On Thursday, Jan. 4, the Ski Club embarked on its inaugural trip to Ski Sundown, marking the first of six outings to the mountain, which will provide them opportunities to have fun and foster connections that extend beyond the classroom.
Seniors Celia Yaworsky, Ashley Neikre, and Martin Ma, along with junior Abby Craig founded the Ski Club this year as they wanted to share their passion for skiing with the entire community. Given that Kingswood Oxford is only half an hour from Ski Sundown, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
The establishment of the club has been in the works for some time. Last year, some students attempted to initiate the club, but starting late in the fall made paperwork and organization challenging. This year, the organization for the club was started at the beginning of the school year, facilitating a smoother process for getting everything in order.
Nonetheless, the Ski Club has been a great success, and members have made many fun memories while skiing. Abby said that she enjoyed skiing with fellow junior Francesca Lamattina. “We both had a great experience,” Abby said. “The Ski Club has brought us closer because we get to spend this time together.” Connecting with others and creating memories while skiing or snowboarding is precisely why the club was founded.
Most members drive themselves to the mountain, so not everyone attends each time the club goes to Sundown. This can make connecting with others challenging since club members may not be skiing with everyone who originally signed up. However, the primary focus of the club is, indeed, skiing and offering a valuable opportunity for students who otherwise might find it challenging to fit skiing into their busy schedules.
Additionally, unique to other clubs at school, the trips to Ski Sundown allow students to take a break from their academic routine and participate in physical activity, enhancing students’ well-being and creating a balance between schoolwork and fun.
So far, the club has left a great impression and is already looking ahead to next year. “I would like to have time for members to connect besides the mountain to get to know each other better,” Abby said. “I would also like to plan a trip to Vermont to ski at a bigger mountain.” The Ski Club has proved to be fun and will hopefully stay at KO for many more years to come.
