The legendary Snowboard Club trip to Jay Peak will once again take place this spring with thirty of PSU’s most entertaining snowboard students.

Combing all of these people together on a college vacation can lead to a lot of interesting encounters by believing these students are in “dream world”. From the van trips up the hill then the water park adventure after snowboarding, with that many friends on a road trip you can tell how crazy it is going to get. Past years the club has seen some remarkable performances by students such as Kevin Court (aka Uncle Kev or Gravedi99er) with his snowboarding antics to his water park enjoyment. Falling asleep in the lazy river or bailing hard on the artificial wave, can just be a show for the rest who decide to watch from the bar. After those experiences leads the group back to Grampa Grunts where everyone really gets to know each other.

This year the club plans to recruit new and different people for the trip to make it as interesting as possible. With Katie Kennedy helping out, we want to give all of the girl snowboarders at the school the opportunity to enjoy this experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. With more work to be done in the planning process, John and Nick plan to get everything organized and have a set date with available sign ups around the month of March.

If you are interested in signing up and have not been a part of previous year’s trips, you must fulfill requirements before enduring on this adventure of a lifetime. First, connect with the club on Instagram or Facebook (@plymouth_boardin) then email John O’Connor at jjoconnor@plymouth.edu expressing your desire to come with us along with your ability level. If you are chosen by the club, transportation, lift tickets, food, and board will be taken care of for the weekend. Good luck!

To clear things up for those who aren’t involved, here’s the lowdown on the PSU Snowboard Club for the 2013-2014 school year.

Nick Doucette has taken on one of the leadership roles this year and is working to balance his school work, the club, and his snowboarding career at the same time. For all of the people who want to be a part of the club and are not yet, here is some behind the scenes information that may clear some things up.

There are many snowboarders at PSU with a passion for snowboarding. However when they try to join the club, they sometimes just can’t seem to make their way in. Is it promotional issues or is it the lack of structure the club has that just can’t seem to get everyone on the same page? Nick realizes the situation and is happy to let people know what the deal is. “We would love to have every snowboarder in the university be a part of this family. It’s the biggest club at the school and we still haven’t been able to reach even half of the people that want to be a part of it all. We promote the club via social media and flyers around campus for events but when it comes to trips, it’s tough getting everyone officially signed up due to the new OrgSync requirements through the school. People just don’t know how to use it or even know what it is.”

When asked the easiest way to become a part of the “family” Nick says by contacting directly through text, email, or Facebook will have the quickest response. His contact information is listed below if you and your friends want to give it a try, but as said “The Snowboard Trip is limited, so you need to express true interest in coming if you want to get on board.”

Call, text, or email Nick at:

518-755-9386

or at
nndoucette@plymouth.edu

With a club of 30+ members moving around campus constantly and going snowboarding at the many resorts within an hour radius. The PSU Snowboard Club has influential advertisement potential that companies are taking note of. 

Plymouth State University alumni Preston Strout knows this first hand and has been strategically promoting his snowboard traction company Crab Grab through people in specific areas he wants to target. The PSU Snowboard Club being one, he sponsors the club with free product and stickers for the members to put on their snowboards. Being a local grass roots company, these club members are more than happy to represent a company that they can relate to. His marketing strategy is better than most since he is not worried about any talent these people have, he looks more at their surroundings and all of the cheap consistent promotion throughout the year. 

Crab Crab is not the only company taking notice. Companies as big as Monster Energy Drink are even taking notice. They are an example of a company who targets the average college student who is surrounded by his or her peers throughout the day. By sending drinks, apparel, and stickers, they see this as a cheap and efficient advertising strategy instead of going towards bigger publications and media outlets that will charge a lot more for advertising.

Through building relationships and expanding on companies brands, the snowboard club has a bright future for funding their annual snowboard trips and becoming a more respected part of the University. Ski resorts are even trying to get involved. The annual “Jay Peak Snowboard Trip” is well known throughout the East coast and want a piece of this pie. By attempting to offer better deals, lodging, or terrain, these resorts such as Smuggs in Vermont have been consistently contacting the club in order to get the group from Plymouth to bring their money. 

With a well built relationship with Grampa Grunts located near Jay Peak Vermont, the club has no intention to switch ski resorts anytime soon. “Even after THE Grampa Grunt’s death, we are still welcomed back every year and the lodge is more than happy to serve us every year. We’re like family” said Cole St. Martin last years President of the snowboard club. “There’s a water park connected to the main ski lodge, why would we even consider going anywhere else?” says Jay Minassian, treasurer from last years club. 

The Snowboard Club alumni has been making moves in the snowboard industry in many different ways. Catching up with them via internet was just as hard as catching up to them on the hill.

Former PSU student and club member Preston Strout had a few things to say, “Where many sports end at the collegiate level for most participants, snowboarding typically continues a lifelong theme. Actually, I started dating a girl I met at that first club meeting in the Fall of 1996, and now she’s my wife! We own a snowboard company together and couldn’t be happier!”

Living proof that the snowboard club can bring more to the table than you would even expect. Preston has made his presence in the snowboarding industry known internationally. From sponsoring today’s top young athletes to the older legends of snowboarding proudly representing his brand. By working his way through school while keeping his passion alive, Plymouth State University has shaped his life close to if not more than snowboarding.

2011 Snowboard Club President Mike Ravelson was also impacted in positive ways through the snowboard club. After several years of filming snowboard movies with his friends he found his way to stardom and is now a professional snowboarder. By representing his own image through creativity, hard work, and excitement, he says “The snowboard club and Plymouth State saved my life.” As one of the most interesting and inspiring snowboarders his generation has seen, Mike is setting the standard for the younger kids pursuing their passion while forwarding their education at the same time. With Plymouth State University as his back round, high school students are flocking to the University seeing the same dream.

With the opening of Loon Mountain Resort, some PSU students claim they “Have their life back”

After waiting eight long months for most people in New England to see snow again, the temperatures have dropped and the dust is being cleaned off of the snowboards stashed in the back of their closet. With Loon Mountain alone being a big reason for many of these students attending the University, smiles are back and weekends are action filled, instead of party filled. Encouraging students to go outside and get on the slopes is a great way to keep people happy during the short days and long nights that winter brings.

The Snowboard Club members are some of the most excited people in the town they believe. “We go up to Loon every weekend but we still party like we’re celebrating their opening weekend. Even when we’re tired and hungover we still manage to get up there and there’s no better way to cure a hangover.” said active member of the snowboard club Devon Therrien.

The locals at Loon consist of students of Plymouth State University who at time over take the whole gondola line. Whether you’re acquaintances or best friends it’s hard to walk by someone without saying hello. “We all share a connection through snowboarding that sometimes we don’t have elsewhere. Loon Mtn creates friends and experiences that last a lifetime.” said Brian Burke. With the new friends and the experiences that comes from a day of snowboarding, these students truly feel as if their life has been saved through a release of all of the stress college can bring to these people. Loon Mountain has also teamed up with Plymouth State University to create a cheap pass for students since they realize the college education is expensive.

Want your own discounted college pass? Search your MyPlymouth site for “College Season Pass” to print off a form and have it signed by administration to prove to the resort you are enrolled as a student at Plymouth State University. Grab your friends and get ready for the great times ahead you’re not going to want to miss it!

The Snowboard Club held their first event with a first impression.

The annual “Keep The Change” snowboard video premiere went down again this year in the Hyde lecture hall. Every year the room is over capacitated with people from students to travelers from other states and colleges. With high spirits and all of the friends coming together at night, it’s easy to forget you are still in a school building with many restrictions. The no alcohol or bags   rule still applies just like every other year, though with these rules in mind, there’s always the people who sneak by.

The local Keep The Change crew premiered their latest video “Roll Call” following the Videograss latest release “The Last Ones” and people were excited. Plymouth is usually the first to premiere the video since this is the town it originated in. With a celebration like this, it’s easy to tell that people want to boost their mood with some alcohol. Unfortunately, even after cleaning up the entire room, empty cans were found by the janitor later that night and the Vice President Hundreiser  was notified.

The Club members are set to meet with the administration to discuss potential repercussions due to this happening again every year. “We tried our best to not let this happen, we’re not surprised it did, but we were sure of a clean building after everyone left.” Said Nick Doucette.

With honesty on their side, the club leaders John O’Connor and Nick Doucette are not too worried about the incident due to no injuries or violence involved but it’s up to the university administration to decide whether to let it happen again.

For over ten years the Plymouth State Snowboard Club has been declared an “official” club of the University. From leaders such as Preston Strout, owner of snowboard traction company Crab Grab, and professional snowboard athlete Mike Ravelson in 2011, the club has had a legacy that continues to grow. This year, Johnny O’Connor along with Nick Doucette have taken the wheel and are steering the club in the best ways they can.

“We’re taking a different approach this year” says Nick. After realizing the amount of snowboarders that attend the university and their willingness to join and help out, they would be missing out on an opportunity to expand and make positive impacts on the students and the university.

“The boarding club is not just restricted to snowboarders, we have skier friends we include in our trips because it’s more about the passion for snow and getting out on the mountain.” said snowboard club Treasurer Nick Doucette. As a full time student and club leader, Nick holds himself to a high standard not easy to keep up with, but with help from Johnny and other club members, the club has yet to see it’s peak of expansion and potential.