By Joel Plaja

For any snowboarder looking to go to university, there is always one question that is grappled with and pondered over. Forget issues with exam results, UCAS and finance, the decision at the forefront of everyone’s mind is whether to go straight to uni, or to take a year off and head to the mountains. It’s a tough decision. Of course, if you follow the draw of the real stuff, then there’s always the possibility that you will never come back, so many follow their heads and defer a season until the end of a degree.

But, inevitably, when September comes around and the leaves start to brown, and news of early season snow start to filter through, the magazines come out you find yourself poring over webcams and gear reviews, wondering whether you made the right decision.

However, following the academic route doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the seasonaires lifestyle. No matter which university you are going to, you can be sure of finding a group of like minded shredders, keen on getting as much riding (and partying) done as their student loans will allow. The university snowboard scene is absolutely massive, and all unis will have a snowsports club, organising events, trips to local slopes, and two annually to the Alps, and nights out. It’s a great way to meet other like minded riders, making sure you get your fill of the white stuff (or dry stuff) at local slopes, followed by what always leads to a big night out, sharing stories and of trips away and claiming bragging rights. Many of the big clubs also hold many big events at the beginning of the term, such as SKUM in Manchester, which have hosted two on campus rail jams in the last two years.


The Kings Final

And for those looking to get competitive, universities go head to head on a regular basis in racing and freestyle, the highlights being the Kings Ski Club races, starting as early as October, and all the British University Snowsports Council (BUSC) run events, including the dryslope championships in Scotland and the indoor slopestyle championships in February at Castleford, Milton Keynes and Braehead. The competitive season is capped off in March/April with the BUSC Main Event, seeing all the university clubs descend on one resort for a week of competitions and incredible après.

If you have chosen the uni route, don’t be disheartened, you can still get the best of both worlds, so, after you have dumped all your belongings in your new box room, make sure the first thing you do is head to the Freshers fair, and sign up. The snowsports desk wont be hard to spot, it will be the busiest and the loudest in the whole room.



[Rider: Andrew Paterson]

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