where anyone that skis or snowboards, or is curious about it, is able to come and connect with others that share the same interest.”
Biancini started skiing at an early age and quickly developed a strong passion for it. “I personally ski, and started from a young age, going skiing every spring in Utah or Colorado.” said Biancini.
Cotto has a deep passion for snowboarding. “Snowboarding is not just an activity for me. It is something I identify with. It’s a passion of mine. I am on the snow 30 to 40 days a winter, going three to four times a week. It’s part of my self-health and my happiness during the winter months. It’s something I hope to do until the day I physically cannot,” said Cotto.
Having the club run by someone with such a devotion to snowboarding really drives the purpose of the club, which is to offer an opportunity for students to enjoy winter sports just as much as Cotto does.
DePaul Prep student, Bode Bryant, is a skier who is part of the ski and snowboarding club. Every year, Bryant would go out west on skiing trips with his family which is the reason he got into skiing. At first, Bryant explained that his family “kind of forced me at first to just do ski school and take lessons,” but he explained that as he grew older he started to enjoy skiing more and got better at it. Bryant said that he loves skiing now because of how “freeing and fun it is. I mean you’re flying down a mountain at high speeds.”
While many students a part of this club are experienced skiers or snowboarders, beginners are welcome to join as well. Although these sports are fun to try for the first time, they also come with some challenges. “Winter sports like skiing and snowboarding have a high barrier to entry. They’re not cheap- lift tickets, equipment, clothing, and food add up. You also need to be in a geographic location that fosters winter sports and have access to hills,” said Cotto.
Sunburst Ski Area offers affordable prices and is accessible which is why the ski club chose this location. Unlike popular ski resorts in the area like Alpine or Wilmot, Sunburst is very open and not as crowded as other ski resorts. This makes it more enjoyable for students, especially not as experienced skiers or snowboarders. Those who are new to winter sports can attend Sunburst’s group lessons that they offer for only a little bit extra money.
One of the greatest advantages for the ski and snowboarding club is the group discount prices. “The fact that we give kids an opportunity to get out on the snow for under $100, including a lift ticket and rentals are huge. In the ski and snowboard world, that’s a very cheap price. If you go to Alpine or Wilmot on a weekend, you’re looking at $95 to $110 just for a lift ticket,” said Cotto.
This pricing makes it easier for students to try out skiing or snowboarding, even if they aren’t experienced.
Each ski trip brings amazing moments and memories for not just students but for the faculty too. If it’s watching a new skier or snowboarder go on their first run, or seeing an experienced student learn a new trick, the experience is always amazing, said Cotto. He explained that the best part for him is getting to watch individuals learn and experience skiing or snowboarding for the first time.
Skiing and snowboarding are not easy and require patience, especially for beginners who might not get it right away. Figuring out how to do it and overcoming challenges that one might face is such a rewarding feeling for skiers and snowboarders.
The DePaul Prep ski and snowboarding club is a community full of students who enjoy skiing and snowboarding. The trips that are offered allow students to step out of their comfort zones and outside of the classroom to enjoy time with their classmates while having fun doing activities that they love.
The ski and snowboarding club is continuing to grow every year and they look forward to booking more trips in the future for students who are interested.
