snowboard – The Concordian

Hit the slopes with Concordia’s Ski and Snowboarding Club

See what the club has in store for winter 2023.

With the winter break all on our minds, it is a given that everyone is looking for things to do during the chilly season. The Concordia Ski and Snowboard Club is ready to welcome another event-filled winter.

The Concordian had the chance to sit down with four executives from the club: Michelle Fraser, Sebastian Adam, Ajay Weinstein, and Antoine Denis.

Adam, the VP internal on the team, recalled his earliest memories as a kid snowboarding for the first time.

“My dad put me on a board before I could walk so he’s always been a super big ‘boarder’. As soon as I could fit on a snowboard I was riding. I never started with skiing, I went with the better of the two,” Adam said.

While every executive on the team has a different relationship with skiing and snowboarding, they all shared the same excitement for the upcoming season.

Fraser, the VP of social media for the club, explained the upcoming events for this winter.

“We just posted our trip schedule for the upcoming ski season. We have all the dates on our Instagram page. We are going to a variety of different locations around Quebec like Mont Orford and Mont Tremblant,” Fraser explained.

“Our two most exciting events are our ‘weekender’ events. We’re having one in Quebec city and we are having one in Vermont at Jay Peak,” Fraser added.

The “weekender” events have been done in the past, but they had to be put on hold for the past couple of years due to COVID restrictions. During these events, participants of the ski and snowboard club go away for one weekend, stay at a hotel, ski, and party.

For beginners who want to try out the club but feel apprehensive due to their skill level, the club’s executives assure you that the club is for everyone.

Weinstein, the president of the club, explained that the team is there to help answer any questions that you may have while going down the slopes.

“One of the things that we try to do with the club is that we try to get new people to come out. Obviously, in terms of liability, we can’t teach beginners how to ride but we try to make it as accessible as possible,” he said. “We make sure that it’s accessible because we know how difficult it is as a beginner because every element of skiing is super expensive.”

With accessibility on the forefront, the club hopes to recruit as many participants as they can for their most anticipated events for winter 2023.

So get out there! You can find out more about this club on their website.

COURTESY PHOTOS OF THE CONCORDIA SKI AND SNOWBOARDING CLUB.

CSSC gives students a chance to visit the hills while staying on a budget

Do you love skiing or snowboarding? Need to escape the city? On a tight budget? If so, it’s time to check out the Concordia’s Ski & Snowboarding Club (CSSC).

The CSSC offers students the chance to snag a deal on ski passes for their daily and weekend trips. All travel arrangements are included and after every day, the CSSC provides students with a chance to unwind and make some new friends at their Après Ski parties.

The CSSC is dedicated to offering affordable ski and snowboarding trips to students. There is no membership fee to participate in the club. However, you do have to sign up in order to purchase your tickets online. The club is open to all Concordia students and members can also bring friends, regardless if they go to Concordia or not. With the purchase of your ticket you get a full day out on the slope as well as a seat on the bus to and from the hill.

If you want to go but are lacking the equipment, the club also gets discount rates on rentals at the hill.

If you want to ensure your spot on the next trip, sign up early because the CSSC trips sell fast. On average, they get 50 to 100 students per event. Some of their more popular trips are across the border. Their last trip to Sugarbush on Jan. 24 was completely sold out. “We have many members eager to ski in the U.S.,” says Hannah Townsend, CSSC co-president.

The next available U.S. trip is to Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont.

“We always have a huge turnout for this event, so do not hesitate to get tickets,” she continued.

If students aren’t looking to go too far, they also have trips to hills here in Quebec. Their most recent local trip was to Sutton on Sunday, Feb. 1 that only cost students $55 round-trip.

In the past, Spring Break has always been a prime time to organize a trip, however this year, nothing is planned yet.

“As of right now we do not have a ski trip organized,” says Townsend. “However we are open to suggestions and always take into consideration the demand for trips.”

If skiing and snowboarding isn’t your thing they will be organizing a social event during the break, which is open to everyone.

Check out their Facebook page, Concordia Ski & Snowboard Club, for more info. You can also check out their website surfthesnow.org to sign up and purchase your tickets online.