With winter just around the corner, many people are set to venture onto the slopes. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park is scheduled to open for the 2024-25 Winter Season on Saturday, Dec. 7, pending snowpack and weather conditions. 49° North Mountain Resort also plans to open in December and continue operating through March. Whitworth students can join in on the fun, whether it’s their first time skiing or snowboarding or just their first return this season.
Junior Will Moore has had skiing as his favorite hobby since he was four. He explains that he’s from Colorado Springs and grew up skiing in the mountains with his family. “I really enjoyed having [skiing] as an outlet to get away from the stress of school and sports. It’s just fun to go up and be in nature,” said Moore. He notes that he loves to ski with friends but hasn’t skied Mt. Spokane or 49°. He said, “I’ve skied a lot at Lookout Pass, which is on the border of Montana and Idaho. They have a really cheap college pass; it’s like $150 for a season pass, so it’s pretty affordable, which is nice.”
Junior Esther Roeber recalls her experience taking Whitworth’s skiing and snowboarding Jan Term class, noting the opportunities she received in her two years taking the course. “The skiing class was so fun,” said Roeber, “[and] I saved a lot of money.” She also mentions that she made lasting friendships during this three-week course, saying, “the second year I [took the class], I did it with all my friends that I met through that class…and those are some of my really good friends now.”
Despite the popular interest from students, Whitworth will not offer its PE-159 Snow Skiing and Boarding course this 2025 Jan Term. According to Todd Sandberg, the assistant dean of student programs, this cancellation can be attributed to a number of factors.
“[The cancellation] has to do with all of the academic and financial changes that are occurring on campus,” said Sandberg. He notes that the reduction of required shared curriculum credits has a major role to play in this decision. Alongside the removal of courses such as the core series, the new catalog decreased the physical education requirement from three credits to one. Sandberg anticipates that the university will turn its attention to “on-campus, traditional” PE courses. He also highlights another critical consideration: the substantial rise in cost. He said, “It’s becoming more and more expensive…I’ve been overseeing [the course] for about 10-11 years, and the prices have escalated.” It’s uncertain if this course will be offered again in the coming years.
Sandberg also shares that the Ski and Snowboard Club did not recharter for the 2024-25 school year. He perceives this decision as due to a lack of student interest, saying, “It’s all about having students that want to continue.” If students wished to reestablish this club, “it could always resurface,” said Sandberg.
