The ski team is a competitive team that races against other schools in the northeast. During the competitive season (during IAP), we live and train in New Hampshire. The team trains 4 days a Week at Waterville Valley and most weeks we have a 2-day race at another mountain. You will generally have one off day back in Boston per week, if you need it. This past season we competed at Whiteface, Jiminy Peak, Crotched Mountain, Pico Mountain, and Gunstock. It’s a lot of fun and definitely and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

We are part of the USCSA MacConnell Division, which means we ski against: Babson, Brown, Castleton, Clarkson, Smith, St. Anselm, UConn, UMass.  The coaches and athletes are extremely friendly and offer a great level of competition

Absolutely!  Cross-training with another sport is a great way to get prepared for ski season and our IAP season does not conflict with most sports.

The competitive season takes place during IAP and the first weekend of the spring semester, so it doesn’t conflict with school work at all.  The team will also do dryland training in the spring and fall, unless that conflicts with another sport.

Students sometimes have to take courses during IAP.  Athletes may have to miss some training but this usually does not conflict with races on the weekend.  If the class takes place during the whole of IAP, talk to us and we’ll figure out a good way to get you involved.

The team is open to all skiers who have a desire to race, with a maximum cap of ~20 athletes.  In the past, we have had a range of abilities from 50-pt FIS/USSA racers to people who have never raced before.  This is a great opportunity to become a better skier even if you’ve never seen a race before, or take your racing to the next level if you have.  Graduate students are welcome to join and train but will not be able to race with the team, as the league is limited to undergrads.

If you are just getting into racing but have your own skis and boots, you should be fine to start. For experienced racers, or as your skills progress, you will likely want to buy some new gear. We do have a limited number of loaner skis, poles, and guards.

We get significant help from MIT and our alumni.  In this past year, we were able to use $10,000 of donated money to subsidize our season.  Athletes ended up paying the following in 2012: $259 for a season pass to 4 resorts, $100 per week in our cabin (about half of which goes towards food, which you’d be buying anyway), and $100 for a competitors’ license

The team is above all light-hearted and fun, but we also like to be competitive.  We train hard all fall and winter, but like to have fun while we’re at it!