How to Hit the Slopes for Class Credit
FitRec trains novice skiers and snowboarders
The temperature has plummeted, snow is in the forecast, and it’s time to hit the slopes — even if the only slope you’ve hit so far is the couch you sat on while watching the giant slalom on TV.
Boston University’s Fitness and Recreation Center can put you on the chairlift, headed uphill. FitRec offers credit and noncredit classes for students who want to learn how to ski or snowboard. For class costs and schedules, click here.
“Students who grew up in New England and have been skiing their whole lives tend to jump into the club teams,” says Adrienne Catrambone (CAS’04, MET’07), assistant business manager for the Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. “The classes are usually made up of students who weren’t born with skis on.”
The fledgling skiers and snowboarders taking the classes meet outside the George Sherman Union at 5 p.m. on their scheduled day and take a bus to Nashoba Valley Ski Area, in Westford, Mass. Buses return to the GSU by 11 p.m.
“My advice to first-time skiers and snowboarders is to wear waterproof pants and to be a little fearless,” says Catrambone, who started snowboarding a few years ago when she took one of the BU classes. “If you go during the day to Nashoba, there are kids and it’s crowded, but when we’re there at night, we usually have the place to ourselves.”
At Nashoba, group lessons are taught by instructors, and there is plenty of time to practice on the slopes. Fees cover lift tickets for the evening and rental equipment is available. Students can sign up for classes until January 30.
For undergraduates who want to compete, the BU Ski Team and the BU Snowboarding Team, both club sports, offer the opportunity, says Tracey Dultz (SED’03), coordinator of club sports. Dultz warns that the ski team is best suited for serious competitors, while the snowboarding team — with about 80 members, BU’s largest coed club sport — is more laid-back.
“Club sports are a great way to get out there and meet other students with similar interests,” says Dultz, who took the ski class a few years ago and sticks to the bunny slopes.
Kimberly Cornuelle can be reached at kcornuel@bu.edu .
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