Snowriders Battle to Keep Costs of Trip Low
The Snowriders have been working hard to keep costs down for the Mt. Tremblant trip this year so that it stays affordable for students.
Each winter break, the Snowriders host one of the biggest and most popular trips held at the University which is the Mt Tremblant, Canada trip.
Last year, the Snowriders took two buses up to the great white north with 102 people. This was the greatest number of people that has ever attended the trip. Thirty people actually had to be turned away.
The original cost per student was $539. The club was able to cover $140 per student, bringing the price down to $399 per person. A week in Canada usually costs much more than that.
Angela Rosa, president of the Snowriders, said, “Unfortunately, the cost is going to be more this year. Because we gave such a big discount to students last year, we weren’t able to save as much for this year’s trip.”
Rosa was unable to give an exact price for this year’s trip. This year’s trip will be directly affected by how much money the Snowriders are able to raise.
The Snowriders will be showing a movie on campus to help raise money for their trip on September 30.
The movie is called The Art of Flight, filmed by Redbull. This movie is one of the biggest movies Redbull has ever made, featuring snowboarding professionals such as Travis Rice, Nicolas Muller, Pat Moore and a few other big names. The Snowriders will be releasing more information on this soon. Tickets are going to be $5.
The Snowriders plan to only take one bus up to Canada this year instead of the two buses from last year. One bus cost $2,000 and two additional advisors would cost $650. No matter what the final price per student ends up to be, a trip will definitely happen.
“One bus is better for the eboard and costs significantly less because we don’t have to pay for two more advisors as well as a second bus,” said Rosa.
She feels that with one bus, the students on the trip are more connected with one another and they are there primarily to board or ski, as well as have a good time.
“With two buses, students were coming on the trip just to party and that’s not what the Snowriders are about,” said Rosa. “We want students to come on the trip who are avid boarders and skiers.”
Kyle Durso, junior student, has gone on the Mt. Tremblant trip for the past two years with the Snowriders. Durso has been snowboarding for as long as he can remember and said that the Canada trips were some of his best boarding experiences.
“It’s completely different from East Coast snowboarding,” Durso recalled. “It’s not nearly as icy as it is at home.” Durso plans to go on the trip once again this year.
“The friendships formed on the trip, in addition to the experiences, are some of the best parts about the trip,” Rosa said.
“Not to mention that the University lets you travel out of the country to Canada to experience an amazing mountain and city.”
The Snowriders usually designate one night where they take a bus and travel to Montreal.
Eric Kaighn, junior student, recalled, “The night I spent in Montreal was one of the best times I ever had. Experiencing a city so different yet similar from what I’ve ever seen at home was incredible.”
The Snowriders want to pair up with The Outdoors Club in the future so that they can organize day and weekend trips together. Rosa hopes to plan a spring trip somewhere warm, such as Key West, where members can branch out to try new sports such as water skiing or wakeboarding.
The snowriders will have a booth set up at the Involvement Fair on September 21 for anyone interested in learning more about the Mt. Tremblant trip and their organization.
PHOTO COURTESY of Angela Rosa