Snow Club more than just parties, members say

Snow Club members sophomore Abby Westman, left, sophomore Kanika Vora, bottom center, junior Jaden Adamson, right, senior Jake Roberts, top center, and junior Konner Kienzle, top right, snowboard at Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, California. Photo by Jaden Adamson

Everyone knows that Snow Club members party, said the club’s president, senior Austin Ferguson. But, junior Jaden Adamson, one of Snow Club’s two “rage chairs,” said the parties are only a part of what they do.

What the club is really about is a shared love of skiing and snowboarding, Adamson said.

“A lot of people, when we go up on the mountain, will drink or whatever while we’re skiing, but it’s really more about everybody bonding over this skiing and boarding. Nobody’s pressured to party if they don’t want to,” Adamson said.

Ferguson said that while members party, they all share a common dedication to the sport, sometimes waking up earlier than 7 a.m. to go on the slopes.

Adamson said finding the club made her stay at Chapman after she considered moving back home.

“I was actually going to move back to Colorado after my first semester here, but then after joining Snow Club I was like ‘Oh, hey, I found the people that I enjoy,” Adamson said.

Snow Club has been one of the most successful clubs on campus, Ferguson said, with membership growing steadily in the last four years.

“Being involved with Snow Club for such a long time now…I’ve seen it grow a lot,” Ferguson said. “We’ve expanded a ton in terms of membership … We are attracting higher-level skiers now.”

Snow Club includes skiers and snowboarders of all levels, and welcomes beginners who are interested in the “mountain culture,” Adamson said. Advanced members of the club mentor beginners.

“(There are) all different skill levels (among) the people who go on trips,” Adamson said. “It’s an environment where you can learn and not be self-conscious.”

When asked about the club’s reputation for partying, Adamson said Snow Club does host parties as part of the club’s social activities. Ferguson said the club does not recruit members who want to solely party.

“(Focusing on partying is) the quickest way to not get into snow club,” Ferguson said.

A common concern shared by prospective members is that they may get injured on Snow Club trips, Adamson said. Similar to other sports, Adamson said there is a risk of injury, but that risk level is up to each member’s decisions.

Adamson injured her left arm from snowboarding, but she said that injuries do not stop her from enjoying Snow Club’s activities.

“It’s the first time I’ve gotten injured in 18 years of snowboarding,” Adamson said. “You can choose to challenge yourself or you can choose to play it safe.”

Snow Club has become more competitive as more people begin to show interest, and Adamson said she encourages interested students to reach out to current members if they want a better chance at getting in.

“There’s a social aspect too,” Adamson said. “I always tell freshmen to meet the president and the vice president.”

While the parties are common, Adamson said that Snow Club has helped her make lifelong friends at Chapman mainly by connecting her to others with the same passion.