PIST takes to the slopes

Seven Springs just doesn’t cut it.

In 1999, Pitt students Tom Miaskiewicz, Brandon Shaffer… Seven Springs just doesn’t cut it.

In 1999, Pitt students Tom Miaskiewicz, Brandon Shaffer and Geoff Stilley wanted to form a snowboarding club that ventured farther than the local Seven Springs and experienced bigger slopes and more challenging terrain; they created the Pittsburgh Intercollegiate Snowboard Team.

This year, PIST has increased its membership by 60 people, participated in various competitions, gained more sponsors and traveled to various slopes. Current president, senior Pat Lanigan, emphasized that PIST still offers “an alternative to Seven Springs every weekend.”

PIST is both a club and a team. Any college student from the area is able to join the club and go on the trips. Students of all skill levels can participate.

The team is more exclusive, with try-outs held at the beginning of each season. This year’s Pro Team consists of four men and two women. There is also an amateur team consisting of four men and one woman. Half the amateur team consists of freshmen.

Sophomore and team manager Dustin Lutomski said he is “excited to have a lot of young talent come up and eager to see what they’ll do in the future.”

The amateur team members work as reserves in case someone from the Pro Team is unable to participate in a competition.

The first competition of the season was Jan. 19 at Snowshoe, W. Va. Tyler Calabrese took first place in the men’s slopestyle competition.

Erinn Hoban carved her way into first place for the women, and Clara Charlton received third place in the same competition. Jan. 26 brought a second place success to Matt Aspinall in the half-pipe competition at Wisp, Md.

On Feb. 1, PIST riders took every place at the WVU Invitational at Snowshoe.

Calabrese came in first in the men’s slopestyle competition, while Matt Aspinall and Andrej Savol took the second and third slots.

Erinn Hoban led the PIST pack for the women’s slopestyle competition with teammates Lora Woodward taking second and Clara Charlton taking third. This was the first competition where PIST took every place at an event.

The club as a whole already took two trips to Vermont, a trip to Whiteface in New York, and spent the first week of its winter vacation at Mont Tremblant in Quebec.

Since its trip to Quebec, the team has also been back to Vermont once more and spent spring break in Austria. The team plans to attend competitions at Wisp, Snowshoe and Snozone before season’s end.

PIST picked up some new sponsors this season, including Options Snowboards, N.F.A. Clothing, DaKine, Drake, Northwave and Bakoda. The Headboard Shop and Banchi Outdoor Adventures also sponsor them.

Banchi Outdoor Adventures also plans all of the PIST trips. Students interested in getting involved with PIST can visit the Web site: www.pistsnowboard.com.

After a busy season, PIST members attend an end-of-season celebration, as they go to the annual pond jump at Seven Springs.