We know, we know… a ski team!? In the South?!? Yes and yes. 

The Duke University Ski and Snowboard Team is one of over thirty Club Sports offered at Duke. Club Sports teams compete against other schools in our area – for us, that means UVA, Virginia Tech, Appalachian State, VMI, JMU, and sometimes Tennessee, Chapel Hill, Lees McRae, and Eastern Carolina. These teams make up the Southeastern Conference, the most baller conference in the country. 

Fall Semester:

Obviously, we have neither the snow nor the mountains to hold practices on actual race courses. We’re still working on Duke to buy us an indoor mountain. Surprisingly enough, that campaign doesn’t seem to be going very well.  

Instead, we have what we call “dryland practices.” These are four times a week for a few hours. At the practices, we’ll do a variety of activities – we’re thinking we’re going to get a ski machine donated to us this year so that will take up a fair amount of practice time. Sometimes we’re doing brutal things like stadiums. Other times we play Frisbee or flag football. And occasionally we’ll do things like pilates, just to spice it up a bit. Various team members will lead practices, so you’ll get to know a lot of the upperclassmen this way. 

These practices have many purposes. Obviously, we want you to be in shape if you’re skiing with us. But one of the main reasons is because attendance at these practices determines your standing on the team in terms of commitment – and those who are most committed get to go on our winter trip. 

Winter Trip:

Each winter break, since we are going to have to out-ski and not out-pilate the other teams, we take a training trip. In the past, these trips have been in Steamboat, Colorado; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Whistler, Canada; and Snowbasin, Utah. We hire coaches and get our asses whooped into shape doing conditioning and race training for five days. This trip is an absolute blast; we get a lot of skiing in and everyone improves their racing skills.  

Winter Racing:

Once we arrive back at Duke, race season begins. We typically have four weekends of races, followed by regionals, if we qualify. Racers can choose to go on as few or as many of these races as they would like; we typically leave on Friday afternoons and get back Sunday nights, since each race is over three hours away. 

Duke provides vans for us to use for transportation. The Ski Team subsidizes some of the hotel rooms, so your costs are some hotel and all food. Rentals are also not included if you do not have your own equipment. 

Skiiers race GS and slalom. Snowboarders race GS and will occasionally be offered boardercross. 
 

FAQ: 

Q: I’ve never raced before, but I really enjoy skiing. Can I join?

A: By all means. I started out at Duke not ever having stepped foot (or boot? Or ski?) on a race course, and through the training on our winter trips and the help of our coaches and my fellow racers, I’ve improved a lot and feel more comfortable on the course. The most important part of the Ski Team is having fun – though it is nice to kick ass on the course. So don’t be intimidated – we have more beginners than we do seasoned racers. 

Q: I’m afraid I’m not going to have the time…how much of a commitment is it really?

A: You can make it as much or as little of a commitment as you want. If you don’t want to come to practices (or can’t), then don’t sweat it. If you pay your dues, you are more than welcome to come on as many or as few ski races as you want. Practice attendance is the main deciding factor on who is eligible for the winter trip, though. Dues are equal for everyone and are non-refundable. 

Q: How much money am I going to have to shell out? 
A: Dues are $200-250. Though that sounds like a lot, it’s a steal compared to most other schools. This includes all your registration fees, lift tickets, insurance, transportation, some hotels, a t-shirt, bibs, and use of some team equipment (helmets, poles if you need them, tuning equipment) for the entire year. You get a LOT of miles for your money – if you come to all 4 race weekends, for example, that’ll only cost you $50 or a little more per weekend - really cheap compared to a regular ski weekend.  

Your expenses outside of dues are rental equipment, food, and some hotel costs. 

If you come on the winter trip, obviously your costs will be a lot more. Regionals will also cost you a little more – but only our top skiers qualify for regionals. 

It’s important to note that these dues are non-refundable; once we get you signed up we automatically have to pay a good portion of your dues to registration (national and regional) and insurance. So we can’t give your money back to you if you decide to be lame and back out. Sorry. 
 
 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Megan Clair at snw6@duke.edu. 

Thanks, and we hope to see you at practice!!