Winter can feel isolating, especially when you’re spending all your time indoors. But it doesn’t need to be this way – outdoor winter activities can make it feel more bearable. NAIT’s Ski and Snowboard Club aims to help students enjoy winter and learn something new.
“I’m always somebody who hates the cold and hates being outside … I still don’t, like, love winter, but I look forward to it more every year because I have an activity that I love to do during winter,” said the President of NAIT’s Ski and Snowboard Club, Jessica Knull. So, instead of going “from car to building and car to building,” Knull believes winter sports like skiing and snowboarding give students and enthusiasts alike something to look forward to.
A long-time running club at NAIT, the Ski and Snowboard Club was impacted by Covid and reestablished in 2021. Since then, the club has grown in numbers, with close to 200 members registered on Ooks Life. Reignited under Knull’s stewardship, the objective of the club is to provide students a community to connect with others and share their passion for skiing and snowboarding. Knull emphasized that a lot of it comes down to the Local Shred Nights, as they are more accessible at $20 to $40 a night. On Wednesday evenings, that’s where the community comes together.
But there’s a community for brand new skiers and snowboarders, too. As someone who learned skiing as an adult, the club’s Introduction to Skiing & Snowboarding event is the brainchild of Knull, who wants other NAIT students to be able to learn the same way that she did. “That was kind of the inspiration behind the event, was being able to give other people that opportunity.”
The Introduction to Skiing & Snowboarding is a four-week beginner series starting on February 7. It takes place at Sunridge Ski Area, located on the east side of the city, approximately 15 minutes away from NAIT. Depending on the tickets you purchase, it includes lessons, lift and rentals. This year, the series is open to NAIT students and NAIT alumni. “If you have friends who have graduated and are interested in joining, we have just made the decision to open it up to them as well,” Knull noted.
“By the end of the four weeks, the goal is for you to be comfortable on green runs for sure, hopefully some blues, depending on how easily or difficult you find it,” she mentioned. Knull also said it would be an opportunity for the community to grow and open up to more people who did not learn skiing or snowboarding as a kid.
For budding student skiers and snowboarders, Knull has some words of advice. “Don’t get discouraged quickly,” she said. From her experience, skiing is “easy to learn but hard to master,” while snowboarding is “hard to learn but easy to master,” she explained. “If you are falling every five seconds, that’s totally okay.” Although it could be embarrassing falling as an adult, Knull added that this event is great as participants will be learning it with other adults who are in the same boat.
Students looking for a fun and exciting winter learning experience can visit the club’s Ooks Life page to learn more about the Introduction to Skiing and Snowboarding series. Be sure to sign up soon, as the registration deadline is January 31. Students with questions about the Ski and Snowboard Club or the club’s beginner series can reach out to the club via Instagram or email them at naitskiandsnow@gmail.com.
For those who cannot make the introduction series, Knull reminds students that the Ski and Snowboard Club still does the Local Shred Nights on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. “It’s great to get out and make some new friends,” said Knull.
So, get in touch with the club and gear up to “embrace the chill, shred the thrill.”
