With the weather getting colder and more people heading up to the slopes every day, SFU’s Ski and Snowboard Club is the foremost winter sports club the school has to offer. The Peak sat down with Aurelien Sudan and Matthew Wiebe, who hold the positions of president and vice-president, respectively.

“It’s just a really good way for people on campus to interact with each other and do a lot of fun activities,” begins Sudan, a Communications major and avid snowboarder. “We have people from every level . . . people that are experienced riders, and people that have never been put in a pair of skis or a snowboard before,” he adds. “We have a lot of interest, but we can always go bigger, and that’s what we are striving to be: a bigger community.”

The pair tries to keep the club ski- and snowboard-related, developing friendships and “getting the legs ready,” as Sudan puts it, before they head out to the mountains. As it turns out, the club is about more than just promoting an active lifestyle. “It’s really about getting a community of people to ride in the mountains and have some fun together,” explains Wiebe, a Business major with a minor in Geography.

The club is also able to offer many discounts to their members using the connections they have made throughout BC. “It’s an expensive sport,” as Wiebe says, and not everyone has the money to do it on their own.

That’s why, as Sudan explains, “we try to increase the amount of people from SFU that may want to go to get gear for cheaper at [local sports shops] . . . We also have some connections with many different resorts around the area . . . we promote the resorts as much as we can and, in exchange, they give us discounts.” These sponsors give club members the opportunity to grab gear and transportation on a student budget.

For Sudan, the club means more than just a place to socialize. He moved here four years ago from Switzerland, and credits the club with his success at SFU. “The club has definitely impacted my life a lot,” he laughs. “The semester had already started when I got admitted, and I was not even living on campus. It was hard to network, but one of the first things I did when I came was got involved with the Ski and Snowboard Club.

“My whole network of friends expanded because of this club. All of those friendships are still strong today and it’s been great.” Sudan is just one example of the many members that have been impacted by the friendships they have made in the club.

It’s really about getting a community of people to ride in the mountains and have some fun together.”

Matthew Wiebe, SFU Ski and Snowboard Club vice-president

In Wiebe’s case, he takes pride in his ability to provide a community to students at SFU just like he did for Sudan four years earlier. “It’s been an awesome way to be involved on campus and meet people and network, being able to provide this experience to people who might not feel like they have an opportunity to meet people.”

At the end of the day for these two, developing a community at SFU is the most important and fulfilling part of being involved with the club. “We are trying to develop a community, so we try and hold a range of events that are inclusive to everyone. Anyone can be a part of it. Whether it’s gymnastics nights, barbecues, gear tuning nights, gear swap or our trips — they all allow people to come out and have a good time,” Wiebe says.

Registration for SFU’s Ski and Snowboard Club is open all year long and the membership is valid for the full year.