The Pitt Ski and Snowboard Club prepare for first trip

Though this winter is off to an unseasonably warm start, members of the Pitt Ski and Snowboard… Though this winter is off to an unseasonably warm start, members of the Pitt Ski and Snowboard Club will soon hit the slopes.

The Pitt Ski and Snowboard Club will start busing veteran and inexperienced skiers and snowboarders to the Seven Springs Mountains Resort, located about an hour outside of Pittsburgh, for its season of weekly Friday night trips beginning in early January and running through February.

Senior Roman Harlovic, the club president, said that the club has about 400 members so far this year, more than it has ever had in the past. To join the Ski and Snowboard Club, students must pay $5 in dues, as well as the cost for each trip to Seven Springs. Through the club, a lift ticket costs $25, and transportation to and from the mountain runs the students $2. The Friday night session normally costs ski and snowboard enthusiasts $40 a lift ticket.

Students will depart for the first time this year on Jan. 13 at 3 p.m. from Bigelow Boulevard, across from Soldiers and Sailors, and will get back to campus at 11 p.m. that night.

Dan Bintrim, senior and vice president of the Ski and Snowboard Club, said that normally, about 130 to 150 members attend each trip. The club sends buses to the mountain about six or seven times over two months, but students can also drive up on their own.

“It’s a good time,” said Bintrim, who has been involved in the club since his freshman year. “It is a pretty laid-back club. You can participate as much or as little as you want.”

According to Harlovic, the members range from novices to experts, and new members can be admitted at any time.

“The club has a lot of first-timers from year-to-year, and a lot of veterans as well,” he said.

For those just starting out, Harlovic said some students choose to rent equipment on the mountain, but that about 75 percent of members board the buses with personal equipment in tow. The renting costs are $16 for skis and $25 for a snowboard rental.

Once they reach their destination, the skiers and snowboarders can take their pick from 32 slopes and trails and six terrain parks offered at Seven Springs.

“It doesn’t matter what level you are in terms of your ability to ski or snowboard,” Bintrim said. “You can be an expert, and there still is a challenge.”

Senior Joe Filippini said he began snowboarding at a young age, but the Ski and Snowboard Club provided him with the opportunity to try his hand at skiing.

“I was pretty experienced. I was snowboarding since I was 12, but I hadn’t skied, and I was able to do that through the club,” he said, adding that he still remains loyal to the snowboard since he has been doing it so long.

Filippini echoed Bintrim’s description of the club’s easygoing atmosphere.

“The club has been very accessible and easy to get into and maintain connections with,” he said.

In terms of the price of dues, Harlovic said the normal Seven Springs prices don’t apply for the members of the club. Seven Springs gives the club the lowest group fare. The club also receives partial funding from the Student Government Board.

Harlovic advised interested students to take a look at the club’s Facebook page, “Pitt Ski and Snowboard Club,” where students can find more information on costs, registration and updates.