Friday night, 74 EMU students hit the slopes at Massanutten Ski Resort in a ski/snowboarding event run by Campus Activities Council (CAC). For $20 out-of-pocket, attendees were able to pick out equipment rentals and use one of the four main ski lifts to access the numerous trails – that is, when they worked.
“My gloves were soaked through so my hands were frozen,” said Sophomore Sean McClary, one of a few EMU students who was stuck frozen (in more ways than one) aloft when the “Ridge Triple” lift stopped functioning. McCleary, who “[recommends] good gloves [for] anyone planning on getting stuck,” was immobile for 49 minutes while resort staff responded to the problem.
“It did take a while to get off, but everyone got off safely,” Junior Mason DenBesten, another student stuck on the lift, added, “and that is what was most important.”
Sophomore Julie Weaver hadn’t been on the lift when it closed, but was “slightly disappointed” that “Ridge Triple” was closed, as it was the only way to access the multiple ‘intermediate’ runs.
Nevertheless, the event was considered a success. First year Jenna Weaver called it “fantastic,” saying it was, “a good event – CAC did wonderful. Tyler Goss is amazing.”
Goss worked with fellow CAC leader Anne Coyne to organize the event and welcomed students when they arrived, checking them in and paying the significant contributions that allowed students such a discounted rate. “We could not do [the event] last year due to COVID,” Goss explained, “so it was wonderful to have EMU Royals hit the slopes again!”
Many Royals got the chance to try something they didn’t have much experience with. Sophomore Jack Von Gunten had never skied before but enjoyed his time.
“I thought it was a great opportunity provided by CAC,” Von Gunten said. “I probably would have been hesitant to spend a lot of money on skiing, having not been before. It was a lot of fun and I started to get the hang of it towards the end!”
Junior Natalie Ladd reported similar growth: “I struggled at the beginning, but after a few runs on the greens I was able to feel more confident and enjoy it.”
The event was just as enjoyable for students who had experience with the activity. Junior Caleb Oesch has been “skiing since first grade” and noted that he “expected it to be icy and not super great snow, and [he] was happily impressed.”
Students who had skied before also enjoyed the opportunity to try something new: “I don’t snowboard, really,” shared Sophomore Nathan Oostland. “I tried it for the first time tonight, which was fun.”
In some cases, the terrain itself was the new variable: “I thought I was really good at skiing because hills in northern Indiana are not near as intense as an actual mountain,” Sophomore Sophie Kirkton explained.
Many students were excited to repeat the experience in the coming years. “100% would do [it] again,” Julie Weaver exclaimed.
